Did anyone freak out this much when...

[LilNoa]

Waiting for blood results?

I suffer from anxiety and OCD so I know that is the main reason, however it's getting pretty ridiculous now. I cannot sleep, eat or think of anything but the worse case scenario. I am visualising speaking to my OB on Friday (when I call for my results) and her telling me the worst news I can imagine (HIV and Hep C being my phobias). I had a HIV test done last year after 4 years of obsessing over it, and it came out negative. But now my anxiety has come back with a vengeance since being pregnant and I can't stop worrying that the lab may have made some kind of mistake with my results.

The obsession has also transferred over to hepatitis because I realised I have never had this test (I had an unprotected encounter 6 years ago). I'm just so scared that she's going to call me to tell me I have this.

Does anyone have any advice or have you been through a similar thing? I Just can't stop fearing the worst and I'm worried it's intuition and my instincts are kicking in.

Thanks for any help you can offer xx

 

[Laura1992]

Aw bless you. Is this your first round of bloods?

If there are concerns, you will get a phone call within a day or two of the blood test, so hopefully that slightly eases your pain! No news is very much good news. I just called my GP each day to ask about results and mine came back really quickly and no problems really apart from slightly high white blood count but that is not untypical in pregnancy anyway, I was told. Try not to worry, I'm an anxious person myself, but you'll make yourself ill if you don't try and learn to relax as unfortunately there are lots of tests and results throughout pregnancy to worry about. They will always let you know asap with a phone call if there are problems though xx

 

[JD.Deedee]

Unless your partner unknowingly has hiv I doubt it suddenly become positive from having a negative outcome a year ago. And I think you don't have to worry about hep c, it's almost a negligent chance you'd get infected via sex and it's transferred via blood so think sharing needles.. risk is more likely to be at dodgy tattoo parlours or home tattooists, drug users and medical practises with really bad hygiene standards that kind of thing.

 

[LilNoa]

Thank you both for your replies. Yes this is my first round of bloods and I know there are going to be more anxious waits further in the pregnancy however I feel that once I get this first round out of the way (if the results are good) then I will be able to handle whatever comes next, or at least my anxiety won't be as bad as it is now.

I am based in Spain so the procedure here is that they don't call you if anything's wrong, you have to pick the results up yourself from the lab. That's why my OB offered to pick them up for me and call me to discuss the results. I'm so scared to speak with her on Friday

My husband and I are both 100% faithful and he got tested a year after we'd been together so I know he was clean at that point. However my ocd will not leave my alone and I keep doubting the test I had done a year ago (did the lab make a mistake etc). I know it sounds silly but it feels so terrifyingly real to me.

Did you ladies feel anxious about these particular tests too or where you confident they'd come back negative?

 

[Laura1992]

I was pretty confident they would be ok, but I've never had blood tests before so I had no idea what to expect really and I had a slight reason to worry about one of the results (I'd prefer not to say which) but it came back absolutely fine. If both yourself and partner have been tested before then even less reason to worry! Roll on tomorrow so you can breath a sigh of relief hey xx

 

[Syd43]

Lilnoa, I went through that exact obsession about HIV many many years ago. I wasn't pregnant but I suddenly became convinced I must have it and the blood test result didn't calm me down, I was sure they must have made a mistake at the lab so I understand what you're going through. I had several tests over the space of a few years because I was so paranoid even though I was single for most of that time, just the odd fling and never had unprotected sex. I don't know where the fear stems from, I just know it finally went away. I remember one doctor telling me he knew a couple where one of them was hiv positive but didn't realise and after months of unprotected sex the other partner still hadn't contracted the disease. Whilst of course everyone should take precautions it's not as easy to catch as you think. Knowing that helped me. I don't know how to help you with the anxiety but I do want you to know that I truly understand that fear. Once I finally got over it I was almost annoyed at myself for wasting so much time and energy on something that was so unlikely but unfortunately that's how it is with irrational fears. As the other ladies have said, the chances of you having either are basically non existent so please do try to relax. I hope you feel better after speaking to your doctor tomorrow.

 

[LilNoa]

Lilnoa, I went through that exact obsession about HIV many many years ago. I wasn't pregnant but I suddenly became convinced I must have it and the blood test result didn't calm me down, I was sure they must have made a mistake at the lab so I understand what you're going through. I had several tests over the space of a few years because I was so paranoid even though I was single for most of that time, just the odd fling and never had unprotected sex. I don't know where the fear stems from, I just know it finally went away. I remember one doctor telling me he knew a couple where one of them was hiv positive but didn't realise and after months of unprotected sex the other partner still hadn't contracted the disease. Whilst of course everyone should take precautions it's not as easy to catch as you think. Knowing that helped me. I don't know how to help you with the anxiety but I do want you to know that I truly understand that fear. Once I finally got over it I was almost annoyed at myself for wasting so much time and energy on something that was so unlikely but unfortunately that's how it is with irrational fears. As the other ladies have said, the chances of you having either are basically non existent so please do try to relax. I hope you feel better after speaking to your doctor tomorrow.

Thank you so much for your reply, it really helps hearing from someone who has been through the same thing. It's such an awful feeling isn't it, and so annoying when even the test results don't comfort you.

Shamelessly, I made my husband call the test laboratory this morning to ask them if they have ever made a mistake. They assured him that this has never happened and there is no reason whatsoever for me to doubt the results. That has made me feel better but I am still scared to make the call to my OB.

I'm so happy for you that you overcame your fear and are now ok. I'm praying that I can ache ive the same.

Problem is that with me, I really did have an unprotected encounter with someone considered somewhat of a risk category (an African who lived there as a child). Whereas most people with this fear, are afraid they were at risk in practically 0 risk situations. (Using protection, or getting a massage etc) That's why I've found it hard because I believe in some weird way that I deserve something bad to happen to me for being so irresponsible.

It must sound so ridiculous to some people but all feels so real to me

 

[Syd43]

I've sent you a private message.