Ok So I Have A Phobia...

[GOOFY4DONALD]

... about going to the doctor. Am I the only one? Every single year when I go I am absolutely panicked that he will tell me something is wrong (my paternal grandmother had breast cancer in her 40's but lived to be almost 90 with no cancer returning other than that everyone else in my family has always been pretty healthy and lived very long) My Dr is very nice and has been my Dr for over 10 years (along with his nurse and she and I always use the 'uncomfortable' part of the visit to talk and joke around). I just don't know if I am crazy or do others fear getting the bad news?

 

[Scurvy]

You are absolutely not the only one - I am the same way. I make myself go anyway, but when I do (whether it's for a checkup or because of specific symptoms) I am practically hyperventilating waiting to see if they will tell me something horrible. So far they haven't, but I still panic every time.

 

[crz4mm2]

Me too. Feel exactly the same way. I would go to the Dentist every day for the rest of my life, if I never had to see a doctor again
HATE it.

 

[DawnCt1]

My mother died of breast cancer. She had a cousin who also died of breast cancer. One of her sisters died of leukemia, the other had colon cancer and 30 years later developed ovarian cancer. I get anxious before I go for my mammogram. I see a radiologist who reads the film; always orders a retake on one side, sits with me after he read it so I know I am fine when I leave that office. That's the good part.

 

[Tracy Savage]

Honestly, I think every time the tv or radio goes on, open a magazine, it's this or that will kill you. It's a scary world. I get nervous just calling for the appointment!

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Thanks everyone..I am glad I am not alone. I just had my first mammogram 2 years ago. I received a letter 2 days later stating that I needed to schedule another one ASAP. I panicked. Also they couldn't get me in for a week and that was the worst week of my life. Turns out they just didn't get a good picture. I wish I had known that from the beginning. I hated that feeling..it has got to be one of the worst feelings in the world. Anyway I have to get my second mammogram next month and I am scared to death. I hate this feeling and I wouldn't wish it on anyone but I do take comfort knowing that I am not alone...or crazy.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Honestly, I think every time the tv or radio goes on, open a magazine, it's this or that will kill you. It's a scary world. I get nervous just calling for the appointment!

This is totally me. I usually can look at commercials for different conditions and not really think twice about them. As soon as I have an appointment those commercial and ads are all I seem to see.

 

[RunningGirl]

I am SO with you! DH keeps bugging me to go get a physical but I can't even pick up the phone to make the appointment. Totally irrational - I know that - but it's really bad for me. Luckily I'm a pretty healthy person!

DH is totally the opposite -always calling up the doctor for every little thing. I would practically have to have a limb come detached before heading to the er.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I am SO with you! DH keeps bugging me to go get a physical but I can't even pick up the phone to make the appointment. Totally irrational - I know that - but it's really bad for me. Luckily I'm a pretty healthy person!

DH is totally the opposite -always calling up the doctor for every little thing. I would practically have to have a limb come detached before heading to the er.

I wish I was more like my DH. He could have an ax sticking out of is head and calmly call a dr. I just keep having these thoughts in my head...kinda like a movie...healthy woman goes to dr...dr tells her she has cancer and within 10 minutes she is lying on the bed barely able to move. I am pretty healthy as well but no matter how many people in my family are healthy I am always reminded of my grandmother.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Me! It never fails...I've had many different doctors and every single one; I go for my annual checkup, feeling absolutely fine, no issues, and I tell them that. But then I get, "Oh, this doesn't feel right, I'm sending you for this test...let's add a few blood tests in there...I'm writing you a prescription..."

Seriously??? I feel like they're trying to find something wrong!

ETA: The tests have ALWAYS come out negative. Several times, I've gone the next day, and when the technician does a quick "feel" to see where she needs to focus, she says "I don't feel anything here..."

 

[Angelhalo]

... about going to the doctor. Am I the only one? Every single year when I go I am absolutely panicked that he will tell me something is wrong (my paternal grandmother had breast cancer in her 40's but lived to be almost 90 with no cancer returning other than that everyone else in my family has always been pretty healthy and lived very long) My Dr is very nice and has been my Dr for over 10 years (along with his nurse and she and I always use the 'uncomfortable' part of the visit to talk and joke around). I just don't know if I am crazy or do others fear getting the bad news?

Oooh Me! Me! I HATE going to the doctor for the exact same reason! I am deathly afraid that they will tell me that I have something horrible wrong with me. There are no diseases that run in the family, all have lived to ripe old ages yet at 30 years old, I am sure that I will be the first to have some horrible disease and die young. I have NO idea why I think this. I am just paranoid I guess.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Ok, I'm a major hypochondriac, here are some things that keep me sane and healthy:

1. Doctors don't cause illnesses, they find them and heal them.

2. If there is something wrong with you, the sooner you find out the better chance you have of surviving.

3. I look at going to the doc as a re-affirmation that I'm fine. Most of the time when I go, I'm fine!

4. This one's a biggie: If you go to the doc and they tell you to come back in a week, or you get a letter telling you to come back, it's not super-serious. Docs ALWAYS call you and have you come in immediately if there's a problem.

