Health Anxiety - Part 4

[polkadotpixie]

I hope no-one minds me starting a follow up thread. I know some people were waiting for me to update so I thought I would but happy to ask MNHQ to delete if one of the long term posters wanted to start it 😊

Oh @KasparKat thank you so much for that, that is so incredibly reassuring, particularly the thing about the diagonal line and the asymmetry. Thank you so so much, you don't know how much it means!

Also, on spotting, Thank you for that too, I love this thread 🧡

@KasparKat Wish I could reassure you about your tight chest! That sounds very much like anxiety, and the more anxious you get the tighter it will be.

I bleed after a smear test. The doctor/nurse said I have a "friable" cervix and it is really common
You only have to knock it and it bleeds

I think I had covid last March and ever since then have had the tight chest feeling come and go, but it has got much worse and more frequent recently (but have also been more anxious recently). It worries me that I haven't had my heart or lungs checked and maybe I need to 😬 But like I said I can go days without feeling it and go for a run etc and feel fine.

I'm also wondering if it could be heartburn as I have been diagnosed with silent reflux (LPR) via MRI but I'm not sure what heartburn feels like as you don't tend to get heartburn with silent reflux. This doesn't feel anything like indigestion as it's much higher up. But the treatment for that is Omeprazole and I'm worried about taking it because lots of studies show it can make things worse rather than better (even though it was the ENT consultant who prescribed it) and I already hate having to take any medication as I worry that it is bad for my body 🙄

Maybe I should start taking the Omeprazole again as I have some left over? Although it got worse last night just after I took Gaviscon Advance which is also a treatment for silent reflux so not sure if it all adds up or not.

I think my plan is to wait until Monday and if it is still bothering me I will bite the bullet and call the GP. Just hope I can get through the weekend without panicking.

@Skyliner001 thank you so much 💕 as for the spotting, rummaging around could deffo cause that. I had a cervical stitch in pregnancy and I'm only just returning to normal bleeding a year and a half afterwards. I'd bleed for weeks and then have spotting for weeks, brown, pink, orange all sorts of colours and had a smear and ultrasound and all was fine. I still have random spotting now. I think mine was just trauma from my cervix and hormones all mixed but it has settled. Stress can also impact it.

@KasparKat I know exactly how you feel, the more I think about it the more I can feel it but I really do think it's my anxiety adding to it. I would call GP thought and they will order a chest X-ray and it will reassure you (even though they said mine was clear I'm still anxious lol)

@Skyliner001 so pleased that I could help. I have to say it was really quite a shockingly intimate experience but the physio was SO lovely and put me at my ease completely. She made it all feel very normal like getting a shoulder massage but in a very intimate area! 😁

@AJ297 No problem 🥰

@KasparKat 😳😂 Glad she put you at ease! That sounds important, as it must've been quite a strange experience!

Just found this thread, hope it is Ok to join?

I think I have this, since having emergency surgeries for something rare a few years ago. Now I seem to think everything can be something rare and scary.

It didn't help that it took ages for them to find out what was wrong, dismissed my pain and symptoms and kept telling me 'you seem young and healthy' (I'm not that young, in early 40s)

Anyway might be helpful to find others who get this too. I used to trust my health / body but not so much anymore.

Just recently I've been anxious about covid (isn't everyone) think we had it this time last year after a trip away at half term, but unsure as there was no testing then. DH is CEV and had the vaccine recently. to all

PS I have the cervix thing too, think the GP called it cervical erosion mentioned it after a smear. She said it is quite common in women who have given birth (I think)

@Orangeblossom1975 Welcome!!

Hope all ok with our endless prodding and poking.

Regarding lymph nodes I've got two permanent ones in my neck which I've had over 25 years!!

One I've always had since I can remember and one which came up with glandular fever and never went down. My Dd has one I can always feel in the same place.

I've phoned Dr again today as since my ultrasound on Monday I've had stabby pains in my right side and above belly button. She feels it could be due to a really probing thorough ultrasound. I'm so worried I've booked to see a consultant on Tuesday as I can't go on like this.

Thoughts with all of you.

@MarthasGinYard that’s good to know! I’ve had mine around 5 months now and they cause me pointless stress! 🙄

Welcome to everyone new

Sorry guys I dipped out a bit - had a bad few days after having the blood test done to check for abnormalities in the baby (13 weeks pregnant) I hope everyone is doing well! I’ve tried to catch up but this thread moves so fast! I can see there’s been lots of cervix talk though - that’s also on my mind at the moment as I was due a smear when I found out I was pregnant so now by the time I have it, I’ll have had almost 4 years between tests! 😭 really panicking about that as I keep getting sharp pains up there (sorry tmi!)

Thanks @AJ297 I feel exactly the same!

@Skyliner001 I need the reassurance from Doc but then worry myself sick about going, so a bit of both. I ended up on medication waiting for my breast clinic appt when I found a lump a couple of years ago (it was a 'fatty nodule'). I also had three months there of my period/spotting every two weeks and once I got a handle on my anxiety I'm back to normal this month so think it was that. It's amazing how much anxiety can affect us physically.

Re vaginas and cervixes: I have a little professional experience re reproductive health (I'm not a Dr) but I can tell you the vagina is more like a tube, so unlikely to be symmetrical. It's also kind of collapsed in so the sides touch each other and there can be ridges and folds as it obviously has the capability to expand. The cervix sticks out into the vagina a bit and the opening of the cervix can be really convoluted and a bit bumpy/ridgy. It's said to have the firmness similar to the tip of your nose! It's common for the inner lining of the cervix to grow out the end - that's the friable cervix @ofwarren mentioned - especially if you take hormones, and as it's much more sensitive can bleed easily.

