Health Anxiety - part three!!

[MrsWhites]

Hi ladies, back again for thread number 3!

@Skyliner001 I’m up for a no poke weekend! Heavy snow forecast for me too so I’m thinking sledging

I'm so with you all on being anxious about the vaccine. I haven't been called up for mine yet but dreading when I am. When the stories about not having the Pfizer one if you have a history of allergies it terrified me as I have had an anaphylactic reaction in the past. I know they'll give me the Oxford one because of that but it doesn't reassure my anxious brain much.

Good luck to all of you on non-pokey weekend missions!

Thanks all, see you on the other side!

I'm going to have a "google free" weekend. For me every little twinge, pain I get I google and then convince myself it's something really bad

I'm actually desperate for the vaccine! I feel like I won't feel safe until I have it. I say that now but maybe in a few months time when/if I get it I will be worried...

Good luck all in the no poke weekend. Remember that doctors advise you only check once a month, and that anything that is there tomorrow will still be there on Monday so delaying your poke until Monday will make absolutely no difference. And think how much better your body will feel not being poked!

My breast pain is really bad at the moment but its peak time of the month for me for breast pain so I am managing to ignore it.

Have had a slight cough today so now wondering if the tight chest was a sign of a cold coming? But then I've been having the sinus symptoms for over a month now so feels like I've been ill for such a long time now.

I looked up the elastic band method this morning and found it has helped me today. I have a hair band on my wrist and every time I worry about my tight chest I flick the band 3 times and tell myself that I am OK and it is just anxiety. It seems to be working so far...

Oh yes I have an absolute ban on Google. Seriously, nothing good can ever come of Googling if you have health anxiety!

Learnt that the hard way...

Banning google too for the weekend 💚

@Skyliner001 do you have an iphone? in settingsyou can put timers on or block websites, eg you could put a 15 minute timer for mumsnet per day on iPhone etc xx

@Skyliner001 totally agree! I also found that the stretch marks on my boobs were worrying me when they've been there for years! They've turned into the translucent sort but nope, still had to check

@tmh88 I totally admire you for the no social media because of the anxiety etc. I took myself off Facebook and Instagram a while ago for about 5 months and I didn't miss it at all and I found that I was just me - nowhere near as much worry. I only ended up reactivating to pass time cause I found after the night feeds I'd still be wide awake

Good luck everyone on a no poke weekend! I think I'll join in. I've made my left side under my arm/top of my ribs so, so sore lately from pressing and prodding. Does anyone else find that sometimes they can 'feel' a pain, and then examine and expect to find a lump, if that makes sense?
Also what's bothering me is twice this week I think I've been thinking about my sore boob in my sleep, so I wake up feeling sore because I've thought about it constantly! 🙈

Had such a tight chest the last few days too and I think it's down to worry.

Haven't had my vaccine yet - I'll be much later in the year with my age but my dads in the ECV category so he should be soon. I have friends who have had theirs though work. I just want mine too because I feel I'm worrying about Covid a lot more now. Some female friends of mine aren't having it because a study was released saying it could potentially affect fertility and because they want a family/more babies they aren't having it. DH won't have it as he is terrified of needles (when we had IVF he needed one blood test... he went green, then white, then was given 6 biscuits, a glass of water and two cups of sugary tea by the nurses 😂🙈).

Something else that's getting to me is I was talking to a friend yesterday and she was telling me about an ex-colleague of mine who had her baby and then was in hospital with three blood clots! (Thankfully she is completely fine now and is back home) and was saying how she had back and shoulder pain and that's how the midwife knew.
I have anxiety chest pain at the minute, the top of my back aches now and again (2 c-sections, and also had whiplash twice) and my shoulder aches (I spend my days carrying my babies around) so all of these can be explained, but noooooo. My mind is racing 🙄

@dillydallydollydaydream7 I haven’t had it for about 5 years now! I do miss it sometimes! I’m with you on weird pains today I have strange upper stomach/right rib pain putting it down to muscle pull! Can I ask as you had 2 sections did your stomach muscles come apart? Mine did after DS and I don’t know what my stomach is suppose to feel like I think the gap is about 1 1/2 finger width now (was 4 originally, DS was massive, I was 5ft 2 & 9 stone) anyway I don’t properly know what I’m feeling for to check so I’m guessing at 1 1/2 finger gap in my stomach x

@tmh88 I don't mind Insta but I find Facebook is so repetitive and moany!

