Scanxiety: Why the Waiting Is So Hard and How to Steady Yourself

The appointment is on the calendar. Maybe it is a CT, an MRI, a PET scan, or the next round of treatment. And somewhere in the days leading up to it, your body starts bracing.

You cannot sleep. Your mind keeps rehearsing every possible outcome. You catch yourself checking the patient portal at 2 a.m., even though you know the results are not there yet.

If this sounds familiar, there is a name for it: scanxiety. And if you are in the middle of it right now, I want you to know two things. You are not overreacting. And there are real, practical ways to help your body through it.

What scanxiety is

Scanxiety is the fear, dread, and restlessness that build around medical scans, treatment appointments, and the wait for results. It often starts days before the appointment and peaks in the silence afterward, while you wait to hear what the images show.

It is far more common than most people realize. In a 2025 study of 406 adults having routine cancer imaging, over 70 percent showed clinically significant scanxiety, and it climbed steadily until it peaked during the wait for results.¹ Caregivers feel it too. In one study of people with metastatic cancer, 81 percent of their caregivers reported scanxiety of their own.³

There is also some hope in the research. A review of the evidence found that six of ten interventions studied helped lower scanxiety.² And the 2025 study found that clear communication, good information, and social support all reduced the risk. In other words, this is not something you simply have to white knuckle through alone.

Why your body reacts this way

Your brain is built to protect you, and the thing it handles worst is uncertainty. When the outcome is unknown, the amygdala (your brain's alarm system) treats the open question like a threat. It keeps scanning for danger, and it pulls your thoughts toward every worst case so you can "prepare."

That alarm switches on your sympathetic nervous system, the fight or flight response. Your heart rate rises, your breathing gets shallow, your muscles tighten, and stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline stay elevated. That is why scanxiety can show up as stomach trouble, headaches, insomnia, irritability, or a foggy, scattered mind.

If you have had difficult news before, your body remembers. The smell of the clinic, the hum of the machine, or the notification sound on your phone can all set off the alarm before your thinking mind catches up. This is not weakness. It is your nervous system doing exactly what it learned to do.

You cannot think your way out of an alarm response. But you can give your body signals of safety.

The good news is that the nervous system has a counterweight. The vagus nerve carries signals that tell your body it is safe enough to soften. The practices below are built around that.

How to steady yourself

In the days before

• Ask how and when you will get results. Will your doctor call, or will they post to the portal first? Knowing the plan removes one layer of uncertainty. If you would rather hear results from your doctor before seeing them online, ask whether that is possible.
• Schedule the follow up close to the scan. When you can, book the results appointment for the same day or the next day. A shorter wait means less time for the alarm to run.
• Give the worry a container. Set aside 15 minutes a day to write down every fear. When a worry shows up outside that window, tell yourself, "I will think about you at 4 o'clock." This keeps fear from taking over the whole day.
• Line up your people. Decide who will come with you, who you will text afterward, and who you want with you when results come in.

On the day of the scan

• Breathe with a long exhale. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4, then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6 to 8. A longer exhale is one of the fastest ways to engage the vagus nerve.
• Ground through your senses. Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. This pulls your attention out of the future and back into the room.
• Tell the staff how you feel. Technicians see scanxiety every day. They can explain each step, let you know how long you will be in the machine, and sometimes offer music or a warm blanket.
• Bring something comforting. A playlist, a guided audio, a familiar scarf, or a small object to hold can all signal safety to your body.

While you wait for results

• Move your body gently. A walk, stretching, or shaking out your arms helps burn off stress hormones that have nowhere to go.
• Limit the portal checks. Choose one or two set times a day to check, or ask someone you trust to check for you.
• Notice the "what if" spiral. When your mind jumps to the worst case, gently name it: "This is my alarm system trying to protect me." Then return to what is true right now: "Right now, I am in my kitchen. Right now, I am safe enough."
• Let yourself have good moments. Laughing at a movie or enjoying a meal does not mean you are ignoring what is happening. Those moments refill you for whatever comes next.

After results come in

Whatever the news, your body may need time to come down from days of bracing. Exhaustion, tears, or numbness are all normal. And if results are good, it is also normal for relief to arrive slowly. Be patient with yourself, and give your nervous system a few days of rest.

You are still here

Scanxiety is what happens when a body that wants to protect you meets a situation it cannot control. You may not be able to make the waiting easier to understand, but you can make it easier to carry, one breath and one moment at a time.

If you want more support for your nervous system during hard seasons, Rewire offers 12 short guided audio sessions built around vagal nerve activation, somatic grounding, and reframing anxious thoughts. It's a gentle way to find steady ground, one day at a time.

Be gentle with yourself today. You're still here, and that counts for so much.

With love,
Tara

Tara DiTommaso

Tara is the founder of Still Here Now. Diagnosed with MS at 38 and Stage 4 breast cancer at 46, she built Rewire from the neuroscience backed tools that helped her find steady ground alongside her treatment.