I’m so so frightened

[INEEDAWEEAGAIN]

Posting for traffic I need some positive experiences if any..

I suffer with horrific health anxiety, I pay privately for therapy. All my life on and off I’ve had a weird pelvic pressure but it goes away the same day this time I got it and began panicking over it as it felt worse. Then the past week I’ve been needing to wee all the time. A weird feeling down below. I had some antibiotics but felt they wasn’t working.

Saturday I stupidly booked an ultrasound to check everything was okay and they’ve found a cyst in my right ovarie and I have bulky ovaries. He said he can’t tell me if it’s cancer or not and I’m worried sick.

I’m absolutely devastated I have a little girl and we are each other’s world. I can’t bear it, I feel like I’ve been handed my death sentence 😭😭😭😭

my gp did refer me and I have a gynae app on Wednesday. I’m supposed to be moving house and enjoying life with a new partner but i just feel broken

It’s actually not a good thing about HA, as those with health anxiety often cannot look at ‘symptoms’ objectively due to hypervigilance. We don’t need to scan our bodies for changes several times a day, or even daily. We just need to relearn a usual level of awareness, which is to not have the sensations of our body front and centre.

Absolutely.

I would also second staying away from HA websites, unless they are reputable factual ones (eg NHS, mayoclinic -- not ones which are trying to sell you anything).

I joined an online support forum for women with OC after my op. All it did was drag me right down and make me fear that every little twinge was Bad News! I left the forum after about a month and immediately started feeling a lot better.

My gynae appointment is in the morning. Feeling totally sick with nerves 😞 I’m so scared

Hope it all goes well.

I would hazard a guess everything will be completely fine.

If it makes you feel any better my health anxiety has been playing up. I’ve had an itchy underarm for a few weeks and my irrational brain is saying “Whoooop whooooop you have breast cancer”
The rational side is saying “change that dull razor blade you’ve been using” lol.

So I get how much it eats away at you.

Let us know how you get on.

How did it go OP?

Thank you, I pray pray pray it’s just a cyst. Nothing more. I’m petrified.

health anxiety is absolutely awful, I think back at the times before I suffered with it and just think I’d give anything to go back to that life. I’ve had debilitating headaches for weeks, late periods, swollen lymph nodes, moles removed and not once did I panic or think anything sinister and get myself into states of anxiety.

thanks for the reassuring words, I’ll let you all know tomorrow x

It’s tomorrow morning x

I really feel for you, I have experienced extremely debilitating health anxiety recently following a similar discovery. I had excruciating pelvic pain and I was referred for an ultrasound where an ovarian cyst was discovered.

Like you, I was completely adamant it was ovarian cancer, despite knowing statistically it was unlikely. That uncertainty acted as a catalyst for the health anxiety and since then I've also had a breast cancer scare too.

I know how scary it is to be completely paralysed by fear. I spoke to my GP and I was prescribed some anxiety medication, I was dubious at first, but it has helped. I started CBT therapy too. In between I'm reading everything I can to try and change my thought patterns. 'You are not your brain' by Jeffrey Schwartz has been particularly helpful in providing some practical hints and tips.

Good luck at your appointment tomorrow, until then remember the stats, it's extremely, extremely unlikely at your age. My gynaecologist advised me that most gynaecological issues have commonality in the symptoms they present, therefore it's easy to draw conclusions of cancer, when there are so many more reasonable explanations in between.

Thank you 😢😢

How was it OP?x

I hope you get some answers and reassurance today. It’s really debilitating and remember, the worst is not knowing. Once you know what’s what, everything is easier. I hope you’ve had a good appointment and are feeling light and free again.

UPDATE-

So I’ve just been seen by the Gynae consultant, the nurse reassured me he had 35 years experience.

He first off said “I don’t think you have cancer” and then examined me. He said everything looks normal (womb & cervix) and proceeded to say I’m even more convinced you don’t have cancer. And asked me to get dressed.
He said he doesn’t want to give me a scan as he doesn’t feel the need but would like to see a copy of my scan report and ultrasound (the GP never attached it like she said she would) and I stupidly never saved it so just waiting for the place I had the ultrasound done to send it over and I’ve got to email to his secretary.

he also said that in a study since 2005 1800 women had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and only 2 were my age.

So whilst I’m reassured a bit, I’ve got to wait for him to check the ultrasound.

Wonderful news!

Amazing news OP. I remember my own doctor telling me as well that women don’t “just get cervical cancer” She said it takes years to manifest and come to light and if you get regular smears there is nothing to worry about.

It was ovarian cancer I was worried about xx

Sadly, you’re going to look back 20 years from now and realise you wasted so much time worrying about things that probably won’t happen.

@Nudity I understand why you say that. But as a fellow sufferer, I can tell you that this is a mental health Illness. And saying that is a bit like telling someone with a broken leg that they will look back on those times they couldn't walk and regret not walking.

Thank you for that x

Glad you got the answers you needed OP as a sufferer of major health anxiety ( its actually stopping me right now going out to get something I've wanted for a year!) I understand the relief you must have felt.

OK I realised I hadn't read the whole update, seems you've been reassured somewhat but when they ultrasound is sent you'll get the full clear picture that you're fine

Fantastic news. Do consider getting help for your health anxiety though. Seriously, I wish I had when I was in my 30s . Twenty years on and I’ve wasted so much time on worrying about my health . Don’t be like me .

I’d honestly take that as a good result. He knows what he’s looking for. You were not exhibiting other symptoms that made him feel that he wanted to perform his own scan on you. That’s very positive. He’s a very experienced doctor, he deals only in these body parts.

Relax, breathe, enjoy your daughter, you’re going nowhere x

I think that's really good news too. I do understand your frustration as you just want a definitive answer, immediately!

Just remember the consultant is an expert in their field. If they're not concerned (which they're not) then you should take a lot of comfort from that.

I hope you can take some solace from this and find something which helps you build some resilience to this health anxiety going forward, it's a horrible feeling.

Hey @INEEDAWEEAGAIN have you had any clarity on the consultant’s thoughts from your scan yet?