I found a swollen lymph node under my ear
about 4 weeks ago. At the time I was
getting some earache so I went to the
doctor. He said he couldn't find any
sign of infection and said the node was
probably due to me fighting off a throat
infection or something.
The node didn't go and I was checking and
fiddling with it night and day. The
earache got worse so I went back to see a
different doctor. She said that my ear
canal looked a bit inflamed and prescribed
some drops. I asked her about the node
but she checked it and said she felt it
would go away on its own and that they
looked out for nodes much much bigger and
rubbery.
So I got the drops and calmed down a bit.
I've been using the drops for just over a
week. The earache has got better but now
and again I get the odd pain which feels
like its coming from the ear drum/back of
throat area.
The node remains and I did some checking
on the internet to find that if you
continually check them, they can remain
inflamed. Also, in my calmer moments, I
notice that I can't feel it if I look
straight ahead and check normally. It's
only when I crane my neck that it really
pops out.
My problem is that it's beginning to
really take over my life. Usually, if
I've had an infection or whatever and my
lymph nodes swollen, they go down really
quickly.
I just wonder if I was in a state of mind
when I found the node which has convinced
me that it's something more serious.
I had PND which appeared four months after
my first son was born. I was shaving my
legs one day and found a blemish on my leg
which from that moment on, I was convinced
was skin cancer. I saw four different
doctors and practically begged one of them
to cut it out!
It went on for weeks and weeks and I
probably missed out quite a chunk of my
son growing.
This is beginning to feel the same and I
start a new job in a week's time. I don't
want this to take over my life - I just
don't know what to do.
Mrs Bod
|
Kahlan25
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Syracuse
Posted: 07-19-07 08:56am
I can say that I totally relate..it has
gotten to the point when I ask a person a
simple question about something-they
automatically assume I am worrying and
they make a joke saying "maybe it's
cancer"...I hate that it because I don't
mean to freak out-but I have watched my
father go completely downhill from cancer
and worry that I would do the same and not
be able to be there for my kids..I do so
much that I worry obssessively over the
little things...Over the past year or so I
have gotten much better-I just tell myself
it isn't anything to worry about and that
it will go away in time..if it IS
something to worry about, I can have it
taken care of...I hope this helps a
little-in the least you know you arent
alone
|
Pan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 3 Location: South Wales, UK
Posted: 07-19-07 11:21am
Hey, I know exactly what you mean. Read
my thread a couple down about
understanding compulsions and obssesions.
I found a lump a month ago and worrying
about that developed into acute anxiety
syndrome. When you couple this with OCD
it is not good news. I am getting
increasingly paranoid about my health and
often think I've got some serious
undiagnosed medical condition.
The strange this is, it dawned on me a
couple of days ago that I do actually have
an illness and it is anxiety. Ultimatly,
I may or may not have another medical
condition, all the evidence and GP advise
suggests not but having the worry is
causing me real world issues with anxiety
that need to be addressed. It is a vicous
circle but I am feeling that having a
better understanding of knowledge as to
how and why anxiety strikes and also the
underlying reasons why I worry inordiantly
about my health is helping me.
|
metalcrystal
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 112 Location: most boring state, USA,
Posted: 07-19-07 11:57am
Pan
wrote:
Hey, I know exactly what you
mean. Read my thread a couple down about
understanding compulsions and obssesions.
I found a lump a month ago and worrying
about that developed into acute anxiety
syndrome. When you couple this with OCD
it is not good news. I am getting
increasingly paranoid about my health and
often think I've got some serious
undiagnosed medical condition.
The strange this is, it dawned on me a
couple of days ago that I do actually have
an illness and it is anxiety. Ultimatly,
I may or may not have another medical
condition, all the evidence and GP advise
suggests not but having the worry is
causing me real world issues with anxiety
that need to be addressed. It is a vicous
circle but I am feeling that having a
better understanding of knowledge as to
how and why anxiety strikes and also the
underlying reasons why I worry inordiantly
about my health is helping
me.
You are totally right Pan, the
disease is Anxiety. Constantly checking
your body for signs of cancer and other
diseases is not normal, healthy behavior.
Searching for information on the internet
and talking to other anxious people about
it only validates your anxiety. Anxiety is
a big liar, it makes you believe crazy
stuff. I know it is hard to believe that
when you are in this anxious state, but it
is true. Not to say we will never get
sick, but 99.9% of the symptoms i read
about here on this forum are straight up
anxiety.
As Pan said, we need to treat
theunderlying mental issues. Talk therapy,
CBT, and medication are all fantastic ways
to deal with worry or anxiety disorder.
Anxiety will not go away on its own, it is
part of who we are. It is not just being
nervous. It may be not be as bad
sometimes, but it always comes back until
you deal with it.
|
Pan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 3 Location: South Wales, UK
Posted: 07-19-07 12:29pm
metalcrystal
wrote:
Pan
wrote:
Hey, I know exactly what you
mean. Read my thread a couple down about
understanding compulsions and obssesions.
