Need some rational people to talk with

[GRVY]

Thanks for the replies. Like I said I am not discussing this with anyone right now because they don’t need that stress put on them. I am not seeking reassurance or validity. I am just happy there is place I can vent these things and know there are people who are listening. Thanks for lending your ear everyone.

[GRVY]

Op- it does not sound like you were exposed to rabies. The mind concocts psychosomatic reactions. I know it is hard but hang in there!

I agree when reading it, It sounds very unlikely that an exposure could occur in this way. The only thing gives me pause is because I had cuts on my hand. Still sounds u likely , I know.

I am still dealing with a sore left thigh. Almost feels like growing pains I had as a child. Been 2 days now. I just wish it would go away. It would go a long way to calming me down a bit.

[GRVY]

I just wanted to update for everyone. My leg pain is gone. I have a bit of a stiff neck. I attribute this to how I slept last night. I get minor aches and muscle twitches. However, everyone does and I am starting to feel better about all of this.

Now that I am more clear headed about this I have come to a realization. I was worried about getting rabies from putting my hand on my dog to check him over. How is this different than any time I have ever let him out by himself and brought back in and pet him. The only difference is I heard him chasing an animal and possibly interacting with. My dog has probably interacted with more wildlife than know about and i never thought about contracting rabies from petting him. I can’t determine if the scab he had was from anything thathappened that night. I don’t recall feeling wetness on his hair and if there was saliva or wetness on him, if it was in any significant amount, I am pretty sure I would have noticed and wanted to wipe my hands or wash them. I learned that if I tell myself this I know it to be true. If I waffle back on forth and wonder if i felt something my mind runs with it. I know if I think about I know I didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. I checked his gums and teeth and noticed no blood.

Thanks for letting me come here and talk about this. I will likely stick around as I am sure I may need to vent things here and there and would like to help ease concerns for others that feel anxious about stuff like this.

Also for those worrying, that constant stress on your body, makes you feel terrible. For the past 3 weeks I have felt achey, shakes, had headaches, felt tired and rundown. I believe most of this is from stress. My blood pressure has risen significantly and my sleep has been crap. So when you are having “symptoms” please understand that the stress you put yourself through creates all sorts of reactions.

Keep calm and carry on.

[GRVY]

So I thought I was over this but recently it has made its way back in to my mind. My left thigh has still been experiencing discomfort. It has been 10 days since it first started. It is like a mild burning sensation and kinda a dull feeling. It went away for 2 days then came back then went away after a few days and just came back yesterday. I feel like if it was rabies it wouldn’t come and go and other symptoms would be present by now.

I am trying to convince myself that my situation was a non exposure. There are 1 to 3 cases a year. Mostly from bats and out of country travelers that come back with it. Yet somehow I feel like me checking my dog over after he was outside and possibly mixed it up with a wild animal is a possible exposure. I know it seems ridiculous and people don’t get rabies that way, especially in the USA. I just can’t shake this feeling.

A couple weeks ago I was using the exercise bike harder than I usually do and am wondering if the leg soreness is from that and I am not giving it enough time to heal. Maybe the pain was delayed muscle aches from excercise it just seems weird that it is on one leg only. I don’t know. I just know I am getting stressed about all this again.

[paranoid-viking]

Let me start by saying I have had HA for a while. I always have been able to keep it relatively controlled. It started about a decade ago when I was in my 20s. I had a routine surgery that went bad. I went septic and almost died. Dr prepared my parents for the worst. Recovery from that was really hard for me physically and mentally. Every since then I have had a hard time trusting drs.

My situation. About a little over a month ago I let my dog out before bedtime. He took off to the back of the yard and I heard him growling and making noises (like he was fighting) and the fence getting hit. Lasted just a few seconds. Figured he saw an animal and went after it. Not sure if he physical got into an altercation with it or it got over the fence first.

I called him in right away and looked him over and didn’t notice any abrasions or marks on him initially. My dog is vaccinated, FYI. About 2 weeks go by and I was petting him and I felt a bump on his neck about 2 or 3 inches below his collar above his shoulder blade. It was a scab about the size of my pinky finger nail. Probably just under a 1 cm in diameter. It flaked up when I pet him. And was only connected on one side so I pulled it up and there was a tiny mark that started to bleed. Not sure how big or small the initial injury was that I found prior to it scabbing up.

