Forum Discussion
Scanxiety - does it ever REALLY go away?
Does Scanxiety ever really disappear? I think not.
It is 4 years in Nov since my ILC tumours were found, by accident, by my GP - as the rural BreastScreen Bus screens totally missed it ..... TWICE. Rural breastscreen buses do not have 3D mammograms - only 2D ones - and they are unlikely to pick up Invasive Lobular Cancer (that does not present as a 'lump' ....) and any cancer is almost impossible to 'see' in those with Dense Breast Tissue. If you don't know what breast tissue type you have, get your Surgeon/Oncologist to tell you - as Breast Screen NSW refuses to do so.
If you are able to pull up a pic of your Mammograms .... you'll actually SEE if you have dense breast tissue, as much of the breast will showing as 'white' (rather than fairly clear) and as cancer also shows up as 'white' ..... the dense breast tissue hides the cancer.
What followed was 2 years of anxiety as I had a recall on my first anniversary scans, which luckily, were benign .... but being rural, things all take longer to happen. Altho I had my surgery within days of seeing the surgeon (10 days after my diagnosis on Jan 5th was confirmed) it had taken 2 months to get to the diagnosis, with my biopsy being done between Xmas & New Year. The following year, the biopsy was on Xmas Eve .... so 2 x Christmases/New Years - totally stuffed!! For this reason, I brought my scan dates a month early to October - so that if anything needed doing (ie biopsy) I wouldn't be in the Xmas Rush!
SO .... I head north today for my annual Mammogram and Ultrasound (luckily, having the resident specialist breast Cancer Radiographer doing both!) I'll take hubby with me & will probably even take him into the clinic room with me (if allowed) to keep an eye on him as he has mod-severe dementia. Otherwise, I'd need to arrange someone to sit with him, if I left him at home.
Up til this morning, I hadn't really 'thought' of the scanxiety .... but then it raised it's ugly head again! grrrr.
I am not expecting any adverse results - but with this beast, you just never know!
I see my Rad Onc next week, also up north - my 2nd last visit to her - next year being Year 5 since detection.
Wish me luck!!
It is 4 years in Nov since my ILC tumours were found, by accident, by my GP - as the rural BreastScreen Bus screens totally missed it ..... TWICE. Rural breastscreen buses do not have 3D mammograms - only 2D ones - and they are unlikely to pick up Invasive Lobular Cancer (that does not present as a 'lump' ....) and any cancer is almost impossible to 'see' in those with Dense Breast Tissue. If you don't know what breast tissue type you have, get your Surgeon/Oncologist to tell you - as Breast Screen NSW refuses to do so.
If you are able to pull up a pic of your Mammograms .... you'll actually SEE if you have dense breast tissue, as much of the breast will showing as 'white' (rather than fairly clear) and as cancer also shows up as 'white' ..... the dense breast tissue hides the cancer.
What followed was 2 years of anxiety as I had a recall on my first anniversary scans, which luckily, were benign .... but being rural, things all take longer to happen. Altho I had my surgery within days of seeing the surgeon (10 days after my diagnosis on Jan 5th was confirmed) it had taken 2 months to get to the diagnosis, with my biopsy being done between Xmas & New Year. The following year, the biopsy was on Xmas Eve .... so 2 x Christmases/New Years - totally stuffed!! For this reason, I brought my scan dates a month early to October - so that if anything needed doing (ie biopsy) I wouldn't be in the Xmas Rush!
SO .... I head north today for my annual Mammogram and Ultrasound (luckily, having the resident specialist breast Cancer Radiographer doing both!) I'll take hubby with me & will probably even take him into the clinic room with me (if allowed) to keep an eye on him as he has mod-severe dementia. Otherwise, I'd need to arrange someone to sit with him, if I left him at home.
Up til this morning, I hadn't really 'thought' of the scanxiety .... but then it raised it's ugly head again! grrrr.
I am not expecting any adverse results - but with this beast, you just never know!
I see my Rad Onc next week, also up north - my 2nd last visit to her - next year being Year 5 since detection.
Wish me luck!!
44 Replies
- Oh bugger, @Blossom1961 ..... fingers and toes crossed for a clear result you ..... THey are being very thorough xx
take care xx - Congratulations @arpie. My fourth year since the initial dreaded biopsy is in three weeks from this Friday. This Friday I get to go in for another biopsy. I nearly made the five year mark!
- Big hugs @cranky_granny .... let me know next time you head up our way xx. Definitely catch up for a coffee & chat (or lunch). I hope your family haven't been impacted with the rain/floods up here .... it is still raining here as I type and nowhere for the run off to go. :(. Poor old Northern Rivers & South East Qld .... REALLY copping it again just now
Take care xx
That is SO RIGHT, @iserbrown xx Thinking of you xxx - It's a so and so!
- Yippee @arpie my scanxiety back again
been in a foul mood for a few weeks delayed reaction to rads i think
next monday new scans I’ll message you in private when my heads in a better place - Good on you @arpie
- Great news @arpie
- great news on the US @arpie
- Great news about the results @arpie!! 🥳🥳♥️
- WOOHOO! I've finally got the all clear on the latest 'callback' ultrasound from last week ..... On the actual day, the US Technician (who has done my yearly scans since surgery & treatment in 2018) had indicated to me that the couple of 'bits of concern looked very regular and round' .... apparently if they are rough & jagged, there is possibly more reason for concern ..... so I am very happy with that! And my Rad Onc has confirmed that in a teleconsult today. No more US now, til Oct again!
As the round journey is in excess of 200k, I had submitted all my travel forms to IPTAAS, as I usually do ... as I'd had the initial trip up for the first US, then went back to see my Rad Onc as my yearly appt/US report (both in Oct last year), then followed by the 2nd US in Nov and now the 3rd US in March .... all US were at the same place, with 'random radiologists on duty on the day' reporting on the US back to the Rad Onc ..... and suddenly, for the first time since 2018, IPTAAS demanded that the Rad Onc also had to sign off a New Referral on one of the 3 random Radiologists who 'read my report' - even tho they had already signed off on the Travel Dairy Page that I presented on the day ..... This has never happened before! It is a TOTAL waste of time on the Onc's behalf, who has more important things to do for her ill patients ... there can be up to 6 signatures required for a single 'specialist treatment' to satisfy IPTAAS requirements .... Can Assist are trying to address this as being absurd to the State Health Dept & all rural State Members .... if you are a rural NSW patient - you can read Can Assist's submission here - and I recommend that you do!
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/72752/0710%20Regional%20Accommodation%20Providers%20Group%20and%20Can%20Assist.pdf
