<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;\u00A0How can you cope with that annoying &amp;amp;#34;scanxiety?&amp;amp;#34;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;What is Scanxiety?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Scanxiety is the term that&amp;amp;#39;s been coined to describe the anxiety people with cancer feel while waiting for scans. Whether scans are being done for diagnosis, to monitor treatment, to check for a recurrence, or simply for follow-up, it doesn&amp;amp;#39;t matter. It&amp;amp;#39;s scary to wait!\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Why Do Scans Cause Such Anxiety?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The reason that imaging tests cause so much anxiety for people who&amp;amp;#39;ve experienced cancer is pretty obvious. Even for those who are wondering if they have or don&amp;amp;#39;t have cancer, the fear of cancer runs deep. There are few medical conditions which drive such fear in our hearts.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Why? \u00A0We know\u00A0that anybody can get cancer - even if you&amp;amp;#39;ve &amp;amp;#34;done everything right&amp;amp;#34; your whole life. We also know that cancer can hit at any age or any time. In other words, none of us are safe. And those who have already had cancer know all too well. Cancer isn&amp;amp;#39;t like other areas of our lives where we can make it go away if we try harder, or love more, or do more. It&amp;amp;#39;s the great leveler of human beings in many ways. There aren&amp;amp;#39;t many things in life that leave us feeling so vulnerable.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;What Can You Do to Cope With Scanxiety?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;We know there is anxiety with having scans, and that it&amp;amp;#39;s the rule rather than the exception. Research even tells us that it doesn&amp;amp;#39;t really matter what we think the results of our scans will be. There could be a 99 percent chance that it will be good or a 99 percent chance that it will be bad news. Even if our chances lie on the good side, our brains (and whatever goes on to release &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/cortisol-and-stress-how-to-stay-healthy-3145080&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;stress hormones in our bodies&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;) don&amp;amp;#39;t seem to register those numbers.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;So how can you best cope? \u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;1. \u00A0Surround yourself with people who \u201Cget it.\u201D&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you talk to someone who hasn&amp;amp;#39;t had cancer, they may have some great suggestions. &amp;amp;#34;Just don&amp;amp;#39;t think about it.&amp;amp;#34; &amp;amp;#34;Thinking about it won&amp;amp;#39;t change anything.&amp;amp;#34; Hmm. A friend of mine recently commented that she was an expert on parenting -- until she had kids. The analogy here is very fitting as well. It seems that people have wonderful suggestions for coping with scanxiety -- that is\u00A0until they have to cope with anxiety about their own scans.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Surround yourself with people who get it, either because they&amp;amp;#39;ve been there themselves, or because they are one of those souls who are simply natural empaths. We know there is nothing you can do while you wait. We know it won&amp;amp;#39;t change the outcome of the scan to worry about it. Yet it sure helps to share those worries with someone so you don&amp;amp;#39;t have to carry it around alone. Those who have lived through scanxiety realize that &amp;amp;#34;exposing the elephant in the room&amp;amp;#34; doesn&amp;amp;#39;t make it come to be. It&amp;amp;#39;s there already, and sometimes simply acknowledging its presence may help it disappear a bit.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;2. \u00A0Surround yourself with positive people&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;You&amp;amp;#39;ve probably noticed how your whole outlook can change depending on the people you hang out with. Think about the people in your life who always seem to be able to find the silver linings. Positive people who will simply accept with a smile that you&amp;amp;#39;re anxious and don&amp;amp;#39;t try to fix it. Here&amp;amp;#39;s a few tips for &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-keep-a-positive-attitude-with-cancer-2248819&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;keeping a positive attitude with cancer&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;On the same note, this is a good time to stay away from those people in your life who are negative or pessimistic. You may have family members or friends like this, and feel that spending time with them is important. That&amp;amp;#39;s fine -- after your scan.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;3. \u00A0Let your doctor know your worries&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;You might think, \u201Cduh,\u201D of course my doctor knows I\u2019m worried. From having spent time on both sides of a white coat, however, your doctor could perhaps use a gentle reminder. The \u201Csqueaky wheel\u201D concept works in medicine as well as anywhere else. Simply making a comment that you are concerned might encourage your doctor to shuffle her schedule a bit to get your results to you sooner.\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;4. \u00A0Have a plan in place for getting your results\u00A0&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Even before your scan, have a plan in place for getting your results. Will your doctor be calling you on the phone? Make sure she has the right phone number, and permission to leave a message (or will be available for a call back.) Having a clinic call a home number instead of a cell phone number - even when you are still at the hospital after your scan - happens far too frequently. If she will be calling you, ask when.\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If your doctor will be giving you your results in person, make sure to have that appointment scheduled before you finish your scan. You may even want to have a plan in place in case of an emergency - for example, if there happens to be a blizzard or anything else. I know of at least one person who risked her life on dangerous roads to simply drive to an appointment to hear results.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In some cases, as with biopsy results, your doctor may get a preliminary result before the final reading. Talk to her about this, as well as whether you&amp;amp;#39;d like her to call you even if all of your results aren&amp;amp;#39;t yet completed.