Suddenly all worried again

[nole23]

Hey all,

Firstly, happy Christmas/Hanukah/New Year to everyone :)

I haven't been on here in a while because I have been feeling relatively good for the past few months. But for the past couple of days I have been convincing myself that something is wrong with me. I had really bad stomach pains yesterday and have been constantly belching for the past few days. Plus I have the weirdest pain in my right hip and its going all the way down my leg. To make everything worse, I got a rash behind my right knee which is SO itchy and both my legs have felt itchy all day.

I get really freaked out about lymphoma - i dont even know if my symptoms have anything to do with lymphoma (am not googling... or at least havent yet) but it is the main illness that freaks me out. Especially because I had enlarged lymph nodes on my neck and groin back in August that havent ever gone down. Now I am just convinced that I have it, or something equally as bad... I dont know why this came about all of a sudden... I was doing so well

I dont really wanna go to the doctor because I feel like my symptoms are a bit vague. I just want to believe that I am healthy and not have these horrible thoughts in the back of my mind all the time.

[marc]

Stress and the cold weather can bring on itchy skin. I would not worry about belching as my GI physician
told me that when you are anxious you tend to swallow more air, which causes belching. I had a former
client of mine many years ago who had Lymphoma and his symptoms were nothing like yours. If I was a betting
man, I would chalk your symptoms up to anxiety and a heightened awareness of your body which many of us
with HA have. Happy Holiday's to you also.

Marc

[Gem]

Hey i know how you feel, i can't offer much advice but every symptom i get i chalk up to lymphoma, like i was having a pain in my hip i thought it must be that, and then i had a sharp pain in my left side of my stomach and thought it was my spleen enlarging lol..sigh 

[middlenamehypochondria]

My best friend's fiancee has lymphoma and his symptoms were nothing like that.  He has been through chemo and is doing awesome!  They are planning a long life together.  It would be awful to have any disease but so many are
treatable.  Don't worry about things and have a great holiday! 

PS.  I think the holidays make people stress out more in general.  I know I always get worse around the holidays....I actually posted about it yesterday.  I will say that for about the last ten years I have always been frantic about something right around Christmas time and when I look back never once did what I worry about happen.  So try not to worry too much, I know it's easier said than done.

[nole23]

It's true, I think the holidays do make people more anxious.

I just don't know why my stomach hasn't got better yet. If it was a bug surely it would only last a day??

I think I need to put it aside and focus on preparing Christmas lunch for 30 people! *sigh*