Anxiety

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  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member

    Now that You Mentioned This

    A narrow band of my hair at the back of my head (collar line) fell out 5 weeks out of treatment.  Not during treatment-5 weeks post treatment.  What do I have?  My research indicates that I have developed

    Degenerative mucinotic mural folliculitis

     

    This disease normally only strikes cats.  I must be the first human victim, probably from some genetic mutation caused by the radiation.  I am going to make an appointment with my vet.

    ron, this made me laugh out

    ron, this made me laugh out loud, thanks!

    dj

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member

    Now that You Mentioned This

    A narrow band of my hair at the back of my head (collar line) fell out 5 weeks out of treatment.  Not during treatment-5 weeks post treatment.  What do I have?  My research indicates that I have developed

    Degenerative mucinotic mural folliculitis

     

    This disease normally only strikes cats.  I must be the first human victim, probably from some genetic mutation caused by the radiation.  I am going to make an appointment with my vet.

    HairBall

    Oh..., LOL...

    Sorry you have a reverse mohawk, kinda like an inverted mullet I guess you could say.. :)

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    donfoo said:

    Good topic T

    what can we do to help ourselves?

    Other than just treating the symptom with a vial of pills, helping oneself get to the root of anxiety disorder is not a trivial matter. For us here, we need to look back over our lives and examine times when we have experienced various levels of anxiety and when and how it was put away or contained to some managed level. I suspect most of us here manage anxiety of the daily variety well and really only during major events do we experience anxiety to a degree where it effects our daily thinking. I suspect the anxiety subsides once the crises is past.

    With cancer, I think of it differently as a cancer diagnosis puts us into a "chronic" lifetime state of having it return or setting off long term nasty side effects. Bundled with the diagnosis was a complimentary boogie man doll we hang in our closets, just there as a constant reminder.

    The anxiety is never banashed completely as we all know that cancers are far greater for those who have previously been diagnosed and treated. Each of us must recognize this -  it is unique and different than the reasons for anxiety we have encountered in our past. Maybe the ways we managed anxiety before will not work in this case, maybe they will, maybe it'll require new tools to cope.

    Each person needs to be aware we are dealing with anxiety due cancer, among other things, and need to manage it just like any other medical condition although there are likely different therapies offered by different practitioners.

    more importantly, help others?

    As you have pointed out, is can be very difficult for people to listen to what is being suggested. Equating it to "hard heads" that just don't want to listen or take advice is similar to the behaviour of the folks we come across from here occassionally.

    Recently, I have seen the range of responses from members to some of these poor souls. First, there are earnest suggestions and offers of understanding to what appear valid concern over potential cancer. Soon enough though, it becomes apparent there is a history of constant lack of recognition to what is being told to them by medical professionals and those on the forums.

    Once it becomes clear the person is really not accepting any of the information, what happens next. Responses on the forum vary from no response as pointed out by Matt to continual engagement with the poster with more responses and even questions to bait yet another response and continuation of the dialog.  No matter where on the range each of us falls, there comes a point when one must concede this person is a "hard head" then resign and disengage as there is zero hope of getting through in a rational and meaningful manner.

    Helping

    Helping ourselves can be difficult. Unless we can rationally recognize we are spiraling out of control, it's difficult to recognize. I know when I was having a severe reaction to the steroids, I had no idea what was going on. I wasn't myself and it was Marcia who really noticed something was wrong. When I finally described my symptoms to my chemo nurse, it was then they brought in the psych team and figured out what was going on. When you're delusional, it's hard to understand what's happening to yourself. So, hopefully those around us can see it and help. I knew something wasn't right after I had my heart attack and surgery but I couldn't really place it. When I spoke to my doctor, he asked a series of questions that help to diagnose depression which fortunately was pretty mild.

    Helping others? If they're close to us then it goes back to the previous comment about recognizing the symptoms and acting as an advocate to help the person. In this forum and others the reality is quite different. We can say what we feel but ultimately and inevitably, when nothing seems to be getting through, it comes down to divorcing ourselves from the situation or just offering a word or two of encouragement and moving on. A person caught in the downward spiral of health anxiety hears and sees only what they want to and nothing can dissude them from that. 

    "T"

     

     

     

     

     

  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    Wow !

    Sometimes these topics come out of left field.  But it is a good one !  Any.....dx that is life altering does alter our sychie....don't care how strong you think you might or might not be.   Wrapping our minds (souls) around thoughts that are a real possibility is a definate brain teaser !  I have met wonderful, caring, enlightening individuals on this site.  Some of whom we lost to this fricking disease.  But every single one I connected with went out with the spirit of fight....determination....but mainly dignity at the end of their journeys.  Yup....we all have our boogie men in the closet.....I say put on the boxing gloves and punch it in the nose a few times ! 

