Afraid of coming to Mayo, but I need a diagnosis

Babyblues262- Please...please get out of the rabbit hole of fear. Do come to Mayo. You can check this site in the subject line above on how to contact Mayo. This site is full of patients who chose Mayo. Google is not our friend before diagnosis. Rarely in my journey have i had any of the symptoms or side effects revealed all over the internet. I had breast cancer and 2 years later a bone marrow transplant in April 2024. I am doing well a day at a time.
If your cardiologist gave you a diagnosis, that would be good to post here. What has you so full of fear? Get a call in first. How you would get there, who might go with you. All of that will happen. The unknown is scary. With your health crazy scary.
This is a good place to post. You will have more responses very soon. This is because it is Mayo Clinic Connect. I was not treated here, but i found support, information and a road outlined to walk through my transplant.

@babyblues262, you and your local cardiologist have made a good first step to helping your get answers by requesting an appointment at Mayo Clinic. I've moved your question to the Visiting Mayo Clinic support group where you'll meet many who can share their experiences.

@doesitcomeinglitter @karukgirl @janet23 @jlharsh @danab can share their experiences with cardiology at Mayo Clinic.

@babyblues262, you're not alone. This is a good place to ask questions to help calm the anxiety. Which Mayo Clinic location are you considering? Rochester, MN, Jacksonville, FL or Phoenix, AZ?

Thank you @katgob . I am beyond scared right now and have spent most of the evening crying due to fear. My cardiologist doesn't have a formal diagnosis for my chronic pain, just keeps telling me that it's not due to a blood flow issue. I know I should be grateful for that, but my mind (and my google search history) keep going to the worst case scanarios.

@colleenyoung I would be coming to Rochester. I am 4 hours from there. I have spent most of the evening in tears because I am terrified of hearing that I have something terminal. My poor husband and my kids have just watched me sob. I beyond scared. I'm also a cardiology nurse and have worked in a cath lab, so I know all the scary things that can happen. I'm not ready to die yet. Did I say I was scared? Because I am terrified.

Nurses that I know, say they worry more. Fear leads to terror. Get the call and make contact. Real tests are the only thing to let you know. Sit with your terror and say not yet. I am not ready to die. I need my tests GOD!! No real diagnosis is what is scary to me. What you have seen may not be your road. Please do this next step as Colleen suggested.

@babyblues262, I recently read this quote elsewhere on the forum: “Anxiety is an overestimation of the problem and an underestimation of your resources to deal with it”. - David Barlow, Ph.D.

I know you're terrified. The unknown is scary. It sounds like your mind is desperately trying to fill the void of the unknown and unanswered questions with uninformed answers like searching the internet.

It can help to stay focused on the present, the here and now, rather than the future. To help calm your racing thoughts try the 3-3-3 exercise:
Name 3 things you can see, 3 things you can touch, and 3 sounds you can hear.

Try some diaphramic breathing and really focus on the breath going in and out. Live today. I hope this helps you sleep tonight.

@babyblues262 Can a family member come with you to an appointment at Mayo? The problem with looking up heath problems on Google is that you imagine all kinds of problems and your mind runs away with you.

I have been scared enough to have panic attacks, not for heart issues, but because I needed spine surgery. That was new territory for me. I realized that I had within me, the skills to cope with the fear. I started doing deep breathing to music I loved and I learned to lower my blood pressure. I was measuring it before and after listening to a CD, and I could lower my blood pressure by 15 points. Find music you can get lost in and devise a strategy of what you can do to distract yourself from fear. Have you hear the saying, "fake it until you make it?" What can you do to take your mind to a positive place?

Here's a little more on the subject. You may like an interview that I did for a Podcast about confronting fear.

Just Want to Talk - "How can I defeat my anxiety about medical tests and surgery?"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-can-i-defeat-my-anxiety-about-medical-tests-and-surgery/

@babyblues262 You are not alone. I just read through initial responses to your post full of such compassion, insight and wonderful guidance. A win! I see @colleenyoung included me and I am glad to help where I can.

I am a Rochester Mayo cardiology patient. It was a long tough time getting to that point and I can honestly tell you I do know the battle is real, I feel your pain. I have been at a place that taught me there are worse things than dying. You can do this! I am sorry you are not getting the support you need. I am here to help when and how I can as you continue to do the next thing in front of you.

Once at Mayo I was told they understood what was happening, weren’t sure what to do about it, but first it would be about protecting my heart. From there we have moved on addressing one symptom at a time. I will tell you it has been the most horrific and fascinating experiences of my life. I will also say that I regularly report to them I am feeling incrementally better.

I am here, willing to share anything from my experience that may help.

Same here .getting ready to send my portfolio to them and wait for an appointment 😌.
But Dr's here are puzzled.
Hopefully we can get some results 🙏.
Mine g as been going on for a year

I will hope that you are able to get an appointment as well.