Bone Mets Thread
Comments
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ugh, Suzy! I had that happen to me while going through RADS for my hip mets and unfortunately did fracture my femoral head. I had significant increase in pain and in my gut knew I had fractured it. Mine happened at 6 pm and I called the after hours line for my ortho onc's practice. The ortho on call told me mine wasn't considered an emergency and could wait til the morning unless I needed pain meds (which I didn't). He told me that even if I went, the ER wouldn't do anything more than X-ray it. That being said, we were pretty sure where my fracture would be given that it was an isolated met. Also I had access to crutches so I didn't need to weight bear. If it were me, I'd call your doctor's emergency line and see if they think you should go to the ER. I always feel best when I reach out when I am uncertain. Sending positive thoughts that you just tweaked something and will heal quickly.
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Suzy - get to the ER and get an x-ray. The pain you described is what I had and I was immediately ordered to be non weight bearing. You shouldn't have that kind of pain!
Hugs to all,
Terre
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Suzy, if I was in your situation, I would probably try to sleep through the night (since you said you're not in pain when lying down) and see if the pain is any better in the a.m. You may have just seriously overdone it moving furniture. But if the pain is as bad tomorrow, I would probably go to the ER -- just to be sure you haven't fractured something. If you do have a fracture, continuing to put weight on it could make it worse. That happened to me. I hobbled around with increasing leg pain for several weeks and ended up needing some pretty extensive surgery to repair a fractured femur and pelvis I didn't realize I had.
Hoping it's not a fracture! Let us know how you're doing tomorrow. Deanna
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Ouch Suzy! It's always good to get deep pain checked out but as Deanna says, sleep on it over night and just see how it is in the morning. If it is still intense when you weight bear in the morning head straight for the ER and get an Xray ASAP. It may not be anything other than overdoing it with moving furniture (you naughty girl!) but it's better to be sure than sorry.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Marina, r they requesting the sternumecony (not sure how to spell it, lol) because u r triple negative? I am lone to stetnum also, I just had radiation and now it's necrotic. Just nodes now but since stage four that procedure wouldn't change anything. Curious why they want to do such a radical procedure. Hugs! Keep us posted!!
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wildchild how are you doing? Have they gotten the fluid on your lungs under control now? I want to thank you for your info - helped me to get my doctors and oncologist listen to me a little faster. Still dealing with the gastritis and lymph system going crazy but at least they are believing me now. I am very grateful to all you mets sisters here for any info to help us deal with the things we all go through.
Saskie
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And Suzy, did you get to a doctor about your hip pain? What were the results?
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I have been on the site for a few months - have been reading but not participating. Decided today was the day to participate. Was dx in Nov/Dec 2013 stage 4 with bone mets to femur, pubic bone, pelvis and 1 rib. Had rads to all bone mets except rib for pain relief and rod inserted in femur to prevent fracture. Was on Femara for 5 months and then switched to Tamoxifen since June 2014 because of slight progression on pelvis. I feel stiff as a board and try to manage joint pain in hips and knees as best I can. I now have pain in my left upper foot (worse when walking) and of course worry if this could be another met. Is it possible to have mets on feet - has anyone had this? or is is just SEs?0 -
Hi Linda and welcome. It's very rare to get mets below the knee but not impossible........the pain you are feeling is more likely a SE or arthritis bought on by the Tamoxifen but it's always a good idea to mention any new severe pain to your onc. My feet have arthritis in just about every little joint and really give me the dickens some days.
Hope you pain is just a SE or arthritis.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Hi Linda. I would get it checked out or at least talk to your MO about it. I was looking at some notes the other day and noticed one from June 1st where I talked about my shoulder blade pain and that I worried it was mets to the bone. I could have had a couple months head start if I had acted on that.
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Linda, I am on Arimidex and one main side effect for me is sore feet. I've been stable for three plus years, also have joint stiffness/aches, so I move at a little slower pace, but keep going nevertheless. I am not a doctor but i would think your foot pain is not related to bone mets. I now only wear flat shoes, most often sneakers, with insoles to absorb the shock.
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Welcome, Linda. And I agree that the foot pain is probably from the Femara/Tamox -- although I'm also wondering if you might have injured one of those little bones in your foot without realizing it -- the kind of injury we take in stride prior to a bone mets dx.
