Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Josephine, Atlanta — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:47:32 GMT

I work in the Human Resources department of a medium sized company. Among other duties, I am responsible for evaluating employee requests for leaves of absence due to illness and injury. Every time I get a leg cramp, it's a blood clot. Every time I'm thirsty, it's diabetes. Breasts are sore? Must be cancer. Got the runs? Crohn's disease. Cough won't go away? Mesothelioma. Suddenly can't remember my fax number? Oh, that one's easy- it's a stroke (unless, of course, it's early onset Alzheimer's). My job is making me crazy.

Ironically, though, my job has also saved a life. One of my co-workers, after giving me a hard time about my hypochondria, told me that her period was unusually heavy. I told her that it was probably uterine cancer, and that she should go to the doctor. It turned out that she had an ectopic pregnancy. So, score one for being paranoid.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

R, Virginia Beach, VA — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:54:26 GMT

I recall learning in Medical School about a specific somatoform disorder in which people were obsessed with the idea that they had some sort of parasite, and would bring in stool samples to be evaluated (which I have infact had patients do). But I also recall learning in Microbiology that a significant percentage of healthy Americans harbor some sort of intestinal parasite (but dear God, hypochondriacs please don't quote me on this one). I found this somewhat funny that we call someone "crazy" for thinking they have a parasite, when they quite possibly could have one. But I guess the difference is that in most people, the parasite causes no harm, and that in the "crazy" people, once you get rid of the parasite, they then think they have inoperable cancer or mad cow disease.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

No name — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:50:01 GMT

Thank you for this -- makes me feel a little less alone. I've suffered bouts of hypochondria off and on through my adulthood. It isn't a constant problem, but once an idea does get into my head that I might have something, I can get absolutely obsessive with it. Fears of heart problems, cancers, blindness (I'm only 37 by the way, in good health, and no history or major risk factors), you name it. But here's the real Catch 22 of the situation: Go to the doctor with nebulous symptoms and you'll be put through all sorts of scary and uncomfortable tests and then have to wait days or weeks in terror for the results (negative). Not to mention the side benefit of having doctors and nurses often treat you as if you are insane or a pain in the neck. Or, try to tough it out, skip the doc and tell yourself you're fine, only to spend weeks or months with nagging worry in the back of your mind (should I have seen the doctor, am I stupid, am I dying now?).

I honestly wish I knew what to do about this. I'm so tired of it. Other than this, I live a normal life.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

bth, Culver City, California — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:47:46 GMT

I go through this periodically...thankfully, not every day of my life. Without dismissing the necessity for checkups and tests, when a battery of such are appropriate, I tend to believe that when you're truly sick, you know it. It goes beyond a sneaking suspicion and one or two symptoms. Best indication of your longevity? Look at your family tree.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

cris c, Raleigh, NC — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:54:31 GMT

I had invasive cervical cancer (to 4 lymph nodes, scary!) but have survived for almost 5 years. My sister, a very hypochondriacal person, thought she better get a pap smear because it had been a few years since she had one. She had cancer in situ, so being a hypochondriac CAN be a lifesaver. Of course, now she "suffers" from chronic fatigue syndrome, fybromyaligia, pre-diabetes and a host of other ailments. Yikes!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

R Burns, Moscow ID — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:14:50 GMT

I've been accused of being a hypochondriac while in reality suffering from a rare and crushing autoimmune disorder. So rare most doctors won't see another patient with this in their careers-so taking the required medicine, which has side effects, puts me under fire from any new specialist I have to meet. Issues that erupted before effective medicine was administered can be caused to a lesser extent in healthy people by the same medicine. Talk about a mobius strip! There's something to think about. . .

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Cris from Arkansas — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:33:43 GMT

I think my reasonably 'healthy' fear of all things medical prevents me from being a hypochondriac. But oh my gosh - my mother-in-law is one in the worst way. She is hypochrondriac enough for two people. Really - she actually can claim someone elses illness.

If you walk in her house and great her with 'Good morning Ms. L., how are you today?' you will get a medical history. Her exact response will be 'Oh, I'm feeling fine...'cept for this headache I got when I went outside. I just looked right into the sun and got a sharp pain in my eye and my head's been hurting ever since." I'm thinking a pair of sunglasses would cure that problem but she was thinking brain scan!

If you cough to clear your throat, she will begin by telling you that you'd better take some syrup for that cough and conclude by telling how she's been suffering from a cough for the last 50 years.

Mention you just came from a doctor's appointment and she will not wait to find out what your ailment is/was - it will simply serve as a reminder that she needs to make a doctor's appointment because she chipped her big toe nail and how diabetics need to take care of their feet.

Rub your knee because you just bumped it on her coffee table and it reminds her of the arthiritis in her legs and that she could use a massage.

It's crazy!!! God love her!!!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Marie — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:11:53 GMT

I was always a bit of a hypochondriac but now I *really* am one. Every member of my family has had a serious illness misdiagnosed by doctors. For example, I took my daughter (in severe pain) to the ER and was told she had a stomach virus. Four days later she was back in the hospital having a gangrenous gallbladder removed. Six months later I took her to the same ER, obviously extremely ill, and was told it was a stomach virus again but this time I insisted on further testing. Turns out she had a severe infection that could have been fatal if it had gone on much longer. I said at the time that we'd laugh about it all some day. Well, not laughing yet! Every time someone in my family gets any kind of illness I immediately fear the worst *plus* I'm sure the diagnosis will be missed. Maybe it's not really hypochondrosis but rather a justified fear?

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Katy — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:18:04 GMT

I am a therapist, and while in school (undergraduate and graduate), I thought I had many of the disorders I had studied. Being an anxious person in general, it gave me even more anxiety! But being a therapist, I have learned that "normal" doesn't fall into two discrete categories of "normal" and "not normal". Normal is really a continuum, and we all fall somewhere and go back and forth along that continuum. If your hypochondria is really interfering with your life and is making you miserable, go see a counselor. We can help clients learn to challenge irrational thinking which causes anxiety and misery.

