A time you've been very worried about your health but it's turned out to be nothing?

lolifjs · 2021-08-07T14:13:22+00:00

I am undergoing investigations for new symptoms but my health anxiety has just absolutely exploded and I'm convinced it's going to be worst case scenario. Would any of you be willing to share with me a time where you have felt similar and everything ended up ok and symptoms settled, please? Maybe an odd request, just want to try and ground myself somewhere more neutral rather than 'definitely going to be bad' whilst being investigated. Thank you

Babyroobs · 07/08/2021 15:34

Tests earlier this year for some spotting post menopausal and back pain etc. Had convinced myself I had endometrial cancer. Not helped by my whole career having been supporting people with cancer. It turned out to be nothing much, just a cervical polyp.

Original poster

lolifjs · 07/08/2021 15:38

@Babyroobs

Tests earlier this year for some spotting post menopausal and back pain etc. Had convinced myself I had endometrial cancer. Not helped by my whole career having been supporting people with cancer. It turned out to be nothing much, just a cervical polyp.

Thank you for responding, I'm so pleased it was benign.

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TeamNegan · 07/08/2021 15:40

I was convinced I had bowel cancer because I was having extended periods of severe stomach pain and no other symptoms. I had to have multiple tests (blood tests, endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound etc all while having a medical phobia so anxiety through the roof from that as well). Turned out to be IBS!

DispareSquid · 07/08/2021 15:45

I started having dizzy spells, and found a lump on the back of my neck. Got sent for blood tests, a scan, and given some exercises to do to rebalance my inner ear. Bloods and scan showed nothing (the lump was basically muscle tension), and although I thought the exercises were rubbish I duly gave them a go, after a few times felt something pop and drain in my ear and that was that, end of problem.
Try to stay positive, hope it's all ok for you.

Babyroobs · 07/08/2021 15:45

@TeamNegan

I was convinced I had bowel cancer because I was having extended periods of severe stomach pain and no other symptoms. I had to have multiple tests (blood tests, endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound etc all while having a medical phobia so anxiety through the roof from that as well). Turned out to be IBS!

It's really good that you got properly checked out though despite your phobia. I see a lot of patients who have been told for a long time that their symptoms are 'just ' IBS when in fact they turn out to have something far more sinister. Glad it turned out well for you.

Original poster

lolifjs · 07/08/2021 16:15

Thank you all.

Really looking for positive outcomes and stories here please whilst awaiting results.

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GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 07/08/2021 16:18

Not exactly ‘nothing’, but throbbing aches in the kidney area - I was sure it was kidney cancer. Started just before Good Friday, so it was the following Tuesday before I could see the GP.

Was v relieved to hear that it was ‘only’ shingles’ (by that time the rash I hadn’t noticed had come out) and luckily a fairly mild case.

Klippetyklip · 07/08/2021 16:21

Late 30’s. Had dreadful hot flushes plus diarrhoea, stomach pains etc. Doctor very concerned and sent me for loads of tests over a period of a few months. Turned out I was experiencing an early menopause and IBS.

MintyCedric · 07/08/2021 16:23

I had a substantial lump come up around the front of my ear/jaw area.

I tried to push it to the back of my mind, but when I mentioned it to a colleague she looked absolutely horrified and insisted I call GP.

Went to GP fully expecting to be told it was nothing, instead he referred me for a biopsy.

One of my mum's friends had had a similar looking 'thing' which turned out to be connected to a rare type of brain tumour so I was absolutely terrified. Went back to work and was in such a state I immediately got sent home again.

Managed to get a private appointment but before I could go saw something on the Internet about blocked salivary gland.

I fixed it myself with white chocolate buttons and tangfastics

Atlas2021 · 07/08/2021 16:27

Found a lump in my boob. Went to GP who said they could feel it and would refer me to breast clinic. I paid for private scan 3 days later and it was literally nothing.. they couldn't even feel it anymore in the examination. But I had spent 3 days crying and worrying, convinced I had cancer.

ChippyDucks150 · 07/08/2021 16:31

My entire left side of my face suddenly became numb one night. Attended out of hours go the next day and was referred to neurology. It states that way, on and off, for 4 months.
I had convinced myself it was a brain tumour, since that was how a family friend's was diagnosed.
Blood tests, MRI, and in depth eye exam later, turned out to be an unknown cause, but likely anxiety. Went away by itself within 5 months, but flares up when I'm stressed.

ghislaine · 07/08/2021 16:52

I felt a hard lump in my bra one afternoon. My blood went cold and I imagined the worst. Told my husband and he went pale. I kept patting my breast for the rest of the day to make sure it was still there and I hadn’t imagined it. I couldn’t ring my GP as it was the weekend.

Getting undressed that evening, a cat biscuit fell out of my bra.

DownWhichOfLate · 07/08/2021 16:57

@ghislaine . . I hope you don’t mind me laughing!

kwiksavenofrillsusername · 07/08/2021 17:43

I had a weird mole on my leg which one day looked like it had grown really quickly. Of course I stupidly googled cancerous moles and was confronted by a load of pictures that looked just like it. Went to the GP in tears and they examined it and referred me to a specialist urgently, so I’m bricking it by this point. Ten days later I see a specialist and it was a burst blood vessel under the skin. I think I was in and out of the office in five minutes and I skipped home.

