Self diagnosis - Do you think the worst?

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:25 am

Example - you find a lump in your breast, do you automatically think you have breast cancer? Do you panic, phone the doctor and demand to be seen right away?

Or

Do you think there are many possibilities for your lump, stay calm, accept an appointment later in the week and hardly think about it up until the appointment?

This of course is only one example so feel free to cover other area's / symptoms in your response.

mrsK · Post by **mrsK** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:48 am

buttercup;1178139 wrote: Example - you find a lump in your breast, do you automatically think you have breast cancer? Do you panic, phone the doctor and demand to be seen right away?

Or

Do you think there are many possibilities for your lump, stay calm, accept an appointment later in the week and hardly think about it up until the appointment?

This of course is only one example so feel free to cover other area's / symptoms in your response.

Having found that lump.

A mastectomy followed.

Chemo followed that.

Any lump I find on my body or on any of our family it is panic stations.

red alert,red alert,red alert

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:30 am

buttercup;1178139 wrote: Example - you find a lump in your breast, do you automatically think you have breast cancer? Do you panic, phone the doctor and demand to be seen right away?

Or

Do you think there are many possibilities for your lump, stay calm, accept an appointment later in the week and hardly think about it up until the appointment?

This of course is only one example so feel free to cover other area's / symptoms in your response.

I think the worst, demand to be seen ASAP, and hope for great relief by finding out it is nothing.

mikeinie · Post by **mikeinie** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:35 am

It depends, letâ€™s say it is something I have a fever or something, no I do not panic thinking it is meningitis or anything like that, but letâ€™s say that I get some symptoms likeâ€¦.. letâ€™s say Bellâ€™s Palsyâ€¦.. then I would get to a feckâ€™n doctor asapâ€¦. (sound familiar??) :-5

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:45 am

:yh_rotfl

Point taken :wah: I'm going tomorrow.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:23 am

Not that I've your difficulty, but yes, if I'm worried I get to the Quack and ask ASAP. I've done this a couple of times, nothing apparently serious so far! They *could*, of course, be wrong, which is a worry.

There are a number of conditions that you could have, the "no worry" ones outweigh the "Argh!" ones.

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:39 am

Hi Bill

I'm not worried at all about my present condition, maybe i should be but its not how i function and i see little point in getting myself worked up until i have reason to be worked up.

I cant be the only person who stays calm until they have a diagnosis? Surely its better for your mental health to stay positive until you know for sure?

As far as a lump goes of course i believe you should have it checked out but lumps can appear just because you are menstruating so i would tend to think about that first other than automatically jump to the conclusion i have cancer. Do you see what i mean? I'm not suggesting anyone does not get checked just that people in general seem to think the worst possible outcome first.

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:46 am

I did find a lump in my breast.......it was cancer and went through surgery to remove it, chemo and radiation.

any lump now I panic, its just normal.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:53 am

buttercup;1178224 wrote: I cant be the only person who stays calm until they have a diagnosis? Surely its better for your mental health to stay positive until you know for sure?

I'm not suggesting anyone does not get checked just that people in general seem to think the worst possible outcome first.

Stay calm, yes - but I think many people worrk a lot until the problem, if any, is known!

Think the worst? Human nature, possibly - see "Three Men in a Boat":

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome 0

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:53 am

Take all lumps serious and get to the Doctor ASAP. Don't play around with your life be smart get it checked out.

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:00 am

Odie i can understand why you would panic going through what you have and maybe using 'lump' as a scenario is not the best choice for me to have used.

It just seems to me that when anyone has any symptoms of anything we tend to assume the worst possible outcome and brush that off as 'its normal' to think the worst.

Why is it normal to think the worst, why is it abnormal to assume everythings going to be ok?

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:02 am

CARLA;1178238 wrote: Take all lumps serious and get to the Doctor ASAP. Don't play around with your life be smart get it checked out.

Sorry Carla i should clarify here that i dont have a lump and was using it as an example (probably a bad one on reflection) that people automatically think the worst before even having seen a doctor. Why does everyone always think the worst first?

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:07 am

Why do we always think the worst first probably because we don't have all the facts necessary to make a good decision. Or we choose to think the worst and then become so fearful we do nothing about it and that is dangerous.

I for one want to arm myself with as many facts, and as much knowledge as I possible can on any subject so I can be AWARE and INFORMED about it ignorance could kill you if medical attention isn't received in time.

[QUOTE]Sorry Carla i should clarify here that i dont have a lump and was using it as an example (probably a bad one on reflection) that people automatically think the worst before even having seen a doctor. Why does everyone always think the worst first?[/QUOTE]

G-man · Post by **G-man** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:41 am

I've discovered that I'm quite the medical oddball... :wah: When something isn't quite right, I do tend to believe the best, but it always seems to end up being the worst. :yh_rotfl Fortunately for me, I've been involved in two medical miracles so far... I believe that I'm about due for a third one soon, too. :-6

I seem to be a medical oddball, in that my symptoms tend to be the precise opposite of what others have for a particular disease. I also have a tendency to react to drugs in quite the opposite manner in which they are intended, too. Ie. drugs that tend to make folks drowsy tend to make me more energetic...

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:55 am

Self diagnosis....have always been right on the pregnancies...3 outta 4 and even had the due dates in mind....and was usually right on.:-4

G-man · Post by **G-man** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:32 pm

qsducks;1178406 wrote: Self diagnosis....have always been right on the pregnancies...3 outta 4 and even had the due dates in mind....and was usually right on.:-4

Oh com'on! How difficult is it to diagnose your own pregnancy? You know you had intercourse, you know that your body feels a bit different, you're craving dill pickles smothered in mayonnaise, chili sauce, chocolate, sardines and grape jelly, that you missed your period, etc., etc. and if you're not sure, you pee on the thingy and hCG levels are detected... Dr. Gregory House wouldn't even bother with such amateur issues... :wah::wah::wah:

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:32 pm

buttercup;1178139 wrote: Example - you find a lump in your breast, do you automatically think you have breast cancer? Do you panic, phone the doctor and demand to be seen right away?

Or

Do you think there are many possibilities for your lump, stay calm, accept an appointment later in the week and hardly think about it up until the appointment?

This of course is only one example so feel free to cover other area's / symptoms in your response.

I'm one of the dumb ones who tends to think the best and I'll not visit the doctors unless I have to.

One advantage of this is that, when I go to the doctor I have never had to wait for an appointment, I've always been seen that session.

The disadvantage? Well once I went in feeling dreadful only to be told that I was recovering from viral meningitis and another time I was rushed into hospital with pneumonia.

I am, however, still here :-6

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:58 pm

Well i fully expect to visit the doctor in the morning and be told i have bells palsy or something similar. I will be completely amazed if he sends me for a brain scan or thinks its anything worse. I dont think its dumb to think positive if it helps the person.

If i have a tumour it will be crap but thinking i have a tumour before my appointment is hardly likely to help me it will just stress me out when the chances are very high that i do not need to be stressed so i'm all for staying calm.

farmer giles · Post by **farmer giles** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:04 pm

i try not to diagnos myself

if you read anything about illnesses by the end of the page i'm convinced i had it ...i would not mind but i was reading a pregnancy book :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl