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I had to do an overnight sleep apnea test at home and had to get up to use the bathroom. I tucked the thing with the cord that goes on my finger in my sleeve but can't get over the idea of what if the pulse oximeter thing fell in the toilet because I risked that by not taking the whole thing off before going to the washroom. I also risked having the thing that clips on to the chest strap fall and that could have fallen in too but I'm pretty sure that part didn't. I kind of know the finger thing didn't fall in because it wasn't wet and still worked and I have no memory of it actually falling in. If I didn't have to give back the monitor today I might not feel so bad but I feel bad handing it over wondering if it did go in the toilet. It's sort of more like I'm blaming myself for risking something falling in that increases the fear if that makes any sense.

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have a lot of the same concerns you had. It's great hearing that you overcame OCD.

Thank you so much taurean. I'll go back to your post on stopping carrying out compulsions and for the new thing I'm worried about today!

Thank you taurean! Helps a lot.

What do most people do when they encounter mysterious substances? I found oil spots on the paper in a box of IKEA furniture. That was mostly okay but then there was also brown powdery stuff on the drawer fronts. It's slightly possible it was from my chocolate bar but not likely. It looked like cocoa. Yesterday my grocery bags were wet from the store but I got over that. But the powder kind of bothers me. I don't think it's dirt and not sawdust. Do most people just ignore these kind of things?

Thank you OCDhavenobrain and dksea. I know I was overthinking things but sometimes it helps to write these things out. Now I realize how I have been worrying about things I don't need to. It helps put things into perspective. Thank you again!

I have some things in the freezer that are very old but I am having trouble deciding whether to compost them (in municipal compost bin) or just throw them out. I worry that they are too far gone to compost safely or handle. (Some things I had put in the freezer because I was worried it was too old). On the other hand I don't like throwing out fish sealed in plastic for example because I think it will be super gross or turn into something dangerous in the landfill. Obviously most people don't worry about this but what do other people do? I also wonder what if we had a power cut when we were away? Some things have been in the freezer for three or four years.

Thank you Leif and PolarBear. Sorry, I did manage to forget about it and forgot to check for replies! I appreciate the help, thank you.

How to deal with the uncertainty of being nearly exposed to something that could be bad or nothing? I took out the garbage, not the best time for me, and checked my shoes because they get muddy usually by picking them up and there was some off-white stuff on them. My first thought was raccoon poop and I wiped off the shoe on the side of the step. Then I thought mushroom, but it's winter and I didn't see any. Then I thought it could be some part of some poor animal and since it was off-white, I thought brain tissue of the animal I fear most... I have been doing fairly well lately but this one threw me. It could be compost but I didn't notice any on the ground. Could be anything I guess. But I did bring the shoes close enough to my face so I could see the underneath. And worried about my hair getting into it even though it was tied back. Trying to think of people who have pets or those who don't take off their shoes when they go in the house. And the unlikelihood of it being the thing I fear most. Now I'm thinking it might be dog poop. And I'm relieved. And really hope it's not raccoon poop. Sigh.

Thank you dksea! I'm still washing them too much but seeing what other people do does help.

I have contamination OCD and found this reassuring. Look he barely washes his hands and he's okay! Well, something like that. I notice people who take cans and bottles back for recycling rummage in garbage cans and appear to survive it. Today a man was picking up cigarette butts off the wet, dirty street and he's older and still fine. Not to recommend any of these behaviours but they help me counteract some of my contamination fears. I'm still going to wash my hands but hopefully a normal amount, at least less than I do now.

So sorry to hear that Alyssa. I have CFS and OCD and I know that both can be isolating. I hope you manage to reconnect with your friend and also manage to make new friends.

Does it help to know that most germs don't survive very long on surfaces? Or is it a disgust issue? Can you visualize touching the bin? Or touch something that is around a 35 on the subjective units of distress scale and watch things go down? When my contamination OCD was worse than now I had to literally force myself to touch something, anything to break the cycle. My OCD is usually worse in the morning and I had to do this to be able to get on with my day.

Thank you BelAnna and PolarBear. The OCD brain is a trickster! (Note to future self).

Could this be from all the stress you are feeling? Are you sleeping enough? Last time I got really worried about something, I didn't sleep well plus super-stressed and then I had two or three weird skin things pop up suddenly. Two have gone away, the other mostly has. Your breathing thing could be anxiety. I see you are drinking green tea, be careful of green tea extract, it is not safe for the liver. The extract is the problem, the tea should be okay I think. Great you are making sure your diet is extra healthy. What you are writing sounds like you are already sure that something bad will happen. That is not for sure, it's only an extremely tiny possibility, so remote it's not worth worrying about other than getting it seen to. Like DragonFly says, comedy can be really helpful. I think that one can do a lot of healing in the meantime while waiting for an appointment. Including diet you can visualize yourself healthy instead of imagining the worst. I went to a couple of workshops by this man who started writing books as a teenager. I don't usually believe in this stuff but he appears to really have a gift but says we can learn to help heal ourselves and explains what he does with quantum physics. He helped a musician who had a mass on his pancreas. People have tried to discredit him but the musician is still around fifteen years later. He now helps people heal through integrated medicine (allopathic plus alternative medicine together). http://www.dreamhealer.com/ So anything positive, works by Louise Hay are also good. (She had cancer that she healed from on her own). This is her video with the title, Stop Scaring Yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EVqWakD5mQ I wonder if your GP could book you an ultrasound now so you don't have to wait. Not sure what the specialist would order. x