Lump on right leg, scared to call a Dr

Back in April I found a lump on my right leg, it's next to my shin. It only appears when I tense my leg or have it in a certain position where the skin is being pulled to reveal the lump. To touch it's very squishy, not hard at all. I don't know if it moves, movable lumps seem to be weird because I've found lymph nodes before that I thought were fixed but the Dr can feel that it's moving. As for this lump on my leg, I don't know what to do. It hasn't grown since I first discovered it but I also know it's not something I've always had. I did do the stupid thing of googling and it came up with soft tissue sarcoma, which has now terrified me. Initially when I first found it I just showed it to my partner who felt it and said oh it's fine it's super soft, for whatever reason that was enough to stop me worrying. Now however I just can't get it out my mind, I feel like I've left it for so long if it is anything bad it's probably way too late to do anything (I know it likely isn't but hey, that's HA for you).

I really don't want to call the Dr because I know they are gonna want to see it, which could then turn this into something I don't want to deal with.

Does anyone else have something like this? I don't really know how big it is (obviously can't see inside my leg), but from what I can see when it's protruding it's about 2cm/3cm.

Thanks all.

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Originally Posted by Simonsays64

I really don't want to call the Dr because I know they are gonna want to see it, which could then turn this into something I don't want to deal with.

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Two options.

One - do nothing and let your mind take you as far as it wants to with this, and with HA it's always 'terminal'. The hormones that your body will release from your fearful thoughts will feed into your imagination and make things so much worse than they need to be..

Or..

Two; see your GP where the most likely scenario is that it's nothing serious but it's common sense to have any new lumps assessed by a professional - not by people on an anxiety forum.

Lumps do not equal cancer. I've known many people with lumps appear and none of them were cancerous, but to have a lump and do nothing about it is incredibly irresponsible because if there is a problem, early intervention is key.

You need to phone your GP and be proactive with your own health.

Wow thanks for the empathetic reply, really appreciated.

I've rung my GP, I will hopefully hear from them soon. In the mean time is there anyone here that has experienced anything like this before?

Empathy isn't good for HA, unfortunately, and this is speaking as somebody with severe HA. Sometimes you do just need a swift kick up the rear.

I have all manner of lumps on my legs. I haven't seen a doctor but they've been there for years.

Don't be like me, see a doctor.

Hi thanks for the reply.

I think every situation should be approached with empathy when you don't know the person personally. Being rude or showing a lack of empathy to a stranger just doesn't come across very well. If it was my partner or mother then sure, it's fine because I know them and know their intention. But when a stranger acts that way toward me that's my first look at their character, they aren't empathetic toward people that are currently going through something that requires a softer touch. I can understand if I was here day in day out not listening to anyone's advice, but for the first reply to be worded like that was just rude. The basics of anxiety is that irrational thought is the most common part of the disorder, so telling someone they lack common sense about situation, that they are being irresponsible and that they shouldn't be relying on health forums for a diagnosis is just rude. I didn't ask anyone for a diagnosis, I was maybe just looking for a bit of encouragement. I asked if people had anything similar to what I am experiencing, not whether anyone could give me a definitive answer on what it is.

Seeking reassurance is all part of the health anxiety cycle, though, and an unhealthy part of it at that. The comfort doesn't last in the same way that self-soothing does, which is why it's so important to model helpful behaviours and deal with the health anxiety itself.

Am I making sense here?

I understand completely, but I don't think it's the right way to address someone when you don't know them. As I say if I was coming back day after day writing the same thing and not listening to anyone's advice that's when I'd expect someone to reply in such an un-sympathetic manner. Your reply that you have lumps on your legs reassured me enough to have confidence that this might not be the worst case scenario, and I should have more confidence in the positive outcomes.

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Originally Posted by BlueIris

Seeking reassurance is all part of the health anxiety cycle, though, and an unhealthy part of it at that. The comfort doesn't last in the same way that self-soothing does, which is why it's so important to model helpful behaviours and deal with the health anxiety itself.

Am I making sense here?

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Absolutely! And by pointing out those behaviors like "It only appears when I tense my leg or have it in a certain position where the skin is being pulled to reveal the lump", which is a self examination behavior that normally people don't perform, attributing dire circumstances to it thus sending one into an anxiety spiral, is irrational.

We're not made of porcelain. We all have lumps, bumps and normal physical anomalies that, if we poke, prod, twist, turn and perform unusual self checking behaviors, we're all bound to find something.

FMP

Oh boy did I just have a similar issue. I found a noticeable hard lump on my left wrist. It is very obviously out of place. So I made an appt and spent almost three weeks in hell. I literally almost had a nervous breakdown. It was
x-rayed and my doctor who’s an ortho specialist said it’s a calcium deposit. That’s right. A calcium deposit. She told me absolutely not to worry about it at all. In 20’minutes I had an answer to an issue I obsessed about hysterically for almost three weeks. You’re going to be fine. FMP is right. Poking and feeling and being hyper aware makes us feel and discover things we wouldn’t otherwise necessarily know.

That's great to hear, glad your experience ended positively 🙂 And I'm sure you're both right! I have an appointment with my Dr next week, but I think I'm gonna ask for some anti anxiety medication for now till then just to make the week less stressful.

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Originally Posted by Simonsays64

That's great to hear, glad your experience ended positively 🙂 And I'm sure you're both right! I have an appointment with my Dr next week, but I think I'm gonna ask for some anti anxiety medication for now till then just to make the week less stressful.

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For what it's worth, I recently had a soft tissue sarcoma scare. I had a squishy lump below my left knee, which turned out to be bursitis. When I spoke to the orthopedic doctor who examined me and diagnosed me, I asked why she didn't think it was a soft tissue sarcoma.

Sarcomas grow quickly and do not move around. They are also usually hard. In two months it would be very noticeable by now if it was sarcoma. Sure, go ahead, see a GP to reassure yourself and get it checked out to see if it is a genuine health concern, but if is unbelievably unlikely to be anything sinister.

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Originally Posted by Simonsays64

Wow thanks for the empathetic reply, really appreciated.

I've rung my GP, I will hopefully hear from them soon.

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You phoned your GP didn't you?

I am empathetic as it goes, but I also know a lot about health anxiety.

Reading your post, you come across an avoider and I didn't want to go with the 'tea and sympathy' approach with you because avoiders are looking for any excuse not to go to their GP's. There's anxiety, and there are physical issues which need looking at - such as lumps!

If you phoned your GP on the back of my comment, then it's job done. What matters is that you took responsibility for your health.

Simon, I have three sons, and I would want someone like me to kick them up the @rse - not say anything that might give them false reassurance..

I apologise if I've caused offence, but I'd also rather you be offended than not go to your GP with this.

Similarly, I'm not exactly appreciative of your passive-aggressive response - which confused the hell out of me until I read the other comments! If you have a problem, talk to me, not about me.

I hope all goes well at the doctors.

Then I apologize for how I reacted, i let my emotions at the time get the better of me and took it out on you.

I spoke to a Dr today regarding medication just to help with the panic I'm currently feeling and she was so foul to me I actually have a telephone meeting tomorrow with the manager of the Drs surgery. Spoke to me like I was less than human and ended the call in the most patronising way. Very unprofessional and I left the phonecall feeling worse.

Oh no! I'm so sorry you had to go through that.

Hi all. Tomorrow is the day I go to the Dr to have this thing checked out, and I am really crapping myself at this point. Struggling to keep myself calm, it's just a big old mess. Logically I know it's much more likely to be benign, especially as when you touch it you can feel some kind of liquid in it, but still. Anxiety is such a pain, been waiting now for CBT for 3 months and have another 2 months to go.