Day 4 This diagnosis kept me in fear

What was the most disheartening thing a doctor has told you about your symptoms?

In 2020, during the middle of pandemic lockdowns, I was having tingling in my arm. So I did a teleconsult with a neurologist, since I had no other recourse. After giving me a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, the doctor said one phrase that took over my mind

"It will keep coming back and will never be the same again."

That completely scared my anxious self, and I obsessed over that for the whole pandemic- especially since I couldn't see a doctor in person.

In what ways have you kept that in your mind?

I feel like that phrase is still in my subconscious.

The fact that I can still write about it today means that it has had a big impact on me.

Thanks to this forum and this site, I'm doing my part to bring better knowledge in.

 

Ugh.

Well, I remember the days when oncology docs would regularly give people very specific prognoses as to how long they had to live. Enough people defied those prognoses that I think they are a lot more careful these days, and hopefully that will eventually apply to chronic pain. The word is getting out there, slowly, but surely. I have faith!

 

4 years back, when I went to this doctor for a sudden gastric problem in my stomach, he took my BP and found it high. He explained the situation to me as follows:

I will suddenly get a heart attack or stroke.
My eyes will get affected over the years
I will start panting if I walk fast or while climbing up stairs.....it goes on!

I went home feeling I'm going to die soon! And to think I went to him for my gastric problem!
Long story short I did all my tests which came out normal, changed my doctor who weaned me off BP meds slowly and I'm fine now.
But that one visit changed my life, I started getting anxiety attacks, mostly health anxiety and till now I am very very scared to check my BP. Yoga and meditation and turning to the spiritual path has made my life so much more peaceful.
I wish doctors could be more empathetic and and reassure instead of frightening patients.

 

If you search the archive you'll find a lot of threads with this question, which is a good one.

For me , as I posted this morning , it was "You risk paralysis if you ever even JOG again". For someone who loves being active that was like a jail door slamming behind me...at age 32!! I am now 57 and still working hard in construction , playing baseball and anything else I want to do...only limited by my skills.

That was particularly troubling because it meant 'being careful' which as Sarno pointed out creates PHYSICOPHOBIA (his word) which is as effective as pain to keep you strongly focused on the body