› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Anxiety through the roof!
- This topic has 18 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 6 months ago by
kalisama.
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- November 12, 2014 at 1:27 am
Hello my melanoma warrior friends! I just needed to post my feelings. I don't know if my anxiety levels are so high because of melanoma and work and just life in general, but recently when I feel my clnd scar ( umm… I try not to feel my armpit all the time in public- work in progress), I get paranoid and afraid. This might seem dumb but how do u tell the difference betweem scar tissue and swollen lumph nodes? I'm sure I just need to relax, but I feel like right now seems like constant fear. Thanks for your help and thoughts. I value what you all have to say! 🙂
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- November 12, 2014 at 1:48 am
One idea that I started back in May was first thing in the morning I would check myself. Is that lump different than it was yesterday, measure it. Whatever just so I know. Then try to forget about it the rest of the day. Sure it never totally gets out of your mind but just check well once a day so it doesn't drive you crazy and having to check several times a day.
Artie
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- November 12, 2014 at 1:48 am
One idea that I started back in May was first thing in the morning I would check myself. Is that lump different than it was yesterday, measure it. Whatever just so I know. Then try to forget about it the rest of the day. Sure it never totally gets out of your mind but just check well once a day so it doesn't drive you crazy and having to check several times a day.
Artie
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- November 12, 2014 at 1:48 am
One idea that I started back in May was first thing in the morning I would check myself. Is that lump different than it was yesterday, measure it. Whatever just so I know. Then try to forget about it the rest of the day. Sure it never totally gets out of your mind but just check well once a day so it doesn't drive you crazy and having to check several times a day.
Artie
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- November 12, 2014 at 1:35 pm
i also try to check daily, but just once daily. if only i could check my brain mets as easily as breast and back! try not to let this drive you crazy!! for me, i know until my next imaging next week, it doesn't matter what i feel under my fingers.
hang in there and stay strong, you're not alone.
bless,
kali -
- November 12, 2014 at 1:35 pm
i also try to check daily, but just once daily. if only i could check my brain mets as easily as breast and back! try not to let this drive you crazy!! for me, i know until my next imaging next week, it doesn't matter what i feel under my fingers.
hang in there and stay strong, you're not alone.
bless,
kali -
- November 12, 2014 at 1:35 pm
i also try to check daily, but just once daily. if only i could check my brain mets as easily as breast and back! try not to let this drive you crazy!! for me, i know until my next imaging next week, it doesn't matter what i feel under my fingers.
hang in there and stay strong, you're not alone.
bless,
kali
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- November 12, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Hi Happy_girl,
I'm going through this same thing right now. I have a possibly swollen node / possibly water left-over from surgery in my left groin following the SLNB. Surgeon said to wait until visit with med onc on December 2 and now I'm dealing with anxiety. I try not to check it all day, which would be weird, because I'm a teacher. I'm going to try and check it in the morning and then let it be.
Anxiety is tough, but we will get through it.
Best,
Elaine
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- November 12, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Hi Happy_girl,
I'm going through this same thing right now. I have a possibly swollen node / possibly water left-over from surgery in my left groin following the SLNB. Surgeon said to wait until visit with med onc on December 2 and now I'm dealing with anxiety. I try not to check it all day, which would be weird, because I'm a teacher. I'm going to try and check it in the morning and then let it be.
Anxiety is tough, but we will get through it.
Best,
Elaine
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- November 12, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Hi Happy_girl,
I'm going through this same thing right now. I have a possibly swollen node / possibly water left-over from surgery in my left groin following the SLNB. Surgeon said to wait until visit with med onc on December 2 and now I'm dealing with anxiety. I try not to check it all day, which would be weird, because I'm a teacher. I'm going to try and check it in the morning and then let it be.
Anxiety is tough, but we will get through it.
Best,
Elaine
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- November 13, 2014 at 1:00 am
Thank you all for your thoughts and ideas. It is helpful to talk with others going through similar feelings. Elaine- I remember talking with you before! I am a 3rd grade teacher. My teaching partner laughs when she sees me feel my armpit and says I'm doing the funky chicken 🙂
I usually do "ok" with the anxiety, but right now is just a rough patch I guess. Just soooo many unknowns.
