Bone Mets Thread
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My husband's shot of the sunrise from the house this morning.
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Terre,
That is beyond gorgeous! Your DH is a very talented photographer and how lucky you are to live in such a besutiful place. Enjoy every sunrise.
Caryn
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Terre - wow. Love that sunrise. Thanks for sharing
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Terre, you live in Paradise! That's gorgeous!!!
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Terre, that is absolutely beautiful.... and I loved the kittens & mama. Cheers, Dee
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My gosh it looks like a painting. Beautiful.
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That is stunning Terre!
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Terre, that is a breathtaking sunrise! Wow you live in a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing.
I'm off to the cancer centre today for infusion number 7. My onc said that if all looked well they would possibly change my infusions to every other month. That would be nice and save me a bit of travel. It's also getting difficult to find a good vein and that gives me a bit of anxiety.
Wishing everyone a nice weekend, Annie
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Thanks for all the nice comments on DH's photo. He's really a good photographer and this is a stunning place to live. The sunrise was exceptional as was the light, but if I may say so myself, DH captured it very well.
Good luck with the infusion, Annie! Hope they cut them down to every other month. And I hope the find (found) a perfect vein first try!
Caryn, you have such a good point - enjoy every sunrise. It is so pretty here that sometimes I have to remind myself to be grateful to live in such an amazing place and to appreciate the beauty because it is easy to take it for granted.
Hugs to all,
Terre
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Hi Everyone....I got out of the hospital on Tuesday after a 3 day stay for my hernia that has been coming to head for a couple mths...They told me that some of the other intestines are trying to make there way through the wall of the hernia and that causes extreme pain cuz they are getting pitched...I technically should be having the surgery to correct the situation...but because of my cancer it is out of the questions...I got a shot to bring up my counts in the hospital 5.7 next day down 2.8 so OC was saying Treatment on Wednesday...but when to treatment got blood work...cts down to .9 NO CHEMO....I am currently in a very serious situation here with this condition with my colostomy and hernia/bowels...It can be life threatening if it is not surgically taken care of immediately..but for now I am carefully monitoring the situation with heating pad and pushing on the hernia to release the intestines back down from entering the wall of the hernia...Really Right...my life is my hands now...but if it gets to intense pain wise I am to go to ER ....so keeping my self relaxed and resting...it's been a hell of week...all most gave up on everything...Here I have Cancer and may not die from it...
I hope everyone has a great weekend...L&R Carla
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Oh Carla, I am so sorry you're going through this. Sending you healing thoughts and hugs.
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Carla, I can't believe you have this new complication. My son had one of those when he doing a semester abroad. He was able to delay surgery until he got back to the US, but I remember he had to do what you're describing to keep it from becoming incarcerated again, as it had the first time when he ended up in an ER in Slovenia. But of course he wasn't dealing with everything else you are.
Since you couldn't have chemo this week, has anyone suggested stopping the chemo long enough for you to get that hernia fixed? Oh, I really feel for you!
Patty, did you have that camera procedure?
(((Hugs))) and I hope the weekend brings improvement to those who are struggling and no additional problems or issues! Deanna
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dlb823 : My counts are to low...to be operated on ...If I get a infection that could be dangerous...The surgeon and OC came to a conclusion that my cancer is priority ... after this round of chemo they will revaluate my situation
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good evening ladies.
Dlb - did you say what your mo said about rising tms on wed ? Did I miss it ?
Annie - hoping you are now going to get infusion every other month. I hear ya in vein anxiety.
