A different perspective...

[mel78]

Last night I was sitting at home watching tv with my wife. She turns to me and says "you know lately, I've noticed that my arm is weak and my finger gets sore." Now, for anybody that read my recent posts, I am convinced that I'm suffering from MND / ALS (though I have not shared this with her).

Then she says... "if I were you I'd already be freaking out thinking there was something terminal wrong with me."

I could only laugh. It really brought it home to me just how bad my HA is, because those were the EXACT symptoms which kicked off my whole ALS fear two months back, which I am still worrying deeply about. She's been using her laptop waaaay too much - and that's what she's put this down to - just as I'd been using my laptop too much before I got my initial symptoms (after which all the other horrible ones, such as muscle twitching, followed).

I suppose thats the thing about HA - two people can have the exact same symptoms, but when you have HA you irrationally and illogically assume the worst!

[countrygirl]

You have hit the nail on the head exactly.

[londonchris]

It's a great post and I agree totally.

Before I got HA I was a very rational person. In fact, I can expressly remember getting heart palpitations every now and then and basically ignoring them because I already knew what they were!

So how I managed to become completely embroiled in a whole cycle of anxiety over my heart I'll probably never know! I guess I just started worrying a little about it and my worry turned into a fear.

These days I worry about every little twinge. At the moment I have a bit of a dodgy tummy. The doctor told me I have a H Pylori infection and I'm on 8 tablets a day for a week to sort that out. It's all to do with the stress brought on by anxiety I reckon.

Doesn't stop me believing I have stomach cancer though

[Violet1]

Yes, exactly!! Funny thing is when someone tells me 'I have been having bad headaches for a week' I will say, oh don't worry, you are probably just stressed /tired, and I really believe it. BUT if it's me then I think it's a brain tumour or something!

Everyone else I'm fine with, just me, my husband and children I worry uncontrollably about what is wrong with them .......so strange!