Symptoms like crazy! Please help!

Hi everyone!
Stress levels have been super high for me lately!
For 3 months now I have been having tingling down my arm from what feels like a pinched nerve. Then 1 month ago sciatica on that same side. I have been ok with these as they aren't bothering me too bad. The scary problem started 3 days ago. Before I went to bed I did some pretty rigorous stretches for my sciatica and the next morning I woke up in panic as I felt this large hard mass in my stomach right below my belly button. I ran screaming to my husband that I had a mass but I had to pee real bad so I went to the bathroom and the lump went away. Shortly after that I started having my IC symptoms, mildly though. Burning pee and swollen bladder feeling. The hard mass was gone until the next morning when I got spit was there again but smaller this time. It went away after I peed. This morning it was not there, and I have pushed all around and feel absolutely nothing!!
Has anyone experienced this? Could it have been from stretching or from my bladder? My husband says maybe a hernia.
Any advice is so appreciated!!

 

It's possible you just pulled a muscle but you need to see a doctor first, to rule out anything like a hernia or just or infection.

 

UPDATE!!
Found out I have uterine fibroids!! Ugh!!

 

Dang, I'm sorry @Thelauriebelle1.

Have you by any chance looked up "stress and fibroids"? I believe there is a fairly well known connection. Or at least a widely-suspected connection. Based on my own experience with RA, I have no doubt that extreme and unrelenting stress can produce actual measurable (or visible) physiological conditions.

The hard part is eliminating stress, especially in today's world. Nonetheless, that has to be our goal, you and me and everyone!

 

Hi Jan!!!!
Stress is the reason 100% I believe!!
Weirdly enough the medical industry has no idea really WHY women get these things. The say many reasons. However, we do know that it comes from being estrogen dominant!!!! And we DO know that estrogen dominance is a HUGE stress factor!!! Then throw in all the other reasons and there you have fibroids.
I believe more and more everyday that the way we react to stress is where all our work is!!!

 

1000%.
Mindfulness practices are essential. This thread from yesterday contains more detail from me and others about this topic, and I also recommend @TG957's book which will convince you of the healing power of meditation: https://www.amazon.com/Defying-Verdict-Defeated-Chronic-Pain-ebook/dp/B0834Q46SM

 

Thanks so much! I just purchased the Kindle version!!!

 

I really connect with that first part of your original post! I've had symptoms that I was kind of ok with because they weren't interfering that much with my life. I now think that's a huge trap for me!!
The symptoms I'm accepting are TMS/mindbody-related. Even if they are minor symptoms, they are red flags that my mind is trying to distract.

What has typically come next for me is what you describe--scary symptoms.
For example, I was ok with some minor back pain, but freaked (and ended up at urgent care and then doing a CT scan) when I had sharp abdominal pains come out of nowhere at work and stick around for the afternoon. Those abdominal pains were TMS.