But I think our society and medical establishment fosters this sense of "oh my gosh, this tiny bump must mean I have ____" because early detection of many diseases is the answer to treating and curing them. So I do think a little hypochonria is good because it keeps on the alert for changes in our body and general health, but you live in constant fear you are dying of some disease, then go to a doctor AND a therapist!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

JRC, CA — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:33:07 GMT

OMG, that is so me. Years ago I had a bladder infection that resisted all treatment. Long after tests showed the infection gone, I still had symptoms of burning, urgency etc. I bought a medical book that lists symptoms and finally found the disease that fit all my symptoms. I had "prostate" problems. Only thing, I was a female in my 20's at the time. Oh well.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jean B, Hays, KS — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:38:21 GMT

There are some benefits to what I call a diagnostic lifestyle. After a time, one becomes aware of what are in fact ordinary and typical variations in peoples' health status. It allows you to be alert to the abnormal.

I once possibly saved a student of mine from disability and possibly death, by noticing his very gradual decent from average student to a literally drooling, slightly foot dragging, semi-troubled learner. Reported to gym teacher to verify, parents subsequently alerted, neurologist consulted and diagnosis of growing hydrocephalis delivered. Surgery and recovery followed. There is a purpose for every thing under heaven.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

B, Raleigh, NC — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:20 GMT

I could not have put it into words any better than the person who posted directly above me. Sometimes I wonder if I have some sort of anxiety disorder- or is that just the hypochondria as well? Ahhhhhhh it's maddening!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jennifer, Birmingham Alabama — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:01:18 GMT

I frequently lay awake for hours, worrying obsessively about spots on my arm that might be melanoma or might just be a mark from the Sharpie I was using to mark articles in the New England journal of Medicine that I felt were pertinent.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Rose, Boise, ID — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:03:41 GMT

I had the opposite problem. I knew that something was wrong with me because my body was acting in ways that it never had before. I was experiencing excruciating pain in my abdomin and high fevers as well as chills and shock like symptoms among many other things. Many of the doctors that I saw were convinced that it was simply nerves or that it was all in my head. I actually had a doctor tell me this. I knew it was not nerves as my body has never reacted this way to nerves and it just kept getting progressively worse. After five months of testing and seeing many different doctors someone finally realized that I was indeed sick and had been the entire time with a severe form of Crohn's Disease. I know that there are many people out there that do suffer from hypochondria and I admit that by the end of the process I almost thought that I was too, but I wish that doctors wouldn't simply dismiss any case they can't solve as being all in someone's head. It is really frustrating to be told that you are crazy and making everything up when you know each and every day while you are suffering that you are not.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jennifer Mack, San Francisco, Ca. — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:44:48 GMT

How can you tell if you are a hypochrondriac or not? Not the worse thing to be, because you may have some real problem which cannot be tracked down.I don't know what to do in that event.Maybe keep checking with your doc every so often.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

angela cleveland, oh — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:01:10 GMT

How can indivuals NOT be hypochondriacs now adays? Turn on the news - don't eat Tomatoes, eat tomatoes. Eat beans, don't eat beans.
For every report of something being good for you, there is a report saying how bad it is and the cancers it can cause.

I've given up and I eat mostly what I want. If something is going to make me sick - so be it. Pesicides, antioxidants, chemicals, vitamins - oh my.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Maria, Medford OR — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:02:24 GMT

This had me laughing out loud! I think I had nursing studentitis years ago!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Verklept, Breithausenberghof, Prussia — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:16:01 GMT

Oh woe is me! I maintain a morbid fear about fearing nothing...being vincibly invincible and simultaneously feeling invincibly vincible.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Nicole, Philadelphia, PA — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:24:32 GMT

Paranoia is definitely stressful. If it makes anyone feel better, it's not only medical students that are paranoid. I am the daughter of a surgeon (father) and a nurse-turned-corporate vice president. My parents were both extremely paranoid for several years after medical and nursing school. I am an attorney and we are paranoid about everything. It started in law school. If all people had to take courses like Torts (first year law course) and Products Liability (upper level course), they wouldn't even go outside due to fear of unexpected death! We're also paranoid about being sued (lol).

That being said, I turned 26 a couple of months ago. I have always been healthy but in the past year or so I have had rather strange medical symptoms. I was hospitalized in February for a hole in my lung that basically came out of nowhere and baffled even my well-known doctor. I think there is something really wrong with me but no one (even my parents) seems to agree except my fiance. It's really scary to feel like there is something wrong with you and not be sure if it's real or if you're just imagining things.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Sue West Chester Pa — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:53:29 GMT

Thought I was having a stroke and went to the ER.It was a visual migraine.Then I started to get stomach pain that moved from left side to right side,up and down.My Dr.hinted at too much stress and possible depression(told me most serotonin receptors are in the gut)Turned out to be Lyme.Had it again this year was taken seriously.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Ginger, St. Joseph, MI — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:52:13 GMT

Physicians do need to realize that it isn't always hypochondria. I'm a health information manager from a family of physicians, and like to think I'm reasonably well educated and logical (although there was a period of time where I was convinced I had Crohn's...lucky me, it was only irritable bowel syndrome :-) )

At the beginning of May I had knee surgery and 60 percent of my meniscus was removed - I pushed my physical therapy afterwards, and developed constantly "tight" muscles in my right leg. I would stretch to alleviate the problem and then walk through the pain...until I felt something "snap" in my calf, and couldn't walk well after. My orthopod couldn't get me in that week and recommended I see my GP, well my GP couldn't see me either, but her PA could. I went in, and said that I thought I'd possibly ruptured my achilles or torn the muscle. I was dismissed out of hand, and told that an injury like that was very rare. The PA sent me for an ultrasound to check for blood clots (none found). Finally got in to my orthopod, and guess what - I tore the fascia of the muscle just above where the achilles tendon feeds in. I seriously considered calling the PA to tell her I was RIGHT (and maybe see if she wants to eat the cost of the ultrasound)...but have refrained thus far.

