Upcoming stress and screenings

[Stonecakes]

Hi all! I’ve been around off and on for awhile. I go through periods of remission and flares. Currently in a flare of health anxiety . I turned 49 in November and decided it was time I face some things. I hadn’t been to the doctor for about 5 years and I haven’t don’t mammogram or colonoscopy. I’m a health anxiety person who avoids like the plague. I started with my regular pcp got all the blood work etc. anxiety went through the roof but all seems to be well. Today I got the courage to schedule a mammo. After I did I broke down. The thing is I’m a smart person who knows better than to not get regular screenings and when I scheduled I cried from fear and I cried from guilt. And now of course I feel I deserve to have something wrong in these screenings because I have avoided them. The health anxiety is screaming so much castrophe at me it’s overwhelming. Anyway I just had to share and hope for some support from you all. And thank you for being here and being brave enough to try to tackle this awful health anxiety thing.

 

[Sloth54]

I completely understand what you are going through. I’ve been the same way, and I know that anxiety and overthinking can really take a toll on us. I had to push aside the fear, and just go for it because I know that preventative screening is super important! I would much rather have a little anxiety and do the screenings, then to completely ignore them.
Chance are everything is going to be fine and then you will have peace of mind. Every screening I’ve ever done has turned out good and I went through all of that stress for nothing. it gives me peace of mind. And you deserve that also. That’s great that you made an appointment. Colonoscopy is very important also. Once you get it done and everything is OK usually don’t have to have another one for about 10 years. So it’s definitely worth getting done and then you can relax. But please don’t avoid screenings. We are not preventing anything from happening by not getting the screenings. In fact, we are taking a risk! I know the anxiety about this, but just make yourself think in a strong way and do it. If I can do it, anybody can because I’m not a naturally strong person. Great job! Take care

 

[Karolina Aikyam]

Hi Stonecake. I appreciate the health anxiety, however, it seems that we can make everything much worse than it is just by focusing on the disempowering outcomes and thoughts. No one here is immortal, we will all go through health challenges - but we do have power and strength, and the power is: choose the words you speak to yourself and the images you show yourself (I say you, but it's true for everyone). Anxiety can be a friend, it wants to protect you overall, remind you about the health, not about the disease. It shows us the worst outcomes so we can avoid them. So, let's reframe the situation: "thank you, anxiety, for reminding me about the importance of health. Let me focus therefore on the health rather than disease. I am now using this energy as a reminder to sleep enough, to drink plenty of water, change my eating habits and enjoy some physical activity. I now choose to appreciate everything about my body and give it thanks for all the amazing job it is doing for me. My heart is beating without me controlling it, my breath is flowing without me needing to control it, all the best things are happening without my control because the most fundamental truth of my body is that it is designed to always heal, always strive for health and always self regulate. So I now choose to help my body to do its wonderful job" You can use beautiful guided meditations for self healing, read about the power of thoughts over matter in the health department (dr Bruce Lipton f.ex). Why am I saying that? I am a therapist and I see all the time how we choose wrong thoughts. In my line of therapy we say: the only thing you should really control is your thinking. You cannot control the outside world, nor it is necessary. But choosing your response to the events will make a big difference. I am using a tool : healing vortex, it's a wonderful visualization that helps cleanse the body and prompt the body to heal, remove anything that is unnecessary. Our body DOES respond to our thoughts!! Just play it with it: choose to see yourself on a beautiful beach surrounded, sipping a delicious juice, and enjoy the sun or your skin. And now switch an image to an unpleasant thought. Your body will respond! So choose empowering loving thoughts as if you were talking to your dearest friend, or a beloved.

 

[PieFan]

I must admit I have enjoyed much better mental and physical health since I stopped doing screenings and looking for hidden health issues. As I told the doctor when I made my decision, medical science hasn't helped me much with the things I already know about, has it?! She responded by sending me a recorded delivery letter absolving her of any responsibility in my decision...

Occasionally a new doctor or my old reliable NP (when I can get insurance which covers her) pushes for me to reconsider but I have a strong belief that I will live the appropriate time, somehow, and it's more important to live well during those days, which will be ultimately limited no matter what I do medically.