5. Another biggie-I go get an ice cream or a latte or a book or a mani-pedi after I go to the doc's-hey, if kids can get a lollypop to make it through a visit, I can treat myself, as well.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Ok, I'm a major hypochondriac, here are some things that keep me sane and healthy:

1. Doctors don't cause illnesses, they find them and heal them.

2. If there is something wrong with you, the sooner you find out the better chance you have of surviving.

3. I look at going to the doc as a re-affirmation that I'm fine. Most of the time when I go, I'm fine!

4. This one's a biggie: If you go to the doc and they tell you to come back in a week, or you get a letter telling you to come back, it's not super-serious. Docs ALWAYS call you and have you come in immediately if there's a problem.

5. Another biggie-I go get an ice cream or a latte or a book or a mani-pedi after I go to the doc's-hey, if kids can get a lollypop to make it through a visit, I can treat myself, as well.

Everything you have said is very logical...I wish my brain was more logical. I wish I would have known #4 the last time. The letter was so vague and there wasn't anyone to talk to about it. I really like #5. All 3 of my kiddos will be in school so I can go do something that I want to do. I need a treat sometimes too.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Thanks again everyone. I think my fear goes beyond just the horrible disease part. The last few years have been really, really bad. I had the worst past few years dealing with my abusive ex husband. The kind of stuff that makes lifetime movies interesting. The emotional and financial drain left my marriage (to my DH not the ex) in shambles. My DD having many problems with this. This just left my whole family one huge mess. Finally, about 9 months ago things started to look up. Got out of the horrid debt, DH and I are getting along better than ever and the kids are doing much better. My ex moved out of state and my DD does not live in fear of him any longer. The icing on the cake is that we are planning a wonderful family trip to WDW and staying at The Poly (our dream vacation). I just feel like things were so bad for so long and now things are better than ever I am just feel like any second now I will get hit by a bus.

 

[live4christp1]

Yes, so bad that I won't even go for annual exams. I know.....that's really bad and my best friend scolds me about it all the time. The last OB/GYN exam I went to was the 6 week follow up from DD who is now 6 yo.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Thanks again to everyone. I have my appointments tomorrow. First the mammogram and then the doctor. I am panick stricken about the mammogram. Not as much about the doctor visit after that. I did talk to the nurse and she did tell me that I can ask to have the film looked at before I go (my last mammogram experience was horrible and I still have nightmares). I guess that is good but I still haven't slept in 2 days. Wish me luck.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

You can do it. Just tell yourself you deserve a good experience to replace the bad ones.

I JUST had a good mammogram experience last week

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Hopefully they won't have a problem telling me before I leave. The unknown is the worst fear of all.

 

[Pakey]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Hopefully they won't have a problem telling me before I leave. The unknown is the worst fear of all.

No, having the words "You have advanced stage breast cancer" said out loud is much much worse than the fear of the unknown. I know this because this was me. I had skipped a few years of mammograms because I did not like them.

After a year of surgery, chemo, radiation, I now get to go for a mammo and chest x ray every 3 months (and the mammos you get after cancer are much worse than the diagnostic ones). In addition, I get to do other lovely tests that I would not have to do if I had just went and gotten the mammo, got it detected early enough to be Stage 1.

Tell yourself over and over again, the mammogram is your friend. You can do it. And tell every woman you know to do it too. I don't want to ever hear about another woman being as stupid as I was.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

No, having the words "You have advanced stage breast cancer" said out loud is much much worse than the fear of the unknown. I know this because this was me. I had skipped a few years of mammograms because I did not like them.

After a year of surgery, chemo, radiation, I now get to go for a mammo and chest x ray every 3 months (and the mammos you get after cancer are much worse than the diagnostic ones). In addition, I get to do other lovely tests that I would not have to do if I had just went and gotten the mammo, got it detected early enough to be Stage 1.

Tell yourself over and over again, the mammogram is your friend. You can do it. And tell every woman you know to do it too. I don't want to ever hear about another woman being as stupid as I was.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I am trying to get my sister in for a mammo as well but she won't go in because she heard that you are supposed to wait until 40. It doesn't matter what I say or what anyone that cares about her say she will only follow the advice of friends and coworkers. She has had numerous tumers (in various parts of her body) in throughout her life and I worry about her. Hopefully if I share your story with her she may listen.