upcoming scans / anyone familiar with qigong?

Today is my turn to be panicking. I have bone mets. dx 4 yrs ago. I've been off chemo for 6 months & maintaing on herceptin/zometa. I'm not feeling any symptoms, but my ca2729 has been creeping up to 120 the last month (I've been too scared to call & ask about what last week's was. Also my liver enxzyme numbers have been elevated for several months, although nothing has shown up on scans yet on the liver.


My pet scan is coming up next Wed. & I can feel myself getting into that tight ball of anxiety already.

To make matters worse, I saw my qigong healer person this morning for a healing session. (Qigong is out of the Chinese tradition; it's energy healing. I've been going to this person since before I had cancer.)
I try to do this about once a month. He usually makes me feel more calm, but today when I told him I was worried about my tumor marker being up & the upcoming scan & I asked him what he saw... at the end of the session he said he saw more 'activity' in my spine and more blockage/congestion in my liver. It wasn't the 'you're fine' type message he usually says. Of course, he doesn't say 'cancer' but he's got me even more worried. He said he'd like to do another healing again before my scan, but of course with the holiday weekend coming up there are no openings for me to get in to see him.

It's going to be a long long weekend with this hanging over my head. This constant waiting, worrying, wondering is sheer torture.

I think I would have been more concerned if your "healer" had mentioned that he "sensed, felt, or saw" something worriesome BEFORE you mentioned your diagnostic markers went up. If it turns out that your "healer" is a fraud, he iwas simply using the information that YOU provided him to continue with his parlor tricks. I am not saying it is a fact, but these kinds of people seem to be most accurate when they have gleaned little bits of prognostic information from their unsuspecting clients. It's the way card and palm readers work their magic. By the end of the session, they have you convinced that they have discovered some new piece of the puzzle. Please be careful with these people.

I agree with "Guest." I would also add that prayer is powerful. God is the true Healer. Go to your Creator. He is the source of all Good. He knows everything about you and exactly what is going on in your body and your mind. And He alone will give you the Peace beyond all understanding. I'll pray for you. God Bless- Cathy

Dear Pam,

Try to have a good weekend and (if).... the worst case comes about, think of it as having to take care of business. It's something all the BC survivors have to deal with all the time; that's why we call you "survivors"!

Have a great weekend,
Al

Hi Pam~
looks like we're in the same boat...waiting thru a long weekend to have scans. i'm scheduled on tuesday. we were going to try & scan today, though i would have had to wait until tuesday for results anyway...i don't know which one would be worse...i think the latter.
so, how do we manage ourselves until then? wish i had an answer...my anxiety levels ramp up a week or two before scans & i struggle w/impatience, insomnia, forgetfulness & just feel really unsettled. i have to avoid big social events b/c i'm so fidgety & not very good company.
so instead, i opt for physical activity-nothing rigorous, just lost of walks in the park w/my dog & teaching pilates keeps my mind occupied & my body engaged. Or I go see a movie by myself-funny only! Around this time I'm really selective about whom I spend time with-calm, balanced, funny supportive friends & family-no drama queens!i practice yoga too, but right now, can't quiet my mind enough to benefit from class. i also find that posting here really helps me work thru some of the stress. WE SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO POST OUR QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS HERE WITHOUT FEAR JUDGEMENT!
i've incorporated TCM (traditional chinese med-a very thorough herb/vit supplement schedule) along w/accupuncture, energy work, meditation & imagery, as well as staying active. i do know a little qigong, but practice solo. and ofcourse there's the 71 weeks of chemo in the past 3 years...
ALL of these methods I use to support my survival thru this long journey...none are a replacement for my faith-which is very strong. I believe ALL are a part of the reason why I'm still here, surviving & THRIVING 3 years after a stageIV dx(liver mets, most recently quesionable lung met) STILL teaching Pilates, still walking my dog every day, roller blading, traveling, doing 5hr/40km cycles thru the mountains of Guatemala & 3 hrs of kayaking only 5 days after chemo.NONE of them take away from my faith.
my suggestion is do you what need to do, what makes you feel best, calm, centered, to get thru this. maybe do some qigong on your own-the breathing in itself should bring you some peace & calm. the visualization of cleansing breaths w/healing light can do wonders.
no one can tell you what path you must follow on this journey. nor does anyone have the right to place doubt in your mind where you have found peace & confidence before.
like i said, this is a long, bumpy journey.if this is the way life is going to be now (bald, not bald, on chemo/off chemo, scans, waiting for results, etc) then we have to find a way to manage it, still living, still thriving. do what you need to do to take care of you! take good care of you!
Prayers, faith & courage!

I was hesitant to even mention qigong healing in my 1st message because not everyone values that kind of energy work as an effective alternative to healing. And that's okay - we all have our own valid beliefs, methods etc. But please let me explain a little more. Qigong healing and/or exercise is all energy work -- similar to healing touch, acupunture & other similar techniques. It is not a religion. I have my own Christian faith -- I even work for a mainline protestant church. It is not a substitute for my western medical treatment. I have had chemo, radiation, herceptin, etc. and would not ever consider getting the best of what my onc. has to offer. Yet, I do believe there is healing power in prayer, energy work and/or whatever you might want to call it.

"Guest" & Cathy -- I do appreciate your warnings about charlatans & trickery. I also consider myself to be very skeptical about most things like that on the surface. And that also applies to many of the supplements being sold that are being promoted as cancer 'cures'. These are all areas that I think are possibly helpful -- but are not provable -- and we really know so little.

I have been seeing this particular qigong healer for years. As a matter of fact he doesn't even charge me because he knows my finances are tight - so I know whatever he tells me is not to make a buck. Does he have all the answers? no. Does my onc. have all the answer? no. I know I am trying to do what I can to beat this cancer and stay alive.

Jessica -- I'll be thinking of you this weekend as we both await scans & results.

I'm so glad we have this place to come & talk about different ideas, worries, get support, etc. Pam