Hello nny, 

I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis but hopefully you will have a treatment plan in place soon to deal with this small mass. I can understand why you are feeling anxious after your doctor asked for a full PET/CT scan but try and assume that they are just being thorough and are doing this as the nurse said as a precaution which is a good thing and that it doesn't necessarily mean that the cancer has spread. The symptoms you describe may also be linked to the anxiety you are experiencing at the moment so I know it's really hard but the only thing you can do is wait which is the hardest thing really. It won't be too long now until you get some answers but every single day waiting can indeed feel like a lifetime and it's enough to drive you mad as you said. 

I think you know it deep inside but drinking a bottle of wine a day or taking vallium to calm you down may not be the best strategy as you need to be able to keep functioning on a daily basis and as you mentioned in your other post do things like go to work for the next ten days. So perhaps try and focus on your work tomorrow and to keep all this at the back of your mind. Distraction techniques often work very well to help you cope with what feels like an endless wait so try and do anything that keeps your mind occupied and focused on other things than your diagnosis or your coming results. One thing you must away from is Dr Google as looking things up online will only throw worst case scenarios and will only exacerbate your anxiety. 

I thought I would share with you this page on how to cope while waiting for news   which contains some very useful tips to help you cope in the coming days. It mentions for example that it is best to avoid resorting to things like alcohol but to try and go for a nice walk instead if you can as this will lift your mood and help you focus on the moment. I know all this is easier said than done but I hope that these techniques will be helpful to you. If you feel you are struggling as you are waiting, make sure you talk to your GP and I am sure they will be able to help and give you useful advice. 

I hope some of our members will have some other tips for you based on their personal experience and that they will be along soon to share their story with you. It helps to talk to others who have been in a similar position before. 

I am keeping everything crossed for you that the PET scan shows nothing of concern! 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator