Googled.. big mistake! Freaking out!

[missmello]

So if any of you have read my posts you know I've been all over the place with my symptoms.

Well this time around I'm obsessing over the color in my fingers ad constantly checking my pulse.

My mom also has anxiety, and I've been talking to her about what's been bothering me. She called me today and said "Hey this lady I work with said her hands get cold all the time and change colors, and another lady told her it's probably raynauds phenomenon, and that its normal" So she encouraged me to look it up so that it would ease my mind. WRONG!

Raynaud's is associated with Scleroderma (an extremely scary disease, do not google it lol), and a few years ago my stomach doctor did an upper endoscopy and said there was "suspicion of scleroderma". I was then sent to another doctor who specializes in those kinds of diseases, and he did a blood test to look for certain antibodies associated with scleroderma. I never got results back, so assumed everything was fine, this was 2009 i think. Well in March I went to the medical walk-in and he saw in my records i was tested for it and said he could look up my results. They were NEGATIVE! Thank God! It did give me some relief, but he said they were also sent out for additional testing and those results are nowhere to be found. The doctor said if the initial results are negative then there's really nothing to worry about.

My first stomach doctor from 2009 suggested it, but my stomach doctor I went to see 2 months ago even took biopsies and said everything looked normal. I'm not sure what he tested for, but whatever it was, it was normal.

But how can i not worry!! Scleroderma can also affect the lungs, and I had xrays done in March where they found "calcified nodules" on one of my lungs. They said it looked benign, didn't seem concerned at all.. and they told me that a few years earlier it was also present on xrays, but there have been no changes. I don't smoke or anything so I don't know what could have caused it.

I wish my mother had never called me!!! I'm so upset, I wish I had never googled it because now I'm freaking out with worry.

Should I be going to the doctor to get tested for it again?? I don't know what to do with myself!

[locksey]

So if any of you have read my posts you know I've been all over the place with my symptoms.

Well this time around I'm obsessing over the color in my fingers ad constantly checking my pulse.

My mom also has anxiety, and I've been talking to her about what's been bothering me. She called me today and said "Hey this lady I work with said her hands get cold all the time and change colors, and another lady told her it's probably raynauds phenomenon, and that its normal" So she encouraged me to look it up so that it would ease my mind. WRONG!

Raynaud's is associated with Scleroderma (an extremely scary disease, do not google it lol), and a few years ago my stomach doctor did an upper endoscopy and said there was "suspicion of scleroderma". I was then sent to another doctor who specializes in those kinds of diseases, and he did a blood test to look for certain antibodies associated with scleroderma. I never got results back, so assumed everything was fine, this was 2009 i think. Well in March I went to the medical walk-in and he saw in my records i was tested for it and said he could look up my results. They were NEGATIVE! Thank God! It did give me some relief, but he said they were also sent out for additional testing and those results are nowhere to be found. The doctor said if the initial results are negative then there's really nothing to worry about.

My first stomach doctor from 2009 suggested it, but my stomach doctor I went to see 2 months ago even took biopsies and said everything looked normal. I'm not sure what he tested for, but whatever it was, it was normal.

But how can i not worry!! Scleroderma can also affect the lungs, and I had xrays done in March where they found "calcified nodules" on one of my lungs. They said it looked benign, didn't seem concerned at all.. and they told me that a few years earlier it was also present on xrays, but there have been no changes. I don't smoke or anything so I don't know what could have caused it.

I wish my mother had never called me!!! I'm so upset, I wish I had never googled it because now I'm freaking out with worry.

Should I be going to the doctor to get tested for it again?? I don't know what to do with myself!
If the weather is good and slightly chilly I get cold hands and finger tips go numb... I've been told it just poor circulation so I dnt stress anymore or look it up as that's the same info I found

[Sarah Griffin]

Im like you with the googling. And it never helps but its so tempting. We just want answers quick!

About your fingers.. A couple of weeks ago i had to ring an out of hours nurse because my hands were cold and my finger nails were purple. I thought i was dying! A nurse rang me back and talked me through the situation. The colour means lack of oxygen to the fingers. This of course freaked me out. But she said it happens a lot and its nothing to worry about. It happens when people are a little run down you dont have to be sick.

With the change of weather at this time of year you could just be a little run down. Nothing to worry about at all! Your not diseaesd woman! :)

Hope this helps! :)

Ps. I havent used google in awhile. When i come up with a symptom that i cannot explain i always ring my mam to ask her what she thinks. Shes the only one who can calm me down and try to convince me its nothing. Maybe you and your mam are too alike for that. But try to find someone who understands your worry and is there to answer all your silly symptom questions! :)

[missmello]

Thank you, that does help! I know sometimes talking to my mom helps because she can understand what I'm going through. My mother in law is great to talk to when I need to be calmed down. She doesn't judge me or make me feel stupid for thinking crazy thoughts either. I just don't like to call her so often about my problems because I don't like to worry people. I'm seeing a counselor next week so I'm hoping it will help.

[krayziee]

My hands are cold and purple alot of times, aways had this.. It's nothing to worry about, it's caused by bad breathing and tension in your muscles which can even come from all the way in the neck.

Try to do some meditation and you will see that your hands will be warm again.

Also if you Use the computer alot it's really common.