← Return to Chest Pain + Fatigue

Discussion

Chest Pain + Fatigue

Digestive Health | Last Active: Aug 24, 2022 | Replies (10)

Comment receiving replies
@jessicamt

As much as I hope stress and anxiety is the problem, I would still like to continue pressing the doctors to look at more than my blood test. In every moment I felt like I was having an attack or when my chest started hurting, it was always during a time where I was feeling completely fine and happy with what I was doing, and not once worrying about anything.

I’m sure stress and anxiety could be adding to it, but my fainting spells began over a year ago, the fatigue earlier this fall and chest pain more towards the winter months. I have had a rough time recently in these last two months, as my best friend has recently been diagnosed with cancer, but my symptoms began way before she was diagnosed and have only recently worsened to the point they are at now. Hopefully it is just stress and anxiety, and my worry for my friend could most definitely add to it, but things started far too long ago for me to think that it was caused by her diagnosis.

My parents are concerned for me, and my mother does continue in trying to get me to see the doctor and they’ve put me on a cancellation list, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting in any time soon. I find it difficult to talk about it all with my parents because I think that it scares them or makes them upset. I often feel bad for being so tired, because it definitely doesn’t really make me a pleasure to have at home. I understand it isn’t very fun to live with someone who is always sleeping or in pain. But they do know what is going on, and even though their reactions always seem to be negative and it does make me feel bad about feeling sick, I know they want me to let them know.

It also seems that when people find out my best friend has cancer, they stop taking me seriously. I understand why, and I hope everything has just been increased by the amount of worry I am under, but I don’t like how they shrug me off and stop trying to figure out if there is anything wrong once they hear I could be stressed. I try to tell them it started before her diagnosis, but it’s almost like they don’t listen.
I don’t think I am being taken seriously much at all, and I’m not a doctor so I don’t know what could possibly be wrong or what to ask them to look for. I just wish someone could help me in a time where I am unable to help myself.

Currently I feel better than I did this morning, but my chest is still super tender to touch. I can’t really see anything just looking at it, though it does look a tiny tiny bit red. It isn’t a nice feeling.

Jump to this post


Replies to "As much as I hope stress and anxiety is the problem, I would still like to..."

Oh, @jessicamt I'm glad you are feeling a bit better tonight, but I am so sorry for what you are dealing with. I am a mother of a son and daughter, both in their 30s now. I have always hoped they would be totally up front with me on any problems, even now if it's something I can help or advise with.
You are a teen so your parents definitely need to know the full scope of what you are going through, and they need to advocate for you with the doctor. I always make sure that I am on a waiting list if I can't get in as soon as I want to, and very frequently I do then get in sooner. Is the doctor someone you have an established patient-doctor relationship with? That helps of course, rather than trying to get in with a doctor whom you have not seen before.
If your problems began before your friend was diagnosed with cancer then obviously that is not the cause, although it could exacerbate it.
I am hoping that when you finally do get a thorough workup it will turn out to be something quite benign that's more of a nuisance than a serious medical problem. I find there is always great relief in knowing what the problem is. That was even true when I went a long time without a diagnosis and when I did finally get a diagnosis it was pretty serious. At least I knew.
That has made me think too, are you going to a local doctor in a smaller town or city? I know that my diagnosis took a long time because I live in southern NH and the doctors here simply do not see as much as doctors in larger teaching hospitals. If you can possibly make an appointment at a large teaching hospital that would probably be the best route to take. I know nothing about healthcare in Canada, is that possible?
JK