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Facing Cancer Recurrence, PTSD & Acknowledging Mental Health
Cancer: Managing Symptoms | Last Active: Sep 24 10:31am | Replies (447)Comment receiving replies
This issue of learning to live with a possible cancer recurrence is a very difficult one for me right now. I have read and been given much advise. Each person needs to figure out what will work best. Although I am cancer free right now I may not be in the near future. I have scans coming up in a month and I am worried about them. Worry doesn’t help I need to change my “worry” into something constructive. I find that keeping busy, hobbies, spending time with family/ friends, helps a great deal. I make “deals” with myself and give myself “worry breaks”. Like I tell myself that the coming weekend I will forget the cancer , or try to, and concentrate on doing something fun. Writing things down is helpful. I literally write down all my fears in a journal I now keep. That way I can put the cancer in it’s place and try to “control it” by writing things down. I don’t want cancer to be in “control” of my life! We don’t know what the future may bring but we have a good amount of control on the “now” moments in our lives.
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@azkidney57 - Good afternoon. You are so lucky to be cancer free right now! Scanxiety is every cancer patient's bane to carry, but I am so glad that we get it. Imagine that there were no follow up scans to help catch cancer early! Being mindful actually does help, exercise, the whole bit. I allow myself to worry. Having cancer is no holiday. I have to feel everything to go from one stage of having cancer to another and then start all over again when I get another cancerous lung nodule. I've been doing this for over 22 years and for me it doesn't get easier. I have multifocal adenocarcinoma of the lungs. I'm carrying around maybe 4 cancerous lesions but won't know if any of them will be treated until early December, 6 months after my last CT scan. Writing about it here and in my blog https://my20yearscancer.com/, certainly helps.
I wish doctors would keep all of their opinions to them self. All doctors worry about metastasis. So do patients. We can manage our cancer reactions by tending to what is the most important for us to tend to to help ourselves on an even keel. Early AM waking hours are the hardest to handle. Everything is quiet and there is a sense of isolation. Can you read or write to feel less isolated> Do you have family at home?
Has you doctor given you reading materials about your cancer, or has your team of doctors?
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@azkidney57 So many people feel anxious about upcoming test and test results. In fact, it's been coined as the term "scanxiety," a term likely started by a cancer patient. There is a discussion dedicated to how to cope in the Cancer: Managing Symptoms group here:
– Coping with anxiety while waiting https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/coping-with-anxiety-while-waiting/
AZKidney: Living the "now" moments can really help with anxiety. I hope you'll share your tips in the discussion linked above. Or if you prefer, start a new discussion called Scanxiety.