Related to joint pain with the A/I's... for what it's worth I also wanted to share something that happened to me recently. I don't eat wheat because of IBS issues that led me to get tested a few years ago for food allergens. As it turned out, I am highly wheat iintolerant, although not celiac. Anyway, I was at a dinner party last weekend and absolutely everything served had wheat in it. So not to make a fuss, I ate as little of it as I could, and the next morning, in addition to an upset tummy and feeling generally lousy, my joints hurt really bad. Otherwise, I have very little joint pain on Anastrazole. I don't know if it's just b'cuz of my wheat intolerance, or if it's something others could benefit from trying, but I thought I would mention it, since the wheat-joint pain reaction was so noticeable. Deanna
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Hi Ladies,
Was dx with mets on spine and ribs in August. Originally, had fairly extreme pain, then pain lightened up right about the time I was dx. I started Herceptin, Perjeta, Faslodex and aromasin. About a week after my infusion, the pain got extremely intense. Now, it is starting to ease up again. Is this typical for bone mets? One day intense pain almost to where I can't get up from a seated to position, to a day where pain is just more of an annoyance and I can do most of my activities. It is almost like it is cyclical. Anyway, just wondering if anyone has had experiences like this. Of course, I worry that the drugs are not working. Any advice is helpful.
V
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Iamstronger - my pain is very much like that. Weather can also have an effect. I am usually best in the morning for a couple of hours. By the end of the day I am much less active. Some days I just kinda know my bones are there. Some days I am like a sore thumb.
I am 70 now and I have to remember that the joint pain can come from other things so I try to be aware of those things also. I ask myself, what did I do yesterday that was unusual or did I over do? Did I eat something different? Is the barometric pressure changing? Is it damp?
I am on taxol and I also find that my pain pattern changes through the week from infusion to infusion.
My mind does go to the mets but I know it is only part of it.
I use NSAIDS, hot baths, one of those small electric lap blankets and sometimes I resort to weed (medical marijuana is legal here).
Hope this helps.
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Thanks Brigadoon. It just seems so strange that I have pain for a week and then it gets better for a week. I think I might try the pot as it is legal here too.
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Hey there ladies, Just checking in. It has been a rough year and I have not been around BCO for a long time. At leat I am still around and I turn 65 in December so looking forward to a big birthday party provided I am not in the hospital again by then.
Hugs all around,
AJ
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AJ I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you are home and able to celebrate your birthday in December and I shall celebrate mine with you as I am a December babe as well........lol. You'll have to post some pics of the celebration.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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how do you find pictures?
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Dear Jo,
The worst part of adjustment for me was the "why" question. I had just had a mammogram and gotten the assuring letter that all was clear come back in a year. Yikes 8 weeks later I have a lump and in a shot time I have Stage four BC. Why was it not caught on a CT for a coronary workup a couple of months before that...Part of the answer lies in do not think radiology personnel do a top notch job in the face of pressure to read masses of mammograms quickly. the other part is that there is no satisfactory answer even if you tried to do everything right. Just have to keep on going...Carolyn from Music City
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I had a great time at the Several Species concert last night. They are a Pink Floyd tribute band from Baltimore. I took the opportunity to test my special cookies. Test results: great time at the concert, very mellow, "best burger EVER." but did not help me sleep and did not reduce pain.
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Looks like great fun. Glad you enjoyed it!
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Iamstronger, sorry you had to join this group. I was on faslodex very briefly as it caused a lot of gastritis issues and lymph issues for me. I did have a lot of bone ache side effects from the Faslodex. Just keep a very close watch on your stomach as a couple of us have had serious stomach issues arise. Praying for an ease of side effects and pain girls!!
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Thank you Chrissy,Dunsleeper, the DivineMRSM and Deanna for your feedback. I have contacted my onc's office regarding my foot pain. Wheat intolerance is interesting - my acupuncturist always tells me it causes inflammation. I need discipline to eliminate wheat but I might give it a try. By the way, acupuncture brings me pain relief- it's temporary but WOW for the break.
Linda
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Barb, were you referring to pictures of AJ's celebration? If so, it hasn't happened yet but hopefully it will in December.
Dune great pic! I love Pink Floyd! and so does my SIL.....he is the drummer in a PF cover band so I get to hear the music often! If I say so myself their band does a great job with the music and are very popular as they sellout every gig they do (which is many)......lol. Sorry your special cookies didn't alleviate your pain but really glad you had the best burger ever and had a mellow night.....I think it's just great!!!!!
