List of all ilnesses you were certain you had.

[niknakx]

I thought this would be a good way to put things into perspective. I only really started suffering from serious health anxiety about 2 years ago but it has been an ongoing problem all my life. Thought this would be some fun, write down all the illnesses over the last few years you were certain you had and what they actually turned out to be, so let me start:

• Ovarian Cancer (nothing)
• Cervical Cancer (nothing)
• Breast Cancer (just a lymph node)
• ALS Limb Onset (nothing)
• Breast Cancer x2 (another lymph node)
• Brain Eating Amoeba (nothing)
• Early Onset Dementia (anti-depressants were giving me brain fog)
• Lymphoma (just normal reactive lymph nodes)
• Stomach Cancer (nothing)
• ALS Bulbar Onset (still an ongoing fear and my current rabbit hole)

[BlueIris]

I was absolutely sure I had breast cancer once when I was getting stabbing pains in one breast.

Turned out one of my husband's (very wiry) beard hairs had slipped into my bra and was stabbing me.

[bin tenn]

Lung cancer
Lymphoma
Leukemia
Soft tissue sarcoma
Oral cancer
Heart attack / other heart disease

Of course, none of these are true. I only convinced myself I had them because I thought I understood the stuff I was reading on Google. Turns out, I'm not a doctor. I had what I thought were symptoms of each, but I didn't. The "symptoms" I had were very much real. However, the symptoms were not, in fact, symptoms of those illnesses. I just perceived them as such based on what Google said.

[MrLurcher]

I have had lots, only certain ones I thought I had were:

MS
High BP
Testicular Cancer
CSF Leak
Sepsis (a few times)
Bladder Cancer or Urethral Cancer
Kidney Disease
Schizophrenia

Many more 'mini scares', but these have been the main ones.

Currently it's bowel cancer / crohn's / ulcerative colitis. Pretty 'certain' it's one of them.

[fidgetninja]

Hmm, let's see if I can remember them all...

-abdominal aortic aneurysm - good old fashioned stomach ache
-pancreatic cancer - irritable bowel
-stomach cancer - GERD/acid reflux/eosiniphilic esophagitis
-ovarian cancer - irritable bowel
-multiple myeloma - muscle pain/chiropractic needs
-bone cancer - muscle pain/chiropractice needs
-leukemia - blood count taken during a panic attack which produced elevated WBC. Next blood draw was fine.
-heart attacks (too many to count) - anxiety, GERD, eosiniphilic esophagitis
-stroke - anxiety/panic attack
-DVT - pulled muscle
-pulmonary embolism - costochondritis/trapped gas
-brain tumor - anxiety, migraine
-breast cancer (I did have dense tissue that a nurse practitioner also felt, so this was actually a legit fear, though I was fine, thank God)

I have never had any of these. What I HAVE had are much simpler, more rational explanations (GERD, eosiniphiic esophagitis, pulled muscles, costochondritis, and ANXIETY!!!).

[RadioGaGa]

I've had a few "spin-offs" such as stomach, bowel and pancreatic cancer. However, these are few and far between.

I obsess about brain tumours, namely the dreaded (and very rare) glioblastoma.

Symptoms I've had which I've attributed to this disease:

* Forgot a colleagues name

* Forgot how to spell a word

* Forgot the meaning of a word (yeah, I know!)

* Hairdryer gave off burning smell, but I worried it was actually a temporal lobe seizure

* Saw a flashing light on the window of my house, when nobody was in it. I was stood outside. Worried this was occipital lobe seizure. Two years later, I never found out what caused the light!

* I've had migraines since I was about 4 years old. Sometimes, when I get one, even though it feels exactly as it always had, I sometimes find myself worrying its actually a GBM

* Eyelid twitch

* Deja vu / memory pop

* Hangover nausea (something I'm very au fait with)

The list really does go on, and on. But I'll not clog this thread up with such nonsense!

Good luck

[Nicole0134]

Since I found this forum -
ALS or MS
Pancreatic cancer
Breast cancer
Bone cancer
Brain tumour

Bit of a theme going on....strong family history of breast cancer so that one's forgiven...

[Siffi]

Breast and Ovarian cancer
Brain tumour/aneurysm
Meningitis/sepsis
Appendicitis

GCA

ALS
Stomach ulcers
Heart attack
Dangerous heart arrythmias
DVT/pulmonary embolism

Stroke or TIA

[Clydesdale Epona]

I may not remember all of them I apologise

Appendicitis(turns out to be suspected endometriosis, runs in the family and got all the symptoms. can't get the full diagnosis though because laparoscopy shudder haha)
Pulmonary embolism(Chest pain from forceful breathing because of anxiety )
Ectopic pregnancy (endometriosis)
Concussion/brain damage (several times where I've banged my head, one time the concussion came true and I now know what one feels like )
Broken something (not an illness per say but every little dink adds to a break in my eyes haha)
Chicken pockets (eczema)
Shingles (eczema)
Sepsis (hot flush)
Collapsed lung(don't remember the medical term, had this fear a few times just turned out to be chest pain)
Food poisoning (norovirus, feels just as bad haha!)
There's been more but can't think right now haha xo

[ErinKC]

1. Lung cancer
2. DVT/pulmonary embolism
3. Brain tumor
4. Ovarian cancer
5. Spinal tumor
6. C. diff

And things I though I've been exposed to:
1. Botulism
2. Brain eating amoeba
4. Asbestos
5. Toxic chemicals from insulation
6. Black mold
7. Toxic chemicals from dry wall
8. E. coli
9. Salmonella
10. Hantavirus