Background
(skip to the next part if you don't care about my life)
Hey, so I got an update on a thread I started recently:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=180949
Basically I've been having these upper right and left abdominal pains for months now, that sometimes radiate to my back. I had a particularily bad episode of pain 3 months ago in my mid back and a few weeks later below my chest.
Only recently I went to the doc to get it checked out, there's also a mass in one of my ribs (the 7th one I think) where it connects with the sternum or breastbone. Doc said it was probably inflammation, sent me for an ultrasound which was inconclusive, and then a torax CAT scan.
I got the results today and no abnormalities have been found, AKA I'm fine, the mass in my rib is apparently an anatomic normality, and the pains are either muscular in nature or there could also be some small peptic ulcer somewhere.
What's the incredible progression?
Normally, with these symptoms any typical person suffering with health anxiety would think the usual, pancreas... and the big C word. It's important to note I'm only 25 years old.
If this had happened 2 years ago, I would've fallen into a depression and would've had several anxiety attacks until I got my results. However, it has not been the case. I noticed I had an issue, I went to get it checked out, I got the tests done (it was a bit annoying, but that's it), and then I got the all-clear. During this entire process I was never even close to overly anxious, because eventhough the remains of my hypochondrical mind were screaming "PANCREAS CANCER", deep inside I knew how ridiculous that was and I didn't even believe it myself. And sure enough, there's nothing like that going on.
I assume this probably means I'm near the end of the tunnel and I won't need to use this forum anymore soon, although it's good to never lower your guard too much when it comes to anxiety, but the progress is there, and it's incredible. And all of this has actually happened without taking medication (only st john's wort + omega 3), and through pure rationalizing and trying to always be as logical as possible.
So I'd like to take a moment here and send a message to everybody who still struggles with similar situations:
* If you have a health problem, simply get it checked out, but don't expect any outcomes in particular, just try to remain rational.
* BELIEVE IN YOUR BODY AND ITS NATURAL DEFENSES AND MECHANISMS AGAINST ILLNESS.
* Cancer is rare, and the younger you are, the rarer it is, to the point where for example having pancreatic cancer at my age is a chance of 0,0004% (four zeros).
* Health anxiety CAN be controlled and I'm pretty sure beaten too, but you have to make an effort to beat it as well. If you don't make such effort it won't happen. Aside from the effort, time is also required, my journey is a 3 years journey now.
So, believe in yourself, if I can do it anybody can. The keys to beat anxiety are deep in you, but you already got them. The same way anxiety generates out of nowhere one day, it can also start to get beaten out of nowhere another day!
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