Exhausted & rundown with HA, chest & stomach issues

[Aleman200]

Been there. No time for thoughts. Pain takes over. Were you scared, by the way? I wasn't, funnily enough. My imaginary illnesses though? TERRYIFYING!!



You've recently had an operation, cocker. This is your body's way of telling you to take it slow and easy. Shorten the time you're walking down to 20, or 15.



Ok, first off you know what happens when you consult Doctor Google. Nothing good will ever come of that, so slap wristy and all that..

Secondly, it seems that you have been inactive since lockdown? Dare I suggest that you're unfit? - as is half of the UK at the minute.



It would take a non-anxious person a while for their appetite to return after an op, but you have health anxiety too, and fear doesn't half bugger about with appetite. I lost two stone on the HA nervous breakdown diet. I can report that I've bunged most of it back on now I've stopped trying to convince myself I'm dying.


You're not as trapped as you think you are. You thought your way into this hole, and you can think your way out of it.

You're not mad. You're just as sane as I am.

Oh goodness, thank you for the reply NoraB. Very kind and reassuring words.

I am most definitely unfit. That's without a shadow of a doubt haha! I'm definitely doing my best to not become too sedentary again. (Though it is tough during lockdown)

In response to the diet...yes. Sometimes I can eat some pasta one day and feel amazing, other days I feel sick to my stomach and wish I hadn't eaten. Goodness, anxiety is awful isn't it?

I've definitely dug myself this hole you're right. Take for instance today, been walking around helping out my parents, my calf muscle feels tight as hell when walking around. when i sit down, it calms down alot. And of course what did I diagnose -myself- with? DVT! All because my d-dimer was positive, which there was an explanation for. My calf isn't swollen or red or anything but hey that doesn't matter right! I must be the rare person it doesn't happen to.

I wish I was sane Nora!

[Redsmum]

Oh goodness, thank you for the reply NoraB. Very kind and reassuring words.

I am most definitely unfit. That's without a shadow of a doubt haha! I'm definitely doing my best to not become too sedentary again. (Though it is tough during lockdown)

In response to the diet...yes. Sometimes I can eat some pasta one day and feel amazing, other days I feel sick to my stomach and wish I hadn't eaten. Goodness, anxiety is awful isn't it?

I've definitely dug myself this hole you're right. Take for instance today, been walking around helping out my parents, my calf muscle feels tight as hell when walking around. when i sit down, it calms down alot. And of course what did I diagnose -myself- with? DVT! All because my d-dimer was positive, which there was an explanation for. My calf isn't swollen or red or anything but hey that doesn't matter right! I must be the rare person it doesn't happen to.

I wish I was sane Nora!

Hi Aleman, you’re so right anxiety is the pits it affects everything i do or try to do, i was an extremely anxious child, don’t know why because i had a lovely childhood at home but hated school, never made many friends. For some reason i seemed to think that when i got much older i would change & everything would be different & i would become the carefree woman i always wanted to be, wrong, nothings changed except i’ve got worse. Just wanted to say something which may be of interest to you, my sister in law was a receptionist at the Hommerton Hospital in Hackney & when patients used to phone weeks after they’d had an operation saying they still felt so tired/had no appetite/depressed etc she was told to tell them that when you’ve had an op the anaesthetic can stay in your body for up-to 1 year & you can expect to feel under the weather & not quite right & its all quite normal & to be expected & is nothing to worry over. Easy for me to say but it does kind of make sense doesn’t it?

[Aleman200]

Hi Aleman, you’re so right anxiety is the pits it affects everything i do or try to do, i was an extremely anxious child, don’t know why because i had a lovely childhood at home but hated school, never made many friends. For some reason i seemed to think that when i got much older i would change & everything would be different & i would become the carefree woman i always wanted to be, wrong, nothings changed except i’ve got worse. Just wanted to say something which may be of interest to you, my sister in law was a receptionist at the Hommerton Hospital in Hackney & when patients used to phone weeks after they’d had an operation saying they still felt so tired/had no appetite/depressed etc she was told to tell them that when you’ve had an op the anaesthetic can stay in your body for up-to 1 year & you can expect to feel under the weather & not quite right & its all quite normal & to be expected & is nothing to worry over. Easy for me to say but it does kind of make sense doesn’t it?

That would make sense Redsmum! I can imagine things will be rough for a good while and it is tough but thank you for the kind words. It's just something we got to learn to live with I guess?

[Aleman200]

Now the pain is in my calf and on the back of my thigh, with tingling. It's not red or swollen so unlikely to be DVT but good lord my panic is soaring right now.

[Aleman200]

I've got an appointment with one of my favourite GP's today at 4:30. He's going to look at my leg even though he said it is almost definitely nothing, talk about increasing my medication dosage and working through some of the anxiety I have had recently. I'll update once I have seen him. Hopefully I can start to make headways against my health anxiety.

[Redsmum]

I've got an appointment with one of my favourite GP's today at 4:30. He's going to look at my leg even though he said it is almost definitely nothing, talk about increasing my medication dosage and working through some of the anxiety I have had recently. I'll update once I have seen him. Hopefully I can start to make headways against my health anxiety.

Thats good news aleman it will give you the reassurance you need. Take care

[Aleman200]

Thats good news aleman it will give you the reassurance you need. Take care

Thank you Redsmum, i'm having a feeling of cold in my right leg at the minute since yesterday. Trying not to google it, gonna speak to my GP about it. It's not actually cold to touch, just giving me the feeling of being cold.

[Aleman200]

UPDATE:

I saw my gp who did many checks. He measured my calves, checked the pulse in my foot and examined my knee. He said although gp's never say never, he said there's not a chance it's a clot, no swelling, no pain, no redness, it'd be incredibly rare for it to be a clot.

We talked through my anxiety and decided the medication increase would be for the best. We spoke about my discharge from hospital and he explained all the jargon to me about the scans I had and why they didn't take it further. He explained that the CT scan would have showed my heart aswell as my lungs, and although they were looking for clots, other things would have shown aswell if there was an issue. We agree'd to work on my anxiety together and he said if things are truly bad he'll send me for tests but only if he clinically see's it as appropriate.

[pulisa]

What a wonderfully insightful GP! It makes such a difference to get one that doesn't practise CYA medicine which is so unhelpful for HA management.

[Redsmum]

That all sounds positive aleman, he sounds like a wonderful dr the way he’s explained everything to you, its so good to get one that appreciates the fact you have HA it makes all the difference doesn’t it.