How to switch off your brain

Mine was small enough (1.7cm) that I think they gave it a stage of -1 (just kidding.....mine was 1a).  I did not have bone or brain scans after the surgery, but prior to my surgery, I did have a bone scan performed.  One of the many CT scans I took between when I was diagnosed (December, 2013) and my operation (April, 2016) showed I had, at one time, had a broken tailbone.  The technical term was sacral insufficiency fracture.  My urologist noted it on the CT and out of an abundance of caution, I was given a nuclear radiation bone scan.  He just wanted to be sure that the RCC hadn't found its way into my bones, and it had not.  I recalled a week or so after the scan that about six months prior, I had been pulling weeds at my mother-in-laws house and when one weed was very stubborn, I pulled very hard and my hand slipped and I fell on my butt.  That was probably how it happened and then through repeated pounding from the running I do as exercise, what was likely a hairline fracture got bigger.

I have also had a brain scan in my time, but it was ordered by an ENT because of persistent ringing in my ears.  That was an MRI and as I am scared to death of MRI's, he was able to get me set up and my insurance paid for an open MRI at a local facility.  That also turned out negative.  I mean, they did find that I had a brain ( a fact that amazed some people in the family), but there was nothing abnormal about it.

In terms of your recovery, you're only five weeks out.  Your body is not only still in the process of healing, it's in the process of adjusting to its new configuration.  When I had my procedure, I was already semi-retired, so I was able to focus all my energy on my recovery.  Despite wanting to do things much faster, I took everything very slowly and even with that and even with a fairly small lesion that was removed, I found myself getting pretty tired, even at five weeks out, even without having a hectic job.  Given yourself some time Annie.

it will put your mind at ease. I had bone scan and MRI of brain before surgery. I was fortunate to have worked with my doctor for fourteen years, he is a GI doctor and very thorough. He found the RCC and ordered all my scans and MRI. Then referred me to surgeon.

I'm a fellow chromie, but I was stage 3. The only scans I have gotten in the past 11 months are CT with and without contrast of my lungs, abdomen, and pelvis. I have asked several doctors about possibly needing a PET scan or other scans to make sure that the cancer didn't sneak off somewhere else that we aren't scanning, but was told no. I get headaches frequently too, but I had those prior to surgery. I did not have any mets, and did not receive any other treatment other than surgery, and iron/Vitamin D for anemia. I feel like my brain is in a fog sometimes though, and that can be scary (especially since I didn't have chemo or radiation). I ended up talking to my doctor about getting on anxiety medication. That has worked for me, but may not be the right answer for you. I still have times when I can't get my mind off of minor aches, pains, abnormalities, but I'm much better now that I am not obsessing over it all the time.

Hi Annie. Sorry you are feeling this way. It must be overwhelming being so busy and trying to heal at the same time. I can tell you for sure that I get super wobbly legs and for me it all has to do with water intake. Once I drink water and rest for a few minutes that feeling goes away. As for the thoughts, I wish I could send you the link to my Instagram page. I JUST posted a video about this. Take care.