CT Scan...

Joanielo

I have myself completely freaked out.  I did my 18 month CT scan Tuesday night after work.  Dr says she does not have the results back yet.  All prior scans were back within 24 hours.  I have myself convinced that something showed up thus creating a delay.  Ugggg.  Wish I could do something to calm myself down.  Now I will have to wait it out at least through the week-end.

Thanks for listening:)

Joanie

edbravo

Hi there. I know how you feel

Hi there. I know how you feel right now, be strong and i believe everyone who reads your message will put in a prayer for you.

phrannie51

Oh gawd Joanie....

I know this one inside out.  I had a scan right before labor day.....and like you, was used to them calling me the next day...but no call.  The day after that I called them, and they said they didn't have the results in yet.....I was convinced they just didn't want to give me the bad news over the phone....had to wait out a 3 day weekend.  Ah....but it turned out, all those radiologists had extened their weekend, and nobody was there to read a scan.

Chances are......somebody took a day off, and that's why you don't have any results yet.  BREATH.....and take Ativan if you have them.  Sending a prayer, too.....but I'm positive you are A OK!!!

p

CivilMatt

been there

Joanie,

Scanxiety is something most of us share.  Sending you some good mojo.  Anyway, it is alrerady Saturday, the weekend is almost through.

Stay calm (as you can).

Matt

debbiejeanne

Joanie, i think the oppisite,

Joanie, i think the oppisite, if there was a problem, they would have called you right away.  i always believe no news is good news.  try not to worry and please let us know when you hear so we can celebrate with you.

God bless,

dj

donfoo

try to not worry

Hi,

Maybe this will help all those with scanxiety during regular scheduled post tx. On my one year official checkin, I usually try to get my report right away just to well you know... I did leave the imaging center with the scan images in hand on disc but not the report. The next day I called and asked to have it faxed to me. They asked if I had signed the release to myself? Well no, so no faxing. I got distracted and did not bother following up for a few days, then it was just a few more days and I would be seeing the MO anyway.

So, no scanxiety?? Right, I told myself and do believe that if there is ANYTHING worrisome showing on the image and reported by the radiologist in the report the office would call right away. So, some common sense logic to help you stay calm. It is so basic that if the radiologist or doctor had any indication of an issue they would NOT just wait and wait.

I don't know this for a fact but I have a strong feeling if the radiologist sees something on the scan, he will flag that report and expedite it to the ordering doctor office. Also, in all my experience the reports never take more than a business day or two.

If anyone knows otherwise, PLEASE report in.

One other point to help relieve the scanxiety. After mentioning my lack of urgency to grab the report hot off the press, my MO stated that "surveillance" checks and scans rarely are the first indication of recurrence. He said nearly all recurrence is first identified by the patient via some symptom. In fact, if anything most here are hypervigilant and ANYTHING that seems the least bit odd has us running to the doc. And that is how recurrence is nearly always detected.

I was unusually indifferent to reading the report because I had just seen my ENT who did a full scope and check within the prior month. I KNEW the scan would not find anything else.  When visiting him we discussed recurrence and early detection. His take is every survivor should be doing regular self-checks: feeling all along the areas of the neck and looking around the mouth and such. Scopes will look at areas that can not be detected by the exterior checking. Areas where cancer can be lurking on the inside and not able to be felt from the outside.

So what about distant mets not picked up via these methods. Ah, so a CT or PET/CT will find these, right? Maybe. I'll concede this is one area where my own confidence gets a bit weak-kneed. IF distant mets were to occur it does seem it can continue on undetected. One ENT quipped something like "well if you have distant mets, then we are playing a different game". Basically indicating that we are running a pallative race and leaving the curative track. Not going to digress further on this path other than saying tracking distant mets is a different beast.

Hopefully, you take away that for all practical purposes, the primary guard duty is YOU. You are your best inspector on a daily basis and the regular scans and checks are in a way a backup to you and much less chance of finding something that already had you seeing the ENT.

 

Don

Guzzle

donfoo said:

try to not worry

Hi,

Maybe this will help all those with scanxiety during regular scheduled post tx. On my one year official checkin, I usually try to get my report right away just to well you know... I did leave the imaging center with the scan images in hand on disc but not the report. The next day I called and asked to have it faxed to me. They asked if I had signed the release to myself? Well no, so no faxing. I got distracted and did not bother following up for a few days, then it was just a few more days and I would be seeing the MO anyway.

So, no scanxiety?? Right, I told myself and do believe that if there is ANYTHING worrisome showing on the image and reported by the radiologist in the report the office would call right away. So, some common sense logic to help you stay calm. It is so basic that if the radiologist or doctor had any indication of an issue they would NOT just wait and wait.

I don't know this for a fact but I have a strong feeling if the radiologist sees something on the scan, he will flag that report and expedite it to the ordering doctor office. Also, in all my experience the reports never take more than a business day or two.

If anyone knows otherwise, PLEASE report in.

One other point to help relieve the scanxiety. After mentioning my lack of urgency to grab the report hot off the press, my MO stated that "surveillance" checks and scans rarely are the first indication of recurrence. He said nearly all recurrence is first identified by the patient via some symptom. In fact, if anything most here are hypervigilant and ANYTHING that seems the least bit odd has us running to the doc. And that is how recurrence is nearly always detected.

I was unusually indifferent to reading the report because I had just seen my ENT who did a full scope and check within the prior month. I KNEW the scan would not find anything else.  When visiting him we discussed recurrence and early detection. His take is every survivor should be doing regular self-checks: feeling all along the areas of the neck and looking around the mouth and such. Scopes will look at areas that can not be detected by the exterior checking. Areas where cancer can be lurking on the inside and not able to be felt from the outside.

So what about distant mets not picked up via these methods. Ah, so a CT or PET/CT will find these, right? Maybe. I'll concede this is one area where my own confidence gets a bit weak-kneed. IF distant mets were to occur it does seem it can continue on undetected. One ENT quipped something like "well if you have distant mets, then we are playing a different game". Basically indicating that we are running a pallative race and leaving the curative track. Not going to digress further on this path other than saying tracking distant mets is a different beast.

Hopefully, you take away that for all practical purposes, the primary guard duty is YOU. You are your best inspector on a daily basis and the regular scans and checks are in a way a backup to you and much less chance of finding something that already had you seeing the ENT.

 

Don

Irrefutable Logic

Don, you must be half Vulcan. Just to add weight to this it is not far from what my oncologist told me during a recent conversation. Observation and symptoms are first line of defence. Live long and prosper, G.