Has anyone else experienced this?

[Worriers81 0]

Hello everyone. This is my first post so I wanted to give a brief background. I’ve always been a very health anxious person since I can remember. I’m a 38 year old male. About 3 weeks ago I was cleaning my garage and lifted a very heavy object over my head and placed it on the shelf. For the next couple of days I had expected muscle soreness. Last week though, I noticed that I had some tender nodes around my nipple and my left side rib cage felt very tender to the touch. The pain has gotten better, but now my anxiety has taken over because I felt the tender lymph nodes! I went to see a doctor and she assured me that these reactive nodes were due to possible muscle stain in my pectoral and down my ribs. Again, because of my anxiety, I’ve now been poking and prodding around that area and while the nodes do not feel swollen, they are there and tender when I poke them. I am all worked about about this and cannot stop thinking about it. It’s causing me all of the anxiety symptoms like upset stomach, lack of appetite and trouble sleeping. Anyone have any words of encouragement or similar experience? I had a bad bout with something similar related to lymph nodes years ago and for whatever reason, they really cause me extreme anxiety. Thank you! 

[MARC 259]

Welcome to the forum. A number of years ago, I had a swollen lymph node below my left ear, into my neck area. I felt it and I panicked, thought I may have Lymphoma and went to my physician and he examined me and thought it was nothing, but ordered an ultrasound of my neck, which was negative. My physician thought the swollen lymph node may have been caused by where I cut my self shaving and the lymph node swelling was a result of that incident. 

[Worriers81 0]

Thanks, Marc. The interesting thing is that my doctor looked and pulled and poked for about 30 minutes. She checked elsewhere on my body for any actual swollen nodes. Nothing... she told me that she didn’t see or feel anything out of the norm, but my mind has already started that dreadful decent. About 12 years ago I went through something very similar and I ended up having to see a therapist. I’m thinking that it might be time again. 

[MARC 259]

The "what ifs" can be tough to overcome, but you can do it. I have been told and read that acceptance is the key, but that too can be difficult. 

[MARC 259]

I have had actual health issues, which include a fractured vertebrae, basal cell carcinoma, esophageal ulcer, dizziness every day for 6 weeks caused by crystal shifts in my ear, ringing in the ears and an eye disease. No fun to say the least.