Freebird. / so sorry. Sounds serious indeed.and now no chemo this week either. Sorry Stage IV cancer should give us a pass in all other health issues. Hang in here. I know you've had a hard path to follow. Don't know what to say other than praying for you. Wish I could do something for you
I got a test done this am where they put radioactive dye in scrambled eggs than they check you every so often up to 4 hours to see if my tummy is allowing good to pass thru. Cslled a gastric emptyng - dumping test. Food should be at least 90% out of my tummy after 4 hours. Nope. Mine was 50% remaining after 4 hours. Report said was moderate. Unfortunately time results came in dr is gone for the day. Will have to wait Til tomorrow. Before the test he said there are several oral meds to fix this. So I am hopeful for an easy peasy fix. Hoping to get out of hospital soon
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hope / how's lbrance treating you ?
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Patty - sorry they didn't finish the test until the doc left and you have another day in hospital. But glad they're trying to sort it out. Hoping it's a simple/quick fix - a pill a day to keep the trots away?
Carla - so wish I could fix this for you, but like Patty, can only send prayers and good thoughts. And I agree, Patty - we should get a pass on everything else. Just damn unfair.
Hugs to all,
Terre
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Carla and Patty, oh my gosh! I am so sorry for so much s**t going on with you guys. I agree if you have stage VI mets you get a pass for everything else crappy in your life.
Got my Ibrance today and lerazole. $17.57. Keep your fingers crossed for good blood counts. Will be meditating on them every night.
Love and good wishes for all.....my heart goes out to you all. Myra
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Hello everyone,
A long day at the cancer centre but my onc said because of my ct scan showing my mets are healing and the bone is filling in I can go to every other month for my pamidronate infusions. And the nurse got it in my vein first try! Thank you Terre and Patty for your well wishes. Organs were clear and my last month's tm's are down to 17. Last September I started at 137, she said my tm's are very indicative for me.
Carla, I'm so sorry about what you're going through. I am praying for you and sending healing hugs. You've had such a stressful week and I wish there was something I could do!
Patty, I am praying really hard that you get out of there soon! Sounds like they're getting closer to figuring it out and I'm hoping for a simple fix. Healing hugs to you.
Wishing everyone a nice, pain free weekend, Annie
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Hi all, looking for some potential solutions to back spasms. I have known spinal mets as well as mets in other skeletal areas. I get an MRI of the spine every 6 mo to follow & recently had an xray to make sure no fx due to sudden pain. I don't usually have a lot of back pain (have to be very careful, however), but this new pain/spasm is driving me nuts. I'm beginning to conclude, on my own, it's a side effect of chemo. Just as I start feeling a bit better, wham. Can't try flexeril on this chemo, am taking baclofen, but nothing really helping. I'm getting warn down from fluctuations in pain. Ibuprofen helps, but can't take much due to chemo & had nose bleed today, so won't be doing that. Tylenol useless & narc's & Lidoderm patches useless. Looking to hear what may have helped you.
Thank you.
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Myra - congrats! Hoping your blood work is great!
Annie - congratulations! We match! My TM's were 17 and my bones are growing back. Let's keep this trend up for ourselves.
SryMom - Bugger @ back spasms. I have nothing really to offer, except I'm wondering if a very gentle massage would help. I worked with a Healing Touch massage therapist in the US and she was amazing. They do the mind/body/spirit thing. I have gotten some awful back spasms from time to time and massage helps a lot. But, obviously, you need to find someone who understands that you have mets and doesn't mess with your spine. I am so sorry you're going through this! I'm sure others will have good suggestions.
Hugs to all,
Terre
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hey all Iam wide awake because I've slept most of the day away. So hoping to go home tomorrow. Fingers, toes, legs, arms and eyes crossed. Lol
Myra - I hope lbrance is the miracle drug we are all hoping for and that price is great ! Good luck
Annie / kiwi. - congrats ! Tms down and healing mets. All good news. Thanks for sharing !
