Classifying Scanxiety

Laralyn
Laralyn Member Posts: 532
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I was thinking this morning that there are different stages of Scanxiety.

First, there's When-Is-My-Next-Scanxiety, when you're not sure what the next step is. 

Next, there's Waiting-For-My-Scanxiety, when the appointment is scheduled and you start to experience phantom symptoms while waiting.

Then you experience Waiting-For-Results-of-the-Scanxiety, a phase you enter as soon as you sign in for your appointment.

Some of us also get to enjoy WTF-Is-On-the-Scanxiety, where we hear about results piecemeal, or that there is an oddity that has not been explained yet.

I just passed from When-Is-My-Next-Scanxiety into Waiting-For-My-Scanxiety this morning. The relief at finally having it scheduled quickly faded into feeling like I have a sore throat (although that may also be explained by the fact that I attended back-to-back conferences with lots of sick people at them). ;-)

Comments

  • NJShore
    NJShore Member Posts: 429 Member
    #2
    and maybe no scanxiety!

    Ok true confessions... I read the posts to Dan, when he was going through treatments he got to the point where he just wanted to lay quietly and hear me read the posts.. Well for some reason I never read anything to him about scanxiety.. why make it worse, right? I did announce someones NED and he'd smile and tell me what he thought I should write... it's a team effort most nights even still.

    Dan's first post treatment scan is scheduled for April 16th. He has no idea that others would be anxious about this. I on the other hand have my biopsy's finally this thursday and know the weekend will be very long waiting for the results. I married mr. cool as a cucumber... amazing. I only hope this could rub off on me with time.

    Kari

     

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #3
    my next scan won't even be

    my next scan won't even be sccheduled until june and i already worry about worry about it.  i tell myself its too early to start worrying but i can't help myself.  not sure which level this fits into but i'm worrrying already (needlessly).

    God bless,

    debbiejeanne

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #4
    debbiejeanne said:

    my next scan won't even be

    my next scan won't even be sccheduled until june and i already worry about worry about it.  i tell myself its too early to start worrying but i can't help myself.  not sure which level this fits into but i'm worrrying already (needlessly).

    God bless,

    debbiejeanne

    Scans

    I try not to worry too much about going for the actual scan because I figure the handwriting is already on the wall.  Easier said than done. Ever since they told me my scans are on the doctor's desk within an hour, I call the nurse and ask for results rather than waitng for my appt. with the ONC. Today, I simply told her my appt. wasn't until Thursday and I preferred not to worry about it. The doctor may need to approve them giving you results but I've always gotten them same day.

    They are running a commercial in STL saying 2 out of every 3 cancers is "cured" today, let's make it 3 out of 3.  Of course, that covers all types of cancer but much better odds than I would have guessed.

     

  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    #5
    I like your descriptions and

    I like your descriptions and totally agree. I saw my radiation oncologistin February and He said cat scan six months after my pet scan which would have been the end of this month. We have a vacation planned in June taking our 3 grandchildren to Disney for a trip I promised them 5 years ago. I told him about it and said can we wait until after our trip for the next scan, either way I am going on this trip so I just want to think everything is ok. He was fine with that, said he doesn't expect to find anything anyway. Saw my ENT a couple weeks ago and he looked down my nose and throat with the scope and said everything looks great. So we go on vacation June 9th-15th and I have my scan June 24th. Scanxiety will kick in, but I am going to have this trip first.I will be on vacation on my one year anniversary of starting treatment, spending time with the people that I fought to live for. Life is good!

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #6
    I had to chuckle when I read the classifications....

    I suffer from them all....from the sore throat (a reoccurance), to bone aches (mets), breathlessness (lungs), stomach ache (liver)...LOLOLOLOL....I can't believe how I can manufacture real symptoms.  They start the minute I have the scheduled appointment....and miraculously disappear once I hear the results.  The one side effect nobody mentioned is that I'd become totally neurotic...ha!

    p

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    Abi-Normal...

    A prime example, LOL...

    I even get scanxiety-scanxiety.... that's when you get anxiety about what your next anxiety is going to be, LOL...

    JG

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #8
    I hear you

    Laralyn,

     

    When does the relaxiety kick-in? 

     

    Matt

  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
    #9
    My scanxiety was so bad that
    My scanxiety was so bad that it seemed like the only time I wasn't afraid was after they scaned me and said nothing there, then I would have to walk to front desk and make next 3 month appointment then and there, so my clock started ticking walking fro his office to front desk. Then it was there in the front of my mind for 3 months, week by week I slowly became someone that my family didn't understand, the day of scan would arrive, and I would sit in waiting room clinging my rosarys in one hand and believe rock in the other and say the Our Father at least 100 times, they call my name, heart pounding, sweating, wait in the chair, hear the shuffle of his shoes, in he came I think I'm gonna pass out, spray nose tube in cancer still gone I hug my frigid doctor who only smiles on these days, and slowly in the back of my head ticktocktick

    True story, I hate scans!

    Rachel
  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #10
    rachel12yrsuv said:

    My scanxiety was so bad that
    My scanxiety was so bad that it seemed like the only time I wasn't afraid was after they scaned me and said nothing there, then I would have to walk to front desk and make next 3 month appointment then and there, so my clock started ticking walking fro his office to front desk. Then it was there in the front of my mind for 3 months, week by week I slowly became someone that my family didn't understand, the day of scan would arrive, and I would sit in waiting room clinging my rosarys in one hand and believe rock in the other and say the Our Father at least 100 times, they call my name, heart pounding, sweating, wait in the chair, hear the shuffle of his shoes, in he came I think I'm gonna pass out, spray nose tube in cancer still gone I hug my frigid doctor who only smiles on these days, and slowly in the back of my head ticktocktick

    True story, I hate scans!

    Rachel

    Laralyn
    Gosh I can so relate! I had my 9 moPET/CT last week and it literally took all week to get the results! I was starting to go a little nuts!
    Oh and when I made the appt, it was because the pet scan guy called me out of the blue and said "you're dr said it's time for your scans, want to come next week?" yikes! I guess it was good that it happened that way, at least I didn't have to stress about making the appt right?

    I'm going to keep you in my prayers that you get good, perfect, great and speedy results.
    Billie

    P.S. How do you like here in LA?
  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #11
    isn't it funny

    Hello Laralyn,

    We all handle this a bit different.  As time goes by, I find myself not so fixated.  I was into the lung specialist last Wednesday.  He wanted to pull up some results from last Dec., (surgery) and we had to wait for over 1300 images to download.  Holy crap !  The most I ever had done all my life until my dx was 3 x-rays for pnuemonia and a broken arm.  Maybe I'm getting a bit numb from it all.  Thanks for the post, because yes we do all have or had scanxiety.   Katie

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #12
    If you can't laugh, you'll cry

    With the obsurdity of cancer and other situations in life that are beyond our control, it's wonderful to find humor in our own fallacies. 

    "T"

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