CervCa: How do you know if its the cancer or stress?

I am in a bad way this morning. Very anxious again. I'm probably making something out of nothing, but I just don't know. Last Wednesday was my hysteroscopy that found the tumor. That was the first time I heard I needed a hysterectomy. That night I woke up suddenly hot and sweaty. That's happened three more times, making four out of the last seven nights with an episode like that. Are these night sweats, or just stress? This has happened to me in the past, so its nothing new, just very persistent this past week. In addition, my weight has me bothered. I started trying to lose weight back in April or May and I've steadily been going down. I was at 157 in April, today I weighed in at 151. Weight does not usually come off me that fast, but before all this happened I had been watching what I eat and exercising, so the weight loss was welcome. Now I'm freaked it may be the cancer metasized into something causing it. I have to admit, the past month its been very difficult for me to eat because I've been so stressed and anxiety ridden and that could be causing it.

So, my mind has me in a really bad place right now. I'm not fatigued other than the mental fatigue of all this stress, I've not had any fevers, I can't feel any of my lymph nodes. It makes sense for it to be stress related, but I can't shake that its not. They still haven't called me to tell me when my scans are and I am terrified about what they may show. I just can't stand that this is happening to me! And I really miss my husband and need him here!!!

My thoughts are prayers are with you. I suggest speaking with your doctor and getting an anti-anxiety prescription until the surgery date. If I weren't on the pain and anxiety meds I don't think i could function through daily life I would just be driving myself crazy with nerves.

sending you hugs and kind thoughts... it is so difficult that you must be going through this with your DH away!

If you have been having night sweats before all this "medical foo" began then it is likely not related to your diagnosis, but is a different thing (remember that our bodies are complicated and not every physical thing is related to the cancer) Have you mentioned the night sweats to your medical team?

As far as stress causing weight loss, I know from personal experience that it definitely can. While I didn't lose weight during my own current cancer journey (instead I gained about 20 pounds!), several years ago I lost about 20 pounds in about a months time, when my beloved dog Smokey became ill with her final illness. While I did not do anything special about dieting at that time, and it did not seem that I was eating any differently than usual, the intense stress caused me to lose weight. (Also if you have lost about six pounds in two or three months that is actually a healthy amount of weight loss, rather than scary quickly...)

My guess is that the various symptoms you are describing are all stress related, as being diagnosed with the big "C" is probably one of the most stressful things that can happen. I will be hoping and praying for you, that your treatment is successful and that your mind will be set at ease soon, as much as is possible. You will find a way to cope, and there is a lot of good feelings being sent to you

Hugs.
You are understandably scared.
I would be too, but you won't know what is really going on until after your surgery.
Try to think good thoughts and ready yourself for the surgery.
Exercise as much as you can, eat healthy, sleep well.
Get as many things done for the next few months as you can; both for home and for work.
Good Luck and it may not be as bad as you are dreaming.
I wish you luck and a successful surgery.

People comment about how I am typically a calm person. When I received my cancer diagnosis, I totally freaked. While I remained calm on the outside, inside I was a mess. I call my doctor and received meds to help me deal with the anxiety and sleep at night. Our bodies have different ways of reacting to stress--and your body may be reacting by giving you night sweats and weight loss. I am not in the medical health profession, but from what I understand it takes time for cancer to metasize.
Please, take a deep breathe, call family and friends for moral support, and above all use positive thinking to help yourself know that you can make it through this and that the doctors will be able to successfully treat you. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us informed of your progress--we care!

Thank you for the replies ladies. I think I am just so hypersensitive to any little thing right now. When I stopped to think about it, I realized I have been very dehydrated for the past week, too, so some of that weight could just be water weight. I just wish they would hurry up and schedule my scans. Today being a holiday is hard because no one is at the doctors office. The doctor did tell me he thought my cancer was a stage one from the physical exam because he felt no "nodules". I just need to keep that in mind and stop freaking myself out so much. But this is SOOOO HARD!!!!

It's probably due to stress. It can do all kinds of things to us! I lost 90 lbs over a year due to stress! I just wasn't able to eat. It can cause your sleep problems, too. Some medication might really help you right now as your going through all this. It sure helped me!

I know it's really hard but you'll get through it! Sending hugs and prayers to you!

I really hope you get answers soon. Remember that it is very likely your cancer is early and surgery will be all you need. I remember the nine days between hearing the words "you have cancer" and the surgery, as being the most stressful days I have ever had. I was alone at that time too (my husband works away and we decided he would need to be with me for the surgery so he stayed away and worked that nine days.)

It's funny you mention the weight loss ...before I was diagnosed I was feeling so crappy I decided last January to seriously try and lose the ten pounds I had gained over the last few months. I lost ten pounds by the time I was told about the cancer ...I too went crazy and wondered if I had REALLY lost that weight, or if it was the cancer. I went out and bought a bunch of fattening junk food and ate like a pig for a week ...I was so happy to gain back a couple of pounds!

I had my surgery in April ...the cancer was grade 1, stage 1 and I am now 3 mths post op. I am feeling fine and healthy and my weight is back to normal. I still have checkups to get through and even though I mostly feel like it is all behind me occasionally the stress and anxiety of it all still gets me ...aghh. It truly does get better ...I hope things work out for you.

Hi FrodoBaggins. I just wanted to let you know that I also had night sweats when I first found out about my diagnosis. I would wake up soaking wet and have to change my clothes. I thought the same thing, that the cancer had spread. I was very anxious and stressed also, needless to say. When we get a cancer diagnosis our bodies are on alert to any symptom we may have and we think about it so much that it makes it worse. I know it's hard, but try to stay busy as much as possible. It really does help some. Hopefully you can get in for your tests real soon. Make sure you let them know how anxious you are, so they can get you in sooner. I know it's hard waiting, but unfortunately there is going to be alot of waiting for results in your future. Try to not worry about something unless you know for sure that is what it is. Otherwise you are going to stress more than you need to. Your doctor told you he thought it was confined to your cervix, so try to think about that until your tests. Mine said the same thing and all of my scans were clear too. We've all been in your situation and can relate to how you feel. It's the worst feeling in the world, but you will get though it! We are here for you, so let us know if you have any more questions or just need to talk.

s
Lisa

I am feeling a bit better this morning. All of your replies are much appreciated, I feel much less alone and much better about it all, knowing that your experiences have been similar to mine and you all are here and have made it through. I guess stress can do a number on us in many different ways. I'm going to try not to worry about it and see if that makes it better. And llynne - I had to laugh when you said you went out and bought the junk food to try and gain some back! I admit I am doing the same thing!

I had a moment yesterday when I felt like I was going to completely fall apart again, like my world was shattering even though it had already shattered into a million pieces. I got on the internet and looked up staging cervical cancer from a physical exam and I found clinical guidelines that said the physical exam is very important because the doctor can feel for nodules that will tell him if it has spread. My doctor specifically said he felt no nodules. So, I am now at the point where I need to trust that, trust that my scans will be clear, relax about them, and believe with all my heart that it is confined to just that tumor and no where else. I know that stressing about it all is not helping anything! One kind of twisted positive thing is that I've been so freaked and worried about the cancer that I haven't even had time to freak and worry about the upcoming hysterectomy! I'm the person who didn't sleep for a week before my hysteroscope because it scared me so much, and that was nothing compared to this! But, I keep reminding myself the only way out of this is through it. I need this cancer out of me!