So anxious I might pay for private GP appt.

[kah]

Hi guys,

I am getting so anxious over my health that I am seriously thinking of paying for a private GP appointment at BUPA. We cannot afford it at all but I just don't know what else to do. I have 2 things I'm worried about:

The first is I'm convinced I have lung cancer. I don't smoke and I'm only 36 but I cannot get it out of my mind. Since October I've been getting flecks of blood and grey flecks in my phlegm and at the same time have an aching shoulder/arm all the time. I'm short of breath a lot and feel tired constantly. I've had 2 x-rays and both were clear, although I haven't had an x-ray since November. I have an appointment to see a chest specialist in 3 weeks time but don't think I can wait that long.

The other thing is abdominal problems. I've had IBS on/off for quite a while but this time I have lots of new symptoms. I have the usual pain under ribs & in ovary area and stitch in side but I also have a horrible acid taste in my mouth, very dry mouth, feeling very full when eating little and again the awful exhausted feeling all the time. My weight was fairly stable (I'm on the skinny side anyway) until the past few weeks, I'm not sure if it's because I'm eating less because of feeling full or the anxiety but I've lost a bit of weight.

I know it would be unlikely for me to have either lung or stomach cancer at my age but I have a sore scabby bit on my scalp that I've been treating with dermatitis cream and it doesn't seem to be fully healing. I keep thinking maybe it's skin cancer that has spread to my lungs and stomach. Oh god I do sound crazy :wacko:

Really don't know what to do, I've been to the GP twice this week :blush: but feel like I'm being fobbed off because of my HA issues. In my opinion they are not loooking at the full picture. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

K xx

[Em.ma]

i often feel like my gp doesnt asses my condition/symtopms aswell as i would like and just assumes its anxiety. I went in saying i think i have an ear infection and he didnt even check for it HOWEVER they know what they are doing and if he has sent you to see a specialsit wait till then. If he suspected cancer he wudnt wait that long to get you seen. You dont need to waste money on private healthcare.

[Geoff2301]

if you had an xray in November, you haven't got lung cancer so you can definitely rule that out! Plus you're only 36, a nonsmoker........... the flecks of blood might either not be blood or just from a damaged blood vessel in your throat from coughing up phlegm etc. Save your money....... going private will cost a small fortune!!

[kah]

Thanks guys.
It's my own fault I'm so anxious, I googled (!!!) and read stories by people who'd had x-rays which were clear and then later went on to find out they had cancer and it just hadn't been picked up on the x-ray.

Since posting I looked up costs of private GP and it's £63 for a 15min appointment. If I then had to have tests it would end up costing a fortune.

So whether I like it or not I'll just have to wait :weep:

Thanks for your support, it means a lot

K xx

[kah]

Feeling so anxious today, just rang BUPA to find out how much it would be to see a Chest Specialist there instead of waiting for my NHS appt in just under 3 weeks. I feel like if I wait for the NHS one I'll be gone mad by then!!
It's £160-240 for the consultation and £120 for x-rays. We really can't afford it but I just need to know now. They said that I would be seen by the end of the week and tests done there and then.

Just wish so much that I didn't feel like this everyday :(

K xx

[nomorepanic]

You could pay to go and see a private doctor but what happens when they say it is all clear?

Would you believe them or think that they got it wrong and then want more tests. Where would it end?

I would save your money and believe in your GP to be honest.

[kah]

You could pay to go and see a private doctor but what happens when they say it is all clear?

Would you believe them or think that they got it wrong and then want more tests. Where would it end?

I would save your money and believe in your GP to be honest.

I honestly don't think it will be all clear otherwise I'd wait for the NHS appt. xx

[countrygirl]

Ask yourself why you can't wait a few weeks - is it because you think that if you did have something then you would get treated faster - if thats the case going privately won't speed it up much as if they did find anything you would then have to still wait for the NHS appt anyway as you could not possibly afford to have anything treated privately - not being cruel just trying to be logical for you.