Of course now, with a tear in the muscle, a blood clot actually is a possibility...

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Annie, Salt Lake City, Utah — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:57:33 GMT

My mom was a big-time hypochondriac, so we always teased her that on her tombstone we were going to put: "See, I Told You I Was Sick!"

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Matthew Johnson, Santa Cruz, CA — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:26:50 GMT

Oh, how I wish doctors were trained in how to deal with hypochondriacs! You would think that their own experience as med students would prepare them for this, but no.

And those horribly brief descriptions of symptoms in medical handbooks and leaflets are no help. What good does it do to list 7 signs of cancer, with no hint of what to think if you have three fo them, but only sort of?

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Adrianna Misdiagnosed, Schenectady, NY — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:10:43 GMT

I had a bonafideand well documented toxic exposure that wrecked havoc on my immune and central nervous system. I will never for give the first physician I saw who called a psychiatric resident to speak to me when I told him that I was being consumed by nausea, disorientation, intense burning in my nose and respiratory tract, and disequilibrium from the vile, bitter smell of car exhaust and something equally vile I smelled coming of the plastic materials in the ER room, that he personally didn't perceive were there.

My friends and family all thought I was genuinely crazy and delusional. After $500,000 in medical bills and 16 torturous years of living with a rare disease that no MDPhD I saw along the way could figure out how to diagnose, much less to treat, and after being mislabeld as someone with a severe somatiform disorder or hypochondria that I genuinely didn't have, I finally found a brilliant MD who figured out that I was genuinely suffering with severe, diffuse autonomic neuropathy, orthostatic/ post prandial hypotension(Chronic low blood pressure), painful neuropathy in my nasal passages and respiratory tract, and off the charts allergic reactivity to mold.

Once my MD was able to start treating me with the appropriate meds, now that my mysterious illness finally had a name, my health began to improve. Now instead of being labeled a hypochondriac,and and hysterical, I have morphed into a medical miracle story, and a text book case about misdiagnosis of a serious and life altering injury.

I wish I had met this MD 18 years ago when I first got injured. The course of my life and my recovery would have been dramatically different. I feel I owe my life to this humble and understanding MD, who took the time to actually listen to me, and figure out what was really wrong with me.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Mike in Tennessee — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:11:20 GMT

There was a quote "even paranoids have enemies" that may fit well for this blog. My friend was always "sick or not feeling well", had the worst luck with health, brown recluse spider bite, blown lumbar disc, etc... when they thought she had hepatitis from bad water it turned out to be pancreatic cancer and she only lived for 3 months. I guess the point is that even hypochondriacs can get sick. How does one tell if your really sick? My wife and I both got "something" about 3 years ago, flu like symptoms, fever, nausea, no appetite, muscle and joint aches, could barely get up non a good day. It was the first time in four years I had missed a day of work, and I missed almost two weeks. Every test the doctors could think of was done, information forwarded to one of the leading immuniologists on the wast coast, no answer other than "must be some virus". Thankfully we eventually recovered, but not because of medical care. So how does a person determine if they are sick, get an answer and get medical relief?? This may be where the first patients were who were diagnosed with CFS.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Rob, Auburn, AL — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:07:04 GMT

I imagine if I was a medical doctor, I might get tired of an obsessive patient repeatedly coming in with fears of an unfounded illness, but in all honesty, it's far worse on our side of things. For me, these bouts have almost always been associated with stressfull periods in my life. It's frustrating to be able to clearly see a pattern in your own behavior, but yet, when these thoughts pop up again, I'm powerless to stop them. I was on a SSRI for a while, but I convinced myself that it was causing me to develop pancreatic cancer....WTF. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Walter D.Owens Fountain Inn South Carolina — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:07:40 GMT

Is this hypochondria thing posebly a inhearted thing,My wife's mother'spent her last 30 years,dying'untill she'was finely rewarded'her desires,by refuesing dialises.My Wife'has something wrong with her,six out of every seven day's.I can only say,Go to the Dr'The result,I cant keep up with all the Dr's.I have to keep apt' Records.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Wegener's Girl — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:43:03 GMT

I thought I was a hypochondriac for years, but it turned out that instead I actually have a pretty ghastly disease called Wegener's Granulomatosis. Ironic, huh?

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Julie williams, Gretna LA — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:35:52 GMT

Forty years ago, after a hurricane that flattened my town of Buras, Louisiana, after I left boarding school because of the uncertainy of my family's finances, I started to get thirsy. I became tired. My vision became blurred. I could not take notes because I could not see the black board three feet in front of me, even with my glasses.

I became evermore thirsty. the river water down in Buras tasted awful, so I asked my mother to buy me bottled water. Eventually I began drinking that water from the gallon jug because my thirst was so intense. My sister noticed what I was doing. She informed me later that she thought I was showing off.

The skin on the back of my hand started flaking off. I pointed thist out to my mother and she informed me that I was washing too many dishes.

I believed her. I felt like I was a hypochondriac, and the family treated me that way.

My mother did not realize anything was wrong until I stopped breathing intermittently in the car on the way to New Orleans to see a cardiologist for my irregular heart beat.

I finally did see that cardiologist who immediately knew what I had. I had Diabetes Mellitus.

I have come a long way since that awful time. I do have doctors I trust, but that trust is earned by the doctor. I do not trust hospitals, who too frequently have been ready to let me die.

