Anxiety while waiting for tests and a wild imagination

[allyboo2]

I've been having abdominal pain, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and constipation for nearly 3 weeks.  My doc ordered an ultrasound and sent me to a specialist who wants a CAT scan of my abdomen.  The ultrasound was normal but the CAT scan is worrying me.  I don't have it until next week and won't find out until 4-5 days later. 

I can't get past the worry.  Everytime I feel nauseated, every time I notice aching pain in my abdomen, I start to freak out.  I'd love to hear from others who a) have ideas on how to deal with the anxiety monster and b) might have been through these symptoms before.

Thanks!
Ally

[countrygirl]

If your ultrasound was normal then its very unlikey your CT scan will show anything horrible.  I think the Dr is covering himself.
I know just how bad it is waiting for tests - a year ago I was convinced I had cancer of womb as I had perimenopausal wonky bleeding and I mean really wonky!  I had to wait two weeks for the ultrasound and that was awful. I did feel very reassured after that was normal but then had to wait another month for a D&c and biopsy of womb lining and then it wook another 3 weeks for pathology results.
all you can do is thnk worrying won't change the outcome :angry:Yes I know its easier said than done but its true.  it won't matter if you worry or not up till the CT scan it won't change the results which i am sure will like the ultrasound be normal. let us know how you get on

[gridder]

I don't know how old you are, or your gender, but none of your symptoms sound like anything that can't be explained by anxiety itelf.  I have had poky feelings in my abdomen, mild nausea, and tons of other weird symptoms since before Xmas. I am sure the doc is covering him/herself. Do you have a history of these kinds of tests to reassure you that you are ok?

[tomorrowisanotherday]

I've been through your symptoms before and still am having them.  The first time I experienced those symptoms, I had a diseased gallbladder.  The second time I started experiencing these symptoms, I had major anxiety.  Go figure.  My stomach hurts really bad sometimes along with nausea which comes and goes.  All of the MD's say my tummy is just fine.  Hopefully they are right.

[Xalatimo]

How do you manage for the time being?  Just keep reminding yourself that you have anxiety and this is what's making you think the worst.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that you've thought you had other conditions before, yet have been dead wrong, correct?  Then you look back on it and laugh?  Well, I'd go ahead and just fast- forward to the good part because most likely nothing is wrong with you.  If there is, wait until you hear it from a doctor and then you can start the grieving process.  But as of now there's no need to jump to conclusions, especially if you have health anxiety.  You're always going to think something is wrong with you, so just wait until you hear it from someone who isn't biased.

[harv]

I started having abdominal symptoms in early November.  I went to my GP and had blood drawn.  My blood tests were fine but the symptoms continued.  Thanksgiving sucked because I really like to feast (I'm skinny - I need to eat) but I couldn't.  Had a follow up with GP in early December, and got a referral to a GE specialist.  The earliest they could get me in was next week, so I've been waiting a while. 

I also got really anxious about it and started therapy.  I should have done that years ago, but better late than never.  It has helped alot, and my abdominal symptoms have subsided considerably, but not completely.  I lost ten pounds early on and I'm starting to look like Iggy Pop or Smeagol depending on who you are more familiar with.  Actually I have started to gain a few pounds back, but I want the rest of them too.

Part of my therepy homework has been journaling my anxiety levels and abdominal symptoms to see how they track.  It turns out they follow really well, but not perfectly.  I suspect I have something like GERD or a hiatal hernia, both of which I can live with - figuratively and literally.

[crybaby]

It's easy to say don't worry but I went through the same thing as you and it lasted about 4 months.  In my mind, I had myself dead.  When I went to the doctor and told him my symptoms (stomach ache, diarrea, weight loss)  he ordered a cat scan.  I hated waiting for the results of that but it came back that I had a small kidney stone and I think by the time I got the results, I had already past it.  I'm sure that you are fine.  Try not to freak yourself out....sometimes our minds are our worst enemy.