Anxious about scans? Worried about recurrence?

[Mary]

We talk about this issue a lot at ABC Survivors as we discuss our individual journeys. Here is one message thread where we can all share our experiences and approaches toward fear, worry and anxiety after treatment is finished. What you share will help all of us and will help visitors who search our forum.


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[Mike]

It has been quite a while for me. I've been out of treatment for almost 19 years now. I do have to admit, though, that even after all that time, whenever I feel a new ache, my mind always goes back to recurrance.

[Cathy]

Mike,

We have missed you!!!  So glad to see you post.  Please come back again and let me/us know how you have been.  You've never been far from my thoughts.

Always,
Cathy

[Cari]

I always got nervous around scans, but at the same time I looked forward to them--because when things were all clear it gave me that reassurance that I was good to go for another 3 months.

[Dick]

While I have only been out of treatment for 7 months now, I do still think from time to time about recurrence.  My orthopedic oncologist told me my chances of this are only about 5%, so I don't worry alot, but by the same token, it isn't 0% either.  As far as scanxiety, I don't really get such a thing....to me, it is just another doctors appointment like my annual physical.  I'm not sure why my mind works this way, but it does.  I also think that my worries will decrease after I reach the 5 year mark.

Dick

[Tara]

I'm about 19 mos out... I used to get scanxiety - especially during chemo and then the first couple of visits after.  Scanxiety would start a couple of weeks prior to the scan.  The last two scans... didn't get anxious UNTIL a day or so before hand. With everything going on right now with others that I love balanced with what I want right now, I'm a little ambiguous regarding scans.  As long as I don't think about the big C, I don't worry about what is to come.  But, in those morose moments.... I worry about "what if".  Which is so ridiculous since it is out of my hands.  I have a "gut feeling" that I'm done with Ewing's.  I make no such claims regarding a different cancer down the road.  Because of that, I think I am a little more leery of what is to come - will there be a secondary cancer caused from the treatment??

[Hajnalka]

Strangely enough I'm not nervous at all when I have my regular checkup. Maybe it's somewhat related to the fact, that I didn't have chemo, so my treatment wasn't about suffering for the side-effect of chemo for months, just a surgery and rehab, like after a really bad sports accident (well, and one more surgery, just when I started to get better, but that's an other story ((:  ). In my case there's a relatively small chance of recurrence, so it's easy not to get too worried, but anyway, somehow I know in my heart, that worrying about this doesn't prevent recurrence or mets, just takes my time away from recovering and enjoying what's still good in life, so I just don't.

[Brett]

I have moments where I am just terrified about a recurrence or a new cancer.  It can be brought on by just about anything so it is very difficult to tell whether or not something specific causes the anxiety.  Overall it's not bad all the time but I definitely have these "spurts" of time where the anxiety is very bad.  I'll take any help.

[Kristin_B]

I am 12 years out. I can't believe I am going to ask this but how often should I be going now? Once a year? The last time I went they just did a chest X-ray and bloodwork and I havent been in 2 years. But lately I feel like a hypocondriac worrying about cancer coming back. I need to call my oncologist tomorrow!

[Mary]

Kristin, the NCCN guidelines suggest routine follow-up annually after it has been five years or more since your osteosarcoma diagnosis. This will probably continue for the rest of your life, as osteosarcoma can recur later in life. But don't let it worry you! There is a very, very small chance of it returning after ten years. Just go in every year to your oncologist like you would for a regular physical. 

[Rene]

It's been 14 months since I finished chemo and I am more anxious now than ever before about my upcoming scan. Is it because I finally let my guard down a bit? Is it because I haven't had a ct scan in a while? Is it because I don't have a sitter for my daughter yet Tuesday during my appointment? LOL OK so it's probably not that last one.

I had my 4 month check up last week and when I pulled into the parking lot, my palms got really tingly and sweaty and as usual and my blood pressure was fairly high. I went to visit a good friend in the hopital last week  and my palms got all sweaty and I didn't even have to be seen by a doctor. It's almost like a rush of adrenaline. I'm getting that right now just writing about it. I had a chest xray last time because my doctor is afraid of me being exposed to so much radiation. He left it up to me to make the decision on weather to have a ct or xray and I picked xray last time. This time he just said..."time for a CT." Of course my mind thought "Does he suspect something?".

I have learned to savor the months in between my appointments when I can just be a normal person. No doctors, no scans and no blood draws. I'm not just a cancer patient...I'm still a woman, wife, mom, friend, daughter, aunt, great aunt and sister. That's what really matters.

UPDATE: Scans were all clear!

[Cari]

It is good that you are going in for your CT scan--even though you are anxious about it--Will be thinking of you and sending all the ALL CLEAR thoughts your way!!  HIGS to you!!

[Karen_P]

I go for a check up tomorrow...I had to put it off for insurance reasons but now I am back on schedule...I don't like getting the xrays because they can never get the whole prostethesis and takes a little while longer....I will update later....I pray everyone has a very blessed week...