I wish to contribute and make a hopefully helpful post for other people who may be in a comparable situation I found myself in.
**IF YOU WISH TO SKIP MY SMALL BACKSTORY, SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEXT LINE OF ASTERISKS (STARS)**
I’m a 30 year old male and a long-time sufferer of panic disorder, general anxiety disorder, depression, agoraphobia, hypochondrias, and mild obsessive compulsive disorder.
I’ve gone through many stages in my life of developing symptoms that frighten me, googling these symptoms, convincing myself of having the worst possible diseases associated with such symptoms, all resulting in my worrying myself sick thus intensifying the already present symptoms or causing new ones to surface.
Multiple trips to a number of different doctors often do little to ease the anxiety. The act of even going to the doctors is panic-inducing. Far worse is getting tests done. I fear the tests themselves, as well as, the results.
I’ve had many, many medical tests over the years. Far more than any 30 year old without anxiety would have. One test I always avoided, however, was a colonoscopy for obvious reasons. Sure, blood tests and CAT scans are scary but the perceived horror of a colonoscopy is on an entirely different level.
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I’ve had fears of cancer in the past. Of all possible cancers, colorectal cancer stands out as being the one I’ve had the most anxiety about
. In the news it’s been reported that colon and anal cancer rates have been significantly rising in young people. You can imagine the sheer terror I experienced when I saw blood on my stool.
I chickened out of a colonoscopy before back in 2009 when I had blood on my stool then. Thankfully, the bleeding stopped but it reoccurred now in 2017.
I’m the biggest wuss, worry wort, scaredy cat, or whatever synonym out there. If you think you have more anxiety and fear about
medical procedures, diseases, death, or the like than me then I’d be happy to strongly disagree with you.
With that said, I went through with and successfully completed a test feared by many (anxiety disorder sufferer or not alike): the dreaded colonoscopy.
I’m writing this post for other people out there, old or young, worrying themselves sick about
the bowel preparation, the sedation, the scoping, and all else involved with a colonoscopy. It honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought, anticipated, or expected.
If you or your doctor think a colonoscopy may be appropriate for you then I’m here to encourage you to get diagnosed if you’re having symptoms or get screened if you’re of age because really it was no where near as terrible as my anxious mind made it out to be. This is coming from someone who brought their entire family and significant other to the procedure with them... from someone who was physically shaking with fear... whose voice was stuttering and shaky so much so that the nurses took notice... someone who urinated themselves a little out of fear while waiting on the hospital bed to be wheeled in... someone who was administered DOUBLE the normal dosage of sedation and, despite not getting a single second of sleep the entire night beforehand, surprised the doctor and nurses by being so anxious that it didn’t make me sleep.
What I’m trying to say is: if I can make it through a colonoscopy then I 100% KNOW that you, YES YOU, can too. When I read similar posts as mine I did the same thing that you’re probably doing now. You’re blowing this post off and thinking that you have a worse case of anxiety than me (you don’t) or that your experience will be totally different and the worst possible outcome will occur. I thought the same and I’m fine. I overcame my fears in order to get what we anxiety-sufferers covet most: peace of mind. You can do it.
Post Edited (worrywort87) : 9/28/2017 3:29:26 AM (GMT-6)