Of course you think that it will not be clear - you would not be on this forum if you did not have health anxiety and that makes us all think that every single symptom is terminal:blush:

With me it is the actual waiting that is the problem - not only with health anxiety things but also any other part of my life that there is a problem like an error on a credit card statement say and you cannot get through to the call centre - drives me insane as I want it perfect NOW!

[kah]

Ask yourself why you can't wait a few weeks - is it because you think that if you did have something then you would get treated faster - if thats the case going privately won't speed it up much as if they did find anything you would then have to still wait for the NHS appt anyway as you could not possibly afford to have anything treated privately - not being cruel just trying to be logical for you.

Of course you think that it will not be clear - you would not be on this forum if you did not have health anxiety and that makes us all think that every single symptom is terminal:blush:

With me it is the actual waiting that is the problem - not only with health anxiety things but also any other part of my life that there is a problem like an error on a credit card statement say and you cannot get through to the call centre - drives me insane as I want it perfect NOW!

Hi,
I know what you are saying is right but I just need to know what's wrong NOW! I've aleady been waiting for 5 weeks and the not knowing is just driving me insane. I'm thinking about it 24/7 so much so that I don't even hear my children asking me something because my mind is so pre-occupied. I'm not sure I'll get through the next 3 weeks without some kind of breakdown xx

[Clairalou]

Can i turn this around.... if it was serious and youve waited 5 week wouldnt you be seriously ill by now? to the point of being unable to think for pain an alsorts of other problems?! The fact is your typing on here and answering post kinda leads me to believe thats not the case!
When you get your appointment and they tell you its all clear, havent you just wasted 5 weeks of your life worrying about it?
The thing is we cant predict the future nor can we look into our bodies and forsee what medical conditions are going to arise so why worry about them? we cant do anything about it!
Youve had lots of tests that have come back clear!
Live life for today enjoy your family do all the things youve always wanted to do because no one knows whats round the next corner!
After suffering myself from health anxiety for so long believe me when that momnet comes and you realise how much time youve wasted on these syptoms and illnesses youll know you never want to be like that again! its taken me almost 7 years to get here! i just with i knew back then what i know now about health anxiety!

I know its hard ive been where you are... but i believe everyone can get over this! And i know you can to!

Love claire xxxxx

[kah]

Hi Claire,

The problem is that I do feel so much worse now than I did 5 wks ago. You might say it's because of the HA but I really don't think so. I am soooooo tired I could just fall asleep and it's the same all day/everyday. Even when I'm occupied and busy the extreme tiredness never goes away.

I agree about enjoying every moment and believe me I've tried to get past this but I just can't. How did you manage to turn things around? I'm having CBT but so far it's not helping, but then it's early days so I just need to stick with it. I can see what I'm doing and would give anything to not feel like this every day.

K xx

[Clairalou]

Hi K,
Sorry its taken me a while to reply i had 2 little ones and havent stopped since i picked them up :)
Im not sure if you were aware but extreme anxiety actually causes relentless and extreme tiredness! i think sometimes we get ourselves in such a state that we over tire our bodies and that why we also get alot of other symptoms especially muscle pains and spasms aswel!
I struggled for a long time and in the past i have phoned ambulances thinking i couldnt breathe, ive been to the doctors almost 5 times a week before! once we get it into our heads that something is wrong nothing changes that!
I started my road to recovery almost 18 months ago when i decided to come off anti depressants, after the enitial withdrawal symptoms i felt much better then then anxiety hit me again really bad so i went back to my gp and refered me for CBT for the first few sessions it didnt work for me. I decided tho that i was going to make it work i had to put in so much work but by christmas my anxiety was so much better! this past few weeks have been a real eye opener ive really realised what ive missing out on!
You know the trick with me was i had to learn what was normal anxiety and what was extreme i know im alowed to be anxious at times i wouldnt be human if i wasnt.

I know that you can over come your anxiety, keep going with the cbt it will get better and easier!

Im always popping on and off here if you want to pm me :)

Love claire xxxx