I have OCD along with Hypochondria and one of my main obsessions for the past five years is having breast cancer. When I turned 40, I was supposed to go for my mammogram, but I put it off because of fear. I made all kinds of excuses and then I had some major issues with my stomach that I focused on. Recently, I developed a strange mark on my breast along with extreme pain. Immediately, I thought IBC! (Inflammtory Breast Cancer). I became so frightened and spent HOURS every day researching on the internet and checking my breasts and I was too scared to make an apt with the doctor. After one month, I realized it was unlikely IBC since the pain went away and so did the mark. I finally scheduled a mammogram since I am now almost 42 and decided I had procrastinated long enough. I broke down in the mammography office and started crying LIKE A BABY, because I was SO SCARED and had no one there with me for support. I FREAKED OUT because the took more pictures of the right breast than the left breast and when I asked the volunteer there, who they brought in to help me stop freaking out, why they would take more pics of one breast than the other, she said they only do that when they find something suspicious. Needless to say that freaked me out even more.
Fortunately and THANK GOD, I found out today my mammogram came out normal. But, I brought unnecessary stress and misery on myself because of my stupid fear. Not to mention, if I had had something serious, it might not have been caught in time.
If you are afraid like I am, please be brave and get checked. I am lucky, but I could have not been, just because of this terrible hypochondria, Ocd fear.
And like all us Hypochondriacs know that just because we get a clean bill of health, we will still worry. I am already worrying about next year's mammogram and going through the waiting afterwards--but I am going to really start seriously doing mindfulness meditation training so I don't have to go through this insanity again!