Struggling with anxiety while undergoing diagnostic testing

Hi Becky,
Sorry to bother you again. Just received my biopsy results thru electronic. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough tissue to get any results. I decided to call and leave a message with the 1st gyne that didn’t do it because of confusion. Just to see what he thought. In the meantime the gyne that did the biopsy called. Not sure if she seen I left a message with the other gyne. She told me I would have to be sedated to do it correctly. My husband thinks she didn’t put enough numbing solution in me the first time. My body absorbs it fast with anxiety. Now the hospital she is at it’s further away from my house. Plus I’ve never been there. I told her again about my anxiety. She said it wouldn’t matter what hospital I still will be anxious. But I told her my everyday anxiety is bad. Then she says talk to my primary dr. I’m so scared how my body will react prior and after anesthesia. Some people and drs just don’t get it. I just so worried about the procedure and the outcome. I even messaged my primary dr to see if I should get 2nd opinion from another gyne and a closer hospital. Everything is electronic. Im so drained over all of the worry and anxiety. Thank you. Flo

Good evening, @flow65 . I’m really sorry that I can’t make this decision for you, but I can help you think through it. First off, you don’t want to go to another doctor. That would be just 1 more person, and opinions, and personalities to think about, and you’re anxiety doesn’t need this.
What you want to do is write down some pros and cons of the 2 doctors you have seen. Is there 1 that you felt more comfortable with, trusted more? One doctor that communicated better, listened to you?
It doesn’t really matter where the hospital is or if you’ve been there before. Sure, it’s nice to know your way around. My first time to see my neurologist, we had to leave at 0600 and drive through city rush hour traffic to get to a place we’d never been before. But, we made it and are glad we did.
You can still ask your doctor for some sedation first. The first doctor suggested anesthesia. It would most probably be a very light anesthesia which can be reversed as soon as the biopsy is done.
YOU can do this! I have real faith in you!
Will you let me know what you learn when you compare the 2 doctors?

Hi Becky, thank you for your comments. I’m having a hard time deciding the pros and cons. This has been my problem lately is responsibility and decision making. The one dr I had seen once. He seemed nice. The 2nd dr I’ve seen 3 times. The last visit I just felt she didn’t understand my anxiety. Really the 1st one didn’t either. Maybe if the 1st dr calls me back tomorrow so if he calls me back tomorrow and I could explain how I feel. But I’m sure he could see on my file what the 2nd dr talked to me about. To set up the procedure. When you mentioned about light sedation they use propofol. Five years ago I had a colonoscopy with Propofol. I was so nauseous afterwards and when I got home I was so restless and couldn’t sit still. We had to go to immediate care center that day. This is imprinted on my mind. Plus I can’t get to a clinic or hospital too soon because my anxiety really kicks in and I will want to leave. One time years ago I was in the holding area and ready to leave. The dr came by me and my husband was with me and dr brought his anesthesiologist with him and asked if I wanted to stay. They knocked me out right there. The dr was still in his suit not his scrubs. So this is my dilemma and not to go too far. The one gyne is connected to the close by hospital. But the woman gyne is connected to the further away hospital. The dr I was going to get another opinion from is connected to the close by hospital but I haven’t met him. I’m so sorry for all the confusion. Plus we have dogs. To have them taken care of early in the morning is a concern. Our adult son moved back in with us. But he started a new career of over the road driving so we won’t know if he will be home. Our adult daughter is married and doesn’t live far away. She works but has been having her own problems. I know I probably have been being worried about too much. Like I said I’m scared how I will react. Not sure if I can have something prior to procedure from either my primary dr or psychiatrist. I don’t think so. I appreciate your opinions and comments. Hope I didn’t confuse you. Thank you. Flo

Update to my previous reply. The nurse called back and said I can’t switch to the other dr which is in the same group. I have to stay with the one that did the biopsy. I’m going to see what my primary dr has to say to me about this and extra sedation. This dr that did the biopsy isn’t in the same group as my primary dr. She left that group has ill feelings regarding that group. A group of drs left that group and started their own. This is the reason why I was going to get another gyne opinion. He’s in the same group as my primary care dr and with the closer hospital. So much confusion. I have so much anxiety just writing this. Plus to see what my psychiatrist thinks. Thanks again. Flo

Hello Flo,
I think Becky may be away from Connect, so I thought I would check in with you. You certainly have had a difficult month. No wonder you are feeling anxious.

Perhaps you need to figure out how to set this aside for a few days. Your note to Becky says you have trouble working through pros and cons to make decisions. Can your husband or son help you make a list and get to one?

Another tactic that sometimes works is to take small post it notes and write each thought on one page.
Once the thoughts, worries and questions are all on paper, you can make columns on the tabletop to organize them - like Pro, Con, My anxiety talking, question for the doctor or nurse, random thoughts. Put each thought in the proper column.

Then, if my guess is right, the column "My Anxiety Talking" will be the longest ones. Those are issues you will need to work through with the therapist to get to the decision you need.

Are you willing to try this exercise?
Sue

@flow65 I’m back now. I was having a difficult time with my autoimmune disease and my mother needs to move to assisted living. But i got a very good check up from my neurologist, so it’s up to me to straighten myself out!
Wasn’t @sueinmn great to jump in and help? She had some great ideas that i hope you’ll try. I KNOW you can do this @flow65 !!
Please stay in touch

I’ll try. Thank you.

Yes it was nice she jumped in. I’ll try. Sorry you have been suffering. I just feel so down and unhappy. It’s debilitating everyday. All day. My husband thinks this pandemic did a number on me. I hope you feel better. Keep in touch. Thank you again. Flo

Also sorry about your mom. Flo

I seem to have medicine sensitivity. Everytime I try a new medicine especially for anxiety I have trouble. Back in 2020 when pandemic had started I stopped taking Celexa. My psychiatrist wasn’t seeing patients for awhile. It may have been laziness to stop it. It wasn’t all at once. So maybe no withdrawal effects. Then he started seeing patients. I went back to him. I tried a couple of different meds and had trouble. Went back on celexa at 20 mg got really sick. Was on different meds. Still trouble. Then was on Pristiq didn’t work. Weaned off but was too quick I believe under his direction. Then on a beta blocker. Off of that one. Then he tried to convince me going on a low dose of Seroquel. He even said I could stop it without any trouble. My husband called the pharmacist on Saturday and she said it can cause stomach upset and loss of appetite. I’m very nauseous. I stopped it on Saturday evening. I’ve been nauseous and loss of appetite for awhile. I lost weight. Had a scope and colonoscopy recently. Everything is fine there. The surgeon thinks it’s the Seroquel. I see a therapist. I’m not trusting pharmacists, drs etc. I would like to know if it’s a possibility of medications or anxiety or both. If it is medicine, do you know how I could check that out? Thank you. Flo