Tips for scanxiety

I received a stage 4 diagnosis in January of 2020 , and I have remained stable… however … scan time does not get easier! Time is a tricky thing in the cancer world…we are monitored by scans every 3 months and we know that our lives could drastically change , again, depending on the results of the scans. I think the lung cancer community is such a silver lining to living with this disease, because we can support each other during our scan times and the scanxiety !! Having this community and knowing that others “ get it “ ~ they get all of our feelings firsthand … it is a comfort to have that support . I try to really focus in on the day I am in , during scan time. I make sure that I go outside, and I pay attention to all of my senses … the wind blowing the leaves in circles , the smell of the leaves , the sunlight .. I just keep bringing my thoughts to the moment I’m in. I also incorporate music into my scanxiety toolbox and I will play my favorite songs and maybe go for a ride in my car while I blare the tunes. I also try to watch comedies and sitcoms that make me laugh. I will cycle through all of these things and try and keep as busy as possible . There is so much hope in the lung cancer world , and I also try and remind myself of all the great strides that have been made in the research arena , and I know it is continuing.
If all of these things still fail and I end up spiraling , I let myself have that time in the pit of despair.. all of our feelings are normal, natural when dealing and living with terminal cancer.