Appointment for medical test before I go on holiday- what to do?
Posted , 7 users are following.
Im really confused about what to do about an appointment that has come through for before I'm due to go on holiday. I've talked in another thread about the fact that I have an appointment for my 3 yearly mammogram soon and, as usual, I'm beside myself with worry. The thing is that the results will probably come through only a few days before I'm due to to go. If the worst happened and the results were bad obviously I'm going to get called back which would probably be either while I'm away or shortly after I come back.
I'm going round and round in circles trying to decide what to do. Do I go for the scheduled appointment and, if there's a problem then cancel my holiday? (I couldn't go away even if any follow-ups were made for when I returned as it would ruin my holiday anyway). Or do I cancel and re-schedule for after my holiday?
I know it has to be my decision but I would really appreciate knowing how others would deal with it. At the moment I'm veering between getting it over and done with and hoping everything is ok and delaying it so that at least I get my holiday.
Any thoughts would really be appreciated. Thanks
Christi53
0 likes, 30 replies
Christi53
Posted
I'm losing the plot 🙁 Just can't control the anxiety at all. Very little sleep and no appetite. I had a rash recently, the gp thinks caused by Amlodipine which I've now come off, the rash seems to be clearing but I have an elongated strange shape on my right breast. It's like an outline formed of spots and clear in the middle. To be honest I did notice it a while back but I did the usual - stuck my head in the sand and convinced myself that it was linked to the other rash but it looks totally different. I've also been having some pain in the same breast. I know you can talk yourself into things when you're really anxious but the shape is definitely there so I know I'm not imagining it. 5 days until my mammogram and I don't know how I'm going to make it, I think I'll go mad before that. I'm so scared.
Christi
marleen85993 Christi53
Posted
Hi Christi l think you should go to your doctor and get your breasts checked perhaps if you go and they find nothing you can relax a little bit.I still think you really need to get help with your health anxiety as it isn't going to go away and you can't keep going through this every time something crops up.
lindalou60 Christi53
Posted
Hey Christi,
I know how much worse the anxiety gets before an appointment and I know symptoms exasperate from the non-stop obsessing!!
If it helps at all, (I told you my story in this thread already) but I had the mammogram yesterday and my results were fine!! When the tech took me in I explained my story about the Medium and the injured breast, showed her the photo and explained my health anxiety. She was very kind and helped me thru the whole thing. 10 minutes later the radiologist callled me in and explained results were perfect and that trauma to a breast does not cause cancer. I was so grateful they read me right then to help ease my anxiety .
I worked very hard from a few days before the appt to calm down, accept you can't control everything and worrying changes nothing. I took advise from these threads and listened to utube meditations. I focused on all this instead of my negative thoughts. It all helped me get to the appointment and explain myself to them in a calm way instead of a mess!! Maybe you could call them and explain your anxiety and see if there is any way they could get results to you before your holiday....Christi you got this!!! You will be so relieved and be able to enjoy your holiday!!!!
Hang in there... you can do it!
Christi53 lindalou60
Posted
I'm so happy that your results were good 🙂 I so wish I could get my results the same day, takes about a week to ten days here. Thanks for your kind words, it means a lot.
Christi x
Christi53
Posted
I'm so scared I'm going mad, nothing feels real. I can't believe how stupid I am. I looked up the name of the rash that Amlodipine can cause and a picture came up. It looks similar to the shape I can see on my breast. Apparently the rash in question on breasts can be a sign of metastatic breast cancer.
Will I never learn! I feel like I'm going to end up on a psyche ward if I can't control my feelings. I'm terrified I'm not going to get through this.
Ive been in touch with a hypnotherapist who feels she may be able to help but obviously she can't see me straight away. No appointments available with gp before my booked appointment on 28th. Mammogram on Wednesday anyway. I just don't know what to do with myself, my brain is stuck going round in circles.
marleen85993 Christi53
Posted
Hi Christi can you perhaps talk to your doctor over the phone and if he is concerned he will ask you to come in.l would not generally recommend a benzo but l think you could do with a small supply just to get you through this again speak to your doctor.Also l would cancel your holiday as you have worked yourself up so much l would imagine you won't enjoy it.
mac58 Christi53
Posted
Have the mammogram, wait for the results, which might come before or during your holiday.
Sorry - what is the problem here? You can cancel your holiday if the results come back before you go and there's a problem, which is very unlikely.
I would be thinking about what to pack!
Christi53
Posted
So everything came to a head and I found that I couldn't stick my head in the sand any more. Last Monday when I got up I caught sight of my breast in the mirror and things just overwhelmed me. I called the doctors and asked if I could see someone urgently. Luckily they said I could go down and see the Duty GP. I was beside myself by the time I got there but at least I was there and there was no backing out.
It was a male doctor and, I suppose because there wasn't another female present he asked me to hold my bra away from my breast but not take it off. This meant that he only saw a bit of the shape but he said it didn't look like anything nasty. Also said that part of the line that he could see was a vein. He asked if he could feel my breast and I said yes. He couldn't feel anything untoward. I told him that I was having a mammogram 2 days later and he said that was good and that the mammogram would confirm things. He said to make sure I went, probably because he thought I might not bother after seeing him. He gave me a few Diazepam to help, I've managed to take only one so far.
I also found a hypnotherapist in my area and phoned to ask if she thought she could help. I've now had one session with her and am going back again on Monday. Lots of interesting things came out which went some way to explaining why I'm the way I am. She gave me a CD to listen to at home which I'm doing twice a day. I'm also making myself go out every day even if it's for just a walk.
Went for mammogram on Wednesday, was really scared but luckily I didn't have time to sit and think, I went straight in. She asked if I'd had any problems and I told her about the rash and that I'd seen a doctor. She was very nice and kept talking to me all the time. Only took a few minutes and all done. I told her I was very anxious about the wait for the results and she said I needed to remember that I'd had one 3 years ago and it was fine and I'd also seen the GP.
So here I am waiting for the results, trying to stay as calm as possible which isn't easy. I keep telling myself that I've done the right things to try and help myself rather than just hoping that it would all go away.
Wow that ended up a really long post which I didn't mean it to.
Christi
mac58 Christi53
Posted
So are you going on holiday or not? I've never seen such a long thread about a mammogram!
Please try to keep calm, Christi. I'm sure it will be fine. You saw the doctor and he didn't find anything wrong.
Christi53 mac58
Posted
Youre absolutely right mac, this has turned into a stupidly long thread, it ends here.
mac58 Christi53
Posted
Hey, I didn't mean anything, Christi. This forum is for people like all of us. It doesn't matter how long a thread becomes!
I do really hope you have a great holiday.
Christi53
Posted
Got my results today, everything ok. Such a relief and definitely the end of this thread. I'm going to continue with my other thread I think, or maybe start a new one, as this episode has really scared me and I really need to work on my anxiety, especially the health anxiety.
i do appreciate everyone's replies in this thread, thank you all.
Christi x
marleen85993 Christi53
Posted
moira43918 Christi53
Posted
mac58 Christi53
Posted
Bring me back a stick of rock.