This has really been great for me to hear from all of you. thank you.

i too don't go to the Doctor unless it's an emergency. i haven't had
a regular physical since i went to college at 17 and that's almost 10
years ago.

2 years ago i started having trouble with my legs. tingling and
weakness to the point where last year i could hardly walk. my best
friend finally dragged me to a neurologist (her fearing i had MS).
three doctors later it was diagnosed that i had a spinal cord tumor
and it had to come out asap. luckily for me, my mother took over
then. basically setting everything up so that a week after the
diagnosis i was scheduled for sugery.

everything went brilliantly and with a minimum of fuss. of course i
drove the nurses crazy when i insisted i walk the next day (no bedpan
for me) and that i get out of bed by myself. but that was a year ago
and i have all the feeling back in my lower body except for a little
numb patch on my belly. i was supposed to go for several follow ups,
but of course i went for one to get the stitches out and that was it
for me.

now i have to go to the gyno. true, i want to go on the pill because
i don't ever want to have kids (think of all the doctors visits
there!) and i want to feel safely protected from pregnancy, but also
my last two menstrual cycles have been different. first i thought i
was pregnant (which started this whole thing) but i've done four
pregnancy tests at various times (i believe in being thourough). and
i also got my period, but it was very different, nothing like it's
been for my whole life. a very bright red flow and a lot of little
pains. i think i might have Pelvic Inflamitory disease or a cyst.

will a dr. really give me a sedative to go to the gyno? i usually go
to those 24hr immedicenter type places, they ask fewer questions. i
really think it's the only way i'll be able to go.

thanks for being there!
--- In 000-Fear-Of-Doctors@egroups.com, "R.J.S." <rnode@w...> wrote:
> Dear SD-
>
> I am helped by these e-mail exchanges. Thank you, and thank you
too Judy.
>
> Before I turned 40 last year, the thought of dying never occurred
to me.
> As my father died in his late 40's I began to realize my own
mortality,
> and began experiencing symptoms such as headaches, chest tightness
etc.
> Any normal person would have gone to a doctor and had it checked--
> particularly since I come from a genetic cesspool of hear disease,
> diabetes you name it.
>
> The fear is so consuming and paralysing, that a shrink (for some
reason
> they don't scare me) who I consulted about this specific problem
told me
> that it my phobia was so severe that it would probably take a "major
> event" to get me to a doctor or hospital.
>
> Like you SD- I also haven't seen a dentist in at least 20 years,
and it
> sure hurts when I eat or drink something cold.
>
> One thing is for sure, in my opinion, people without the phobia
can't help
> us. There are no antidepressants or anxiety pills strong enough to
let me
> have someone take my blood pressure or--god forbid actually draw
> blood--yes I would rather die.
>
> RJS
>
>
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