Full on scanxiety

rainsandpours
rainsandpours Member Posts: 136
in Kidney Cancer #1

I haven't posted in a while, been so busy last few months it was all I coulld do to try and catch up on the board.  Very saddened to hear about TW and Blkjak. :(.

 

Anywho, as expected with followup testing on the horizon, my mind is in overdrive.  I have convinced myself they'll find a recurrence. (OPN last Oct.  Stage 1, grade 2)

 

I've had some bad kidney pains and spasms of late, and my entire left side is swollen.  Saw my GP today who was a bit concerned.  She felt a mass of sorts in there .  Yikes.  Added to that is a constant sharp/severe upper arm pain.  Some days when I use my hand, the humerous feels like it will break.  My GP ordered an xray for it, which I will have done tomorrow.  Cross fingers it's just old age.

 

Monday of next week is an MRI.  Gawd I hate them!  Being claustrophobic adds to the anxiety for sure.

 

Mid May is my first followup CT for the rcc.  After that I see the Uro.  Dollars to donuts I get the results in the mail first though.  Just like my original dx.  Not a fun way to discover cancer.

Comments

  • Djinnie
    Djinnie Member Posts: 945 Member
    #2
    All the best!

    Hi Rains,

    Long time no see! I can understand your fears, every ache and pain becomes a concern when you've had cancer. I hope everything goes well with your X-ray tomorrow, I will be thinking of you! I am claustrophobic too, so I know where you are coming from on that score. I have a brain scan on Monday, I always take something to keep me calm though to stop me from hyperventilating. All the best with your tests, stay positive:)

     

    Djinnie x

  • twinthings
    twinthings Member Posts: 409
    #3
    mediastinal mets??

    Hi Rains,

    You've got a busy schedule coming up, with x-rays, scans, MRI's.  No doubt your scanxiety is thru the roof!  Try to stay positive and visualize clean reports.  I know, easier said than done.  But, if you can manage it, it will help.

    I noticed in an earlier post on someone else's thread, you made reference to you having a mediastinal met.  It piqued my curiosity because my last two ct's noted a mediastinal node that's larger than normal.  In the first scan it was 0.9cm.  The second scan 3 months later noted growth, now measuring 1.3cm.  I am curious to know if this is how your met was caught.  Did you have a swollen mediastinal lymph node?  Until today, other than my ct's, I've never even seen the word 'mediastinal', but from what Dr google tells me, that node is in the lungs. 

    I'll be sending good juju your way as you endure these next few weeks of testing.  I'll be crossing my fingers too, that you're just getting old!!

     

    Sindy

  • Djinnie
    Djinnie Member Posts: 945 Member
    #4
    twinthings said:

    mediastinal mets??

    Hi Rains,

    You've got a busy schedule coming up, with x-rays, scans, MRI's.  No doubt your scanxiety is thru the roof!  Try to stay positive and visualize clean reports.  I know, easier said than done.  But, if you can manage it, it will help.

    I noticed in an earlier post on someone else's thread, you made reference to you having a mediastinal met.  It piqued my curiosity because my last two ct's noted a mediastinal node that's larger than normal.  In the first scan it was 0.9cm.  The second scan 3 months later noted growth, now measuring 1.3cm.  I am curious to know if this is how your met was caught.  Did you have a swollen mediastinal lymph node?  Until today, other than my ct's, I've never even seen the word 'mediastinal', but from what Dr google tells me, that node is in the lungs. 

    I'll be sending good juju your way as you endure these next few weeks of testing.  I'll be crossing my fingers too, that you're just getting old!!

     

    Sindy

    Mediastinal Lymph Nodes!

    Hey Twinnie, 

    I have three swollen lymph in that area, it is the cavity between the lungs!

     

    Djinnie x

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #5
    Djinnie said:

    Mediastinal Lymph Nodes!

    Hey Twinnie, 

    I have three swollen lymph in that area, it is the cavity between the lungs!

