Calling all survivors

Hello, @lhatfield96.
I hear you, and honestly, what you’re feeling is something almost everyone in this 'club' goes through. That 'scanxiety' is real, but I want to give you some steady ground to stand on while you wait for April.

First, take a deep breath and remember the numbers: According to Google, 9 mm is incredibly small. In the world of lung nodules, catching an adenocarcinoma under 1 cm is the goal. Because you had a successful wedge resection with it being that tiny, the cure rates are incredibly high—we’re talking 95% or better in most early-stage cases. You didn't just find it...you caught it at the 'starting line.

Think of your surgery back in August as a clean slate. Your body has had months to heal, and while it’s natural for your brain to go to the 'what ifs,' try to reframe that April scan. It isn't a search for trouble; it’s your safety net. It’s the tool that proves your doctors are staying vigilant, so you don't have to carry the whole burden of worry yourself.

There are so many people who had that same 1 cm-and-under diagnosis ten or fifteen years ago who are now out living totally normal lives. This scan is just a routine check-in on your success story. You’ve got this!

Fifteen years with stage 4 here. Your fears and the scanxiety you feel are normal. Some get past it when they get a few good reports. Some take longer.

Staying in the here and now will help lessen the anxiety. There are some simple meditations that can help. They are free on YouTube and they are varied so you can find one that can work for you.

Another thing that helps many overcome this is to keep a gratitude journal. It doesn't have to have long passages. Something as simple as "I didn't trip over a piece of dust today" can add up over time.

Same surgery in 10/24, coming up on my 18 month checkup in March. Scanxiety usually sets in few weeks before appt! Told Doc at Mayo about my anxiety on my last visit. She said to me "you do your job & we will do ours"! My job is to get the scans and she said if it comes back we will fix it again. Still nervous but the doctor's reassurance helped!

Hi, I had a 9mm and a 3mm nodule in lungs is 2022, i felt inside not to worry, I didn't get another ct until a year later and both were gone Praise God. They may not be anything to worry about and I am a 45 year smoker, sadly.
And just recently a friend of mine had nodules in both lungs for years, and one hospital convinced her to get biopsy and the did a fold over on her lung, then she got a 2nd opinion at another hospital and they told her to not worry. I think maybe that a simple mucus plug can show as nodule on a ct and get coughed out. I will take a mucus pill ahead of any lung ct now and cough good before a ct. Sadly the medical system can not always be trusted. But God can be trusted.

@phoenix1959
What is a mucus pill?

A mucus relief pill / guaifensin / mucinex, etc.

I was thinking the same thing? What is a mucus pill? I had a 2.3 cm adenocarcinoma and on October 25th of 2025 had my right lower lobe entirely removed. There were very wide clear margins (least one 1.5 cm) and 0/29 nodes removed - all negative. I had a three month CT without contrast and demanded the next scan be in three months. Guess some schedule says that with my results, it goes from the first at 3 months to then 6 months. I am already so frighted about my next scan and it is in mid-April (6 weeks from now). I asked for my original chest x-ray that lead CT, PET/CT, surgery simply because of family history. Not a single symptom. Now I see my next CT is with contrast and my fear is so escalated. I'd love to hear if anyone has any idea why that might have changed from the original CT.