Oh and another mole one. I had a small mole on my breast which I noticed has become puffy and really itchy. I go to my long suffering doctor the next day, after no sleep, only to be told it’s a wart and it’s probably irritated due to allergies, plus me prodding at it.

A friend of mine had a hard lump that was growing really fast and had doctors worried. She got taken into a hospital and went through a whole load of tests and it turned out to be a weird cyst. Totally harmless.

Idroppedthescrewinthetuna · 07/08/2021 17:48

2 years ago i found a lump back of my neck. Drs sent me for tests and a scan! Worst 2 weeks regarding health ever. I was waking up in tears, constant bad stress tummy. Could not look at my children without crying. I was convinced it was cancer. The drs were not saying 'it is probably nothing but best to get checked' as they usually do. They were saying that they will look after me through every step.
At the scan they told me my lymph node was perfectly sized but my muscle is pushing it out so therefore feels bigger than it actually is.

DGFB · 07/08/2021 17:49

Pelvic pain that lasted two years. Plus erratic bowel movements. Investigated for endo and bowel cancer.. thankfully nothing and went away on its own

rosesarered321 · 07/08/2021 17:53

I had constant stomach ache and stomach hurt to touch, short of breath, felt terrible, lost a stone in a month, concerned gp put me on the two week pathway, endoscopy showed gastritis and a hiatis hernia! Such a relief I was convinced I had Stomach cancer!!

Original poster

lolifjs · 07/08/2021 18:03

Thank you everyone for sharing xx

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LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 07/08/2021 18:49

Well, I have had periods of health anxiety… so I’ll just tell you a couple.

The best one was a few days after my daughter was born. I found a lump in my arm pit. I was pretty sure it was breastfeeding related but GP referred me on a two week cancer pathway. I was terrified. Booked to see a breast cancer specialist privately because I was in such a state. He took a full medical history. Then jabbed at the lump a bit. Then squeezed it. MILK CAME OUT OF MY ARM PIT. I was still in a panic though… but I was able to calm myself down by proving to myself that I had a freakish, invisible third nipple…

That was a grim year because they also found a lump on my thyroid and polyps in my gallbladder. Turned out that I had post partum thyroiditis…. The anxiety I experienced as part of hyperthyroidism is honestly the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I got myself referred to a psychiatrist before they worked out it was my thyroid.

Mistymountain · 07/08/2021 19:34

During lockdown last year I lost over a stone in weight, had bad night sweats and found a lump in my groin. I was referred under the 2 week pathway, had blood tests an abdominal ct, but nothing major was found. I've lost more weight & still sweating - it's a bit of a mystery - but I'm still here and ok a year later, so I guess there's nothing major wrong!

BrilloPaddy · 07/08/2021 19:55

I was driving home from work one afternoon, and suddenly had this crushing awful feeling of sudden doom........ had to pull over and couldn't stop shaking. Later that evening, I suddenly got this awful pain in the back of my shoulder and tried to settle in bed but at 2am was being sick with the pain and DH frogmarched me into A & E. Tests proved it wasn't a heart attack, but once they'd established that, I was soon flung back out of the door. Took nearly 3 months of tests including nuclear heart scan (horrid experience) and MRI's..... and all of this time I was having repeated attacks of chest/back pain. It was utterly miserable and I kept being asked if I had health anxiety or a painkiller addiction ..... until I happened to see one of our own GP's in out of hours when yet again I was in agony. He took one look at me, pressed a finger into my ribcage and I nearly had to be peeled down off the ceiling. Oh yes that's Costochondritis, he said. A 6 month course of anti-inflammatories, some physio/osteopathy and thankfully now most of the time I'm OK with just the occasional flare up if I get run down.

BippityBoppity87 · 07/08/2021 19:59

I was convinced I had herpes a few years ago. No idea where I got this from. Turned out it was just a bad case of thrush. Still was uncertain of diagnosis, so had the gp have a look to double check. Yep, thrush

Last year also found a lump, thought the worst, was referred a couple of weeks later and it was fatty tissue thank goodness

Kenworthington · 07/08/2021 20:18

Yes just a few weeks ago. Breast problems, pain, some thickening /a mass felt under the skin, and I’d lost 2 stone in weight (following my mum dying but then started panicking it was because I had cancer), put on two week urgent breast clinic pathway. Utterly convinced I had it and it was going to be advanced. Clear mammogram and ultrasound. No idea what it was.

Outfoxedbyrabbits · 07/08/2021 20:21

Found a lump in my breast. Panicked. Was benign

LaLaFlottes · 07/08/2021 23:05

I had a routine mammogram - I am 44 but get them early due to family history. Was told I would get a letter saying all ok or a call if I needed to go back.

After two weeks of waiting to hear I was convinced it must be ok as otherwise surely they’d have called. But then I got the dreaded recall to “get some more images”.

I couldn’t believe it and was convinced it would be bad news and was terrified.

Got there for the recall mammogram and it turns out three doctors had looked at my scans. Two thought they were fine and one thought they had maybe seen something. Had some more done and confirmed - it was nothing!! Phew!!

So glad they are so thorough though even if it was stressful.

Chin up and hang in there. We all think the worst but it’s often not the case xx