I am ready to believe anyone who says they do not feel well. Don' judge anyone until you have walked in their shoes.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Willow, Sheldon, Iowa — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:53:14 GMT

I'm a nurse. And throughout nursing school, I was convinced (due to a small cyst in my ear) that I was going to die of mastoiditis. My best friend turned in her resignation to nursing school, due to the fact that she had cancer. When asked by an astounded instructor, "Who is your oncologist?" My friend announced, "Oh I haven't been to the Dr. yet. I will make an appointment tomorrow." We all do it. Thankfully, I got through that, and now I automatically look for the most common diagnosis for a simple ailment, instead of looking for the weird.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Amanda, Riverton IL — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:35:30 GMT

Thank you for this! I am prone to anxiety and panic attacks. Its also becoming apparent that I'm becoming a hypochrondriac. Recently I've convinced myself that I have thyroid cancer, breast cancer and some other illnesses. I think in part because my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and I am now paranoid. Never mind that I had a physical in February and all blood work came back normal. I just want some normalcy!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Barb, Buffalo, NY — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:34:14 GMT

very funny article - "thinking you're sick when you're not is ... sick " haha

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Laura Everall Tampa FL — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:59:50 GMT

I think we have an obsession about health. We are constantly being bombarded with statistics of what is going to get us, what we have to avoid, what we have to take in order to feel better....we constantly fight our nature and our bodies own healing abilities with attempts to dominate with external forces, such as drugs and procedures that do more harm than good... and what ever happened to the credo "do no harm?"
I do believe that true hypochondriacs will NEVER be cured unless they have an ephinany about life. It is like an addiction to plastic surgery, once you get the nose fixed, then the lips need attention, until you lose your self in the process. Is that what hypochondriacs try to do? Lose themselves? there is an element of fear in the process. Fear of acknowleging the perfection of self. The compulsion of thought can act as a web of avoidance to discovering ones one inner truth and beauty. There is nothing to fear here: not even growing older.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jane Doe — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:46:48 GMT

In my Father's family, one gets lots of attention if they are ill. And, my Father's sister is in such competition for this attention, that when he got cancer, she got a severe case of alzheimer's (until she and my uncle went on their cruise). My sister is a professional sick person. She got AIDS, which was unfortunate, but has contrived all kinds of illnesses, for attention. And, of course, she cannot work. I do not understand why anyone wants to be sick or felt sorry for.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Dr Allen H, DC , cyberspace — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:58:42 GMT

What a sad waste of energy! Don't you think God put you here for a higher purpose than being in the self-indulgent state of worry? Turn off your brain(No Joke!). Meditation(practiced VERY regularly) will certainly curtail your mental masturbation!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

C, San Antonio, TX — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:24:39 GMT

I sometimes wonder if I'm a hypochondriac or if I'm just smarter than the average. It seems everytime I get paranoid about some type of disease, I go to the doctor and they either confirm it or find some other ailment. Is it possible that you're just plain sick? I will admit I get paranoid about diseases and research them thoroughly, usually for no reason... but I do feel that I might be the actual sickest hypochondriac! In fact, I'm pretty sure I have lupus...guess we'll see!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

V, Charlotte, NC — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:45:07 GMT

This was so interesting to read. I'm not a hypochondriac, but most people would think that i am, because I have some real rare forms of illnesses. To tell people that you have Reiter's Syndrome, and a blank look comes over their faces, or when they ask why I have a brace on my are, do I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and I say no, I had an accute case of brachial neuropathy caused by an autoimmune response...they just looke at me like I'm crazy- maybe I should just tell them I am a hypochondriac...it might get me more understanding-haha

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Kelly, Margate FL — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:13:55 GMT

Don't you mean HYPERchondria? Not HYPOchondria?

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

H, Kansas City, MO — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:50:46 GMT

I'm with "no name." I've had bouts in the past two years of strange heartbeat, chest twinges, tingling arms, etc. and have been to the ER 3 times with these symptoms. The diagnosis each time has been very vague or undefined, with the implication that I'm over-anxious and attend too much to my feelings. I can't get over concerns that there's something wrong - these feelings aren't normal, even if they're mentally induced!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Gae Brislan, Lenexa, Kansas — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:36:19 GMT

Other people think I'm a hypochondriac, but the fact is I HAVE all the things I told you I had. On my tombstone I want chiseled in stone, "I told you I was sick!"

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jane Doe, Ft. Walton Beach, FL — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:46:02 GMT

I suffered a bout of hypochondria a few years back due specifically to becoming very sick in a sudden manner. The initial illness was very real, but because doctors were having a difficult time diagnosing what was wrong, I was forced to examine every potential symptom. I realized then that I had never really paid attention to my body before and therefore had no idea what was normal for my body. So to me, everything seemed like a symptom of the then undiagnosed illness...things like nasal congestion suddenly had deeper meaning
(when I knew I was an allergy sufferer). But in my desperate attempt to get the original problem diagnosed and treated, I made myself crazy with all the doctor's questions that I thought MUST have relevance if they felt the need to ask me (like, "do you have nasal congestion?"). I went to the doctor constantly during that time, because every cough could mean that I had cancer and every headache could mean encephalitis (sp?). I was looking for something that would explain the original problems that were undiagnosed. Well anyway, numerous annoyed doctors later and I was diagnosed for the original problem. I'm on medication, and the problem is under control. But because of that bout of hypochondria brought on by something actually being wrong with me, I have lost credibility with my physicians, my family, and my friends. That is the most frustrating part of it all. So I understand when you say that hypochondria is looked at with an unfair stigma. I'm not even a clinical hypochondriac, and I've suffered the stigma.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Joan Shikowitz — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:00:35 GMT

I say I am, therefore, I am

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Ron, Athens Georgia — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:10:21 GMT

There are also levels of hypochondria. Most people I know that exibit have it only in the slightest degree. Problem is most doctors dont know enough and what they dont have an answer for is called 'depression' when in fact these folks are no where near depressed. Just because the doctor cant find the answer doesnt mean the patient doesnt have a medical problem either. I know of many many cases people were not diagnosed for over ten years but They Knew without a doubt because thier symptoms never lied to them.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Leslie, Chicago, IL — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:11:34 GMT

