iakiakiak
15-12-23, 03:14
I'm kind of a mess right now and not sure where to start...
Two months ago I (35F) joined the very small club of health anxiety sufferers who actually had a real medical problem when I got diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. DVT/PE had been among my biggest fears for years so it felt very surreal to actually have one (I actually had multiple emboli in both lungs!). Physically, I handled the PE relatively well. I got started on blood thinners, was feeling back to normal in a few days, and was even back to light exercise, approved by my doctors, within a week.
Unfortunately, it's sent me into a total tailspin about everything else regarding my health. I read that undiagnosed cancer could be the cause of a blood clot (in VERY VERY rare cases) so I've now been scanned literally from foot to neck (full leg ultrasounds looking for DVT, as well as pelvic, abdominal, and thyroid ultrasounds, chest X-ray, and echocardiogram). It should be said, that I only had all these tests because I pushed for them, not because my doctors thought I had a hidden cancer somewhere. Fortunately, those all came back normal which of course leaves...the brain!
My brain anxiety started two weeks ago when my husband accidentally elbowed me in the head at a crowded concert. Prior to going on blood thinners this would have been a minor annoyance (and in all likelihood still would only be a minor annoyance) but I panicked that I had a brain bleed because of the blood thinners. So I went to the ER. The doctor gave me a neuro exam and said, since that was normal, and I didn't hit my head that hard, I wouldn't need a CT scan.
However, since then I've had an on-and-off pain in the back of my head. I also feel like my left eye is somewhat blurry/weaker than my right. I'm terrified that I have a brain bleed (which would potentially be more likely since I'm on blood thinners) or brain cancer that was also the underlying cause of my PE. I'm going to my PCP tomorrow so we'll see what she says.
I guess I'm not really asking for any specific help here, just looking to vent about all this anxiety!
Two months ago I (35F) joined the very small club of health anxiety sufferers who actually had a real medical problem when I got diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. DVT/PE had been among my biggest fears for years so it felt very surreal to actually have one (I actually had multiple emboli in both lungs!). Physically, I handled the PE relatively well. I got started on blood thinners, was feeling back to normal in a few days, and was even back to light exercise, approved by my doctors, within a week.
Unfortunately, it's sent me into a total tailspin about everything else regarding my health. I read that undiagnosed cancer could be the cause of a blood clot (in VERY VERY rare cases) so I've now been scanned literally from foot to neck (full leg ultrasounds looking for DVT, as well as pelvic, abdominal, and thyroid ultrasounds, chest X-ray, and echocardiogram). It should be said, that I only had all these tests because I pushed for them, not because my doctors thought I had a hidden cancer somewhere. Fortunately, those all came back normal which of course leaves...the brain!
My brain anxiety started two weeks ago when my husband accidentally elbowed me in the head at a crowded concert. Prior to going on blood thinners this would have been a minor annoyance (and in all likelihood still would only be a minor annoyance) but I panicked that I had a brain bleed because of the blood thinners. So I went to the ER. The doctor gave me a neuro exam and said, since that was normal, and I didn't hit my head that hard, I wouldn't need a CT scan.
However, since then I've had an on-and-off pain in the back of my head. I also feel like my left eye is somewhat blurry/weaker than my right. I'm terrified that I have a brain bleed (which would potentially be more likely since I'm on blood thinners) or brain cancer that was also the underlying cause of my PE. I'm going to my PCP tomorrow so we'll see what she says.
I guess I'm not really asking for any specific help here, just looking to vent about all this anxiety!