Health Anxiety

[Heyo2020]

okay, so for a while I was doing fine. I would worry day to day about things but nothing that absolutely consumed my everyday life. A few months back I was having blurry eye spells and it scared me, I ended up going to the dr and they scheduled an MRI along with blood work, (I’m a 21 F) and everything came back normal. They wrote it off as migraines. Now my head has always been my biggest fear in my anxiety, and now that that’s cleared up I’ve found myself worried about everything else. A couple days ago I found a pea size hard as a rock bump inside my leg about 3 inches below my kneeright next to my bone, it has been stressing me. But I don’t want to go to the Dr, I’ve been twice in the past 2 months, everyone says it’s nothing to worry about and gives me a list of what it could be but never anything bad. And I’m convincing myself I have cancer or a tumor growing. I don’t know how to just stop the intrusive thoughts, and I really don’t want to go back to the dr, I feel like they’re sick of seeing me lol. I’ve even had people tell me they had the same thing before. Multiple, so you’d think that would ease some of my anxiety but it doesn’t.

[Agora1]

Welcome Heyo2020 to a caring understanding site.

I will agree in that once Health Anxiety takes hold, it can escalate from

one area of the body to the next. Our minds go into overdrive making us

check and recheck every square inch of our bodies.

Hearing that others have had the same thing may calm you for the moment

but then you start to think that yours is different. Of course we can't start

having MRIs for each and every issue that appears but maybe talking with your

doctor and letting them make the decision if you need to be seen may help.

Whatever you do, don't search Dr. Google, it won't help relieve your mind .

You might want to take a wait and see approach for a few weeks as an alternative.

I'm happy you are here with us xx

[Heyo2020 in reply to Agora1]

thank you! I used to be active on this website and then my anxiety calmed down a lot so I took a break. The last time I went to the doctor I got back on anxiety medicine because I could tell it was slowly getting bad again. I think im going to give it some time and if it doesn’t grow and doesn’t hurt im going to allow myself to forget about it, if that makes sense

[Agora1 in reply to Heyo2020]

That makes perfect sense Heyo. Having been on here before, then you know

that you're not alone with anxiety coming and going. The good thing is that we

understand better and know that Anxiety is but a game that plays with our minds.

We're here if you need to talk. Take care xx

[oscarfox49]

Health anxiety is very common and you should not feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. A lump on your leg is more than likely to be just some benign swelling or hardness for a whole range of causes, cancer of some kind being a highly unlikely possibility. But it makes sense to consult your doctor about it; that is what they exist for, and the advice that is given whenever people have any kind of similar symptom. If your doctor thinks you are 'difficult' in asking about something like this, then he or she shouldn't be in the profession. Only a doctor can use their experience and knowledge to know if it is something harmless or if it is something that requires further investigation just in case.

Stop apologizing for your concerns and worries. Your doctors should give you assistance in some psychological help which will enable you to cope better with your anxieties. It certainly helped me in very similar circumstances... Nobody can just overcome these things by just 'pulling themselves together ' and being rational. Such fears are deep rooted in personality.

[Heyo2020 in reply to oscarfox49]

thank you! Yes, it’s so hard to explain this to my boyfriend. He gets frustrated with me about my anxiety which I don’t blame him, it annoys me as well but there’s nothing I can do about it, anxiety medication doesn’t stop the intrusive thoughts it just mellows my body. He is very supportive though and constantly gives me answers even when I know he doesn’t know. But I feel like when it gets bad it gets bad on our relationship, bc I’m worried all the time and upset all the time. I just had my first baby in January and I don’t want this to consume my personality and life like it did before because it hinders my ability to be a mom.

[Sophia__Colley]

Hey,I have blurry vision,eye pain,(very tiny lump on my right eyelid due to an injury) like 24/7,it's been like that for like so many years. It gets worse when i'm stressed or anxious.So i figured it's due to anxiety and stress. (Also i have bad eyesight)Anyway. Also that lump in your leg,could be shin splints,i have them due to sports and also i fell,then it could be a muscle knot. Aside shin splints i have one lump right next to my shin bone and it's been there for years,hasn't caused any harm. It's genetic,my aunt and granny have it too. I have 2 small bumps on my neck,which had worried me for quite a long time ) thought it was lymphoma,geez.Turned out they were musle knots. Massaged them,one has gotten smaller. Anyway i get how you feel.It's called health anxiety. I have been to so many doctors these past 2 years bcuz of it,especially due to those lumps on my neck,my doc is super tired of seeing me. I figured that if you think you have some kind of an illness,you experience its symptoms. Health anxiety is really exhausting. I hope you feel better soon! Also if it hasn't gotten bigger in 2 months,i think it's nothing to worry about. But if you're still worried then see a doc. And yes people telling you that it's nothing to worry about doesn't help,i know it. Nowadays i'm like shut up brain,i'm perfectly healthy. Like i keep worrying about such dumb things. LIke there's a mole on my neck and i've had since birth,but i just check it like every day. I know it's nothing,but my brain just won't get it

[Sophia__Colley in reply to Sophia__Colley]

It's like you get checked for some issue and doc says there's nothing to worry about it.,you calm donw and then sOme time passes and you find something else to worry about

[Heyo2020 in reply to Sophia__Colley]

thank you! I did end up going to the doctor bc I couldn’t stop thinking about it. They said it’s a fatty cluster of cells (lipoma) and that if it doesn’t grow or causes pain I can leave it, but I can get it removed too if I wanted to. But I’m scared of surgery so that won’t happen. But I googled lipoma and that says that it’s moveable and softer to the touch, mine is neither. So now I’m telling myself they misdiagnosed me bc I’ve read stories on that stuff. So I feel like I’m once again with no clarification. This sucks.

[Sophia__Colley in reply to Heyo2020]

I'm glad it's nothing. I have lipoma right under my right ear too. Had it for years. Used to be bigger and harder than it's now. Last month after a workout I saw it's gotten smaller and softer. Scared me a lot ngl. It gets hard if I put my head in an uncomfy position then softens after 5 mins. I hope you get rid of anxiety soon!