My Mom was an RN at a small clinic which allowed her to share many responsibilities as some of the doctors..everytime my Mom had a day off, the doctors would be calling my Mom to ask what she thought they should do..., so i overheard many conversations growing up about being sick, ailments, emergency room visits, you name it. i definately always feel like it won't be long before i am struck with some severe illness that i hear of so many random ppl getting, young or old...i found this article humorous and although i am hardly a hypochondriac i have been called that by my Dad and bf for years..prime example though of growing up in a medical home (with two working parents, sick days meant going to work with Mom and staying in one of the patients rooms for most of the day) and hearing too much...funny story..when we were kids, my brother pooped his pants and he ran in the house yelling to us that he had had a heart attack... and then in turn pooped his pants..LOL!!... i loved having a Mom as a Nurse, she always knew how to take care of us, even when we were seriously hurt..but it definately implemented a level of fear that i don't think would have been there otherwise... my bf has a great outlook on life, he never thinks about death..health problems, nothing, i'm trying to convert to that way of thinking..i just read that if you train your brain to think that way by repition (a lot of it..) it'll become habit and before long that is the way you will think without trying..we'll see, i'm still a work in progress. :)

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Xenobiologista, Madison, WI — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:26:35 GMT

I guess graduate students studying diseases look at this differently than medical students because we're in control of the pathogens we work with rather than trying to fight them in "real life" in situations where medicine is sometimes crippled or powerless. I'm in a virus lab doing pathogenesis and vaccine development, and sometimes we're a little too cavalier.

As someone from a tropical country, I really think that Americans are too scared of dirt, parasites, and "germs" though. Me and my sibling all had pinworms a few times as kids and it didn't hurt us, aside from a few sleepless nights lost to itchy behinds. Which is nothing when you look at the numbers in the USA of kids hospitalized - and dead - from asthma and allergies, which are known to be partly due to INSUFFICIENT exposure to parasites.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jane Doe, Santa Cruz, CA — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:44:16 GMT

Oh boy does this all ring a bell. I'm 23 years old and I've thought I've had a pulmonary embolism, cancer, various tumors, restless leg syndrome, a heart, attack, blood clots, etc. etc. I've seen the looks I get when I go to the hospital and my history is studied. I've heard the exasperation and "what is it now?" attitude of my former primary physician. Hypochondria is a real disease and it is not fun for the person who has it. I don't want to think I have a terminal disease. I don't want to go through the tests and the waiting and the anxiety. It is not something I can control. Please, have more compassion for those of us who freak out at the slightest difference in our bodies, especially if you are a physician. It is not something we can help.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Martha, Frankfort, Kentucky — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:02:54 GMT

I remember my mom always telling me about how her grandmother and mother were such hypochodriacs. I laughed then but now I frequent bouts of it and it's terrifying.

I think it's interesting that it's classified as somatoform disorder. I tend to agree with those who think it's more closely related to anxiety and obsessive disorders. Because, from what I've read, other somatoform disorders involve expressing inner distress through physical ailments [such as conversion disorder and pain disorder] and most types of hypochondriasis seem to involve having obessive thoughts of having a disorder or anxiety created from minor dicomforts.

Question for other hypochondriacs: Do your medical concerns arise from inner psychological distress?

From most people I've talked to, it doesn't seem so. I guess it's just the way you view it.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Rick Gillespie, Lewiston, ID — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:41:58 GMT

Having been educated in Developmental Psychology, and other fields of psychology and sociology, I can say with authority, that hypochondriasis in and by itself can be quite debilitating.

There are other handicaps involved as well, with the worst being agoraphobia, which could actually make one a prisoner of their own home.Anxiety disorder and OCD is evident as well; to be a victim of hypochondriasis and agoraphobia, anxiety works in tandem, then leading to panic attacks. The list re handicaps for some can go on; on the other hand, I have seen many folks lead productive lifes.

The worst case senario for hypochondriacs would be as I described above re to spiraling down into agoraphobia, OCD, and anxiety which, again can lead to frightning 'panic-attacks'; Hypochondria alone, depending on the severity, would indeed qualify the sufferer to recieve a Social Security Disability check. There is a better route!

I would much rather you chase after this prospect: Hypochondria can be treated; yes, there is hope for those who would want the help. There are plenty of clinicians and sociologist who are willing to help. I realize that in some states, (e.g. Texas) being victim to hypochondriasis, along with other folks that are laddend with their own mental handicaps, have simply fallen through the cracks of their poor mental health care system. DON'T LOSE HOPE! DO NOT, I repeat,DO NOT GIVE UP OR CAVE IN TO hopelessness...
Ask a loved one to stand with you as you seek wellness, a wellness that can be had!

Written From the Heart, R. Gillespie

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Drew Carter, Cinn, Oh — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:02:59 GMT

Oh my goodness....I am a true hypochondriac. My mom has told me for years but I blew off the idea. I have thought I have tongue cancer, uterine cancer, well...every cancer there is. I also have panic disorder (actually diagnosed) and might be OCD also. But the sad thing is I drink, smoke, and eat out often. You would think I would quit these bad habits so that I could stop thinking I am dying from them. By the way, as I am typing this comment my ears just went numb...am I losing my hearing now?

Has the theory ever been disproven that some people are more body conscious than others? For example, I feel pain more than the average....just a thought!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

A.E., NY,NY — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:25:17 GMT

First, I would just like to respond to the post above - no, it is not HYPERchondria, but definitely HYPOchondria. It comes from the Greek hypo-under & chondrosis-cartilage from the belief that this illness came from the abdomen (thus, under ribs, etc.).

