Health Anxiety - part three!!

[MrsWhites]

Hi ladies, back again for thread number 3!

@ofwarren might be worth trying an otovent? That’s what I’m currently using to make my ears pop suggested by gp! I have had mucous now that I put down to acid since December, constantly throat clearing/needing to cough up in a morning! but Gp seemed to think etd can cause that! I’m wondering everything really but trying not to google!

@tmh88 I actually bought one but I'm really scared to use it 😔
The last time I tried to do the hold your nose and blow technique years ago, it really hurt. I worry I'm going to burst my ear drum or something.
I blow mine until the ear drum moves and then panic 🙈

I've poked! Ands it's only 10am. Is anyone else obsessed with finding the exact same thing on the other boob? Do you all have boobs that don't have exactly the same lumps and bumps on both sides?

@ofwarren thank you! That does make me feel better. Can’t believe the things our minds have us do!

@tmh88 my mum and brother both suffer with vertigo both get pain, my mum in particular really struggles with her ears!

@skyliner001
Mine are totally asymmetric. Huge difference between them.
My left is really lumpy, large and ridgy and my right is more "normal", soft and just the odd ridgy bit.

@MrsWhites I’ll have another look into it! Interesting to know thank you! Also I’ve weighed my breasts before! 😂 your not alone! I did mine out of curiosity however in secret when nobody was at home!

@tmh88
Is yours tender at the back of your mouth where your tongue touches?
I can almost feel like I can "itch" the back of my ear there with my tongue. It feels swollen almost.
I definitely have sticky stuff travelling down the back of my throat there.

Hi everyone, hopping back on here as I am feeling very weepy and anxious this morning, and yesterday helped. After @Skyliner001 was kind enough to reassure me yesterday that I didn't have lymphoma, unfortunately that only lasted about 24 hours. Thanks health anxiety! I am now convinced, that whilst it might not be an active lymphoma, I have "slow non-hodgkins", which means that it goes undetected for years, which is why nothing is being picked up in blood tests. I can't stand living like this. I wish Larry the Lymphnode would F.O back to his normal size and stop causing me so much grief. Think I am going to wait until my usual GP is back from holiday, and beg for a referral for a private second scan. At this point I'll pay anything for someone to tell me, stone cold, YOU DO NOT HAVE CANCER. Feel awful today, once again. :(

@ofwarren yes it is! Sometimes it makes the roof of my mouth itch too! With the balloon blow it up with your mouth to orange size hold it to your nostril let the air go back in and swallow a drink! Really does clear them xx

@getmeacupoftea so sorry you are struggling! How long have you had the lymph node and what size is it? I have several in my neck and they really haven’t grown since September! I think you would possibly have some sort of symptom by now, I’m not going to look into slow growing lymphomas as I think it would set me off worrying but I think if the scan presented normal it will be! I know it’s easier said than done I really do because I still have wobbles over mine and my scan was months ago now! Have you thought about doing any kind of cbt etc? I’m currently doing hypno and really enjoying it and it is helping me x

@tmh88 oh that's reassuring! Thank you
I'll try the balloon again later and see what happens.
Are you one of the people who can make your ears "rumble" voluntarily? Like, move the muscle in your ear and it creates a sound. I can and I do it constantly, swishing the fluid round in my ear. I read yesterday that the overuse of that muscle (tympani tensor) can cause a lot of pain and make it spasm. I literally do this all day, it's become a habit. It really can't be helping.

@tmh88

I've had Larry for about year now. He initially flared up when I had really bad pityriasis rosea, and the rash from that started to fade. It was investigated up to an ultrasound scan, in which the consultant told me my lymph nodes were a little raised, but not worryingly so. And to "keep an eye on it and come back if it gets worse." So not a definitive line drawn under it. Feels very therapeutic to write this all down! I am expecting a phone call at some point to talk about cbt options, glad to hear it's helped you. X

I can make them make a crackly noise constantly if that’s what you mean? I’m getting a thumping noise in it when I lay down every time however @ofwarren definitely try letting the air up your nose and swallowing water all my pain goes for about half an hour after I’ve done that xx

@Skyliner001 absolutely! In fact I’ve done it this morning, came down and asked my husband to see if something felt the same in the other boob. The problem is it’s not absolutely identical so still hasn’t completely reassured me. I totally get where you are coming from!

@tmh88
Have a look at this link. There's nothing scary in it.
www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/hearing/tinnitus/tensor%20tympani%20and%20stapedius%20myoclonus%20tinnitus.html#:~:text=Disorders%20of%20the%20tensor%20tympani&text=It%20sometimes%20results%20in%20visible,%2D%2D%20like%20a%20tympani%20drum%20!
It mentions the thumping too

Sorry, the link isn't working.
Look for tempani tensor syndrome and thumping

Just checking in! Having a problem with migraine here - I'm pretty certain it's stress and maybe hormonal too. Fortunately my head isn't a particular trigger for me!

Thank you all so much for the support. I took 2mg of Diazepam and went for a walk with my 2 year old and DH. It was a beautiful morning in our local country park and all the way round I was thinking I might not get to see another beautiful spring day here next year. I know my thinking isn't healthy but I can't seem to get a grip on my thoughts

I know logically that:

• I'm 36 and age is on my side for it to be benign
• I have had an ovarian cyst before and it was harmless
• The symptoms for a harmless ovarian cyst are very similar to ovarian cancer and it's not automatically the worst case scenario
• The sonographer said he thought it was an endometrioma (cyst caused by endometriosis...although as far as I know I don't have endometriosis)

The doctor just really scared me by saying they couldn't rule out a tumour and I've read millions of google pages about people's ovarian cysts turning out to be cancerous. I know I need to stop googling but it's like an addiction, I'm desperately searching for reassurance and there's never enough

I'm going to ring my GP on Monday and try and get him to explain the scan results to me properly and hopefully the CA125 results will be back too

Also, I'm sorry to be so me me me. I hope you're all having good days and the anxiety isn't too severe. I'm so trapped inside my own head at the minute but I am thinking of you all too

Not long now @polkadotpixie
Today is nearly over, then we have Sunday and then your results. I'm terrible at the weekends, the wait always seems worse on those days.
Keep posting when you need to, everyone is here to hold your hand through this.

@onlyreadingneverposting8
How is your head doing?
Hopefully it's easing off now 💐

@ofwarren i will have a look now! let me know how you get on with the balloon ha!

@polkadotpixie i think we all at some point have had thoughts like that! its horrible and really ruins what should be a nice, happy day! best wishes for your results, its horrible waiting although I'm sure you will be fine x

@onlyreadingneverposting8 hope your head eases soon

@polkadotpixie don’t apologise, you’ve got a big worry hanging over you. It helps me to think along the lines of by Monday it will be over, you’ll know more and hopefully you’ll have some relief.

Keep remembering what the sonographer said, remember they were looking at it during the scan and not just on an image. The consultant is probably just covering their arse by saying they couldn’t rule out a tumour. Imagine if they said to people ‘oh no it’s definitely not a tumour’ and didn’t follow up on it. They just won’t take that chance x

I've done so well today and not checked Google or poked or felt my pulse but behind my ear and into my neck is throbbing and I've started googling what structures are there and got out the pulse oximeter to make sure I'm getting enough oxygen 😔

Sent my husband to the shop for paracetamol and wine...

My pulse oximeter shows my 02 at 98% when I sit forward, and still 97-98% when I sit back on the sofa, even though I feel like I can't breathe properly in that position 😔