I found a lump a month ago and worrying
about that developed into acute anxiety
syndrome. When you couple this with OCD
it is not good news. I am getting
increasingly paranoid about my health and
often think I've got some serious
undiagnosed medical condition.
The strange this is, it dawned on me a
couple of days ago that I do actually have
an illness and it is anxiety. Ultimatly,
I may or may not have another medical
condition, all the evidence and GP advise
suggests not but having the worry is
causing me real world issues with anxiety
that need to be addressed. It is a vicous
circle but I am feeling that having a
better understanding of knowledge as to
how and why anxiety strikes and also the
underlying reasons why I worry inordiantly
about my health is helping
me.
You are totally right Pan, the
disease is Anxiety. Constantly checking
your body for signs of cancer and other
diseases is not normal, healthy behavior.
Searching for information on the internet
and talking to other anxious people about
it only validates your anxiety. Anxiety is
a big liar, it makes you believe crazy
stuff. I know it is hard to believe that
when you are in this anxious state, but it
is true. Not to say we will never get
sick, but 99.9% of the symptoms i read
about here on this forum are straight up
anxiety.
As Pan said, we need to treat
theunderlying mental issues. Talk therapy,
CBT, and medication are all fantastic ways
to deal with worry or anxiety disorder.
Anxiety will not go away on its own, it is
part of who we are. It is not just being
nervous. It may be not be as bad
sometimes, but it always comes back until
you deal with
it.
agreed.
The biggest mistake I made was to google
my symptoms. The problem is that if you
already have a tendancy to anxiety or
obssesive thoughts then you can easily
focus in on the negative aspects. You
then put yourself in the bizarre situation
when the anxiety symptoms that this brings
on are mistaken for the symptoms for the
condition you believe you have.
I had totally 100% convinced myself I had
testicular cancer. I read on the net that
back pain was a symptom of advanced
testicular cancer and it would be no
exaggeration to say that within 15 minutes
my back was killing me. Now, this
reinforced further the belief that I had
cancer...in reality it was of course just
anxiety. It was just anxiety and my mind
combining to send me on a negative thought
loop that in the end totally fried me and
from which I'm still recovering.
I am now a lot more selective of the sites
and threads I look at. Support and
discussion is fine but on lots of sites
you find people with very little knowledge
presenting information as if it is
fact....the problem is when you are in a
state of anxiety the capability of
determining the valididty of information
is severly reduced. Your focus and and
rationality goes out of the window and you
just get deeper and deeper into the mire.
I now know the reasons for my recent
preoccupation with my health and
understand that the reasons for my acute
anxiety syndrome where caused where my
total inability to deal rationally with my
health scare. I am feeling much better
over the last week....I am on meds but
don't know if they have kicked in but am
convinced that by looking into the subject
and finding out about anxiety this has
helped hugely. It is anxiety that is the
enemy and you need all your energies
concentrated on combating that and not
being drawn into the trap that it is
something else hidden away. Knowledge has
helped me hugely but above all be very
very careful where you aquire this
knowledge. As someone once said ' a
little knowledge is a terrible thing'....I
can't really think of a more relevant
quote that could have helped me through
the nightmare I have endured over the last
few weeks.
|
metalcrystal
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 112 Location: most boring state, USA,
Anxiety Posted: 07-19-07 16:47pm
You sound like you are in a much better
place. I know that even when you start
your meds you feel a lot better because
you know you are doing something about
your crippling anxiety , and it is going
to get better. Oddly, my meds have made
me feel less depressed, and I went to the
doc seeking help for anxiety! I am sure
everyone here has heard that anxiety and
depression are the "ugly twins", anxiety
is often the symptom of depression. My
anxiety was off the charts! But after 6
weeks on Cymbalta I find myself thinking
more positive thoughts, and seeing issues
more clearly. I can feel the old tapes and
thought patterns in my mind start to play,
causing physical reaction, but i am able
to cut them off better now. Funny, cause I
was thinking it would just be my anxiety
stopping.
I had about a year of Cognitive
Behavior thereapy, and I still remember
all the things my therapist taught me
about irrational thinking. It works very
well. In my case, I need the meds also.
|
anxiousone33
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jan 2008 Posts: 1
Swollen Lymph In the Neck Posted: 01-13-08 08:06am
Hi everyone.
Recently my boyfriend told me he was
diagnosed with chlamydia. I have the
symptoms too such as pain during
intercouse, abnormal discharge and need to
urinate more frequently. Knowing that just
freaked me out. I become very afraid of
having another deasease like hiv. Since
when I espend my days on the web reading
about symptoms of other STDs; can't sleep
well anymore and eating is almost
impossible to me now. Never been so
stressed im my whole intire life and now I
notice that I have a enlarged lymph node
in my neck. I'll search for a doctor in
the next few days, but until now I can
only think about the worse. Is this a
answer from my immune system for such
anxiety and stress? Just psychossomatic ?
Or do I have to keep thinking that I'm
going to die???? Please, help me.
