My perfect anxiety case study story, ms anxiety

[Drewdude]

Hello people.

Its been ages since ive been on here...i guess thats a good sign.  i wanted to show you how i;ve been managing and how i've suceeded in dealing with a lot of my issues.  I still have challenges but heres my story...

Back in november last year after travelling i developed a buzz in my foot.  I immediatly started googling and for some reason thought that ms kept springing up.  I then started googling 'buzzing in foot ms'....well that was my fatal mistake.  i was convinced i had it.  The next morning i woke up with my arm numb...this had happened before and it wnet off later.  I was in australia at this time so didnt know many people and had been living in hostels and been hard travelling through south america before that.  i think the stress was getting to me.  I kept telling myself that it wouldnt be ms but kept googling so much and seeing that the symptoms were apparently so vague that i couldnt rule it out.  I went to 4 gps.  I was initially told that "I dont think it is anything serious"...this helped for about 5 mins...i went back....again they didnt think there was anything wrong but "its hard to say".....By this time i suspected anxiety as the main problem.  I went back again....the doc sent me for blood tests and a ct scan.  All normal....i also developed buzzing everywhere, in my fingers, my toes, my feet.  I also got tingles all over my body like cold pin pricks....then i found this site....it really helped me turn a major corner.  I googled "Buzzing anxiety" and that really helped more.  I began the road to recovery.  I had a history of worrying about health and this seemed to be the same thing.  But i still had the dreaded ms in the back of my mind.  At the end of my time in australia i had a few more friends which helped enormously. My girlfriend was also a rock.  But i still occasionally had symptoms.  My next revelation was when i discovered that my symptoms changed or disapeared when i had fun.  Spending time with friends really took my mind off it and helped me relax.  When i thought i was finally over this i went to the opticians...she told me that i had a pale optic nerve.....i freaked out....totally freaked out....after all my googling i knew this was a sign of ms.  I went straight to the docs and insisted on seeing a neuro.  I arranged an appointment but i was due to leave oz before that date.  I was in a state but i coped....i dont know how but i coped.  Then i spoke to the optician again, i asked her straight..."is it optic neuritis?"  she seemed confused and said.."no, its just slightly pale, probably perfectly normal, i just want to do a glaucoma test to rule that out.  So i aksed her directly and she said it wasnt anything.  To be honest i think she was after the medicare insurance money for doing extra tests....so i became a bit happier.  The symptoms of buzzing tended to disapear, i also had buzzzing in my ear that was worse when i stressed. But i left oz and went to bali.  The heat there was tremendous but it didnt make my symtoms worsse.  For the next 2 months i travelled round, i had a bit of a holiday, i still sometimes had buzzing, i sometimes felt that i was swaying when trying to stand still (i think this is normal too) i noticed 'snowy vision' (i had always had this and floaters) then in thailand the buzzing tended to go.  I began to feel healthier.  I went for a thai massage thinking that this may help and finally get rid of the buzzing....and you knwo what....it did...it went....for a botu a week...i then went for another massage....and i convinced myself that for some reason the buzz in my feet would come back...and you know what....it did......
i still had it hanging over me that when i got home i would have to face up to my gp and go to my own opticians.  On my return i did just this....the optician said i had a slighlty pale nerve buit it was within normal limits, the gp said i had fallen arches on my foot....I think this may well have been the initial cause of all my buzzing. 
I am still obsessing slightly about certain things, for instance i now have tinnitus more in my ears after having them syringed and after having a sinus infection.  That is the main thing that is worrying me now.  BUT for all of you who have read this far....

I AM HEALTHY!  i know that what i had was caused by anxiety.  it makes perfect sense.  When i got home i became happy, (when the sun shone that was) and my buzzing has gone and has been gone (all bar a few tiny little twinges that last a few seconds occaisionally) and i havent had any buzzing for almost 4 weeks!!!! 

I see this as an achievement.  I beleive that stress and an injury to my foot caused my initial symptoms.  the rest has been blown out of proportion by me!

I still have a lack of energy every now and then but i;ve always felt like this after working full time...and now i am trying to face the future.,,positivley! 

this has been a tool i guess for me to get this off my chest...but i hope for those who bother to read it that it may help a bit.  Sorry for going on so long.....

but my top tips......try to relax, (if you have an ipod download andrew johnson and howard nappers applications on d stressing and success...these really helped...) Also friends and family have been a great support...esp my gf....i owe her so much....

i also think that we know whether something is real or just anxiety and i hope you all get well again soon...it can be done....
all the best people.....

[sixpack]

A great story Drew.  I definitely think this belongs in the Personal Success Stories   

[bsams]

A great story Drew.  I definitely think this belongs in the Personal Success Stories   

  I love your success story!!!! I wish this for everyone who suffers