Scanxiety

jcorum

Time for my annual ct scan. Even tho colon doc said everything looks great THERE after doing a scope last week. I still get petrified with fear when it's time for the scan. Anyone else go thru this? I am 4 years NED Last month. I think about this stupid cancer every day without fail. I have a friend that had chemo and radiation for stage zero breast cancer last year and she said she NEVER thinks about it. Said its over, she is confident she will never get it again so she doesn't think about it. How do I do that? do you guys think about this cancer often? Like several times a day?

eihtak

jcorum......

I think the majority of people who have previously been treated for cancer have some level of anxiety about follow-up scans and the chance of hearing it has returned.

I will have my 4 yr CT scan for stage 3b anal cancer in January and this will include the chest area as it is almost 3 yrs post treatment for breast cancer as well.  I have to admit, I think about it returning with less intensity, but its always floating around in the deep of my mind and when it comes to scan time becomes more concerning for a while. I guess as time goes on, while I know the chance of recurrance is there, I feel somehow more prepared to do what I need to do if I should hear those words than I did the first time around.  (Not that I ever want to hear that again though)  I guess information can be both empowering and destructive as well in that I also know what this journey entails now. 

Theres nothing wrong with thinking often about where you've been, but just remember it brought you to where you are.....here, and we're all here with you so don't live your life in fear of something that may not even be until it is, and then, we're still here with you!

(sorry if that doesn't make sense)

So, you probably can't just turn off the worry, but try to stay focused good things and don't let that scanxiety take too much control.  Keep us posted, we'll be thinking of you.

katheryn

mp327

Scanxiety

I have it every time I have one coming up, but I will say it's less scary as time goes on.  As for not being able to go a day without thinking of cancer, I haven't pulled that off yet.  Of course, I am on 3 websites, including this one, which really doesn't give me a chance to break away from those thoughts. 

I wish you all good news on your scan!

pializ

mp327 said:

Scanxiety

I have it every time I have one coming up, but I will say it's less scary as time goes on.  As for not being able to go a day without thinking of cancer, I haven't pulled that off yet.  Of course, I am on 3 websites, including this one, which really doesn't give me a chance to break away from those thoughts. 

I wish you all good news on your scan!

Scanxiety

I'm with you on that! I do try to use mindfulness to stop the thoughts running away, but the thoughts come sure enough. Do I think of cancer daily? Yes, but fleetingly. For my type of personality (a worrier), I am really so pleased I found mindfulness. 

Good luck with your scan

Liz

qv62

jcorum

good luck on your scans, and yes I have thoughts several times a day about the cancer and the journey to follow.

angela k

Anxiety

Immediately following treatment, I was fearful and consumed.  Time took care of much of that.  I would always get a little nervous the few days leading up to an annual CT. Over the past couple of years I have removed myself from these daily and weekly boards, and cut back on volunteering for the ACS and that helped considerably.  And now I don't get scans so that "appt anxiety" is all but diminshed.

Although I probably subconciously think about cancer every day - using that as motivation to eat clean and exercise --I don't THINK about it every day. 

It's only when I visit this board every 6 months or so that I become uneasy again.   Truth.  But that's just me.  I know how important it is for sooooo many survivors and families of survivors to have this connection, as it was for me at one time.