Last week I finished up grad school (Master's degree). I'm currently gainfully unemployed and my student health insurance runs out the first of August.
I've been to the doc so many times the last couple of weeks (sigh). The first batch was relatively minor...I had a big splinter in my hand that the docs didn't find right away...3 visits, 2 courses of antibiotics and 2 in-office minor surgeries later, they *finally* got it out.
Then I had my yearly 'well woman' exam, at which the doc decided I needed to see a colorectal surgeon for my hemorrhoids (yippee). I wasn't too worried because they haven't been bothering me much. Then the surgeon found a lump in addition to the hemorrhoids, and his reaction freaked me out...he practically ran out of the room to have his staff schedule surgery at his first available opening (Wed the 30th). Then he did one of those doctor-patient chats where he tells you it might be nothing but could be cancer (while watching your face intently for signs you're freaking out). He said, "It doesn't look like anal cancer, but then anal cancer doesn't look like anal cancer...until it does" (what the *hell* does that mean?? I'm going to have a colonoscopy as well as the surgery.
Then Saturday I got a letter from the mammogram shows some "findings" which require follow-up imaging. The one I had a year and a half ago was fine.
Between the butt lump and the boob lump I'm really trying not to freak out. I told my folks (who live 1500 miles away) about the surgery but not the problem with the mammogram.
I used to work in the office of a med school, and I just keep thinking about all the teaching cases we saw where cancer had spread to several places.
I don't really have anyone else to talk to about this. I'm trying not to freak out the husband...