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;5. \u00A0Schedule your scans in the morning&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Sometimes it can make a difference to schedule your scans in the morning. Ask about this when you schedule your scan.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;6. \u00A0Ask yourself, \u201CWhat\u2019s the worst thing that could happen?\u201D&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;You might hesitate to ask yourself about the worst thing that could happen as you wait for scan results. Won&amp;amp;#39;t that make you more anxious? Certainly thinking about the worst is not where you want to spend your time, but some people have found that asking themselves this question can be calming. When we think of a bad result our brains often jump to death. While a bad result could mean that a cancer is progressing, it doesn&amp;amp;#39;t necessarily mean it will be immediately fatal. Take a minute to think about the bad result you are fearing, and consider what your plan B might be.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;7. \u00A0Think about the times you had good scans&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you&amp;amp;#39;ve had scans that left you feeling relieved in the past, think about how you felt then. See if you can recapture some of those feelings.\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;8. Don&amp;amp;#39;t Go it Alone&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Don&amp;amp;#39;t try to be a hero, or pretend you are strong, by going to your scans alone. Bring a friend with you. This may even be a good time to plan a special outing - say, a lunch after your scan. What else can you do to make the day special and treat yourself? In addition to the distraction and diffusing your fear, this can be a great way to maintain connections which have often solidified during treatment. Or, in contrast, it can be great opportunity to rekindle friendships which got put on the back burner due to treatment.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you happen to be the loved one of someone coping with lung cancer scanxiety, check out\u00A0&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-it-really-like-to-have-cancer-2248830&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;what it&amp;amp;#39;s really like to live with cancer&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;\u00A0to get a few ideas about what your friend may be feeling.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;9. \u00A0Practice reframing&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Almost any situation in life can be looked at in more than one way. For example, hair loss due to chemotherapy can be viewed either as a sad time in which you have to wear a head scarf, or a time when you don&amp;amp;#39;t have to shave your legs. Okay. That&amp;amp;#39;s pushing it a little. But though it may take a stretch, it can still be worth trying. From research to date it sounds like the phrase &amp;amp;#34;fake it till you make it&amp;amp;#34; can really work to change our attitudes in facing cancer. \u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;10. Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you&amp;amp;#39;ve ever kept a &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/writing-in-a-gratitude-journal-for-stress-relief-3144887&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;gratitude journal&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; during cancer, you&amp;amp;#39;ve probably figured out that it&amp;amp;#39;s hard to experience gratitude and fear at the same time (though not impossible...) You may even want to write out a list of a few things you are grateful for. If you&amp;amp;#39;re having difficulty getting started, start simply. &amp;amp;#34;We have enough toilet paper in the house.&amp;amp;#34; And go from there.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;You may even want to list out some of the ways cancer has had a positive influence on your life. It&amp;amp;#39;s true, or at least medical research is beginning to suggest it&amp;amp;#39;s true.\u00A0&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/cancer-patients-post-traumatic-growth-2248824&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Cancer can change people for the better&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; in some ways.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;11. Repeat a mantra&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;It may sound corny to repeat a mantra, but it can help pull some people out of the dumps. Try repeating, &amp;amp;#34;I&amp;amp;#39;m stronger than my scans,&amp;amp;#34; or something similar, and see if it helps. Or, if you prefer being quiet, consider &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/meditation-for-people-with-cancer-2248959&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;praying or meditating&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;12. Be Outrageous&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Have you ever laughed until whatever fluids you&amp;amp;#39;re consuming came out of your nose? Studies tell us that humor is sometimes the best medicine, but we don&amp;amp;#39;t need medical research to tell us that. I wouldn&amp;amp;#39;t necessarily recommend TP&amp;amp;#39;ing a hospital bathroom - which for some reason jumped to mind - but there are probably equally outrageous and fun and safe activities that could lighten your mood.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;13. Reach out to others with cancer&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If I were to pick only one idea for coping with scanxiety it would be this: reach out to those in your life who are similarly coping with cancer or some other concern. Not only can helping someone else take our minds off our own worries, but can take a difficult situation and turn it into something good and lasting.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Sources:&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;MD Anderson Cancer Center. 10 ways to reduce stress and anxiety during cancer treatment. Accessed 05/23/16. &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/cancerwise/2015/02/10-ways-to-ease-stress-and-anxiety-during-cancer-treatment.html&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;externalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/cancerwise/2015/02/10-ways-to-ease-stress-and-anxiety-during-cancer-treatment.html&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;National Cancer Society. Adjustment to Cancer: Anxiety and Distress (PDQ). Updated 01/07/15. &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/anxiety-distress-pdq&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;externalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/anxiety-distress-pdq&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/coping-with-anxiety-waiting-for-test-results-3955875>