@Squibble84 it's common to have sharp pains in the nethers during pregnancy, us polite ladies like to call them 'fanny daggers' 😂

Welcome @Orangeblossom1975 x

Love this @StooriMidori thank you so much 💜

@Squibble84 my cervical cancer worries were really calmed when I found out that (in my area at least) they don't even test for abnormal cells any more, just for HPV which is sexually transmitted. As I've been with DH for 16 years and know that I've never tested positive for HPV I am pretty safe in terms of cervical cancer. In fact there doesn't seem much point in getting tested any longer if they are only testing for HPV. I hope that might help to put your mind at rest?

I'm really thinking that my chest pain could be reflux. It makes sense as it gets worse in the evening and is always in the same place right in the middle of my breastbone. If something wrong with my heart or lungs I don't think the feeling would be right in the middle would it? Also it disappeared when I had dinner and then returned 20 minutes after eating. On the other hand, I took some Gaviscon Advance and it hasn't helped. I think if I am still worrying on Monday I will call the GP. BUT I had my vaccine a week ago and was hoping not to have to attend any medical appointments until immunity kicks in after 3 weeks, so maybe I will see if I can hold on a bit longer.

@StooriMidori thanks for all the vagina knowledge! Fanny daggers is the right term for it alright! 😅

@KasparKat that is actually quite reassuring thanks! I wonder if that is the case everywhere! That does sound like it could be heartburn/refluxy. I get a bit of that so I often have a cup of peppermint tea after dinner and that always helps.

I'm really struggling 😭

I've been awake since 4am and the constant need to wee is tipping me over the edge. I'm so utterly convinced it's ovarian cancer and I'm literally shaking with fear

I can't face chemo, I can't lose my chance to have another child, I can't live the rest of my life in fear it'll come back if it's treatable this time and most of all, I can't leave my baby...he's 2 and he needs me

I'm a total mess. I can't cope. My MRI is tomorrow and I have a Gynae appointment on Thursday but every minute feels like hours. I'm such a state

@polkadotpixie oh those fears are so awful, we have all been there! I’m so sorry to hear how much you are struggling I really wish I could come give you a hug! I’m sure your scan will go absolutely fine! I don’t even want to mention it not doing but in the very worst case scenario you would be more than strong enough! However from all your other appointments it’s most likely you will be just fine! I know this is so much easier said than done but try enjoy today as best you can and push the mri to the back of your mind! Look after yourself today xxxx

@polkadotpixie totally understand how you are feeling and I would feel the same but remember when one of the consultants looked at it from your work and said it wasn't concerning, just remember they are putting it as urgent for your own peace at mind and anxiety and the going for a wee all the time is probably your anxiety. Believe me I was in your position not long ago and it was the worse time of my life dr agreed to do mri scan for my peace at mind then I was thinking but why are they giving me an Mri scan, honestly my thoughts are the worse. for you

Also @polkadotpixie not sure if you saw it but I got my paper work out the other day, I had urethal dilation and bladder distension! There’s lots of reasons why needing to wee a lot isn’t cancer, mine definitely wasn’t! If you continue needing to wee a lot it might be worth going to the gp asking for tolteridine and a cystoscopy! I was nervous for the op but it’s such a small procedure, leaves no scars and takes around 30 minutes for them to complete and I only had to spend till teatime in the hospital xx

@@polkadotpixie you might also find a lot of your symptoms stop after you’ve had your scan! When I had my ultrasound on my lymph nodes my full body itching stopped the next day when I got scan results that were good news

@tmh88

@*@polkadotpixie* you might also find a lot of your symptoms stop after you’ve had your scan! When I had my ultrasound on my lymph nodes my full body itching stopped the next day when I got scan results that were good news

Yes this happened to me; as soon as doctor told me all was ok my symptoms just stopped - it's amazing how your body can react to anxiety

Morning everyone, sorry I wasn’t around yesterday. Was trying to focus on the kids with it being their last day of home school and I’ve had horrible ear ache so had an early night!

Just trying to catch up on your posts from yesterday and help if I can -

@Skyliner001 I think the poking could definitely be the cause of your spotting now, it probably did start because of your period but it’s really easy to cause a tiny bit of bleeding up there, I’ve done it myself. Remember that a tiny drop of blood can look like more once it’s mixed with normal discharge. Also my cervix bleeds during a smear, like the whole stick is covered bright red, happens every time! If you google (as long as it won’t set you off) vaginal rugae (I think that’s what it’s called) you’ll see how ridged and bumpy the skin is so makes sense that it feels a bit bumpy. Oh and I’m a doctor avoider too!

@KasparKat I was interested to read about your pelvic floor physio, my doctor wants me to have that because of my prolapses but I can’t bring myself to do it. Like I said above, I avoid any medical intervention like the plague! I also had heartburn and chest pain last year, a course of lanzaprazol sorted it out and it hasn’t particularly come back either.

@ofwarren sorry to hear you are still struggling with your sinus’, I hope you get some reassurance soon.

@polkadotpixie really sorry you are struggling with horrible intrusive thoughts, they really are the worst, especially when children are involved.

Sorry if I’ve missed anyone. Will hopefully have more time next week to catch up with you all x