BelAnna

^^ This is classic OCD- Welcome to the forum!

I quite like American sitcoms/dramas. Recently I've enjoyed 'This is us' (drama) 'Life in Pieces' (comedy); 'Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist' (musical, comedy/drama) and 'The Marvellous Mrs Maisel' (comedy; which I thought sounded terrible but gave it a go because it is award-winning- it was great!).

Thanks DC82. Cyanosis is lack of oxygen circulating within the blood, which is why I checked her oxygen sats. If my Mum went to A&E then they would do the same and send her away as it was over 95%. There are probably other illnesses though (including cancers) that could cause this so she is going to the GP when we get home.

Hi Dksea, Thank you for helping! Yes, I think my first thought was that I was glad it wasn't below 95% (I think 94% is cause for concern) but then I started to worry about why it was lower than my Dad's (who has Coronary Heart Disease) and I'm still very concerned about why her lips are now almost permanently purple. She's agreed to go to the GP about her purple lips when we get back from the holiday so now I need to make a real effort not to worry on holiday. I will take your advice and let go of the worry as much as possible!

Okay so I faced it and my Mum's oxygen sats are 96%. I'm not really sure what to make of that as it's at the bottom of the normal range and some people with COPD and other lung conditions can have sats of 96. Mine is 98-99 (despite mild asthma), other family members are 97(with heart condition) to 100 (healthy, young adult). (Also I was clearly panicky as my pulse was 130!). I think that as her levels aren't below 95% she's going to make an appointment for when we get back but I'm still very concerned.

Oh I hope so Polarbear. In my head I fear she'll die very soon, which feels like the worst thing in the world to me. I really hope this isn't true and is just me worrying excessively. Thanks Dksea, you're right about learning to cope with uncertainty- I really struggle with that. I think I'll ask my Mum to use the Oximeter- I'm concerned that it will be low, that she'll refuse to go to the GP and that I'll have good cause/evidence to be worried all holiday though. Our Oximeter is simple, I'm not sure how accurate it is but I can test it on myself and other family members first. I think I'm actually scared to see though. Thanks DC82, you're right that it's not helping to assume the worst- I honestly feel despair over this and it's unhealthy. I will ask her to make an appointment though. Thank you Polarbear, Dksea and DC82.

I am not sure if this is OCD or not but I've been worrying about the same thing all day and struggling to stop ruminating. I have posted about similar fears several times before but they are related fears. (sorry I'm tired so this is a bit confused!) My Mum got back from work yesterday with shockingly purple lips and pale skin. Her lips looked cyanotic (lack of oxygen circulating in blood or issue with circulation) and I'm now incredibly scared that she has lung cancer. She has had blue-ish lips a lot for at least a couple of months but she has put it down to her severe migraines (she has always had very short periods of blue-tinged lips with migraine attacks but it usually goes away afterwards and they're never truly purple). I've been concerned that she might have cancer for a while as her breath-sound is unusual and she feels tired and dizzy a lot. I really don't know how I'll cope if she is ill. I am scared that because it seems like she might have had cancer symptoms for ama couple of years now (rattly breathing; fatigue; possible anaemia; now blue lips) that she might have advanced cancer and I don't know what to do. We are due to go on holiday on Saturday and I want to be able to enjoy it and not worry about this constantly. Also just wondered what people think about this - we have an Oximeter, which measures blood-oxygen levels, which we've not yet used. She could use it tomorrow but it might show low SATs and then she'd either have to see the GP anyway and delay the holiday or I'd spend the whole holiday worrying. Do you think it's worth checking anyway?

Hi Jumbo, That's great! In some ways you succeeded even more today if you managed to go out and stay there despite multiple OCD triggers. It sounds like a good idea to focus on the treats you'll have on Saturday; rather than any triggers you might encounter. I think going on Saturday sounds fine but if you think this is more likely to mean that you then put off going on Saturday then that might be different.

Thanks Polarbear! I really hope so but have some doubts re. Covid, particularly with the eating inside in restaurants and staying in a holiday rental. I think we'd be wearing masks if we eat inside (obviously not whilst actually eating) but it's difficult to make judgements about these things when you have contamination OCD and more realistic Covid fears to cope with!

Haha, I'm sure I've done that before despite a working fridge!! You're doing brilliantly!

Four vanilla slices for tonight- yum!!

** courage, not courageous!!

** courage, not courageous!!

Thanks Dksea! How did your trips go? There are a few activities I'm concerned about really: - We will be eating out at a local pub. This might be outside, which I'm okay about but if it's raining and we are forced to eat outside then I'm more concerned about that! - The holiday rental will have been used by lots of other people this summer, some of them may have had Norovirus or Covid- I want to email the owner about this but it might be OTT. - There is a narrow rocky entrance to the beach that we visit each day so there's some potential for catching Covid if social distancing is difficult! - We're going to Cornwall; which has been busy with 'staycationers' all summer as people have cancelled their foreign holidays so there might be more of it around. - We'll have to stop somewhere along the way for the rest of my family to use the toilet- I can avoid it but am concerned about them picking Covid/Noro up from this. - I'm a bit worried that if my parents (over 60) catch Covid-19 then I will be responsible as I arranged the holiday for them. I will take on board all of your advice- thanks

Amazing! well done Jumbo- that must have taken so much courageous but it sounds like it paid off I love vanilla slices- good choice!