Also, I believe that we, as a species, do need to become more in tune with our bodies so that we are truly aware when something is wrong. Plus, we then need to seek medical attention when this happens. My mother-in-law died from cervical cancer for two reasons: 1)she refused to seek treatment, even though she had horrific symptoms, and 2)she was misdiagnosed a couple of times, by which time it was too late. I feel I should point out that this occurred in England, but it's really neither here nor there, as mistakes happen everywhere. I have always believed that if she had been more familiar with her body, she might have taken her symptoms more seriously and might have seen a dr sooner.

I don't want to be giving people free license to harass their drs or be encouraging people to visit the dr unnecessarily, I just believe that if we knew better what was normal or out of kilter for ourselves, we could be smarter about seeing drs. We also have to learn not to accept anything at face value from the medical profession - if something is wrong, and continues to be wrong, then it needs to be pursued to some sort of conclusion.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Heidi Markham, Rochester, NY — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:36:43 GMT

I have suffered from severe pain since I was 5 years old. I would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and sobbing because my legs felt like they were being crushed. My pediatrician told my parents that I was simply having more severe growing pains than most children and that I was fine.

As I grew older, I suffered from a rash of medical problems which were always misdiagnosed until something severe happened to make my doctors rethink the problem. I nearly died after undiagnosed asthma stopped my breathing at school and while I slept, leaving my poor mother worrying by my bedside each night. I suffered from countless sprained ankles, several of which were so severe that a cast was needed to stabilize the joint. Hypermobility Syndrome was only diagnosed when I was sent to a rheumatologist, after years of instability and pain.

It wasn't until I was 20 that I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, something that it became clear that I had suffered with since I was a little girl. Since pediatric fibromyalgia is a rare disease, none of my doctors ever thought to consider it and as a result, I have no memory of ever having a pain-free day.

Because of the experiences that I have had with suffering from undiagnosed diseases for most of my life, I find myself worrying over every little bump, every chill, fever, any little difference. I'm afraid now that there will be something deathly wrong with me and I will die because it will go misdiagnosed or just chalked up to being in my head.

I was robbed a "normal" life because my doctors didn't take the time to listen. I wish that there was some way to get through to doctors that they need to listen carefully to everything a patient says and play the good diagnostician instead of just hurrying patients along.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Allinmyhead — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:54:40 GMT

From early childhood, I had irrational health fears. I was a precocious reader, and the library was my second home. I was particularly fascinated by medicine, since two uncles and one aunt were doctors. My "doll hospital" was hilariously professional, with charts, "real" diagnoses and all kinds of therapies and procedures.

One day I read about glaucoma (I was nine years old) and suddenly imagined that I saw "rainbows around street lights" (one of the symptoms). It wasn't long before my list of fears had multipled: sleeping sickness, acromegaly, leprosy, and rabies (that was the worst, because there was no cure once symptoms set in, and I was nipped and slobbered on by dogs at least once a week). I would then live in terror of the dreaded symptoms that always spelled doom. My parents laughed it off when I told them about my rabies fears. They thought that would reassure me.

As I got older, my terror focused on cancer of all types ("The seven warning signs" --- I could always come up with at least two on that list). I constantly worried (in secret, of course, because I really knew that all of this was preposterous). Yet, I could never completely reassure myself). There was always a "disease of the week" eating away at all my good times and hopes.

When I discovered the mental illnesses, I became even more frightened --- of schizophrenia especially; and "manic-depressive psychosis", and megalomania and a host of others. I also saw right away that I actually did have some variant of OCD. That shoe really fit. In those days, there was a lot of stigma around visiting a shrink --- which I did anyway. Each time I was reassured, I would be fine for about a day, then some other "condition" would rear its head and the whole thing would start over. I had a whole inner dialogue going --- the fear, the attempts at self-reassurance, the "what-if" that knocked down the self-reassurance, and then the fear all over again. It was like a cycle, around and around in my mind.

The years have sort of blunted my terrors, even as I get older and the probability of actually getting something deadly increases. And I have had a remarkably healthy life despite the anxiety. I wish I could have all that time back that I spent needlessly worrying. Oh... the anxiety also caused me to drink more alcohol than I should have (I avoid it now). But I wouldn't be the first whose imaginary illnesses led to real ones. Isn't the human brain a confounding organ?

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Renee Mason, Saint Anthony, Idaho — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:44:45 GMT

I object to being diagnosed a hypochodriac when I was really ill. For many years I suffered from chronic fatigue, back ache and headaches. All the doctors I went to failed to check beyond the obvious hypochondria because of low blood pressure and borderline blood test results. They never discovered that a 20 and 30 year old was having multiple heart attacks.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Ann, LR, AR — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:24:30 GMT

I suffered from severe back pain for years, and the doctor refused to even give me an x-ray. By the time he finally did, and it was found that I had a congenital abnormality, I had limped for so long that I had damaged my discs, my hips and my knees...I was only 28. After that, I was treated like a hypochondriac every time I went to the doctor, because you could see that I was a "frequent flyer". I am now going to be in pain until I die because of doctor negligence. Sometimes it pays to push for the treatment you need. This happens more frequently to women than men, so stand up for yourselves women!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jade, Santa Cruz, CA — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:06:54 GMT

I have suffered from migraines since I was in second grade. Each year they have gotten more and more frequent, moving from once a month to (nearly twenty years later) every single day. My life was destroyed because for days on end I could do nothing except curl up in the dark and cry. Eventually, since there was no physical cause, I was told (at seventeen) that it was all in my head (not the pain though, as that had to be imagined). It was simply inconceivable that a person would suffer all of the major forms of migraine and get to a point where they just forced themselves to keep going.

Then last year, I was at a new doctor's and I begged him to refer me to a neurologist just to get one last diagnosis. After one meeting with the neuro. he agreed that the pain was real (hereditary on my mother's side which I already knew) but exacerbated by the over-the-counter medications that I had been taking for years in order to survive. After a painful detox (no more OTC's for me) the preventative medications began to take effect and for the first time in ten years I went an entire month without pain.

