Anxiety is something I’ve struggled with for a very long time and health anxiety is what I struggle with most. Having health anxiety with a chronic illness is challenging because you’re never quite sure if it’s just your anxiety talking or if you really do have new symptoms.
Related to health anxiety is pre-hospital appointment anxiety, especially when you have any type of new treatment, procedure or surgery coming up.
The other day, I got the date for my endoscopy. It’s in less than two weeks and it’s safe to say I am bricking it!
Endoscopies are one of the things I’ve always been scared of. I’ve struggled with swallowing most of my life, but the past few months have been particularly bad and I finally went to the doctors about it.
Because I struggle with swallowing, even the thought if something like a camera going down my throat is enough to make me gag. I’m someone who can’t swallow tablets (or food really at the moment) and my throat has always been one of those things I feel uncomfortable about.
Even when I had tonsillitis (a lot) and the doctors would get you to stick out your tongue whilst they out that wooden stick on it to look down was difficult. Even thinking about it brings a shiver down my spine.
But, having an endoscopy is the only way I’m going to get any answers, and hopefully, be able to eat like a normal person again soon!
So, how do you deal with anxiety related to procedures coming up? It’s a good question and something I have worked on A LOT over the past 6 years.
Remember why your having it and the benefit it will bring
This is a big one for me and something I always try to come back to.
Write down why you’re having the procedure/medication. Write down the ideal outcome or benefit for it.
In my current circumstance, having the endoscopy will hopefully give me answers as to why I can’t swallow properly and struggling to eat. Hopefully these answers are going to mean I get get a treatment to help.
If it’s anxiety related to a general clinic appointment, write down the desired outcome and questions you’d like to ask your consultant.
Don’t google too much
I’m someone who likes to know what they’re getting into and not knowing can cause my brain to go into overdrive.
However, doing too much research can equally scare me and send my brain into overdrive.
I make sure any information I read for procedures is from the NHS website, or leaflets I’m given. I try and skip over the complications bit as that terrifies me but usually you have a good idea of what they are – plus they always go over it before they do the procedure in person!
I will sometimes ask people in the chronic illness community though as they can offer great tips to help you! Just make sure you’re going to more positive and actively helpful people, rather than be scaremongers.
For new medication, I try not to look too much into side effects unless I’m not feeling great once in have started taking it. Mainly because I manage to convince myself I have all the side effects!
Have a meditation/mantra/affirmation to help you through it
This is something I use a lot when I have MRI’s.
Having a breathing technique or mantra can really help take your mind away from what’s happening at that moment and stop your brain from making you feel more anxious.
Something I use a lot is the counting technique. I have two versions; one where I count up to 10 then back down to 0. I do this over and over again as it’s something easy and I find calming.
I also use a breathing technique where you breath in for 4, hold for 4 and then breath out for 4. It’s a simple technique but works amazingly.
For my endoscopy, I’m making sure I have my headphones with me so I can use the Calm app afterwards to help me.
If it’s something like an MRI, always ask for music or the radio otherwise it can feel like a lifetime! And if you are nervous, let your medical team know as they’re normally really great at helping calm. Before my last op, I was sat in the operating theatre before they out me under and they let me choose the radio station to listen to whilst they got everything ready!
Remember, it’s natural to me nervous and you’re probably not the first scared patient they’ve had!
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