I am obsessed with thinking I have cancer
Posted , 3 users are following.
My blood tests came back and my wbc was a little higher than normal, so I started to freak out because I thought I had leukemia. I later went to the doctor and she wanted to do the tests again (for thyroid reasons) so I have to get them done tomorrow and I'm not just freaking out about the first ones being wrong or what if I got some cancer in between the old tests and now!! I also freak out about cancers that I don't know if I got or not cause they are hard to detect. Anybody else with this problems?
0 likes, 12 replies
cia42277 denisse16678
Posted
I was just about to get ready for bed when I caught your posting. I couldn't let you spend the night freaking out, so here I am. What I am reading sounds like classic anxiety...your adrenaline going wild and telling you terrible, scary things. Everyone in this forum is here because they are experiencing or have experienced the exact same stuff. It's what anxiety does!!! Talk to your doctor about an anti anxiety medication. I am not an advocate of drugs and avoid them whenever possible, BUT, with anxiety, that is the first step in taking your mind back from raging adrenaline. Adrenaline is the fight or flight thing that happens when someone almost hits your car, or when your smoke alarm goes off. Adrenaline floods the system so we can respond quickly, then the adrenaline drains off and you are calm again. With anxiety, the adrenaline is running wild and doesn't stop, which causes stress which keeps the adrenaline pumping, and round and round it goes.
Taking the right medication takes the edge off enough that you can think straight and take control. There are things to do and steps to take to get through this, but first your mind and body need help to calm down. You will probably hear from others who have been where you are or are there now. I encourage you to believe that all is well, you just don't know it yet. You are not alone.
By the way, everyone with anxiety has been through the I have cancer, I am dying, etc. The ones I hear most are I have a brain tumor and I will have a heart attack. Mine were heart attack and stroke. These are just thoughts, not real, just thoughts.
If your doctor won't prescribe an anti anxiety med, go to another doctor. Unfortunately, much of the medical community (especially in the US) don't get it. Hang in there, get your meds and stay with this forum. That is my "prescription" for tonight. I'm off to bed and will probably talk to you later.
denisse16678 cia42277
Posted
Thank you so much!! Your reply is so thoughtful and it means a lot that there's someone that gets it
I'll talk to my doctor about it cause it's been rough the past 6 months
nattalie36373 denisse16678
Posted
I've been worried about the same thing for months, except I did my bloods on Monday and my results aren't in yet. I'm just as absolutely terrifield as you. Two months ago I donated blood and they haven't called to tell me they detected any abnormalities. They thanked me for my donation and encouraged me to donate again. I know blood banks have a responsibility to test blood before use and they have to tell donors if anything is wrong. That should reassure me but its not. Everytime my phone rings I think it's the doctor's and I go into such a state of panic I feel faint. Hopefully we will both be ok.
cia42277 nattalie36373
Posted
Read my reply to Denisse, Nattalie. If you are going through the same thing, it applies to you, too. Every single person in the world with bad anxiety goes through the exact same thing. You ladies can either believe me (I went throught i, too) or let the anxiety rule your mind and scare you to death.
Until I knew what my problem was, I thought I would die or go insane. After my doctor prescribed a med, I found this site, which helped me understand what it was. You two ARE NOT ALONE. You came to this forum and you came to the right place. Relax, go for a run, walk the dog, whatever phsical thing you can do until you get some help from an anti anxiety med, then it only gets better, and that help will come from here, and maybe a counselor. Have a good week-end Honey, and do go read a fuller explanation I wrote to Denisse, luv.
nattalie36373 cia42277
Posted
Thank you. I recently started working again so for 5hrs each day I'm fairly distracted...most times at least. I just wanna get my test results, this is a long holiday weekend n it sucks that I will spend it fretting.
cia42277 nattalie36373
Posted
nattalie36373 cia42277
Posted
It's extremely difficult for a severe Hypochondriac to just quit fretting. But I get what you're saying and I appreciate you trying to help.
I will be sure to let you know what my test results say.
cia42277 nattalie36373
Posted
denisse16678 nattalie36373
Posted
Nattalie, looking from an outside perspective I don't think you should worry about the donating blood test results. If there was something wrong with your blood they wouldn't take this long to tell you. I'm a fellow hypichondriac and now I'm exhausted from freaking out and I imagined you must be having a rough time too. Good luck hopefully we'll get better!
nattalie36373 denisse16678
Posted
Thank you Denise, I'm still waiting on my latest lab test results. I was referred to a mental health facility but I am stubborn n won't make an appointment until I've had my results.
I find its easy to tell people experiencing the same thing that they'll be fine. I just can't convince my own self
I know deseases affect everyone differently but as for the big C, besides aches n pains I haven't had other indicative symptoms. No nausea, tiredness,vomitting,weight loss, night sweats etc.
Honestly I'm only worried bcuz that's what Hypochondriacs do and I get these aches esp in my arms when I wake up in the morning. My left leg sometimes hurt n feel tender too but once I'm walking around its fine.
denisse16678 nattalie36373
Posted
Oh I totally understand. I also refused to go tp therapy before seeing my dermatologist. Everybody tells me that if I had cancer I would feel terrible but I just think "what if it's the beginning stages" it's awful
nattalie36373 denisse16678
Posted
That's me, I worry about beginning stages too.
I don't know about you but every once in awhile the rational,normal part of my brain starts working again and I feel I am ok and I'm not dying.
Then the pessimistic, hypochondriac part jumps in like a taunting middle sch bully and says "but what if something is wrong? What if ur the rare case where Anxiety shows up and 6mnths later u get a fatal desease?"
It's crazy and I suspect im getting anxious again the longer I wait for my results. I've started having horrible scary dreams at night again. My friend told me the only reason they're not rushing with ur results is bcuz it's normal. They r sending out the urgent ones first. But it's hard to believe.