It's sad to me that it was so hard to believe that an 8-y-o could experience pain or my life might have been a great deal different.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Nikole, Manila — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:24:45 GMT

I'm 18 years old, female, and I think I'm the biggest hypochondriac in the world.

I've never smoked, taken drugs, or drank a glass liquor more than thrice a year. I love eating fruits and vegetables and I walk a lot but I still am a hypo.

It is one of my goals in life to create an international support group for hypochondriacs like us. If you need someone to talk to who can understand you and help you get through, just send me an e-mail at hypochondriacs@gmail.com

Wishing you a healthy body, mind, and soul!

Nikole

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Jen Doe, Sac, Ca — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:26:49 GMT

To the one who had multiple heart attacks, how did you find out?

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

kmd,uk — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:20:27 GMT

I TOTALLY agree with the last post. If we are aware of our bodies and understand how they work then we are more likely to know when something was going wrong. My mother died of ovarian cancer despite going to the doctor with symptoms for years she was dismissed with comments such as 'how odd' (including when she indicated that she had to physically move a lump in her vagina in order to urinate). I am NOT a hypochondriac but my maternal line is riddled with cancer and my brother and I are some what paranoid because most people in her family have died before the age of sixty from a cancer or tumor related disease. So we are very careful with our diet, dont smoke, maintain regular body checks etc.
For years I have had pains in my legs, bumps on the shin bone and huge amounts of fluid retention around my ankle and lower leg. I also have headache and vision problems regularly amongst other things such as a skin condition which i had come to accept as 'just part of life' Doctors had told me 'not to be vain' when I mentioned concerns about my legs, and even laughed when I said the bumps on the bone were painful and I was worried about bone cancer (which is in my family).
I am SO LUCKY because I met a natural health practicioner from Germany. In Germany naturalheilpraktiker is the same as doctor except they use naturopathic medicine and different diagnostic techniques.
I was with this woman for ten minutes, she told me that my lymphatic system was shot to pieces and that I was high risk of cancer and tumours (this without a family history) She told me that the oedema in my legs was lymphatic fluid and needed to be drained. She told me that I had a bowel disorder and my bowel was taking energy from my lungs which is what was causing my skin condition (they are linked in chinese medicine). BBasically these two things indicated that I was well on my way to developing cancer! She told me I had a severe problem with my liver (which we later worked out was due to the fact I had had malaria 3 times and the first time was mistreated in the UK DESPITE the fact that I told them the correct treatment and even called a medical doctor in east africa to explain to them!) She told me that my spleen was overloaded and that is why I had lack of focus/lack of energy and headaches etc. She explained to me that in our modern world we are constantly absorbing toxins, what we eat, what we breathe, stress is major etc, and that at some point the body starts telling you - this isnt right. If you listen to the body at that point there is a good chance of fixing the issue. Most of us these days are mineral deficient due to the state of the soil our food is grown in and the way animals are raised etc.
So guess what? With treatment (most of which comes from major recognised german pharmaceutical companies) I now feel much better and have a huge return of energy. I've lost 2 cm in circumferance from my legs as the fluid moves, and continues to move. I have no headache, vision difficulties or back pain, my skin is improving. And guess what - the bumps on my bones are diminishing..........
The sad thing is that doctors do rely overly on tests. This woman, through chinese diagnostic methods mainly has diagnosed lymes disease, various forms of cancer, chrones disease, thyroid disease, diabetes amongst lots of other things. She isnt mad though and sends people for scans if there is any element of doubt. Doctors are so suspicious of this.... thats what I dont understand. I mean if something makes you better then surely we should be considering it medically? I wish that all doctors had this kind of diagnostic ability AND this approach to wellness maintainance. What my health practitioner mandates is the old chinese system, where you get regular wellness treatement, that way you are less likely to become seriously ill. Its a thought isnt it. I wonder how many people are actually hypochondriac as 'thinking they are sick when they are not' and how many people are actually listening to their body and are on their way from wellness to illness and dont know what to do about it?

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Tori, CO — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:04:16 GMT

I'm a lazy hypochondriac...heh. That's the best way to put it. When most people think they're dying of a systemic infection, or cancer, or some rare disease no one has ever heard of...they usually visit the doctor. Not me, however. I just wait it out. I guess I figure that I'm either fine, or I'll go when I just can't function anymore...hehe. Or when I'm dead.

That or I just understand that there probably is no serious problem with my health. I do honestly feel quite sick most of the time, but I don't really ever mention it, and it doesn't affect my life unless I'm feeling especially ill. It's definitely not to get attention or sympathy. I think I'm just especially sensitive to the "symptoms of life", and whenever I get fed up, I try and find a cause.

Unfortunately, this cause is most likely being alive, and I don't want to take care of that just yet.

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

jc, no where special — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:07:09 GMT

Maybe that's why I'm no longer taken seriuosly by doctors anymore all the while mistakingly assumming that I fit into this category of patients... All the while my health deteriates to the point of being bed ridden, suffering neurologic symptoms totally out of control, pains in my eyes a lot and throughout that I never knew could hurt so tremendously, pain that not even a tylonol, Ibuprofen, nor even a potent prescriptive pain med can alleviate. Pains that are crippling when or after I eat throughout my gut & back... and the list of symptoms go on... What to do now?

I'm actually phobic when it comes to doctors, hospitals, clinics,labs,etc... After braving numerous blood tests and Partial MRI's I'm still treated like it's all in my head.

But the thing of it is that I Love Life, sports, being so full of energy and feeling like an invincible person at times. So, why all this fatigue and weakness of my limbs giving way to pain & lifting or holding or grasping simple things like a glass of water for instance. I've been continually trouble sleeping most nights due to writhing in pain, and discomfort that no pain med seems to penetrate. So, I'm too scared now to go back to the doctors even after a year & a half after being tossed to the side as though it feels. I try to tough it out most days, but I'm to the point now that I can't deny the inevitable. I'm currently torn between the disabling symptoms that is taking its toll on me will actually scare me enough into going to see another doctor again. I don't like doctors & I don't trust them even now more so for sure... especially after reading all of the malpractice and negligence issues that tend to plague all the misfortunate victims mentioned in the previous comments that have needlessly suffered & that had even died after the point of.

