Okay ladies, I mentioned this briefly under another thread, but I really need someone to talk some sense into me. Here is the deal.
About three weeks ago I noticed when I swallowed a large piece of food that my throat kind of hurt. So I kind of blew that off until I noticed that it happened again. So being the well trained medical professionsal that I am (NOT REALLY) I decided to try to figure out exactly what the problem was. I could not see anything wrong in the back of my throat (trust me, I spent hours looking), so I poked my finger around until I noticed a bump about 1/2 the size of a pea. Low and behold I kept poking at it hoping that it would go away. How exactly I thought this would happen is beyond comprehension. So, after worrying incessantly about this for three weeks I finally put my big girl panties on and decided to deal with it. So, I went to my primary care doc yesterday and he said, yep, there is something back there but it is probably nothing but bone growth. He referred me to an ear, nose and throat doc, because that bascially what this doc does. Referrals....I digress however. So I was lucky enough to get to see the ENT doc yesterday. He could see nothing in my throat, but he did feel the bump I was talking about. He told me in VERY clear terms that there was a 99.99% chance that this is NOTHING. 99.99% mind you. He said he thinks it is a calcified stylhyoid ligament. Okay, no reason to freak out because apparently calcification happens all over the body as it ages. Great....someone else pointing out that I am aging
So, I ask him if that meant it was benign or malignant. He said neither because it is basically NOTHING!!! He told me if I needed to worry about something, I should find something else to worry about because this was NOTHING. So why is it that I am worried about this? Why has this ruled my whole day. I just had the xray done that he ordered and it took less than two minutes. I now have to wait up to 48 hours for the doc to get the report from the radiologist.

I just cannot stand this. I am such a big baby. Why when two docs say you have nothing do our little minds think we know more than they do? I am frustrated. I think I will just go exercise and see if I can get my mind off of this. Have a great day ladies and send some happy thoughts my way. Or at least try to send me some brain cells so I can get a little smarter about this!!

Shakin'

Happy thoughts heading your way! I'd send brain cells if I had any.

2--TWO--doctors said don't worry. Don't you trust them? Don't you think they deserved their degrees? Do you think they cheated on the licensing exams?

Either you trust them and accept their qualifications or not. If you don't--find new doctors.

It's a BUMP. The doctor's prescriptson was "DON"T WORRY."

I'm sure it is nothing--except perhaps some anxiety caused by lack of estrogen. I know our minds can play terrible tricks on us at this time. I've said before I think that lack of estrogen can be very much like a bad acid trip. Try to remember you are just displaying a symptom of menopause with all of this worry. It will pass. Your results will be here soon and all will be fine. I'm sure the doc just ordered the x-ray to prove to you it is just calcification and ease your mind.

Exercise is good. It will stimulate your endorphins and hopefully make you feel better. All of this worry is what will really make you sick. Calm down before the Lord gives you something to really worry about.

Forget it and enjoy the rest of your day. You've done all you can do--you saw the doctor--2 of them--and the general opinion has been that it is nothing. You were right to get it checked. Now enjoy the good news!

Feel better soon and have a great day.

Miss Tibbs

Hi Shakin'!
Can't send you brain cells, got none myself, but I'm sending you millions of hugs instead! ok?
Thought I'd just remind you about that funny lump I've got in my mouth, behind the front teeth don't you have something similar? Bone, right? So this is bone also, right?
Ban those silly worry-thoughts and perhaps treat yourself to a wee peace of chocolate to lift your soul!
I'm glad you went to the doctor, now put it behind you, concentrate on positive things and perhaps go to your "happy" topic and post 20! I'm still waiting for those 10.000!
Don't make me cheat again...!!
Shakin' I do understand those fears, but you've been told you're ok, so relax and don't allow worry to spoil your day, worry generated by hormones, not by facts!
So, head up, put that smile on your face, pamper the big baby in you and enjoy this day!
Big hugs, Jonie

Quite frankly, I'd have been scared to death as well and I'd probably been to the doctor before I had my finger out of my throat. I am glad two opinions say it's nothing to worry about but I'm glad they did the x-ray regardless. This is natural fear and concern for anyone of any age and gender and has nothing to do with menopause

Now my question is, okay, it's nothing to worry about BUT it hurts sometimes when I swallow so can something be done about that or should anything be done?