    Listen with your hearts...be gentle....be understanding.....and be honest.  That's why we are all here !  PM'S are a good way of expressing ideas to each other if we feel there is a concern on mental health issues.  Anxiety....depression.....pstd are real disorders....and nothing to fear, there is help out there.  Just reach your hand out, there is a hand up here always !   Hugs sent !  Katie 

  • Hard12Find
    Hard12Find Member Posts: 217 Member
    T

    I know you read my post about PTSD, and I think this falls into the same category, I am amazed at how my mind has suffered from the first mention of C. So even with one clean scan under my belt I can't seem to let it go, I always considered myself mentally strong, but cancer just pushed me over the edge, I get results of my 2nd scan tomorrow, and amazingly enough not stressing to bad with scanxiety...

    Jim

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member

    T

    I know you read my post about PTSD, and I think this falls into the same category, I am amazed at how my mind has suffered from the first mention of C. So even with one clean scan under my belt I can't seem to let it go, I always considered myself mentally strong, but cancer just pushed me over the edge, I get results of my 2nd scan tomorrow, and amazingly enough not stressing to bad with scanxiety...

    Jim

    I sure did!

    Hi Jim,

    I did and responded as well. The psyche is a very unique aspect of the human condition. We also see it in the animal world as well. A dog or cat that was abused having trust issues or a wild animal's reaction to certain stimuli from a bad experience. 

    You're right. PTSD is a form of anxiety. Like I mentioned, I experienced it after my first heart attack and surgery. It all happened so fast too. I took ill on a Sunday and was under the knife by Friday. I'm home four days later with a 6+" scar on my chest. It all kind of hit me hard that first month. Like you, I was strong. fit and active. All of a sudden I was like an invalid. I was definitely shell shocked and suffering from some depression. Fortunately, like I said, I recognized something was wrong and sought help.

    Then the 2nd heart attack last October, a month prior to being diagnosed. Facing my mortality so up close and personal three times in the last 6 years has given me a perspective and inner peace I hadn't possessed before. When cancer hit, I was more perturbed than anything else. What a PITA! It was like hadn't I had enough dealing with everything else? And now? Cancer is just one more thing to deal with along with cardio vascular disease. If it's not one thing it's another. I've resolved myself to the fact that something is gonna get me eventually. I can't keep dodging bullets forever you know? Hopefuly it will be later rather than sooner! ;)

    I'm sure that has a lot to do with my attitude and how I'm dealing with everything. Not too much gets to me anymore. I shrug my shoulders and say "Oh well"... what do I have to do to get through this mess? So I live each day the best I can and don't worry about it. 

    Perhaps you are beginning to gain a similar peace and attitude. The fact that you're not stressing too much is an indication of that. This is a good thing! 

    All that being said... good luck tomorrow! Positive thoughts and prayers coming your way for a great result.

    "T"

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    fishmanpa said:

    What the Mind Can Do...

    I was reading about some of the things the mind can do when a person suffers from health anxiety. If it wasn't so sad, it would actually be comical.

    Some examples of what the person thought was wrong and what was really going on....

    I'm going blind! --- Dry eyes

    West Nile Virus --- Stomach bug

    Brain Cancer --- sinus congestion

    Colon cancer because of red stools --- ate too many pistacios (that one made me ~lol~)

    Woke up with my arm numb. Thought it was a heart attack --- arm fell asleep while sleeping

    Thought I had a rare tropical disease because of bright yellow urine --- vitamin B tablets

    When they say attitude is such a vital part of the cancer fight, they're spot on. Unfortunately, it can have the opposite effect on us.

    "T"

     

    Ok... I had to add these two because... well just because.

    " I often experience pressure in my head whenever I hold a deep breath for a few seconds. Does anyone else experience these sensations in the same situation?" ---  Could it be because possibly you are holding your breath? Can't really tell if this was serious or a joke.

    One more...

    "Yesterday I had a headache most of the day which is fine, but when me and my partner were home watching TV, I got a really strong smell of burning! My partner couldn't smell it at all but I could! Now I'm thinking brain tumor... Obviously! Anyone else had this?" --- IDK...Possibly you left the popcorn in the microwave too long? Again, I can't tell if this was serious or a joke...it's so out there!

    I do know this. I'll take a little bit of scanxiety over all the things I've read thus far! At least there's a legitimate reason for being anxious. 

    "T"