I don't really know how to begin this, so I'll start with the basics. I'm 22 years old. And whether it matters or not, I'm not particularly skinny. But I'm not overweight either. A bit curvy, perhaps. Just over a year ago, I began hearing what sounded like my pulse in my right ear. It wasn't extreme or anything, but it was definitely there. It would be like that for a few days and eventually it would just go away. Even when I did have these few days of pulsatile tinnitus, it wasn't constant. And when it was over, it would be months before I heard it again. Because of that, I didn't really worry too much. Initially, there was no pain associated with the noise. But recently, it seems that I get subtle headache on the right side of my head during the... "episodes" of the pulsatile tinnitus. And sometimes even when I'm not having an episode. I had terrible anxiety before all of this which hs recently gotten even worse, so I don't know if the headaches are really associated with the tinnitus or not.
Now for a little medical history
Shortly before I started experiencing PT, I went to the doctor because there was a lump in the lower part of my neck on the right side. I had to go to about 10 different doctors before one finally scheduled me for an ultrasound. Sure enough, I got a call not even 24 hours later. They saw the lump. In fact, they saw a few. But the largest one (and it was, indeed, quite large) was on the bottom right side. The word "cancer" was promptly thrown around and I was sent for a plethora of tests. Blood tests, biopsies, tests where I had to drink iodine, etc. The lump, thankfully, was benign. The doctor had a special term for it. And as it was so long ago, I can't remember what it was. While the lump was benign, it was causing my thyroid problems, prompting it to be more overactive than it would be if I were without it. And because my thyroid /is/ overactive, my body produces too much adrenaline. In turn, making my heart beat faster than it should. So in an effort to combat it, I was put on propranolol and given a pill of radioactive iodine that I had to swallow in hopes that it might kill that lump in my throat. The dose given to me was very minuscule because I didn't have cancer.
My mind is jumping to the worst conclusions. I find myself getting depressed, worrying that perhaps the radiation in the pill gave me a brain tumour or something. Or that I had cancer to begin with and they just didn't detect it. I'm convinced I'm going to die. Which is dramatic, I know, but my anxiety about this is taking a toll on me. I'm going to go to the doctor in the next week. I'm just worried they won't listen.
Now for a little medical history
Shortly before I started experiencing PT, I went to the doctor because there was a lump in the lower part of my neck on the right side. I had to go to about 10 different doctors before one finally scheduled me for an ultrasound. Sure enough, I got a call not even 24 hours later. They saw the lump. In fact, they saw a few. But the largest one (and it was, indeed, quite large) was on the bottom right side. The word "cancer" was promptly thrown around and I was sent for a plethora of tests. Blood tests, biopsies, tests where I had to drink iodine, etc. The lump, thankfully, was benign. The doctor had a special term for it. And as it was so long ago, I can't remember what it was. While the lump was benign, it was causing my thyroid problems, prompting it to be more overactive than it would be if I were without it. And because my thyroid /is/ overactive, my body produces too much adrenaline. In turn, making my heart beat faster than it should. So in an effort to combat it, I was put on propranolol and given a pill of radioactive iodine that I had to swallow in hopes that it might kill that lump in my throat. The dose given to me was very minuscule because I didn't have cancer.
My mind is jumping to the worst conclusions. I find myself getting depressed, worrying that perhaps the radiation in the pill gave me a brain tumour or something. Or that I had cancer to begin with and they just didn't detect it. I'm convinced I'm going to die. Which is dramatic, I know, but my anxiety about this is taking a toll on me. I'm going to go to the doctor in the next week. I'm just worried they won't listen.
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