Jonie:

Yep I was the one that had the bump on my gum that I worried about for a while. Finally went to the dentist and as a point of reference, those bumps are called torus and they are caused by grinding and clenching our teeth. Hard to believe we would do that, huh? This bump is different. It is between the end of my gum and my tonsils. The doc said this is just NOT a place that people get cancer and I do not have the risk factors for throat or neck cancers anyway. So again, I think I am just not happy unless I am worrying about something! I am sure all will be okay.

I am headed to the gym then I will come back and post 20 happy thoughts for the day. We do have a long way to get to 10,000!!!

Thanks to you and Ms. Tibbs for your kind, logical thoughts!!!

sHAKIN'

Buttercup:

Apparently it can be removed surgically if it get bigger or affects the nerves around it. I think the only real reason it is still hurting is because I keep poking at it!!! For the most part the pain is so minor I am not sure what caused me to notice it in the first place. I am proud of myself for going to see a doc in a reasonable amount of time. There was a time I would worry about these things for years.

Thanks for your words.

Shakin'

Dear Shakin'

Shake-Shake-Shake it off....baby!! .......sorry couldn't resist

I understand where you are coming from, I do!! When we were 'younger' we DID 'shake' these sort of things off....because we were infaliable....dontcha know

But here we are middle aged, dealing with menopause and seemingly going to the Dr's every other week. We are finding bumps and bruises, aches and pains that were never there before....and we freak out!....and not like when we used to 'freak out' cause we scored some tickets to a Stones concert.

As Miss Tibbs stated in such a succint way....you need to have some 'trust and faith' in the Dr's that you have chosen.

When I was 28 I was diagnosed with Rhumatoid Arthritis. When the Dr told me I replied...."Ok great....thanks.....bye" Then I took off to go to the Stones concert that I had 'scored' some tickets to....dance Da night away........baby!!
If I had received that news today......I would be starting a thread here on Surge hysterically entitled..... 'My life is over I have RA!!'

I am sending you good vibes....as I dance to ......Jumpin' Jack Flash is a gas -gas -gas I make up words as I go along ...Ha Ha Ha

((((((HUGS))))))
Dottie

I think you probably noticed it because you said you felt like swallowing your food hurt and then went looking for an explanation by feeling around in your throat.

If it's the ligament, some people have this and it has to be surgically repaired others not (if it causes problems, like your doc said, if it starts causing persistent pain there is a surgery to repair it.) Look up Eagle's Syndrome on google.

Hope it resolves on it's own.

Thanks to all of you for your support this week. I just heard back from my doctor and the hard bump in the back of my throat is exactly what he thought it was....NOTHING but a calcified ligament. Yeah! I can finally relax and enjoy the weekend. I am however so proud of myself for getting this checked out and not worrying about it for months on end.

Have a super weekend ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!

((((Shakin'))))
That's great news!
Really pleased for you!
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Hugs, Jonie

Dear Shakin,

Just want to add my best wishes along with the others. As someone who was afraid to go to the doctor for years, I give you kudos for getting to the right physician and having the anomaly checked out. Bravo!

Marcy

Congratulations, Shakin! --not only on the great test results--but more importantly on how you handled the situation. I'd say you are honing your coping skills. Could this be menopausal wisdom developing?

Miss Tibbs

No wonder you're shakin' darlin'.......You're gonna shake yourself silly with all this worry! What's worse for you, the worry that there's something wrong or the fact that you're "worried"? My little girl told me something she read in her Winnie the Pooh book. "The hurrier I go the behinder I get". I guess that's true for us as well in a different sense. We worry ourselves into a frenzy. The hard part is, getting the worrying under control once it starts because it just perpetuates and gets worse and worse if you don't. I really think you need to deal with the "fear factor" bit Shakin. The anxiety associated with doctors and tests can send you into a tail spin. Most of us can't stand the thought of going to the doctor and having tests, understandable. But where would we be without them? I'm sending you positive thoughts. Take it easy Shakin'
Luv Gabby

ShakingInHouston,

Sorry but I don't have any brain cells to spare either! I can totally relate to what you are feeling because I too worry about medical things even after being told they are nothing to worry about. About a year ago, I suffered from increased anxiety and my throat felt tight all the time and of course I had the flashlight out every day looking at the back of my throat. I saw a little raised bump that freaked me out. My doctor said it was nothing but it wasn't until the anxiety abated some and the throat tightness eased up that I actually began to think the doctor was right.

Hormones really mess with our minds big time--to the point where everything seems magnified in terms of severity. I am constantly trying to talk myself out of panic mode. It is very exhausting.

Hang in there.

Cindy