Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Patientone]

Ugh .. I think after years and years of being a caretaker for my mom right up until her death, I have developed a phobia of medical tests, or rather, waiting on results. In the fall, after weeks and weeks of spotting I went to the dr and had an endometrial biopsy and ultrasound done.

I felt tortured for the next week, literally scared out of my mind, a few days I took 1/2 a xanax so I could calm down. It's awful.

My tests turned out good, just showed fibroids. thank the lord.

Now ..my Dr wants me to go for a mammogram. I am 54, have never had one, I got an automated message yesterday reminding me to go, and it upset me the rest of the day.

I've been reading lately about the stress of waiting for test results and the lasting psycological affects. I think that years and years of waiting for my mom's test results has made me like this.

So, my issue is not going for the test, it's the following days waiting for the phone to ring, or getting the letter in the mail. Here in the US 61% get called back.

I just can't get up the nerve to put myself through it. :-(

How do you deal with the anxiety of waiting for test results?

[CLKD]

I take medication.  To ease those awful anxiety panic surges …….. waiting can make the mind go into over-drive  but what is the worst that can happen?

[bramble]

I cannot cope with it very well. I had a recall for my mammogram this year, only had a week to wait to go back but for that week I could not sleep, could not eat etc etc. I felt sick and shaky all the time. Of course, living on my own, I had nobody to take my mind off it so it was worse. At least if there are other people in the house, they can help to preserve some semblance of normality but on your own, your mind just goes into overdrive all the time.
The only help I can give you is that it is better to go for the mammogram and get it over with.  A case of gritting your teeth I'm afraid. But at least you know you are doing the right thing. I was amazed at how many first-time ladies were recalled when I was there so do not be too anxious if you do get recalled. Good luck.
Bramble

Bramble

[CLKD]

Have a chat with the Radiographer before the mammo takes place and ask the questions!  You will be given a form to fill in when you arrive about your health.  You should have a booklet too ………

[KatieLiz]

Perhaps if you feel so strongly about waiting for test results then its probably better that you don't go for the mammogram in the first place.  Although it seems a good idea to have tests, if you haven't thought about the possible results and what decision you would make dependent upon those results, then maybe its best you don't put yourself through the worry!

[honeybun]

Surely it's better to go for the tests rather than ignoring them. Of course it's a worry but medical tests can be potential life savers.

It's a personal choice of course.

Honeyb
x

[positivethoughts]

Hi Patientone

I too have a massive phobia about waiting for test results, infact I have anxiety issues relating to almost anything medically related. Mine, like yours is linked to a trauma in the past that I went through. I was given bad news during my first pregnancy. So I relate diagnostic tests to bad things happening rather than being a postive thing. I have had counselling and took medication a few years ago. I'm now going through something similar to you, had an internal ultrasound and they have found a fibroid and a polyp so I have a hospital appt in a couple of weeks to investigate further. I'm 50 and perimenopausal and there was no bleeding, they only did the scan as I was having pains coming off my pill. So really I do know that things should be fine, but I am still incredibly anxious about it all, having panic attacks at night, and trying to function at work and looking after my kids.

I went for a really long walk with a friend and her dog in the countryside this week and it made me feel so much better. Can you get out and just walk and breathe in some fresh air? It really helped and I'm going to keep doing it as often as i'm able when I start feeling the anxiety coming on.

I would go for the mammogram if you can manage it. I've had one and it was fine. No, the waiting for the letter to come wasn't easy but I kept myself really busy and tried my very best to forget about it. Hard I do know.

Take care 

[Badga]

First of all please, please book your mammogram.  So important to get this done.  After all, isn't the resulting 'all clear' or, and I am sure this will not be the case, early diagnosis and early treatment, more important than the 'waiting to hear' anxiety.

Secondly, I am as bad as you are.  If I have to have a blood test, say because I feel fatigued - which goes hand-in-hand with the menopause, I convince myself I have every ailment under the sun where my symptoms are indicative, and stress myself out with anxiety of 'not knowing'. 

You are not alone here xxx

[Sarah2]

It's normal to worry- everyone does and no one likes having to wait.

You'd be quite odd if you didn't worry!

Maybe accept that this is normal and then put it to the back of your mind.

I have a very straight talking friend whose advice to me if I am worried is 'Worry about if it happens'.
In other words, don't waste precious emotional energy worrying about things that will probably never happen - and if they do, you will deal with them.

Try to push the worry away and focus on something else if you start to dwell on it.

[libby1]

If you can afford it, have it done privately - you get the results straight away 

Libby
x

[Sarah2]

Maybe it's different in the US anyway waiting for results because isn't all health care private- paid for by insurance?

In the UK you won't get the results immediately because they have to go to the dr who reads them which takes at least 24 hours and more like 2-3 days at least before they write to you or your consultant.

[libby1]

Hi Sarah

You're right, I'm not sure about how it works in the US. But I've had a private mammogram and ultrasound and the radiographer told me there and then 

Libby
x

[Sarah2]

Really? I have had a few too. The person who takes the X rays is not a dr- they are a technician ( radiographer ) and the person who reads the X rays is a consultant radiologist/ breast specialist. If you had an ultrasound too, maybe you were having further investigations and it was actually a dr who saw you?

[Patientone]

I like the idea of instant results. I feel like i need to work up the nerve to just go in and do it. First on the agenda though is a repeat ultrasound for my fibroids.

[Linsey44]

I'm not good at waiting for results either, but the big question - is it worse than wondering if something is wrong with you?

I agree with Sarah the UK it is possible to go private and see a consultant, have a mammo then an ultrasound then go back and see the consultant for the results all within an hour - I have done this twice.

Is this an option for you?