My concern was, if the scab was from an animal that he got into a fight with 2 weeks ago could I have contracted rabies from touching his hair in that spot when I looked him over 2 weeks prior to prior when he ran out back? I don’t remember seeing blood or feeling wet hair when I looked him over but I can’t be certain of it. I also can’t be certain that he didn’t cut himself at a later date or just scratched himself to hard when itching himself. I usually have small scrapes on my hands because I work with them a lot. I am worried about saliva left from the animal that may have gotten on my hands.

I asked my dr about possible exposure and he said very unlikely. I even called the state health department and the state rabies exposure hotline and discussed the situation with them. They said it would take a lot of “ifs” for there to be an exposure. Animal had to actually interact with my animal. Animal would have to be rabid. Animal would have had to have saliva in large quantities on my dogs fur. I would have had to touch that spot with open wound on my hand. Saliva would have to contain enough virus to infect, Etc. They said the chance is extremely low and one even said it doesn’t sound concerning.

I know I did have a few cuts on my hands at that time. I don’t know if they were covered or scabbed over.

I was fine for a couple days and then started freaking out a bit and went to ER where they said no shot. Chances are ridiculously low for transmission. I was doing fine but then over the last couple days I started feeling run down. I have been waking up with a shooting pain in my right pectoral muscle the last 2 days and have been having twitching in my forearm, which I have convinced myself that the twitching is muscle spasms due to the virus in my body. My right arm also feels a bit weak.

My rational side says “what the hell are you babbling about.” However, I have been that 1 in millionth person before and I almost died from it. So I have this fear hanging over me.

I don’t want to bug my wife with it because she has helped me with other health concerns I have had. I know it drains her trying to get me back on track and I don’t want to put her through it again. I figured strangers will help. Lol. Can I get some reassurance here (as long as it is warranted)?

---------- Post added at 22:41 ---------- Previous post was at 22:40 ----------

Sorry for the novel I wrote.

Sounds like the doctor tild you everything you need to know about this issue. So what more do you want to hear from us whose neither doctors nor veterinarians. Here is one important question that applies to a lot of HAers(myself included);do you seriously believe that a grupup of hypocondriacs would give you more velievable infomration on this issue than people with more qualifications?

---------- Post added at 15:51 ---------- Previous post was at 15:48 ----------

You come to an anxiety forum for a dose of rationality?

If you've read through some of the other rabies threads, you've surely realized the fantastical nature of the fear and circumstances. I know it's hard but you really have to listen to that rational side of your brain and the several experts and medical professionals that have no concerns.

Positive thoughts

HA is a creative condition, no doubts about that. And judging especially from the rabies threads a lot of the people posting here clearly has OCD aswell.

---------- Post added at 15:52 ---------- Previous post was at 15:51 ----------

Valid point. Lol.

It has just been hard since I have been so fatigued and sore throat. Now with the arm weakness and twitches got me all worked up. It has just been hard day today and I needed to talk and get opinions again. Silly I know but it is where I am at.

I was fatigued two days ago. I dont have rabies. Sore throat? Who hasnt? Billions of people have that from time to time and they dont got rabies.

---------- Post added at 15:53 ---------- Previous post was at 15:52 ----------

Digging deep to find my rational thinking

You’re going to be fine. The physical symptoms you have are from the anxiety. Do you know any relaxation methods to help?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One good start would be to stop googling rabies.

---------- Post added at 15:55 ---------- Previous post was at 15:53 ----------

I used to work out a lot and that helped with anxiety but I haven’t been able to do that for some time now. Job is going full tilt and rest of the time is spent with my family.

I just wish my forearm would stop twitching. That alone would ease my mind a lot. I know it sounds ridiculous but I can’t help but think about it at times. Today is better than yesterday for sure though.

Well, as long as your mind is kept being obsessed about getting a deadly disease your muscles wont relaz so then you would keep having those twotces. So the clue here is to stop thinking about rabies. Even subconciusly. When it is kept at the back of your mind constantly the anxiety symptoms wont go away. I know, because I have been there.

---------- Post added at 15:58 ---------- Previous post was at 15:55 ----------

I need to vent. So yesterday my left thigh started aching and feeling weak. I went to bed thinking it would feel better in the morning. It is still sore and has a cold sensation. I haven’t done anything strenuous lately that would create muscle aches. The twitching in my arm has slowed down. This has had me a little anxious today.

