Hello and thanks for your post,

I am sorry to hear about your situation. I can understand what a lot you are having to deal with at the moment.

Your doctors need to find out as much as they can about your cancer before they decide how to treat it which is why you are having your PET-CT.

Your team of doctors will do all they can to try and get rid of your cancer. You are giving yourself the best chance by having treatment. No one can predict what will happen in the future but there are different treatments that I am sure your doctors will use.

It is important that you feel supported whilst you are going through this difficult time. Do talk to the doctors and nurses involved in your care and let them know about your fear of medical procedures. The doctors and nurses may be able to recommend some psychological help whilst you are going through all of this. You may well have been given a specialist nurse so do let them know and so they can help support you.

Often the hardest time is before you start any treatment and then when you know what to expect it is much easier to deal with.

I am not sure whether you have a Maggie Centre near you. They often have trained psychologists. You may find if there is not a centre near you they may offer an on line service so it is worth asking.

If your GP is aware of your fears then it is worth talking to them about how they can help support you over the next few weeks. 

There is an organisation called Trauma Research UK and it might be worth contacting their helpline to see if you can get some tips to help support you whilst all of this is going on. In their information they list tomophobia.

I do hope that some of these links may be helpful.

You are more then welcome to ring and chat through any of this with one of the helpline nurses.

Our number is freephone 0808 800 4040 and the nurses are here Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.

All the best,

Catherine