Polyp found, full blown panic attack

[hopeful927]

I just don't known how I am going to cope with all the waiting. Seems impossible for me

[PanickyGuy]

But how can I trust that the doctor knows it is a polyp and not a tumour or something else?

Sometimes two opinions are better than one. Maybe you should consider going to another doctor or specifically a specialist in this, if you don't trust the other doctor's judgment.

I've done that myself on rare occasions, but usually the other doctor confirmed what the other doctor said. And this could give you peace of mind at least. I mean if you got two docs saying the same thing then it's only logical to accept their both right. Right?

[hopeful927]

Yah you are right. I had an appointment already scheduled for Monday. Just have to make it through to tomorrow. I'm finding it so hard. Just want to take more lorazepam and lay on the couch crying.

---------- Post added at 23:36 ---------- Previous post was at 23:19 ----------

Has anyone else had a rectal polyp, one that is not too far up there? Tmi I know.

[hopeful927]

Just having a really hard day. Panicking that the doctor may be wrong and it could be cancer. Keep closing my eyes seeing me in the chemo world. Envisioning my funeral. Any other thoughts to help me process this?

[PanickyGuy]

Yah you are right. I had an appointment already scheduled for Monday. Just have to make it through to tomorrow. I'm finding it so hard. Just want to take more lorazepam and lay on the couch crying.

I feel for ya. I know the waiting and not being really sure about it has got to be tough mentally. I'll tell you this though, doctors do make mistakes as I found out at least once in my own experience, but keep in mind it's not that often they do make mistakes, but they do.


I say that because several years ago, I had one doc tell me that I probably had a hiatal hernia after I told him all the symptoms I was having. Now to be fair, this one did say to me that we couldn't be sure without X-rays and other tests, but he was almost positive I had one from the way I described my symptoms and told me to stay away from eating certain foods that might irritate it. And unfortunately, at that time I couldn't afford X-rays or to see a specialist about it to really find out to be sure.

But I pretty much believed him at that point, that it was probably a hiatal hernia, because his judgments about what was going on with my health in the past was never wrong before or so I thought, until about two years later I went to another doctor complaining of the same symptoms and well, guess what? This other doctor's medical judgment was GERD right off the bat and he was right, because the next day they did a X-ray and didn't find a hiatal hernia, which it was obvious it was just plain ol' GERD after that. And it all clicked and made sense too, when he said that, because I was diagnosed with PTSD, GAD and Panic Disorder before that; because those disorders go hand in hand with GERD.

Now I'm not looking down on doctors here, but as patients we got to watch them sometimes, because they're human too and get stressed out, tired and see many, many patients and can easily make mistakes too; not often mind you, but they do.

So good hear you're going for second opinion, at least you will know for sure one way or the other. BTW I wouldn't tell the other doctor what the other doctor said, until you hear this second doc's medical judgment first.

---------- Post added at 14:51 ---------- Previous post was at 14:34 ----------

Just having a really hard day. Panicking that the doctor may be wrong and it could be cancer. Keep closing my eyes seeing me in the chemo world. Envisioning my funeral. Any other thoughts to help me process this?

Yeah but has it been growing since the first time you detected it? When did you first find out about this? Because for one thing, cancer doesn't stop growing, it doesn't stay the same, it grows and grows and gets worse in a short amount of time without treatment. It's like a mutation. You haven't said anything about the anal polyp getting bigger so don't assume the worse. It's not cancer until you hear at least one doctor tell you it is otherwise.

Seriously, don't drive yourself crazy like this. Because you could see the other doctor tomorrow and he could turn around and tell you that it's just a hemorrhoid like you thought at first. I'm not saying he will, but you never know and may not be as bad as you think it is.

[hopeful927]

I only detected it yesterday so I am not sure how long it has been there. Ok

[wabbit1]

I'm 33 and had rectal polyps removed 3 years ago, during the same situation thinking I had haemorrhoids. The chances of it being anything serious are slim to none.

[hopeful927]

How did you find them? Did they cause any bleeding?

[hopeful927]

So I saw my dr this morning and she is not sure. She thinks it also could be a thrombized hemmeroid. She said even if it was a polyp that they would be concerned about it would be new and it would just have to be removed. I felt better when I left but the more I sit here the more worried I get. I got into a gastri dr tomorrow at 1:15 so that is answer to prayer. I just keep looking things up on google and I know it shouldn't but it gets me so worried.

[Fishmanpa]

I just keep looking things up on google and I know it shouldn't but it gets me so worried.

Self inflicted anxiety wounds. Nothing anyone can do about that expect you!

Getting my "Told ya so" ready

Positive thoughts