Then I was reading misc news stories not searching for anything related to rabies. I stumbled across a story about a guy who just died in Utah from rabies from a bat. Said he handled bats in his house and they locked his fingers. I am freaking out now about the muscle aches. They said he went to dr because of muscle aches in his back at first. Then it got worse. My leg has been aching for 24 hours. I don’t know what to do.

I felt flush as soon as I read it and am freaking out. I am at about 5 weeks since my situation happened.

You say you dont googled it and I believe you. BUT - there is an important BUT here - was it in your newsfeed? You know in this days and age there are such things as algoritms? If you have been googling a lot of rabies stories the algoritms picks up that so dont be surpised if such things shows up in your feed. That is the price of googling.

---------- Post added at 15:59 ---------- Previous post was at 15:58 ----------

I read that story too. I was wondering if it would trigger someone here. Bingo!

Positive thoughts

And I bet it showed up in the newsfeed of people in here who has googled rabies and other scary obscure ilnesses.

---------- Post added at 16:01 ---------- Previous post was at 15:59 ----------

Thanks for the replies. Like I said I am not discussing this with anyone right now because they don’t need that stress put on them. I am not seeking reassurance or validity. I am just happy there is place I can vent these things and know there are people who are listening. Thanks for lending your ear everyone.

And now you had several replies with reassurance. So what is the next step? Dealing with your REAL problem -your anxiety. Your problem is anxiety, not rabies. Forget rabies and start getting help for your irrational anxiety.

[GRVY]

I am going to talk to my dr about my HA. I have decided I need to address it somehow. I am hoping to learn some coping mechanisms to snap out of the repetitive nature of HA. I know that my chances of exposure in my situation are pretty much nonexistent. I know that after 11 days I’d likely be hospitalized by now if it was rabies. I know these thing s but still worry. This is why I am going to talk to my sr to learn some coping mechanisms.

I really haven’t been thinking about it as of late. It only popped in my head because my leg has been so sore. It got better and then got worse again which sent me down the rabbit hole of over thinking everything. Like I said it has been 11 days with a couple days of no pain in between. Today has been particularly painful.

[paranoid-viking]

I am going to talk to my dr about my HA. I have decided I need to address it somehow. I am hoping to learn some coping mechanisms to snap out of the repetitive nature of HA. I know that my chances of exposure in my situation are pretty much nonexistent. I know that after 11 days I’d likely be hospitalized by now if it was rabies. I know these thing s but still worry. This is why I am going to talk to my sr to learn some coping mechanisms.

I really haven’t been thinking about it as of late. It only popped in my head because my leg has been so sore. It got better and then got worse again which sent me down the rabbit hole of over thinking everything. Like I said it has been 11 days with a couple days of no pain in between. Today has been particularly painful.

Rabies symptoms dont come and go and you would be dead now if you had rabies. And so would your dog for that matter. You allready know the annswer deep inside, but it is good that you are seeking out help for it

[Carnation]

GRVY, your constant worrying and fear has pushed your anxiety up consciously and subconsciously, hence the twitches and other symptoms. It happens to us all. D
Stop looking up cases on rabies and reading scary news and start looking towards having a nice Christmas.
It's been 5 weeks!!!! Surely that is rational enough.
I know too well how triggers can work after a bad experience and a normal situation can be blown out of proportion. But use your brain for working out that nothing bad has happened to you, time has passed and you are fine. Use those positive thoughts to clear the bad ones.

[GRVY]

Thanks everyone for the positive responses. They help. Thanks for the understanding. It is hard to talk to people about this stuff because most people look at you like you are crazy when you explain these things. It is something you don’t understand unless you have HA yourself or have dealt with someone who has it.

[GRVY]

Hello all. I am just updating to say that I am doing a bit better. My leg still occasionally hurts but it is not as consistent as it was and less burning feeling. My right pectoral muscle still feels a dull ache randomly, but again not as bad as before.

Sometimes I get that feeling that things are going bad but remember that I have had these pains for about 30 days now and if it was something like rabies I’d be dead at this point. Sometimes i still feel a little anxious about it but I am keeping my mind away from it as best I can. I have been spending time with my family and starting getting back into my hobbies that I haven’t been doing for a while now. All this keeps my mind busy and makes me happy. I really want to start working out again but I am afraid of causing the random legs and pectoral pain to get worse and then sending me down the worried road again. Hopefully it gets better soon. Hope everyone is doing well.