Scanxiety: How did you get through scanxiety?

Posted by Tom Anderson @ta52, Jan 13, 2021

The last infusion in my first round of immunotherapy was three weeks ago so there is a CT scan in my future this coming Monday. It's the most important test I've had in quite a while and yet I can't "study" for it. This is going to be a very nerve wracking week with a lot riding on one scan. I definitely have a case of scanxiety.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Cancer Support Group.

Bob, Alumni Mentor | @grandpabob | Jan 16, 2021

In reply to @colleenyoung "Not surprisingly, scanxiety is an often discussed topic. Here are a couple of related discussions: -..." + (show)

@ta52, I tried to incorporate a few different things prior to the scans. One that helped a lot was doing a bit of meditating. I have an AP on my phone called “Calm”, which I find effective. I am sure there are many similar apps out there that are available. I also do a lot of walking to alleviate stress. While walking, I work hard at noticing what is around me rather than what is in me. Another way for me was to not Goggle any symptoms or past results. My doctor told me early in my treatment that this in many cases leads to unnecessary anxiety.

Waiting for the results for me is always harder than the scans themselves.

WIll you let us know what works best for you?

Tom Anderson | @ta52 | Jan 17, 2021

In reply to @grandpabob "@ta52, I tried to incorporate a few different things prior to the scans. One that helped..." + (show)

@grandpabob Thanks, Bob. You're right, the scan is the easy part it's this time leading up to it that's difficult. As mentioned before, the wait between scan and results will only be a couple of hours so that will be a very stressful short period of time; hours instead of days. Thanks for the tips. I have been distracting myself with podcasts and audio books and will probably do that again today. The big day is tomorrow so I will check back in with the news then. Thanks, again, Bob.

Tom Anderson | @ta52 | Jan 17, 2021

In reply to @colleenyoung "Not surprisingly, scanxiety is an often discussed topic. Here are a couple of related discussions: -..." + (show)

@colleenyoung Thanks, Colleen! As mentioned before, it's akin to taking the biggest test in your life but you can't study for it since you've never been here before. I know and the doctors know there's been tumor shrinkage so I'm not going to "flunk" the test but at the same time I know I'm not going to be cancer free after just four infusions to I won't "ace" it either.

Thanks, Colleen, for the links and tips; they're a great distraction, too. Tomorrow is the big day (at least for me!) at Mayo!

Tom Anderson | @ta52 | Jan 17, 2021

In reply to @merpreb "@ta52- Ah, ha! It is very important for sure, and special. I remember feeling this way..." + (show)

@merpreb Did it work or how much did it work? I had a lot to work with so some of it is gone but how much it left? How many more treatments? When will it be over? Fortunately I have a team of doctors who love to answer questions no matter how stupid they may seem to me.

Merry, Volunteer Mentor | @merpreb | Jan 17, 2021

In reply to @ta52 "@merpreb Did it work or how much did it work? I had a lot to work..." + (show)

@ta52- Yes, excellent questions. I asked these too. You are very lucky to have doctors who listen to you. There are many stories that aren't as complimenting to doctors. As we have benefited from modern, medical technologies we also have to be patient while they do their work. Maybe in the future, there won't be a wait.

I suggest that the podcasts or audiobooks that have nothing to do with health. 🙂

Bob, Alumni Mentor | @grandpabob | Jan 17, 2021

In reply to @ta52 "@grandpabob Thanks, Bob. You're right, the scan is the easy part it's this time leading up..." + (show)

@ta52 - fingers are crossed for you that the news will be positive.
Take care.

Tom Anderson | @ta52 | Jan 18, 2021

In reply to @grandpabob "@ta52 - fingers are crossed for you that the news will be positive. Take care." + (show)

@grandpabob @merpreb @colleenyoung SCANXIETY UPDATE: Scan went fine and the first thing my OncDoc said when she walked in the room was "beautiful scan"! She estimates that about 75% of my tumor have disappeared and that when I return to immunotherapy it will be maintenance only: Keytruda and Alimta. The bad news is the scan caught a rather large kidney stone that is causing swelling in my left kidney. They want to address that issue to avoid future damage and feel they can suspend immunotherapy for a while to address the kidney issue. So it was a great news, bad news day.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jan 18, 2021

In reply to @ta52 "@grandpabob @merpreb @colleenyoung SCANXIETY UPDATE: Scan went fine and the first thing my OncDoc said when..." + (show)

Great news, @ta52. The kidney stone is but a blip on the highway of life.

Tom Anderson | @ta52 | Jan 19, 2021

In reply to @colleenyoung "Great news, @ta52. The kidney stone is but a blip on the highway of life." + (show)

@colleenyoung Yes, 75% cancer elimination is the headline and feeling confident enough in the results of the immunotherapy to stop it at the point to address the kidney issue speaks volumes to me. And I've had kidney stones before: not a lot of fun but there are ways to address them now that didn't exist before so we should be back on the road of cancer treatment shortly and then we'll move to maintenance treatment only! Thanks for your help/

Merry, Volunteer Mentor | @merpreb | Jan 19, 2021

In reply to @ta52 "@grandpabob @merpreb @colleenyoung SCANXIETY UPDATE: Scan went fine and the first thing my OncDoc said when..." + (show)

@ta52- Congratulations! And Colleen is right about the kidney stone. Did your doctor tell you how long maintenance will be? WIll it be until two years are up?

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