Hope you feel better soon @Stonecakes
(like the name, perfect analogy for medicine and well-being!)

 

[MATD]

Hi Stonecake. I appreciate the health anxiety, however, it seems that we can make everything much worse than it is just by focusing on the disempowering outcomes and thoughts. No one here is immortal, we will all go through health challenges - but we do have power and strength, and the power is: choose the words you speak to yourself and the images you show yourself (I say you, but it's true for everyone). Anxiety can be a friend, it wants to protect you overall, remind you about the health, not about the disease. It shows us the worst outcomes so we can avoid them. So, let's reframe the situation: "thank you, anxiety, for reminding me about the importance of health. Let me focus therefore on the health rather than disease. I am now using this energy as a reminder to sleep enough, to drink plenty of water, change my eating habits and enjoy some physical activity. I now choose to appreciate everything about my body and give it thanks for all the amazing job it is doing for me. My heart is beating without me controlling it, my breath is flowing without me needing to control it, all the best things are happening without my control because the most fundamental truth of my body is that it is designed to always heal, always strive for health and always self regulate. So I now choose to help my body to do its wonderful job" You can use beautiful guided meditations for self healing, read about the power of thoughts over matter in the health department (dr Bruce Lipton f.ex). Why am I saying that? I am a therapist and I see all the time how we choose wrong thoughts. In my line of therapy we say: the only thing you should really control is your thinking. You cannot control the outside world, nor it is necessary. But choosing your response to the events will make a big difference. I am using a tool : healing vortex, it's a wonderful visualization that helps cleanse the body and prompt the body to heal, remove anything that is unnecessary. Our body DOES respond to our thoughts!! Just play it with it: choose to see yourself on a beautiful beach surrounded, sipping a delicious juice, and enjoy the sun or your skin. And now switch an image to an unpleasant thought. Your body will respond! So choose empowering loving thoughts as if you were talking to your dearest friend, or a beloved.

Thank you for a well said post on the power of words. .

 

[Stonecakes]

Hi Stonecake. I appreciate the health anxiety, however, it seems that we can make everything much worse than it is just by focusing on the disempowering outcomes and thoughts. No one here is immortal, we will all go through health challenges - but we do have power and strength, and the power is: choose the words you speak to yourself and the images you show yourself (I say you, but it's true for everyone). Anxiety can be a friend, it wants to protect you overall, remind you about the health, not about the disease. It shows us the worst outcomes so we can avoid them. So, let's reframe the situation: "thank you, anxiety, for reminding me about the importance of health. Let me focus therefore on the health rather than disease. I am now using this energy as a reminder to sleep enough, to drink plenty of water, change my eating habits and enjoy some physical activity. I now choose to appreciate everything about my body and give it thanks for all the amazing job it is doing for me. My heart is beating without me controlling it, my breath is flowing without me needing to control it, all the best things are happening without my control because the most fundamental truth of my body is that it is designed to always heal, always strive for health and always self regulate. So I now choose to help my body to do its wonderful job" You can use beautiful guided meditations for self healing, read about the power of thoughts over matter in the health department (dr Bruce Lipton f.ex). Why am I saying that? I am a therapist and I see all the time how we choose wrong thoughts. In my line of therapy we say: the only thing you should really control is your thinking. You cannot control the outside world, nor it is necessary. But choosing your response to the events will make a big difference. I am using a tool : healing vortex, it's a wonderful visualization that helps cleanse the body and prompt the body to heal, remove anything that is unnecessary. Our body DOES respond to our thoughts!! Just play it with it: choose to see yourself on a beautiful beach surrounded, sipping a delicious juice, and enjoy the sun or your skin. And now switch an image to an unpleasant thought. Your body will respond! So choose empowering loving thoughts as if you were talking to your dearest friend, or a beloved.

Thank you! Somehow this is worded better than my therapist has ever put it. I need to be more conscious of what I do and say to myself. I appreciate it!

