I could use some anti anxiety help, it's scan time

Bakergirl
Bakergirl Member Posts: 7
in Kidney Cancer #1

Hi! I'm Britt, I am 27 and was diagnosed with Rcc a year and a half ago, since then everytime I've gone for a scan my anxiety level has increased. So far they've been Ok (knock on wood). Today though just the thought of scheduling the CT almost brought me to tears. The tumor was very small... Maybe 2-3 cm, hadn't moved outside the kidney. From what I've read my chances of recurring problems are low, but I just can't shake this fear something will go wrong, and can't call my Dr everytime I have anxiety lol. Thank you for taking time to read my post, after reading many of yours I felt this was a place people would understand. Have a wonderful day everyone ! 

Comments

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    #2
    Hi Brit... you are not old

    Hi Brit... you are not old enough to be here..!  And sorry you need to be here.. but of course welcome.  I read your info, you should be acing this exam, and every one there after..  How amazing it got caught that early..!!  Yes the scanxiety can make you a bit edgy... but it will pass....   Feel free to hang around... I for one love the smiling faces around here...   I suspect you will soon go to annual scans...

    Ron

  • Bakergirl
    Bakergirl Member Posts: 7
    #3
    GSRon said:

    Hi Brit... you are not old

    Hi Brit... you are not old enough to be here..!  And sorry you need to be here.. but of course welcome.  I read your info, you should be acing this exam, and every one there after..  How amazing it got caught that early..!!  Yes the scanxiety can make you a bit edgy... but it will pass....   Feel free to hang around... I for one love the smiling faces around here...   I suspect you will soon go to annual scans...

    Ron

    Thank you!

    Thank you for your quick reply and words of encouragement! I think the anxiety peaked recently as I've begun to process it all, at the time of diagnosis  I was too overwhelmed to ask about prognosis, risk of recurrence etc. I may not have gone through what so many on here have but I hope I can offer words of encouragement! 

  • angec
    angec Member Posts: 924 Member
    #4
    Hi Britt!  Aren't you a

    Hi Britt!  Aren't you a beauty!  I saw from you bio that you were stage one and having six month scans.  Also got away with a half kidney removal. I would say you are one fortunate gal!  Young to have this issue but better to have found it at this stage.  You mentioned they watched it for a year. I am assuming that since it was so tiny that it didn't grow much in the year.  Scanxiety is normal, if you weren't scared then i would have to pinch you to see if you were breathing. Stage one, small size.  We would all here put our money on you being cured!  I am sure others will chime in.  Many on the boards who have had bigger and no return. Stage one is excellent. If you happen to find your path report you can jot down what it was exactly, etc.  But I am sure it won't change anything I would say.  So be nervous which is normal, and go get your scans.  Then when it comes back all clear you will feel better!  Just a side note. I get nervous when my mom goes for hers and I am the caregiver. What more can I expect from someone who has been there and done that! Stop worrying your pretty head off and go celebrate life!  Big hugs to you!  XXOO

  • mdb2387
    mdb2387 Member Posts: 8
    #5
    Bakergirl said:

    Thank you!

    Thank you for your quick reply and words of encouragement! I think the anxiety peaked recently as I've begun to process it all, at the time of diagnosis  I was too overwhelmed to ask about prognosis, risk of recurrence etc. I may not have gone through what so many on here have but I hope I can offer words of encouragement! 

    I know..I just had the third

    I know..I just had the third scan..It's like life gets back to normal and then six months later it all comes back..

  • Bakergirl
    Bakergirl Member Posts: 7
    #6
    mdb2387 said:

    I know..I just had the third

    I know..I just had the third scan..It's like life gets back to normal and then six months later it all comes back..

    Exactly! I don't think about

    Exactly! I don't think about it much, then six months rolls around and it always throws me into a tizzy! 

  • Bakergirl
    Bakergirl Member Posts: 7
    #7
    angec said:

    Hi Britt!  Aren't you a

    Hi Britt!  Aren't you a beauty!  I saw from you bio that you were stage one and having six month scans.  Also got away with a half kidney removal. I would say you are one fortunate gal!  Young to have this issue but better to have found it at this stage.  You mentioned they watched it for a year. I am assuming that since it was so tiny that it didn't grow much in the year.  Scanxiety is normal, if you weren't scared then i would have to pinch you to see if you were breathing. Stage one, small size.  We would all here put our money on you being cured!  I am sure others will chime in.  Many on the boards who have had bigger and no return. Stage one is excellent. If you happen to find your path report you can jot down what it was exactly, etc.  But I am sure it won't change anything I would say.  So be nervous which is normal, and go get your scans.  Then when it comes back all clear you will feel better!  Just a side note. I get nervous when my mom goes for hers and I am the caregiver. What more can I expect from someone who has been there and done that! Stop worrying your pretty head off and go celebrate life!  Big hugs to you!  XXOO

    Thank you so much! I actually

    Thank you so much! I actually just looked for my dang pathology report and apparently hid it from myself, but will post specs if I find it! I hope your mom is alright and wish her the best for me <3! Xoxo! 

  • Gordon Charles
    Gordon Charles Member Posts: 91
    #8
    Greetings Britt

    I'm the guy who shows up until the smart folks get here.  Everyone gets scanxiety...everyone.  Your little nasty seems pretty small and I wonder what your Doc has suggested be done about it.

    Just join in the flow of conversation and my apologies for your need to join our club... at least we don't charge dues...

     

    2 minutes later

     

    Oh sure, I post my comments and find out I'm late to the party...oh well, Britt I told you the smart folks would get here......

