How do you feel while you're waiting?

Dutch1 said:

I've been told that new mets

I've been told that new mets will be picked up by my scans before I will feel anything specifically related to the mets.  The scans find them while they are too small to feel or affect you.  BUT, I have felt all sorts of strange things in my body (with no new discovery of mets) that I will attribute to the pschological toll that cancer puts on us.  The cancer messes with us.  Keep an eye on those symptoms, though. 

When was your surgery?  It takes a while for everything to work back into place.  Maybe you're feeling that?

Mention the symptoms to your doctor and let the doctor figure out when follow up is needed.  Keep monitoring them.  I'm saying that the symptoms could have a "real" cause or they could be simply the pressure of having cancer weighing you down.

I guess that I didn't really help you.  I've had many discussions with my oncologist about stuff I've felt.  He's not been excited about any of them -- yet.  He saves his excitement for new scans which show the unexpected.

Dutch

 

Ya I read that, and maybe its anxiety. I thought maybe if others were having the same experience I might hear that ya, a met can cause inflammation, or irriate a nerve or something like that if in a certain spot. My surgery was four years ago. My cardiologist ordered the CT because of my complaining, I get checked every year for the heart. 

I guess everybody is different, and I will know more soon after the bronchoscopy. Curious, how has your energy levels been through this? 

donna_lee said:

How did I feel?

I didn't even know I had metastatic kidney cancer. Just the usual.  I had just finished a three year project to plan a Convention for nealy 600 attendees (with help, of course.)  So I felt relieved and exhausted.  I had a few minor bouts of nausea/gut ache, but could always blame them on 1) attending a convention, sitting for hours, and the rich food. 2) tail end of a cold and cough. 3) travel to a foreign country-flight, resort food, etc.

Thought maybe I had a gall stone and made a comment to my new PC Doc.  He ordered an US.  Click on my user name to find out what happeded next.

But to answer your question with a question.  If you didn't know you had cancer, i.e., go back to week prior to being diagnosed, how did you feel?  What you've done to yourself is pile on worry, stress, and anxiety; and only you can solve those problems.

Good Luck and hugs,

donna_lee

Hi Donna Lee, I guess to answer your question I have had fatigue issues for awhile. I think having cancer in your body whether you know it or not might cause some fatigue, but who knows? Honestly, I had a year of very strong chemo, and six months radiation as a teenager for hodgkins and once in the clear felt normal for decades. But because of my health history, including the calcifying aortic valve, kidney removal and such I just feel tired. Tired of going through this stuff so ya, it is partly mental. Gotta keep my chin up!