Anxiety is a bitch. You don't realize how truly scary this is or how anxious you are sometimes - I have been bopping along okay - scans were fine last year, check ups every three months are good. So I'm okay - I come here to help but I'm pretty sure cancer is not on my mind 24 / 7 - this week I had to have my physical. My dr sends me for a pelvic ultrasound, mammogram, internal vaginal ultrasound and a breast ultrasound. Ekg And blood work, and I'm scared. Ugh..

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"

[quote]Anxiety itself can aggravate any real symptoms as well as create them when none existed.[/quote]I SO believe this; the power of mind over body is a dual edge sword. You can will your body to best health and I honestly believe those who constantly have visions of bad conditions can actually will their body to create hormones and other chemical and physical conditions that provide the proper conditions to allow bad things to occur.

THINK POSITIVITY! No harm in trying!

Oh I know... I actually asked for the physical this is his being thorough he does this for every female patient that comes to him for a physical. It's just the fear, and I totally acknowledge this... Argh...

Oh man, did I laugh at the pistachio one... That may not be polite, but hoo, was that funny

Cheryl, sorry for the disquieting thoughts dogging you. Just think how confident you're going to feel once you've been checked out so thoroughly. It's hard not to imagine the worst once you've lived through it.

Re the anxious folk T is thinking about, it troubles me that by self-diagnosing a genuine health issue may go undiscovered and untreated. When someone decides they've got cancer, they stop searching and may never find out it's actually Crohn's disease, an allergy, a bacterial infection.... or pistachios.

Mamacita,

What you said concerning self diagnosis (typically through Dr. Google) is very prominent on the health anxiety forums. Added to that, phobias of tests, dentists and doctors adds up to one big mental mess!

As I researched and read over the last few weeks, I've been taken back by the sheer number of people and the plethora of issues that exist. From general anxiety to full blown panic attacks to OCD, social and health anxiety, phobias etc. Some posters having several of these issues at the same time. Also, many posters suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) which is aggravated by their anxiety. I'm just thankful I don't experience the issues I've been reading about. I have enough to deal with just recovering from treatment

Thankfully, there is help available. From self help suggestions to therapy and Rx drugs to help control symptoms. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are several threads that offer hope for those suffering from these maladies.

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"

Anxiety is a huge bitch like Cheryl said, sometimes it comes out of no where, mine started 5 years ago, my first child was 2. I was just driving happy, actually singing to music and then bam! Could not breath my feet went numb, my chest tightened, half my face went numb, my heart was pounding. Pulled off at a rest stop and got on a pay phone and called my mom, she had to come get me. Ever since that day I had panic attacks multiple times a day, I would wake up with them in my sleep. I have no idea what causes it, I later got diagnosed with panic disorder and anxiety disorder. My hormones from my second pregnancy took away all my anxiety symptoms, it was awesome and it was strange. Coping with cancer brings a reason for anxiety, it's hard to deal with naturally I have tired everything but visualization, meditation, and breathing exercising are the ones that helped the most. Anxiety in a sense causes depression.I believe in a talking to doctor about these issues always because they can become serious quickly and treatment with medicine even if it's just short term can save you. Another thing is, anxiety can take a huge toll on your overall health. It's important to treat it, as it can cause chaos on our immune symptoms.

There is a new study released that few Head and Neck Cancer patients seek help for depression. You can find the study in Oral Cancer News at the opening page. I'll try to link it here, if I can.

Jessica -it was awesome hearing about your experience with anxiety attacks and how the pregnancy hormones took away all the symptoms for you! It's encouraging to consider that anxiety may be related to hormones and not just to serious life experiences. You're right about checking with a doctor. With my son's recent health problems, I've been anxious, but the breathing and exercise have helped me. He's been diagnosed with sleep apnea but expects to do better in a couple of days when he gets a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine that helps the breathing at night. We are still waiting on the MRI results which should be available next week some time. I think just taking action makes one feel more in control and less prone to the "what if" worries.