About a year or so ago i found a pea size lump on my neck i was bored at work at decided to google what this could be! Lo and behold all websites sent me to the dreaded C word mainly Lymphoma, I was driving myself crazy poking at it constantly feeling if it had changed shape or grew in size until i finally decided to go to the Docs! My GP practically laughed at me and stated the node was just swollen and would go away over time and assured me he did not suspect cancer, The node has never gone down nor grew or changed shape/size and now i have practically become obsessed with the fact i have cancer and i am being fobbed off. Any ache or pain i suspect is another symptom i am constantly poking around my body and if i find any slight lump/bump i am at the GPs demanding scans etc part of me feels like i am going mental but another part of me thinks this is my gut feeling and i have got cancer! I have basically runined the last year of my life with the constant worry panic and stress but the thoughts just dont seem to be going away. My family are very supportive but i feel like they are losing there patience with me as each week i have a new "Symptom" i have discussed my anxiety with my doctor but i dont feel like they understand the extent of it. I just wish i could move on with my life! I am 30 yrs old 2 years ago happy and outgoing now a shell of my former self! Anyone in the same boat or anyone with advise i would love to hear your thoughts on this.
I forget to mention i have been having a pain under my left rib recently so i went to a walk in centre the doctor there said he felt a lump where the pain was but this could be another node panicked i went to A and E and the doctor there said he could not feel anything at all so confused!!
Exact same boat! I thought I had breast cancer skin cancer brain tumor and everything! Doctor assured me I'm fine. I'm literally obsessed with cancer because my anxiety all started when my aunt passed away with cancer from my dads side. And now my grandpa from my moms side has cancer so yup now I think I have cancer! I have horrible health élan curry and always look up my symptoms. Don't do it!!!!! It makes things worse. Might sound weird but those lymph nodes do get swollen, especially with stress. If you've had mood work done and it's normal, then no you don't have cancer. Cancer is an overproduction of cells, something would definitely be wrong in blood results. You're okay! Trust me the only way you'll get better is to slowly stop looking up your symptoms. I started yesterday and I'm feeling a lot better
Health anxiety**
Blood work* sorry for all the typos
Thanks for your reply! Yes i belive my anxiety has stemmed from loosing my stepdad to cancer he was misdiagnosed with pulled muscles for years so i feel i need to be extra cautious! I keep wondering if these "symptoms" are all in my head but they seem ever so real! I have tried to put myself on a google ban in the past but it proves quite difficult, Hope things get easier for you also glad there are ppl to talk to in the same boat!
I am actually the same as you . I had a lump feeling in the throat after I had my baby but unfortunately he was born with his Angel wings. I assumed I had cancer. That feelings gone now . But I have tingling when I touch my lip and chin area and think it's ms or tumor x doctors say anxiety
Im so sorry to hear about your baby i imagine the trauma of such an event will trigger all kinds of feelings/emotions. I too experience numbing/tingling in my lips and also pins and needles alot in my hands and feet from what i have read aniexty can cause so many strange feelings/symptoms its persuading ourselves thats all it is thats proving difficult!
I wish there was a cure for us all . Living with anxiety is horrible . All mine started after losing my baby boy . My doctors say I'm trying to find a illness that I can blame it on why I lost him. I've had blood tests , camera up my nose down to my throat. Doctors told me to stop googling my sypymtons as I'm fine but I'm making my self worse and bringing out pains and aches that ain't there . ( Can't see that my self ) the tingling is driving me insane. The slightest touch sends tingling and prickly feeling into my lip area . I'm convinced it's cancer. Everyone says I'm mentally unstable. But it's only been 5 months since I gave birth to my Angel and living with grief , anxiety , depression is tough. I hope we all get better and overcome our fears xxx
Can totally relate to what you say. I could have written it!!! I am exactly the same. My worries are really only ever about cancer and it is so frustrating. I am on meds but e even then the anxiety still creeps up. It's such a waste but none of us can stop it - it's like a twisted addiction.
Sorry to hear you are going through the same its hard to explain to people who dont "get it" isnt it?You described it as an addiction it is completely that!! Its like searching for answers but then at the same time you are scared of the outcome however you cannot stop yourself!!
Mentally unstable is not the nicest thing to be called and if im feeling the way i am without experiencing loss like yours then i suppose that makes me more mental ha. I have also been told my symptoms are made up in a sense but once i have read a symptom its like its drilled into my brain and i am so fearful of feeling it! I hope ur pain gets easier xx
Yes it is an addiction. I don't really understand why I google. I think it's because I'm hoping it will reassure me but it never does so why continue to do it? That's an addiction. Soul destroying....
Thankyou hun x yeah I Google everything on a daily basis .the first thing that pops up is cancer . I constantly looking for lumps , looking in my mouth for sores , redness something that's not right then freak out to the receptionist on the phone to get me seen at the doctors / dentist . It's easy for people to say your ok it's just health anxiety . But they don't have to wake up everyday with a fear in the Pitt of your stomach, last thing you think of before u sleep. Not enjoying life like we use too . Your mind is like a ticking time bomb. All we get is here is some tablets , we'll up the dose in a few weeks . But all we need is a full body check up / full body scans/full blood count/ someone to talk to that won't judge / maybe a cuddle when we are up set !
