so scared of c a n c e r :(

[emlou83]

i have suffered realy bad health anxiety most of my life, more so since my 3 children were born.
I cant seem to see past the C word
for the past 4 days i have been getting pain in left armpit and side of breast, but there are no lumps.
i cant get doe appointment untill 11th feb
i have done the wirst thing ever (as per usual) and googled and found out it may be breast cancer or lymphoma
im sick and tired of feeling this way

[Cornycabernet]

It's probably not cancer - you could have pulled a muscle or something.
Sorry that you're feeling so anxious about it all - must be hard.
Have you had any help to deal with your anxiety?

[emlou83]

i am on waiting list for cbt
it was only Wednesday that i was seeing neurologist for head pains wich iv been having since July last year, i was convinced it was a brain tumour it turns out to be migraines.
Really, the list to my health anxieties in endless

[Cornycabernet]

Hopefully the CBT will be helpful.Maybe you could ask your GP if you can get moved up the list?

[emlou83]

i am alreasy at the top if the list so hopefully im next

[Cornycabernet]

That's good
Maybe try to focus on that and how it'll help

[nomadwantshome]

I've had that exact pain in area described. I had it for months on end. I think it was to do with the boning in my bra. Anyway thought I should get it checked out and it was nothing, just one of those things.

Don't prod it and see how you go. Good luck with cbt.

[emlou83]

thanks, so hard not to worry wirh 3 kids running around lol

[chartreuse]

I have a painful lump in my breast, it hurts for about a week before my period, then gets smaller again. I have had it investigated at the breast clinic, but it is nothing to worry about, just glandular tissue. I have had other lumps investigated too, I have 'lumpy breasts' apparently! Nothing serious then either.

Please try not to worry. A consultant told me that if the lump hurts then it's usually not serious.

[emlou83]

thing is, i have no lumps

[digerd]

Highly improbable that you have breast cancer as malignant breast tissue and armpit glands would be lumps. There is an early non lump stage of cells that could later turn malignant, but again they cause NO PAIN. It is probably strained muscles from lifting your DC or other activity.
A pysio can tell if the muscles in that area are strained.

[emlou83]

i have been crying for the past half hour, i cant get it out of my head :(

[BackforGood]

Highly unlikely to be Cancer. That doesn't generally hurt. Even if it were, then it's no longer the killer it was. There are thousands of us walking around very much alive, due to the advances in treatment. However, as I said, with pain, but no lump it is very, very,very,very unlikely to be Cancer.

[buildingmycorestrength]

I had a painful lump, and was fast tracked to a clinic. Nothing wrong, just a weird hormone thing. Was told to talk evening primrose oil and it helped loads.

Glad you are getting CBT. I had this and one of the techniques I was taught was to draw a line for likelihood marked 0% at one end and 100% at the other end, and to admit that I saw everything bad as being 100% likely to happen. Also draw another line for awfulness and admit that I saw everything as 100% awful.

Then I had to force myself to think about how likely the bad thing actually was, and how awful it would actually be. Really really useful to put it on paper, for me.

[emlou83]

i really appreciate all replies, and i know that some people do genuinelly have cancer and im so disgusted with myself for worrying about it
today the discomfort is in my left breast a the edge, my nipple also feels sore. I then have pain but not constant in my left armpit and also on my rib/back area where the edge of my breast meets the rib/back area.
Both breasts look the same, however my left one seems slightly bigger than other one, but has been like that for years.
My collarbone and neck are also hurting, again its not a constant pain, but more like shooting pains
hoping the cbht will really help me

[MaryAnnSingleton]

Am sure CBT will be helpful,it's wonderful (have had it for OCD) You might like to investigate Mindfulness,which I've also tried- it gets you to focus on the present moment,rtther than anticipating what's to come,or what has been. If need more reassurance about breast probs. then do nip over to the tamoxifen thread - your anxieties are perfectly valid,no one will judge you.x

[emlou83]

pain was so bad today , i got an emergency appointment at doctors. Left breast looked slightly bigger than the right and also my arm fekt it was burning inside as wella s my upper back.
anyhow my usual gp checked my breast and said she is not concerned in the slightest.... and that these things just happen if the pain persists she will prescribe me some painkillers
i dont know whether to believe her or not

[Elibean]

Obviously the cbt is a good idea, but in the meantime....I can relate to health anxiety, and also to experience of pains in breast/armpit etc. And I would bet:

Head pains, migraines, shooting pains, collarbone and neck? And three kids? No lumps? I haven't seen or met you, am not a doctor, but really does sound likely to be muscular-skeletal.

Of course, nothing will reassure you properly except a medical examination...but when the GP or breast surgeon says 'its nothing' and you feel fobbed off, try going to see a good osteopath or physio

[Elibean]

And yes, I would believe your GP. She has no reason to lie. But GPs are notoriously bad at spotting back related issues....though probably very good at spotting serious illness.

[schmoodles]

HA is a fucker. However you do NOT have cancer so it's not helpful for anyone to indulge you in this... your doctor should not be dismissive of you though, she should be focussing on how to get you help for what is really wrong with you - and that is your HA.

It can sometimes be useful to have a mantra that you repeat often to yourself..something like ' I do not have cancer but I do have Health Anxiety which is just as valid as a condition ' and focus on how you can start overcoming this.

you need some quite urgent intervention I think. The top specialist in the field could tell you you did not have cancer... you'd feel relief for a while and then you'd start panicking once more. If you REALLY think about it, the rational side of your brain tells you the truth doesn't it? You do not have cancer.

Try and get some CBT asap

[Dahlialover]

I had a painful patch which was really itchy (ironically after a mamogram) which got worse each month. I googled it and everthing came up with breast cancer. Then one site mentioned mastitis. I had mastitis a lot with DS1 and it did feel similar-ish, but nothing like the full blown flu-like version I had previously. I put on my old favourite gently supportive full cup bra (sadly unavailable these days) and it went away! :)

If it had not gone away like that, I would have seen the doctor, but google was not much help really, it does seem biased towards cancer!

[emlou83]

your right... ha is a pain in the arse :( i cant go on like this :(

[schmoodles]

No, you can't. HA is what you are ill with, nothing else. So, you poactively seek help for cancer? Turn this around and proactively seek help for what is REALLY wrong with you... Health Anxiety.

I understand a little about this. I went through a bad spell which came on after both my parents had cancer- one terminally. I didn't need counselling or anything but the thoughts were really no fun at all. I just kept telling myself over and over that I was unwell with HA and nothing else. I kept imagining pains and lumps and all sorts. 4 years later... I still appear to be here and intact :D ... you will be too... but tackle this NOW