Ironman

Stress can trigger anxiety. The anxiety pattern is a distraction. We actually thrive is these situations because we are used to the anxious condition.

You're overloading yourself and then freaking out about things that you can't balance on that overloaded plate. At that point, you have to stop and assess what you can handle and let the rest go.

Meh - distractions happen. Stress happens. It's all good.

I have my blood drawn practically every six months now. It would also be good advice for me to tell you to FAST at least 12 hours before the test - coffee, and water is okay. I got yelled at during one test for having elevated blood sugar (108) for my first test - - I had eaten two pieces of Twizzler licorice candy. They were ready to call me diabetic. The next test, I was at 80. It happened again late last year unbeknownst to me. My cholesterol was creeping up with the weight....I had eaten cheese in my salad. Yes - it can cause a spike. Those numbers went back down this time. To the both of you - just a reminder that this process will not get any easier! They are pushing for colonoscopies at 45, instead of 50 now. I kept delaying until I gave in and did the Cologuard test that checks for DNA in the poo. I just turned 49 and have no history of that kind of cancer, but you gotta check anyway. I actually delayed taking the test once I got it shipped to me, and I kept getting texts. I sent the test in (via UPS overnight, imagine that), and got the negative result about ten days later.

Well, there isn't anything you need to worry about right away....other than making sure to breathe as your blood is drawn. After that, it's a different story. You need to assume that there is NO PROBLEM, unless they contact you directly.

I had issues with swallowing - it was definitely stress-related. Eventually, you'll relax, but it's an annoying process to get there.

A lot of the symptoms you are having are related to the anxiety itself. You've had a lot of testing done from what I have read. It would have shown up in one of those tests. The irritable bowel is from the stress. Everybody's anxiety is different, so the symptoms will be different, too.

I think it's just worry. When people are stressed, libido will go down.

The site was offline for most of August. It just came back up when I made my last post. I don't think notifications would have been sent.

It's back again! 😎

If it is doctor-prescribed, follow the advice. I have had a recent bout of that feeling in the throat like you had. It did subside. I think I only took a Pepto Bismol once in the time I had it. It was anxiety related. I have had an extremely stressful time in the last ten months or so.

It's probably just anxiety fueling it.

It's not necessarily a failure. You opened up You were willing to take advice, even through the stubbornness of anxiety. You are willint to take a look back. Overcoming anxiety is a process. Each one of these situations is a chance to analyze and learn. How we think - how we react. The goal is to not react as severely to the next situation. 🙂

To add to what BeautifulDisaster said here, take a look back at the process and what you were going through, the thoughts and issues you had. What did you do that was healthy versus unhealthy. If something like this comes up again, how would you handle it? The first lesson about anxiety I learned was "How I think determines how I feel" - well, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

God Bless you for allowing yourself to open your mind enough to step out of the anxiety situation. Part of the deal with anxiety is that we aren't stepping out enough to see the entire picture - we tend to only focus on the worst case scenario - the catastrophizing. It could even be that deal where your skin gets pinched real bad and it leaves a mark that looks creepy, but it's that blood rising up to the skin business and it just takes time to go back into the body.

Yep - don't google. You'll scare yourself!

It's hard to do. The doctors will know what to do one they have their info. It's early in any case so it would be faster to treat.

Lymphoma of the skin can look like other skin issues. Skin lymphoma is something that grows and spreads, but is rare. If the mammogram pinched, it could cause a mark that looks like it, too. It's apparently early enough that they are just trying to figure out what it is. Treatment goes like that. The thing to do is avoid doing something my father always told me I did......he would always say "you are putting two two and two together....and getting EIGHT!"

Was the bruise caused by the mammogram itself? That's really bad!

Anxiety can do all kinds of things. I think I had a bit of what you had recently myself. I am under a LOT of stress at work and despite having improved with my anxiety issues, it can still cause issues. It's not a tumor; it is the mind trying to adjust to the body - we think faster than we talk.

the site is up - awesome work. If you see spam, report it!

I would let the antibiotics work. See if the lymph node shrinks more.

Aripiprazole is Abilify. I don't think I was on Abilify. I was on Ambien for a while and Geodon for a while. I would think the Abiify would be taken at night, especially if you are having trouble sleeping. At the time I was taking Geodon/Ambien, I had trouble sleeping due to worry.

Then, it is triggered by a stressor. That is something you need to monitor.

Are the symptoms increasing with stress?