     

    Djinnie x

    I have that issue also

    I think the mediastinal nodes are the "dumping grounds central." They can be enlarged for reasons other than cancer. Don't worry in advance.

     

    One thing that I can't understand. When someone was locked in a closet, I understand claustophobia. But to get a scan seems easy. Close your eyes. It's only temporary. The scan is a good thing. You need to look at most of your health care that way. If someone is afraid of the system they are in, then go somewhere else.... I can understand part of the psychological aspect because after having had the Il-2, I quaify. I was out of touch with reality for a while. I wondered if this was permanent. I was powerless to change this until it finally faded away. I am much more sympathetic to emotionally challenged people.  Nothing can happen having a scan. Lie still and give them the best pictures they can get. Just to pass the time, I often replay a round of golf. Shot by shot as I remember. I walk up the fairways and look around. And enjoy it. MRI's are longer and I can play quite a few holes. Ct's are over in a few minutes.

  • rainsandpours
    rainsandpours Member Posts: 136
    #6
    twinthings said:

    mediastinal mets??

    Hi Rains,

    You've got a busy schedule coming up, with x-rays, scans, MRI's.  No doubt your scanxiety is thru the roof!  Try to stay positive and visualize clean reports.  I know, easier said than done.  But, if you can manage it, it will help.

    I noticed in an earlier post on someone else's thread, you made reference to you having a mediastinal met.  It piqued my curiosity because my last two ct's noted a mediastinal node that's larger than normal.  In the first scan it was 0.9cm.  The second scan 3 months later noted growth, now measuring 1.3cm.  I am curious to know if this is how your met was caught.  Did you have a swollen mediastinal lymph node?  Until today, other than my ct's, I've never even seen the word 'mediastinal', but from what Dr google tells me, that node is in the lungs. 

    I'll be sending good juju your way as you endure these next few weeks of testing.  I'll be crossing my fingers too, that you're just getting old!!

     

    Sindy

    Hi.  My mediastinal met was

    Hi.  My mediastinal met was actually located deep in the sternal notch.  Some of my scans say supraclaviular, some say mediastinum etc.  Its a random spot, and hard to visualize on US.  I've had one surgery to remove it, and either it grew back within 6 weeks, or the surgeon left some behind.  It's not a node as far as I know- it's a solid mass.  And it's still there.  Last US reported it as stable, but I leafed through my cd's and reports the other day, and since Aug up to Jan, it grew from 1.4 to 1.7 cm. 

     

    Fox:  I'm claustrophobic for many reasons.  I don't like crowds nor being confined to small spaces.  I hate the Mri because they force me feet first, face DOWN.  Not only is it extremely uncoomfortable to someone with spinal stenosis, 3 prior neck surgeries, old torn rotator cuff, but recent kidney surgery makes it painful.  My shoulders and neck feel it most.  Then add panic lol.

     

     

  • DonMiller
    DonMiller Member Posts: 109
    #7
    rainsandpours said:

    Hi.  My mediastinal met was

    Hi.  My mediastinal met was actually located deep in the sternal notch.  Some of my scans say supraclaviular, some say mediastinum etc.  Its a random spot, and hard to visualize on US.  I've had one surgery to remove it, and either it grew back within 6 weeks, or the surgeon left some behind.  It's not a node as far as I know- it's a solid mass.  And it's still there.  Last US reported it as stable, but I leafed through my cd's and reports the other day, and since Aug up to Jan, it grew from 1.4 to 1.7 cm. 

     

    Fox:  I'm claustrophobic for many reasons.  I don't like crowds nor being confined to small spaces.  I hate the Mri because they force me feet first, face DOWN.  Not only is it extremely uncoomfortable to someone with spinal stenosis, 3 prior neck surgeries, old torn rotator cuff, but recent kidney surgery makes it painful.  My shoulders and neck feel it most.  Then add panic lol.

     

     

    Scanxiety

    I know there is nothing anyone can really say to help with anxiety before a scan but I do get the results the same day.  I don't think I would make it through the extra waiting period. Maybe you can talk to the oncologist about that

Discussion Boards