What 'illness' have you beaten? Let's be light-hearted

[ahrimoniac]

I did umm and arr about putting light-hearted as I thought it might set some of us heart-worriers away clutching at our chests - but sometimes you have to let your hair down (unless you have anxiety about alopecia - lucky I'm bald).

I'm just curious to hear what diseases you have all 'beaten' - and how you arrived at that diagnosis - and how you've accepted that you no longer have it.

For example, recently, I was convinced that I had HIV because I put myself into a tiny risk situation. That anxiety snowballed into an MS storm, and goodness me I was all but ready to build the ramps on the house.

For the HIV, I tested again and again. I'm fine. For the MS, I wept silently as I placed a godly chunk of money into the hands of a doctor who popped me into an MRI scanner and told me my mind was tickety-boo. The MS has disappeared.

How about you? I thought it might be handy to see what others have 'overcome' and maybe have a bit of support / laugh :)

[WyattsMomma]

I started being a HA when I couldn't catch my breath and kept having bad back and shoulder pain. I googled and diagnosed myself at 29 with Lung Cancer. I got a clear chest x ray so I was cured....for a minute.   
I also had a brain tumor that miraculously disappeared on the day of my MRI! LOL     Sadly, I am back to lung cancer. If I truly don't have it now, I am doomed to have it soon. How twisted is that thinking? :/

[JunoX]

Wow, I've had so many "illnesses" that I can't even list them all. I've had HA since childhood so in that time, I've died a million deaths. Now I'm just trying to live.

[packers1981]

I have "beaten"  skin cancer which has been my worst. Brain tumors, testicular cancer. Such a roller coaster.

[hypomom]

Seizure disorder (but i've never had a seizure, lol), heart issues, stroke, cancers of all kinds, ulcers, brain tumors, MS, ALS, and more. I avoid doctors but I cycle and once i realize I don't have one thing I start in with something else. Once i get control I can go months or years without having ha issues but once something very stressful (death, divorce, illness) happens I cycle again for a long time.

[Echo Hotel]

My HA started with an HIV fear when I was 19. I got tested every 6 months for three years before I believed I didn't have it. Then, in my 20s, it was a brain tumor that was pressing on my optic nerve, which I now know that the strange vision symptoms I had at the time were due to derealization. I took Cipro after 9/11 because I was a package handler and I wanted to be sure I didn't have anthrax. Stomach cancer in 2008 turned out to be gastritis. And that brings us up to date...now the cold-induced hives, twitches, pins and needles and hand pain have me fearing MS/ALS. And I really know I'm being ridiculous again.

I know this is a light-hearted thread, but looking back over this is sort of sad. Makes me realize how miserable I've made myself during the best years of my life 

[trainwreck]

Most of the middle region organ cancers.  127 heart attacks. (More than Fred Sandford)  But my toughest battle was with endocarditis, after getting my teeth cleaned. 

[Kitty86]

I have cold induced hives too! And twitches, pins & needles, and all that in my legs. Which also has me fearing MS/ALS. Good to know Im not alone echo hotel. Good luck with your battle with HA :)

[Mom21]

My HA started with pancreatic cancer-was cleared with a scan. Still have symptoms off an on.
Left shoulder pain was lung cancer. Really my shoulder was out of place.
Constant headaches/migraines was a brain tumor. After MRI all symptoms were gone.
Tingling hand and shooting pains near heart was a heart attack
I'm currently trying to talk myself out of bone cancer due to leg and knee pain.

[lawkcrabb]

Oh man...ovarian and breast cancer, HIV, brain tumor, melanoma,several heart attacks... I am sure I am missing something!

[oregoncoastlady]

I should be in the book of world records for all the diseases I have been cured of. I've had tetanus MANY times over the years. Lots of cancers and possible tumors. Heart disease. Ulcers. Bleeding brain. Some kind of undetermined disease that would stop my breathing. Detached retina. Blood clots. The good thing is that as i have gotten older I have gotton a little wiser. I don't go over the edge as often...but we all have bad days.

[Jade1]

My HA started when I was a teenager...My first 'illness' was flesh eating disease...then I was convinced I had hyperthricosis, then Vitiligo,
then HIV, then liver cancer, then ...I dont think I can remember them all. More recently, colon cancer, brain aneurysm, brain tumor, cjd,ms/als, tetanus, rabies, botulism..

My symptoms have been at their worst since last july, after I had to go through an emergency appendectomy..

I see other people here have cold induced hives..that's my case as well.

[Echo Hotel]

kitty86, wow! we sound so similar...when did your cold hives start?? I never meet anyone else that gets them! mine started may of last year and kicked off this round of HA for me in a big way. every day i wake up praying they are gone.

[Mir]

I remember my first illness was a brain aneurysm when I was probably 8. And from there I've 'had' just about every gynecological cancer, breast cancer, and brain aliment you can think of. Right now I'm stuck on the idea that my heart is going to go into a funny rhythm and stop on me, it's the worst so far but this too will pass.

[Dannywolf]

Lung cancer, brain cancer, high blood pressure, TB, Fungal sinituis and meningitis.

