Listen to this... The glorious feeling of relief when it's over with. I'm 34 and have had about
10 of these procedures and doctors have gotten very good at doing them and you will not be awake for it you know.. You will be nicely sedated and wake up when it's over.
By postponing the colonoscopy, you are increasing the anxiety related to it. In other words the thought of the scope and anything to do with it makes you anxious and brings on stress. When you cancelled the appontments you felt relief... but only relief that was short lived because you know that deep down you should go through with it and then the thought comes up that you will eventually go through it. And God only knows what comes to mind when you think of a colonoscopy (producing more anxiety and stress).
The amount of stress you are putting on yourself is truly not good AND I'm telling you the procedure is breezy. The prep ( the solution you have to drink the night before the scope) is, in my opinion, worse than the actual procedure.
So my point to you is that by putting it off, you are making the idea of the colonoscopy so much worse than it truly is. It gets worse everytime you delay, cancel, ect.
PLUS the most important thing you have to realize is that it is a procedure that protects you and identifies any possible problems that may be brewing. WIth colon cancer, you don't get warnings until the disease has progressed and it's much harder to treat than if you prevented the colon cancer from the start.
Don't let your anxiety get the best of you. This is your life and we have these procedures to reduce the risk and/or catching a problem before it's too difficult to get rid of.
If I were you. On Monday, I'd schedule the appointment and tell them you want the EARLIEST available appointment so that it comes and goes quick. Tell someone you trust and they will hold you accountable or be your rock, so to speak, to get you there and make sure you go. Try not to stress about
the unknown. We are great at thinking up all sorts of things that can happen. Don't entertain those thoughts. Catch yourself as soon as you start to think negatively and get consumed with fear. You have the ability to control that.
I really hope I said something that helped. And please, just do it... for your health and the people who love you too.
Me-Ouch said...
Hi All!
I usually post on the fibromyalgia forum and this is my first post in the anxiety forum.
I posted the other day on the fibro site because of pain I was having in my abdomen and was hoping it was muscular and fibro related. Turns out it isn't.
Saw my doc today who says it's colon related. She isn't viewing it as an emergency because I am improving. BUT - I'm 58 and have never had a colonoscopy before.
I don't agree that just because you turn 50 you need one, and always promised myself I'd get one if I had 'issues' however, and it looks like that day is here.
I had two scheduled before and chickened out both times. Just thinking about it, just thinking of calling and scheduling again gets me into a full blown panic.
I'm afraid I'll be the one is a million whatever that something is going to go wrong with, but I am afraid if I don't go, I will get colon cancer and then blame myself for never getting the test. As I type this, I feel myself calming down, I was in a full blown panic, sweating, full on ocd going on just now again and now I'm feeling better.
I'm starting a journal on my feelings and trying to go through it this time cause I'm not getting any younger and I feel I should go, it's important.
Has anyone had issues like this? I feel so scared and desperate and lame!! Thanks.