Linda, wheat seems to be an issue with a lot of women with BC......I don't know if it's the meds that make it so or just the fact that we have developed a sensitivity to it. I have reduced the quantity that I consume and must admit that I do feel a darn site better for it but just haven't taken the plunge to be totally wheat free.
Iamstonger I was on an oral bisphosphinate for a while but it caused me so many stomach problems that I quit taking it and so far things are okay bone wise but I am due for my bi-annual DEXA at the beginning of the New Year so I guess I'll find out if my bone health has gone downhill or not. My bone pain comes and goes depending on how hard I push myself to do things but I just up my pain meds and keep going. Hope you get a handle on everything soon and your fear of meds not working lightens up for you. I think we all at some point have thought and felt the same but here I am five years later and doing very well so hopefully will you be.
Love n hugs all! Chrissy
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HI Carolyn,
Yes, the why is hard to get past some nights when you are lying awake at 3 am. I have considered writing a letter to the radiologist group that had been reading my mammograms the last 2 years. I can't shake the idea that they missed something and maybe if they looked again they would see something new that might help another woman to be diagnosed earlier. I had stereotactic biopsies on both breast after my first abnormal mammogram in 2012. The tumor that was found this spring was in a different location than either of the biopsies. I keep wondering if someone had ordered an ultrasound instead of a biopsy if they wouldn't have found my tumor in 2012 and I would not be where I am today.
I know we have to get over the what ifs and get on with life such as it is now. But I still might just write that letter.
Sounds like you have had plenty of "how could this have happened?" nights too.
How are you feeling since your dx? Is your treatment working, or is it too early to tell?
Lately I have been trying to get back to a somewhat normal life, but am constantly questioning whether I am pushing myself too hard or babying myself too much. In my former, pre-cancer life, rule of thumb was if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger. My "new" cancer body has sure made me rethink that philosophy, ha ha!
Hope you are having more good days than bad. I appreciate your understanding.
Jo
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Hi Dunes,
Good to see you are out having fun! I'm thinking this is some of the best medicine. I think I am going to get a big pink elephant to put next to my mirror, ha ha!
Jo
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Thanks ladies for all the responses. I met with a rad onc today and he was amazed I wasn't having worse pain that I was. I actually have a small fracture in my back. I can't believe I broke my back. Well, at least I did it while doing a handstand in my yoga class!! When I came down, likr any other time I have come down from a handstand, I experience an intense pain like never before. I'm sure that is when that fracture happened. Obviously, this was before we knew my cancer had returned. I'm on a forced yoga sabbatical for now, which is a huge bummer for me.
We start rads on Weds. Saying a prayer that this will bring me some relief and enable me to get back into my daily yoga practice. So glad I found this thread. Thanks ladies!V.
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I'm sorry you had to give up yoga. It is a bummer. I really loved my Dance 2014 on my Wii. I had fun and so was doing it for an hour, sometimes more. I kept wanting to do more. I was dripping with sweat, but I was loving the dancing. I am a terrible dancer, and I was learning some moves I could use if I should go dancing somewhere. The focus is on the arms though. That's where you hold the Wii remote. I can't be swinging my arms like I was. Hopefully I'll be able to soon. I could at least focus on the legs. That should give a pretty good workout.
I work today, though, so I don't expect I'll exercise. Therefore, I guess I'll take fruit for my lunch.
The concert was really fun. I tried the magic cookie and loved it. It was quite perfect. I don't think it is helping me sleep though. I took a dose last evening but sleep eluded me. I got some more and then I fell asleep. It was good quality sleep too.
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I have had enough of CTs in the past 15 months, 4 CT/bone scans, 1 CT/PET scan, and two CT guided biopsies. The next CT/Bone is schduled tomorrow. I had CT done locally and in MD Anderson, it seems every hospital/facility has different preparation procedure. Locally I was told before, to fast for 12 hours, no oral barium, only injection contrast. At MD Anderson, it is 4 hours fasting, oral barium one hour before scan, and contrast injection. This time, local facilty told me no fasting, no barium, just have to drink two glasses of water. It seems to be too easy now! I did not know medical procedure changed that much in 5 months. I wonder what your CT scan experiences are?
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cling it does seem weird how it changes from facility to facility here in Orlando, I went for my CT last week and there was no fasting but had to drink 2 bottles of barium mixed with water and also the injection contrast. It may be interesting to see what others had them do.
Aurora
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