To be honest I have no idea if mine separated - both my DDs were tiny babies. I've just googled then to see how I check, but from what I've felt, there isn't separation. What Google did say though is that it's totally normal and sometimes the muscles just don't repair themselves, is it something you're worried about?

@dillydallydollydaydream7 I wish I could leave social media too but my kids schools are using social media as a way of communicating with parents at the moment, plus we have mums Facebook groups for their year. I find that everything someone shares makes me think ‘that could be me’, a few days ago it was the lady with the 3 breast dimples. I think @Skyliner001 said in an earlier post that she had examined her breasts with a torch to check for dimples - me too, in various positions. Then because of that I got obsessed with one of my underarms being fattier than the other one so has more creases.

I’m going to make a big effort to stay off google because what we google feeds the ads and things we get on social media doesn’t it, I’m forever getting things about cancers pop up on my Facebook and then having to tell myself it’s not a bad sign.

I’m still a bit unsure about the vaccine, I won’t lie, I do have my concerns about the short period of testing but I think I will get it but I do have a phobia of needles so it will be a challenge for me. I’ve been told by those who have had it that it uses a very fine needle and is almost pain free though.

Good luck ladies! A good morning for me so far, although I did dream that I examined, and also went to the doctors!! But it doesn't count does it?😂😂

@MrsWhites One of my armpits is also fatter!!

What is with that!

It's actually on the same side of the left breast, which is the bigger of the two.

I spent an unhappy hour once googling whether the body should be completely symmetrical, even though I absolutely know that it shouldn't be. But when you google asymmetrical body, it just tells you that there is some terrible disease associated with it, but by asymmetrical they mean like massively asymmetrical.

It just shows you how Google can lead you down the wrong route.

Of course we can't be completely symmetrical!

@MrsWhites I have one underarm fatter than the other

@dillydallydollydaydream7 I’m just worried about this pain between my ribs and it’s quite a lumpy area like the rest of my stomach so I don’t know what I’m feeling for stomach muscle wise if that makes sense haha! I’m certain it’s from posture and a muscle pull but our brains aren’t so kind to let us believe that are they

I’m pretty sure what I’m feeling in my stomach however is lumpy muscle/fat as I have a cellulite/loose skin stomach since having DS it’s also full of stretch marks so sometimes I think they feel lump like underneath x

@Skyliner001 and @tmh88 sorry but I’m glad to hear it’s not just me with a fatty armpit 😂

@tmh88 it doesn’t sound like anything worrying to me. I think we have to remember that our abdomen is full of lumpy organs and intestines. I’m sure anything bad that caused a palpable lump would also be causing you other issues x

Morning everyone.
I'm back in bed under my weighted blanket to try and calm down
I had a twinge in my forehead that spooked me.
I have trouble with tightness in my neck, shoulder and jaw, I clench my teeth terribly and even chew my tongue in the night. These are all stress and posture related. Whenever I get a head symptom (which is more than likely related) I freak out. I start thinking of strokes or palsy etc.
I tried a neck and shoulder yoga but couldn't calm down, so here I am back in bed.
Still getting the jabbing in my forehead 😔
I hope everyone is having a decent day

Morning @ofwarren sorry to hear you are having a bad morning. It’s horrible when something just triggers things for you. The pain in your forehead is probably linked to the stress related things you mentioned to! I hope you manage to calm down and have a better afternoon!

Does anyone know if sinus issues can cause a bruised like feeling in the face? I keep catching a bruise that I can feel under my eye on my cheek bone but there is no sign of any external bruise or mark and on the same side of my face the corner of my jaw bone on the bottom feels bruised too, like where the bone turns up towards your ear?

@MrsWhite that sounds like my TMJ jaw issues.
Do you clench your teeth with anxiety or grind at night?
Mine causes pain to touch in the jaw near your ear like you describe and also painful sinus.

@ofwarren I think I do clench my teeth when I sleep, I’ve woken up a few times and felt that I’ve had them quite tightly closed. Can it only effect one side?

@MrsWhite yes, mine is only my left side. My dentist made me a mouth guard thing. It didn't work for me but some people swear by them.

I keep missing the S off your name. Sorry @MrsWhites