Worrying myself silly

Over the last year or so I've had throat symptoms, tight chest symptoms and fatigue that have come and gone, come and gone. At one point I was anaemic which did seem to settle after medication, about 6 months ago I took myself A&E when my chest particularly uncomfortable and they did bloods, ECG and xray. Nothing showed and I didn't follow it up as things settled a little afterwards.

I'm feeling really pretty unwell at the moment though. The throat discomfort is back with a vengeance, my chest feels like it's being sat on and I'm just so tired. There are no GP appointments available for another week and a half. In the meantime I'm worrying myself sill after looking up what all the symptoms could mean. I'm kicking myself for not following things up sooner really and just really stressed.

Thinking I might go to Urgent Care tomorrow at least in the interim before GP appointments. 

  • I know exactly how you are feeling. I had an appointment with a haematologist two days ago, had a raft of blood tests for 18 different things because I had cancer six years ago and now I have enlarged red blood cells. I have to wait about seven weeks for an appointment not knowing if I have cancer again, I'm pulling my hair out. Despite being told not to by the doctor I googled the things that she told me and now I'm terrified! It's the waiting that causes the terrible stress, fear of the unknown. Once you've been given a diagnosis you can start to deal with whatever's coming your way. If it's any comfort the fact that your blood tests came back ok is a good sign and the symptoms that you have could be any number of "minor" conditions. They could even be made worse by stressing over them. If you feel that going to urgent care would help you do that, nothing ventured nothing gained. Ignore all the written stuff that worries you and concentrate on what minor conditions it could be, there's a higher chance of that than it being anything else. Good luck.

  • Thanks for the reply Joy. Hope you are coping with the wait. The temptation to Google is just crazy isn't it? I've now got a list of awful things that I could have, but your right that there are lots of other possibilities too. As a natural pessimist it's so hard not to hand on to the negatives. I did manage to see an out of hours GP at the weekend and I've got strong antacids to see if that reduces any symptoms. A week to go until GP appointment a the surgery. Do you get results of your blood tests? 

    CLH

  • Hi. I have an appointment on 22nd June, it feels like a hundred years away! I can't seem to stay off Google, something will pop into my head and I just have to see what I can find out. I've looked at every article connected with enlarged red blood cells, functional B12 deficiency, thyroid cancer (I have multinodular thyroid), MDS (which because of my age and cancer history I am at high risk of and it's incurable) and a million other things. I can't sleep and I'm so depressed. My husband and family are unaware, no point in them worrying as well, I just wish I could go to sleep and wake up the day after my next appointment. The consultant said that if "anything needs doing" before my appointment her or her registrar will ring me - just hoping to God that phone doesn't ring! Blood tests take a couple of weeks and only had them done Thursday so she won't get them for about another week and a half. And by the time she's got around to looking at them probably be the end of May to expect any phone calls. Probably on my birthday!

  • Oh June does seem like a long way away. I've just had initial bloods done at the GP this morning but probably won't get results until next week. An acquaintance has just this week been diagnosed with leukaemia so obviously that's got me worried as she had quite similar symptoms of general illness and fatigue. My husband is aware I'm feeling unwell but not of all the conditions I'm panicking about. With 2 young children it's hard keeping a lid on the anxiety and not getting overly short tempered with them, especially when I'm tired. Glad you can reach out a bit on here if you're keeling things to yourself at home.