I must admit I have enjoyed much better mental and physical health since I stopped doing screenings and looking for hidden health issues. As I told the doctor when I made my decision, medical science hasn't helped me much with the things I already know about, has it?! She responded by sending me a recorded delivery letter absolving her of any responsibility in my decision...

Occasionally a new doctor or my old reliable NP (when I can get insurance which covers her) pushes for me to reconsider but I have a strong belief that I will live the appropriate time, somehow, and it's more important to live well during those days, which will be ultimately limited no matter what I do medically.

Hope you feel better soon @Stonecakes
(like the name, perfect analogy for medicine and well-being!)

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I completely understand what you are going through. I’ve been the same way, and I know that anxiety and overthinking can really take a toll on us. I had to push aside the fear, and just go for it because I know that preventative screening is super important! I would much rather have a little anxiety and do the screenings, then to completely ignore them.
Chance are everything is going to be fine and then you will have peace of mind. Every screening I’ve ever done has turned out good and I went through all of that stress for nothing. it gives me peace of mind. And you deserve that also. That’s great that you made an appointment. Colonoscopy is very important also. Once you get it done and everything is OK usually don’t have to have another one for about 10 years. So it’s definitely worth getting done and then you can relax. But please don’t avoid screenings. We are not preventing anything from happening by not getting the screenings. In fact, we are taking a risk! I know the anxiety about this, but just make yourself think in a strong way and do it. If I can do it, anybody can because I’m not a naturally strong person. Great job! Take care

Thanks for the encouragement and support. It means a lot!

 

[suzzeeb]

I must admit I have enjoyed much better mental and physical health since I stopped doing screenings and looking for hidden health issues. As I told the doctor when I made my decision, medical science hasn't helped me much with the things I already know about, has it?! She responded by sending me a recorded delivery letter absolving her of any responsibility in my decision...

Occasionally a new doctor or my old reliable NP (when I can get insurance which covers her) pushes for me to reconsider but I have a strong belief that I will live the appropriate time, somehow, and it's more important to live well during those days, which will be ultimately limited no matter what I do medically.

Hope you feel better soon @Stonecakes
(like the name, perfect analogy for medicine and well-being!)

I agree it's way less stressful to just avoid all of these screenings and the worry that goes with them. I did, however, see my dad avoid every medical test possible and wound up with colon cancer that could have easily been avoided with a yearly colonoscopy. He survived the colon cancer somehow but went through surgery and way more stress and physical pain than a colonoscopy would have caused. Things caught early can add decades to your life, but obviously that's a personal decision. Just a different perspective.

 

[Beautiful Disaster]

I must admit I have enjoyed much better mental and physical health since I stopped doing screenings and looking for hidden health issues. As I told the doctor when I made my decision, medical science hasn't helped me much with the things I already know about, has it?! She responded by sending me a recorded delivery letter absolving her of any responsibility in my decision...

Occasionally a new doctor or my old reliable NP (when I can get insurance which covers her) pushes for me to reconsider but I have a strong belief that I will live the appropriate time, somehow, and it's more important to live well during those days, which will be ultimately limited no matter what I do medically.

Hope you feel better soon @Stonecakes
(like the name, perfect analogy for medicine and well-being!)

I feel very similar to you, PieFan. I have had very similar experiences.

 

[MATD]

I think Karolina said it well, we all have to face our own demise. Show me anyone that gets through life unscathed. No one can. There are no guarantees in life. Medical science is not perfect, there aren’t answers for everything. We can’t seem to accept these things can we? But there are areas in that science that can help us live a better quality of life. We can’t do that by denial, hiding, sticking our head in the sand, avoiding. It is our very thinking that keeps us from helping ourselves as best we can. We let fear and other emotions guide us instead of using common sense and logical thinking. It gets to be habitual, automatic responses. If we were to start looking at our thoughts, our reactions, our automatic responses, we’ll see where we go wrong in our thinking and realize we are what we think, that we’ve created our own prison in what we think. We can’t stop life from happening but we can make better decisions to increase our quality of life if we choose to make an effort to look at ourselves, without judgment, and see how our thinking patterns, our emotions/feelings are actually hindering us from making better those decisions and choices.