I'm not afraid of dying but what I am trully afraid of is ending up with a permantly disabling disease that could've been nipped in the budd so much sooner. I lost the job I loved after undergoing 7 months of "no diagnosis" that my insurers could've possibly have dealt with in order to at least have been rendered some sort of disability aide and now I can't afford seeing another doctor again as such... And should I say that I hate Doctors for that right now... they do more harm than good when they ignore us & toss us to the side of labeling us all as hypochondriac freaks...

The question is: Do I go see another malpracting & Negligent Doctor again and still in turn remain suffering until the very end?

And such as my poor dear husband feeling totally helpless not being able to remedy this suffering for me as all good loving husbands would do of course... What about the wife & friend he misses (the "Good Ol' Spunky Me").

The truth is I don't want to be a burden to him anymore or any worse than I already am. He's at a great place in his career now and I want to live a full life functioning together as a whole with him again. I miss running, playing tennis with him, and the such.
I miss my Life. I don't want to suffer this way anymore too as I get progressively worse as of late.

How could someone like me of all people fit into such a category of being considered a hypochondriac. That has never been like me and I have unfortunately been mislabled as thus even on some of my medical records. That is not Fair!!!!

I had a test (CA 19-9) done that indicated a tumor with elevated level of 34 early as of last year.
The doctor's last words to me were that it doesn't mean you have cancer and then I recieved a letter in the mail by that doctor refusing to see me as a patient again. I was so confused. I was then sent to Yale for more stuff and I was never allowed a follow up visit to learn the results of an invasive procedure. I tried so hard to find out but I keep being turned away. I don't get it? I can't even afford a lawyer or I would have consulted with one already at this time... What is going on?

Now I'm worse and hurts to type this comment that I need a break from it from time to time. LOL

I have no Idea what is wrong with me and I don't know what to do about it. I wish that I knew someone who could help me. But I don't as of now. I am legally Sane & not mentally Sick at all. So many things about my physical health right now that need answers... I want to live without pains, and weakness, etc... I want to feel like "Good Ol' Spunky Me" again. Even a double or triple shot of Espresso doesn't cure the fatigue and my Vitamins and supplements and Organic foods can't help me on this one either.

Whatever happened to the HypoCratic OATH: Do No Harm? They wish I was a HypoChondriac!!! Maybe if its too late & I cease to exist then my husband can sue for medical negligence & malpractice & the such... We have copies of the medical records to back him up on it all at least. So much for attempting to trust the medical system with all its answers for everything (NOT SO)afterall. I guess the jokes on me then... just like all the rest of us falsely labeled hypochondriacs!!! One more thing to add: Since when Did MD's become Mental Specialists in this Farce of a Medical System???

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Megan O'Shea — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:51:11 GMT

This particular ailment hits medical transcriptionists too you know. I can't tell you how many times I've typed a piece of dictation and immediately thought, "OH my God, I have the same symptoms". Amazing what the psyche will do.....

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Alex — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:24:58 GMT

Your blog is interesting!

Keep up the good work!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Sue Fellows, NH — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:52:05 GMT

For three years, I had severe upper back pain. At times it would become so bad that I couldn't walk or stand upright. My doctor at the time diagnosed me with a broken tailbone and heartburn. (WRONG!!)
On a Sunday drive with my husband the pain became severe- waves of pain shot through my chest. I couldn't talk due to the pain, turned pale, started to sweat and couldn't walk. He took me to the ER, where they thought I was having a heart attack. Soon, they changed their mind and refused to give me pain medicine. (childbirth felt better!)
Once the pain subsided, my husband left the room to call his sister. The doctor came in and proceeded to tell me it was all in my head, or maybe I had Nutcracker Esophagus.
The next day, my doctor told me that they would never know what was wrong with me...that I should not waste their time anymore please.
Fed up with the lack of care, I moved back home to seek help. On my first visit to the ER, the Dr took a simple blood test and diagnosed gallstones. It was removed right away...I had an infection and over 50 gallstones!!!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

jc, no where special — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:15:12 GMT

This is me again after my previous posting...
jc, no where special (Sunday, August 03, 2008 12:07 AM)

...O.K. here it goes... Ever heard of the MMR Vaccine being given to Women over the age of 27 (& I was 30 years of age when inocculated with it twice within two weeks time apart of each the other) & ever heard of being somehow mysteriously exposed to a Deadly Toxic Nerve Agent along with symptoms relating to Multiple Sclerosis? Could've been nipped in the bud a whole lot sooner... like as in 6 years ago? But, NOOOOOO!!! Too late for me now... Those Sadistic Quacks!!! Tried to cover up their crimes against a clueless & gullible patient being me at the time... All those many Doctors & tests & visits & so many years wasted with them all MisTreating me as an Expendable HypoChondriac!?!... How do you forgive something like that? I Say you DON'T!!! Well, I'm Done... Warning to ALL: Watch out for those who are falsely diagnosing the literally & physically sick & that are not imagining their pain all up in their heads and then being negligently MisTreated as HypoChondriacs! Justice is in Store whether I am dead or Alive! A Bone is going to be Picked Now!

Just because I'm a hypochondriac doesn't mean I'm not sick

Hatemyvagina, PA — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:34:20 GMT

My mother went to med school and has driven me crazy my whole life with her hypochondria.. And now I am in my late 20s and have had some depressing diagnosis like skin cancer in my leg and lovely genital herpes.. Now I am turning into her thinking every little symptom is something else terrible. It's consuming...