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #9
    Gordon Charles said:

    Greetings Britt

    I'm the guy who shows up until the smart folks get here.  Everyone gets scanxiety...everyone.  Your little nasty seems pretty small and I wonder what your Doc has suggested be done about it.

    Just join in the flow of conversation and my apologies for your need to join our club... at least we don't charge dues...

     

    2 minutes later

     

    Oh sure, I post my comments and find out I'm late to the party...oh well, Britt I told you the smart folks would get here......

    Amazing

    That you had pain from such a small lesion. Most of us have had much larger tumors without pain. You are lucky it was found. Good for you. I found out due to pain and hematuria, but many others found out from scans that were for something else.   Scanxiety exists. How could it not? For most of the last 3 years I had scans every 6 weeks. It is pretty routine now but you never know what might show, so you worry,..some.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #10
    foxhd said:

    Amazing

    That you had pain from such a small lesion. Most of us have had much larger tumors without pain. You are lucky it was found. Good for you. I found out due to pain and hematuria, but many others found out from scans that were for something else.   Scanxiety exists. How could it not? For most of the last 3 years I had scans every 6 weeks. It is pretty routine now but you never know what might show, so you worry,..some.

    Odds

    Britt,

    The odds of scans being negative for the rest of your life are pretty close to 98.500% if you worry constantly. Without worrying the odds of the scans being negative for the rest of your life are close to ninety eight and one/half percent.

     

    You will do fine if you let the doctors do the worrying. They get paid more to do that.

     

    So far they have been scanning me for more than 11 years and everything is fine. Cysts sometimes develope and they watch them. Benign cysts on your Kidney over the years are normal. 

     

    Before you know it you will be helping me with the newbies. You know how they feel at first. Being told you have Cancer and then major surgery to boot. Welcome to our club which nobody wants to join.

     

    Icemantoo

  • Skagway Jack
    Skagway Jack Member Posts: 224 Member
    #11
    Scan and forget

    You should count your fortune for finding this early.  As you know the odds are "ever in your favor".  Go on with life.  I just had my first post surgery scan, and somewhat mixed result as I am an no longer classified as young.  I am soon to retire from my current job and move on to another.  As long as I remain cancer free....my hiring potential is good.  So needless to say scanaxiety is a wee bit high right now.  I can emphathize truely.  What has always worked for me is to take a deep breath and visualize the desired outcome. its about 98 percent effective..... good luck.

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #12
    Welcome to the club...

    Hi Brit,

    WOW, ain't it a fun ride! A bit young to be joining here, but we have no age restrictions unfortunately. Let's see, small tumor, partial nephrectomy, the odds are far greater that old age will get you before RCC and you have a bunch of living to do between now and then, not like us old pharts. The best way to ease scanxiety is to reverse the thought process. Start looking forward to scans as a confirmation that you remain NED and know that if anything ever does show up you will have caught it very early and have time to deal with it. Think how lucky you are to be having scans now instead of years down the road with an undiscovered large tumor and a much worse prognosis. Its been over four years for me, tumor about twice your size and full nephrectomy, from experience I can tell you that, so far at least, it doesn't go completely away, but it does get easier with time. Thirty years from now you'll be telling your grandkids about having cancer before they found the cure, much like my generation and Polio.

    Keep smiling,

    Gary

  • Bakergirl
    Bakergirl Member Posts: 7
    #13
    You guys are awesome!

    Waking up to all these wonderful, positive, and encouraging comments have really made me feel better! It's so nice to know there are people out there to talk to. I'm feeling much more optimistic after your input and am sending positive vibes to all of you <3

  • CommuterMom
    CommuterMom Member Posts: 120
    #14
    Bakergirl said:

    You guys are awesome!

    Waking up to all these wonderful, positive, and encouraging comments have really made me feel better! It's so nice to know there are people out there to talk to. I'm feeling much more optimistic after your input and am sending positive vibes to all of you <3

    You are Right

    The guys and gals here are awesome and they will help you through all kinds of anxiety.  I was addicted to this board until I had my surgery.

    -Diana

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    #15
    CommuterMom said:

    You are Right

    The guys and gals here are awesome and they will help you through all kinds of anxiety.  I was addicted to this board until I had my surgery.

    -Diana

    Another perspective... you

    Another perspective... you could of been like some of us, no early warning signs... and it could of been another what 10 years before the tumor got big enough to make you take notice..!    You got a lot of living to do..!

    Ron

  • Bakergirl
    Bakergirl Member Posts: 7
    #16
    GSRon said:

    Another perspective... you

    Another perspective... you could of been like some of us, no early warning signs... and it could of been another what 10 years before the tumor got big enough to make you take notice..!    You got a lot of living to do..!

    Ron

    Very true! I'm glad my Dr

    Very true! I'm glad my Dr followed it and didn't just write it off as nothing even though I'm young, I've been very fortunate :-) 

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    #17
    Bakergirl said:

    Very true! I'm glad my Dr

    Very true! I'm glad my Dr followed it and didn't just write it off as nothing even though I'm young, I've been very fortunate :-) 

    And in about 30 days, I get

    And in about 30 days, I get to go through the scan routine... oh boy..!!  I am actually excited, because I just "feel" another great set of scans...  Am I weird, or what..??

    Be Well All..!!

    Ron

  • Eliezer2
    Eliezer2 Member Posts: 85
    #18
    Assume all is well until told otherwise

    Why assume the worst?  Assume everything is fine.  If it is not, deal with it when that news is conveyed.  Until then simply live evry moment on the basis of the presumption that nothing is amiss.  be superstitious - believing all is well will ensure that all is well!


    PS While waiting for results rent the funniest movies you can find and laugh away the anxiety until report comes in.  Laughter destroys cancer cells!

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