Hard lump on my right kneecap. Going crazy, no doctors because of lockdown

[Worlding101]

Seriously doubt it would be cancer. You can look it up on webmd.com
Dont overthink stuff.

Thank you. That's what I've been doing as well so I guess this is why I'm going nuts.

That's generally not the best suggestion for an anxiety sufferer, but I do agree it sounds benign, as the doctor said.


Of course she recommended you get an x-ray and follow up with an ortho, and to watch for changes. Any doctor will likely tell you that. It was a telemedicine appointment, so she couldn't physically examine you. However, nothing in medicine is guaranteed, and even a physical examination can yield no apparent evidence of a deeper cause while one does in fact exist.

Do you need to worry? I personally don't think so. Is it worth following up with an in-person examination when you get around to it? Sure, if it's a new problem for you. There's nothing wrong in being proactive about your health.

Thank you for your response. A part of me wants to rush to the ER to get this checked and examined, but the doctor said it's not worth it given the pandemic right now. Sigh.

Her recommendations are normal. I know what your feeling though. Any doctor would have said that however.

Thanks for the response. I guess the doctor is really just being proactive, but man, this anxiety is killing me. Is this normal for HA to think like this? I haven't had a recent health scare in a while so this is again frightening me all over again.

 

[bin_tenn]

Is this normal for HA to think like this?

Absolutely! Health anxiety (and anxiety in general) causes one to think irrationally, think of worst case scenario, perceive things as being worse than they are, etc. Catastrophic thinking, as it's sometimes referred to.

 

[Worlding101]

Absolutely! Health anxiety (and anxiety in general) causes one to think irrationally, think of worst case scenario, perceive things as being worse than they are, etc. Catastrophic thinking, as it's sometimes referred to.

Thank you. I really try not to look at the lump when I fold my knees. Everytime I see it I just lose my sanity

 

[smilingsoul]

Absolutely! Health anxiety (and anxiety in general) causes one to think irrationally, think of worst case scenario, perceive things as being worse than they are, etc. Catastrophic thinking, as it's sometimes referred to.

Yes! Agreed. One thing that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can do is help you recognize when you're doing this, and teach you strategies to help put things in context. There's a whole list of behaviors or thought patterns that are typical of anxiety disorders ("mind reading", either/or fallacies, mislabeling, magical thinking, slippery slope fallacies, overgeneralization...) If you're a student of logic you might recognize some of those terms, but they have a particular emotional power when describing thought processes involved in anxiety and depression. Unfortunately you can't simply "logic" your way out of a particular worry, but understanding these can help you anyway. One thing I noticed from your description is a phenomenon called magnification. That lump may have been there for a long time without you noticing it, but now that its become associated with your anxiety it stands out as though its totally obvious. I've been trying to photograph a similar lump on my left kneecap that isn't there on my right, but you can't really see it in the picture (not enough contrast). The point being that asymmetries and strange body formations are completely normal and something everyone has. As you read through the conversation threads here, you will see similar worries come up from many, many people.

 

[Worlding101]

Yes! Agreed. One thing that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can do is help you recognize when you're doing this, and teach you strategies to help put things in context. There's a whole list of behaviors or thought patterns that are typical of anxiety disorders ("mind reading", either/or fallacies, mislabeling, magical thinking, slippery slope fallacies, overgeneralization...) If you're a student of logic you might recognize some of those terms, but they have a particular emotional power when describing thought processes involved in anxiety and depression. Unfortunately you can't simply "logic" your way out of a particular worry, but understanding these can help you anyway. One thing I noticed from your description is a phenomenon called magnification. That lump may have been there for a long time without you noticing it, but now that its become associated with your anxiety it stands out as though its totally obvious. I've been trying to photograph a similar lump on my left kneecap that isn't there on my right, but you can't really see it in the picture (not enough contrast). The point being that asymmetries and strange body formations are completely normal and something everyone has. As you read through the conversation threads here, you will see similar worries come up from many, many people.

Thank you for this. May I know if you've seen a doctor about your lump on your left kneecap?

After this lockdown, I'm definitely going to see a therapist for my fears. Your bit on the logic thing makes a lot of sense. I could never realize I was undergoing "magnification" until I read your reply. This is so hard to deal with.

 

[smilingsoul]

Nope, if I saw a dr for every weird lump or skin blemish I'd have no time to work or play . I do keep a very close eye on my moles though; I'm of northern european descent, burn instead of tan, and spent my childhood in Australia in the 1970s where sunscreen was the white paste you put on your nose when you're surfing.