It's a miracle I'm alive

[Kitty86]

They started last year as well for me. At age 26. Very frightening and most definitely kick started another episode of HA. I can still go out in cold weather and it's getting a bit better. It's not as severe as others. But I've gotten hives everywhere from it. I went to an allergy & asthma place because of it, and she said sometimes it happens for whatever reason. She ran a bunch of tests on my thyroid and everything came back good. So I pray it's just a weird phenonmin that will go away soon. I have terrible allergies and my asthma hasn't been great, so who knows. But it most definitely got me thinking about HIV (as Google so nicely correlated for me). Now after quite sometime of high anxiety Im having muscle twitches and weakness, mainly in my legs, and face pain (teeth and eye) and Im hopelessly convinced its MS. :/ I hope you're having a better time coping than me.

[Angelofworry]

When I was 15 I beat throat cancer, 18 was HIV, now at 28-29 I have beat lymphoma, leukemia, ALS, MS, and I'm presently fighting a brain tumor. :-P

[Smalm]

Tss was the start of my anxiety, had a chill run down my back while in class, freeked, had a "headache", went to the bathroom when class ended took the tampon out, was shaking all night and worrying about fainting and dirreah. had the fear later whenever using the Loo. got out of that because I thought if we got TSS that easily, we'd all be dead or hospitalized  . Second one, Rabies, First fear of that I was typing and all was well and then the next day at my great grandma's house I got heat flashes on my hand and was thinking that those fingers were the ones I got bitten on years back so I started to panick when I got back home and I then looked "rabies" up on lots of sites, including the CDC, had this fear, Rabies LOTS (as in more than 6 times) and I would shake and be up in the middle of the night drinking water to see if it was the end for me. Fear salt/ water overdose, was a bad one in the summer time, drank water to replenish lost water due to sweat, ate elecrolytes including salt, that was anxiety. and never last (for anxiety has us fear lots of things) my house, in general my bedroom, and the debate I'm having over closing the door or keeping it open because with it closed if I getr a deadly sisease or sick and am throwing up I will yell, but no1 will hear me, and with it open I fear lil critters wil come in, bite me and it'll start all over again with my rabies fear. I now don't fear much and i hav a kick a$$ immune system so I am never sick, I'm just sick mentally (Hypochondria) but I'm getting better day by day and this hell is almost over! 

[LindaRK]

Oh my gosh ... in my anxiety career, I bet I've diagnosed myself with just about everything, including testicular cancer, even though I'm female. 

[Echo Hotel]

Kitty86;

I'm not coping so well unfortunately. Right now my MS fear is through the roof! I'm glad to hear your hives are getting better, though...that means there is hope that they eventually go away!! 

[MrMoleHill]

It all started with a lymph node. Google induced fear of Lymphoma is what originally brought me here about a year ago. Then, it cascaded into MS, ALS, Parkinson's, and Type I Diabetes. I got over these fears within a 3 month time span. However, in recent times, I've had an HA relapse due to food related trauma, in my mouth, which lead to the oral cancer fears.

 

[ahrimoniac]

Jeez. We are a poorly lot! Or a very lucky lot if you look at what we have beaten!I am obsessed that I have Parkinson's now as O can't stop shaking. Of course being anxious causes shakes but sssshh... 

[MrMoleHill]

I had a very twitchy finger once, and my ex-wife told me to "keep an eye on that", because she has a doctor friend who is a Parkinson's specialist.  Needless to say, her ignorant comment threw me off the hypo cliff.   

[TooTiredOfThis]

Only once I realized I might be kinda hypo have I remembered all those times I was fearful/convinced of having something. So far I've "beaten":

- HIV/Syphilis/Gonorrhea
- Prostate Cancer/Penile Cancer/Lymphoma/Skin cancer/Stomach cancer
- Sepsis
- Gallbladder
- And much more.

Last 3 months I am on roller coaster - 2 months with MS and past month I convinced myself of having ALS. And I still believe it. This is the most serious Hypo episode for me so let's wait and see how it pans out...

[Kitty86]

I had a very twitchy finger once, and my ex-wife told me to "keep an eye on that", because she has a doctor friend who is a Parkinson's specialist.  Needless to say, her ignorant comment threw me off the hypo cliff.   

God, I hate when people do that! I understand that some people don't really grasp the severity of our anxiety issues, but someone like an ex-wife should be aware of how awful a statement like that can be. "Keep an eye on that" and we're immediately searching google for stories about the being diagnosed with disease X and bawling in a corner crying. My fiance is very careful with his wording when I'm in a panic, and I'm grateful to have someone like that beside me. I truly appreciate having someone like that in my corner.

But don't worry, I called my GP yesterday to make an appointment to talk about my twitching, eye pain, etc. that has me fearing for the worst, and the earliest they could get me in was next Friday. And the medical receptionist on the phone was like "Oh what's bothering you?" me: "...explains the symptoms I've been having..." her: "Oh well if it keeps up & gets worse, you might want to go to the hospital"...

I nearly fucking vomitted myself right then and there. And I basically said I was having muscle twitches and some nerve pain in my feet, calves, knees, thighs (etc.). So yeah... even people in the medical field can't grasp that what they say to a patient might be something they cling to.