Hi Cheryl,

It's perfectly natural to feel some anxiety when test time comes. I believe we all do as cancer survivors. The difference is recognizing and understanding it. You can also rationalize in your mind what's going on and find ways to quell the anxiety to acceptable and natural levels. Just because your doctor is asking for those tests doesn't mean he suspects you have a problem. He's just doing his due diligence as a good physician would. To someone with health anxiety it would mean the end of the world.

It's when it goes beyond reason and reality that it becomes a major psychological handicap. For example... and these are some I've read recently from an anxiety forum. First is what the person thought was wrong and then what was really happening.

I'm going blind! --- Dry eyes

West Nile Virus --- Stomach bug

Brain Cancer --- sinus congestion

Colon cancer because of red stools --- ate too many pistachios

Woke up with my arm numb. Thought it was a heart attack --- arm fell asleep while sleeping

Thought I had a rare tropical disease because of bright yellow urine --- vitamin B tablets

Add to that multiple doctor visits and tests that all say "normal", yet the individual insists there's still something wrong. Anxiety itself can aggravate any real symptoms as well as create them when none existed.

Good luck on your follow ups... and think positive!!

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"