So true Louise . My doctor gives me a good telling off . My boyfriends threatens me that his going to take my phone away and my iPad . He'll just buy an old style phone that doesn't have internet.
That's exactly what my boyfriend says to me and if I'm in a different room from him he'll check what I'm up to!!! Sad really - we are like children!
For the past 2 years ive been goin thru da worst health anxiety. Im also obsessed with the thought that i have cancer and the doctors wont catch it until its too late. Ever since i was about 19 (im 25 now) ive had a very itchy mole... never got it checked by dermatologist... but hav asked doctors... seem normal. But i was never satisfied. Not until 2 years ago i found out a close family friend was dying of cancer. It brought on massive anxiety...thinking i had the same fate. The mole got itchier... ill have random body pains, a headache that lasted 3 months, my skin would mottle, and google was my go to. Big mistake i would poke around my whole body.. feel lumps. At dat time i wuld go to the er atleast 3 times a month.. plus weekly visits to the clinic. Evrything always seemed fine. And the craziest thing is dat anywhere i went there was something related to skin cancer or cancer itself. It culd b a pamphlet or magazine just Randomly layin there. Or someone talking about it as i passed by. I was going mental. I culd not sleep.. wuld wake up middle of the night cry myself to sleep. Ended up goin to dermatologist.. evrything fine. So i talked myself out of it. Started going to the gym. Felt great. And lil by lil started getting my life together. Not till recently... ive been feeling horrible... my thoughts are back and worst. if it isnt breast cancer its colon..if not its another type. Im back to worrying. Its debilitating. Feel like my life have stopped... my life is a constant worry about my health. I have two kids and i want to see them grow .. raise dem. Its to the point where i think counceling might be beneficial. I was recently diagnosed with ibs.. but not satisfied with that. You already know what i think. I hate living like dis... i dont enjoy my life like i used to. Sorry your going thru this... its horrible!
I was just like all of you lot,I fretted about every illness under the sun, but mostly MND,Parkinsons and MS (cancer did enter my mind at times). I couldn't trust myself with google either so I got shut of my computer,I'm now anxiety free,and have been for 11 years. You can guarantee if there's an illness you're terrified of,then someone famous will get or die from that disease. Everytime I turned on the TV either Michael J Fox or Richard Prior would be on. I remember feeling great and decided to go the match,they were only collecting for Motor Neurone Disease out side the ground,ruined my week.
I've posted this loads of times and I'm sorry to all who have read it.
A Dr sat me down and said a mouse and an elephant are both mammals,both have 2 ears,2 eyes, 4 legs and a nose,but they're nothing alike. Just because you've got one symptom from a disease doesn't mean you have that illness. I had the trots for months,I was convinced I had bowel cancer,the more I worried the worse I got. Once the Dr convinced me it was all in my head,my nerves settled and the diarrhea stopped (sorry to anyone eating their tea).Anxiety is amazing at tricking your body,apart from the loss of a limb,there's no symptom that I wouldn't associate with the ghastly illness.
Same thing it's been 3 Months I hadn't anxiety attacks for a week and I ended up in the hospital emergency room for 3 times on s I thought I had upendix pain turned out it was a virus nothing more blood tests and every thing is normal no sign of problem but out of no where I get abdominal pain and I get afraid reall you afraid that this is it I am dead I have that C word every now and then I hear people talk about the C word and I don't know why I keep telling my self I have C word too Ibsen to doctors a lot they said over 3 time we told you it's just anxiety nothing more nothing serious but through out the day it kills my motivation my mood I don't feel happy all ways think I have very less time to live all ways searching online what is Cancer what causes it and etc
I am 19 years old and my life officially has been ruined
Hi Stephanie03505. I am glad I am not the only one. I really started thinking there is something big wrong with my head. I am so convinced I have cancer that I even tell people I have cancer when I had a few drinks. I know this is wrong but I cannot help it. I think it is my sub concious that let this out when I have a couple of drinks. I am convinced I have inflamatory breast cancer in my right breast. My right breast have been paining in one spot for 2 months now. I had test and everything done and it shows nothing but I cannot think that I can feel this ill all the time if everything is ok. I am constantly on google and I am constantly thinking about this. I think what makes it worst is that I am a single mommy of a 16 year old girl who needs her mother and I am so scared I will let her down. I have also gone from a bubbly woman to a shell of my former self. I don't know which way to go anymore. Am I loosing my mind? Is the pain in my breast just in my head? I also wish that doctors can take us more seriously and consider that we may have a problem (even if it then ends up to be mental) at least we can get some help. I recently told my sister at a party where I had a couple of drinks (It does not take much) that I have 6 months to live. OMW. I am so embarresed as it feels like I am starting to lie to people and they think that I am looking for attention.