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- November 13, 2014 at 1:00 am
Thank you all for your thoughts and ideas. It is helpful to talk with others going through similar feelings. Elaine- I remember talking with you before! I am a 3rd grade teacher. My teaching partner laughs when she sees me feel my armpit and says I'm doing the funky chicken 🙂
I usually do "ok" with the anxiety, but right now is just a rough patch I guess. Just soooo many unknowns.
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- November 13, 2014 at 1:00 am
Thank you all for your thoughts and ideas. It is helpful to talk with others going through similar feelings. Elaine- I remember talking with you before! I am a 3rd grade teacher. My teaching partner laughs when she sees me feel my armpit and says I'm doing the funky chicken 🙂
I usually do "ok" with the anxiety, but right now is just a rough patch I guess. Just soooo many unknowns.
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- November 13, 2014 at 1:17 am
The anxiety can be awful, and for me it comes and goes, and the busier I am, the better I do. I have actually finally made myself go for a week at a time WITHOUT feeling for lymph nodes or checking my scar area for local recurrence. I was checking all the time and making myself crazy. With all of the scar tissue and other changes from my surgeries, I'm not even sure what I'm seeing or feeling there.
As far as lymph nodes, I had complicated SNLs on both groin areas, with swollen lymph nodes. I still feel a pea-sized lymph node on the left. I noticed it the first time a few months ago. To me, they always feel like llittle movable jelly beans but much softer. The tiny one feels hard. I don't know what the scar tissue is like under your arm or how it resembles lymph nodes, though. Is it lumpy? I guess the best I can say is that for me lymph nodes usually feel like well defined, somewhat round, possibly bean-shaped objects beneath the skin.
Take care!
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- November 13, 2014 at 1:17 am
The anxiety can be awful, and for me it comes and goes, and the busier I am, the better I do. I have actually finally made myself go for a week at a time WITHOUT feeling for lymph nodes or checking my scar area for local recurrence. I was checking all the time and making myself crazy. With all of the scar tissue and other changes from my surgeries, I'm not even sure what I'm seeing or feeling there.
As far as lymph nodes, I had complicated SNLs on both groin areas, with swollen lymph nodes. I still feel a pea-sized lymph node on the left. I noticed it the first time a few months ago. To me, they always feel like llittle movable jelly beans but much softer. The tiny one feels hard. I don't know what the scar tissue is like under your arm or how it resembles lymph nodes, though. Is it lumpy? I guess the best I can say is that for me lymph nodes usually feel like well defined, somewhat round, possibly bean-shaped objects beneath the skin.
Take care!
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- November 13, 2014 at 1:17 am
The anxiety can be awful, and for me it comes and goes, and the busier I am, the better I do. I have actually finally made myself go for a week at a time WITHOUT feeling for lymph nodes or checking my scar area for local recurrence. I was checking all the time and making myself crazy. With all of the scar tissue and other changes from my surgeries, I'm not even sure what I'm seeing or feeling there.
As far as lymph nodes, I had complicated SNLs on both groin areas, with swollen lymph nodes. I still feel a pea-sized lymph node on the left. I noticed it the first time a few months ago. To me, they always feel like llittle movable jelly beans but much softer. The tiny one feels hard. I don't know what the scar tissue is like under your arm or how it resembles lymph nodes, though. Is it lumpy? I guess the best I can say is that for me lymph nodes usually feel like well defined, somewhat round, possibly bean-shaped objects beneath the skin.
Take care!
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- November 13, 2014 at 12:58 pm
makes me wonder if anyone is medicating for anxiety? i keep an active xanax prescrption around from my pain management specialist. even if i don't take it, just knowing i have it if i need it, seems to keep my anxiety levels in check.
a panic/anxiety attack is an awful experience. i'm grateful to have this medicine in my tool kit.
bless,
kali -
- November 13, 2014 at 12:58 pm
makes me wonder if anyone is medicating for anxiety? i keep an active xanax prescrption around from my pain management specialist. even if i don't take it, just knowing i have it if i need it, seems to keep my anxiety levels in check.
a panic/anxiety attack is an awful experience. i'm grateful to have this medicine in my tool kit.
bless,
kali -
- November 13, 2014 at 12:58 pm
makes me wonder if anyone is medicating for anxiety? i keep an active xanax prescrption around from my pain management specialist. even if i don't take it, just knowing i have it if i need it, seems to keep my anxiety levels in check.
a panic/anxiety attack is an awful experience. i'm grateful to have this medicine in my tool kit.
bless,
kali
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