Syrmom / I have been suffering back pain from mets for over 1&1/2 years. Have they tried you on many narcotics ? There are do many to choose from and so many caring doses. Maybe mo can give you something different. It's a complicated dance between pain relief and nausea and sleeping. Don't just believe this is the best it's gonna be. Keep mo working on it. I also find a hot bath works great or I will put a chair in the shower to sit backwards in and let hot water relax those muscles. Slways makes me sleepy too. Gentle Stretching and gentle massage also helps for me. Hoping you get the pain under control ASAP
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Well, Carla, at least you're out of the hospital. Hopefully, the hernia will behave itself until it's safe to get off chemo long enough to get it repaired.
Myra, so glad you got the Ibrance co-pay worked out. But it's sinful that pharmaceutical and insurance companies can get us so worked up with their outrageous cost quotes. (By the way, how do you pronounce Ibrance?)
Annie, love seeing that your TMs are at "17!" WooHoo! And that's great that you and Terre are twins in that regard!
As expected, my local onc said it's time for a scan (due to rising TMs), and if my ins. co will approve it (which they haven't since my mets dx) he'd like me to have a PET this time. He said it will be more definitive re. active cancer vs. healing. So I'm waiting to hear back from UCLA on getting that scheduled. In the mean time, tonight I've been dealing with a sudden back pain and spasms that make it difficult to move. I haven't lifted anything heavy, and I've even wondered if it might be a kidney stone (it's in the left kidney area). Whatever it is, it came on very suddenly and has me rethinking my weekend plans, since I can hardly move. So sorry that you're having them too, SyrMom. I know both my DH and I had antispasmotic meds RXd after joint replacement surgery (his knee, my hip). They were probably one of the ones you mentioned, but I'll go look, and if it's anything different, I'll let you know.
Hi, Patty! Sorry you can't sleep, but hope they let you out of there tomorrow! Deanna
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SyrMom, the drug I mentioned above is Alprazolam 0.5 mg. -- and I just realized in looking at the container that it's Xanax, LOL! Ha! I had no idea because I never took any of it. Not sure if it will work with whatever chemo you're on, but that's what our ortho surgeon (we had the same one) RX'd both of us for muscle spasms. Deanna
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Deanna - sorry you're having back issues too. That's no fun at all. Xanax - the cure all drug.
Patty - sorry you can't sleep. I have everything crossed for you to go home tomorrow too!
After no rain for months, it's bucketing down here. Sounds like a freight train going through the house. And we have new roof leaks. So that makes it a bit easier I guess knowing that we have to move since they've put it on the market. I just have to get over being heartbroken about it, and having soaking wet carpet on the stairs due to the new leak helps. The grass and trees are happy.
We're going to go look at a place to buy this weekend. If we buy it, my commute will be even longer, but it may be worth it. I guess we'll see tomorrow! We also looked at a house at the beach and it's a good option as well. I may be delusional with regard to my cancer, but I could have either place paid off by the time I'm 65. I just want some place for me, DH, and the kitties to live permanently without having to go through the pain and expense of moving every six months. And I want to plant Hooty, the pohutukawa tree, who's lived in a pot for almost five years. I got Hooty as a stick with one leaf in a little wooden container and he's now over 18" tall and lovely. And yes, we are whacko - we name our plants. I named the three pathetic tomato plants Tom, Dick, and Harry. The passionfruits are Pash and Baby Pash. Have to do something to keep myself entertained!
Hope you're doing well with the rads, Dune. Miss you!
Hugs to all,
Terre
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Kiwicatmom,
Just beautiful. What a lovely painting this would make.
Terri
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Thanks, Terri! How are you doing?
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Terre, I love that you name your plants! You give all living things real life and a purpose.
Deanna and Syrmom sorry you are having back spasms. On the alternative therapy forum, Dead Sea salts were mentioned for back pain relief since it has a high concentration of magnesium without having to digest it. I tried it in a hot bath and it was very soothing. Just don't use it much since I am not a huge bath lover.
Getting a little nervous about starting the Ibrance. There is so much rhetoric about blood counts, it is kind of scary. Time to put one foot in front of the other and just begin the journey. I remember this feeling 16 years ago when I had my first round of chemo.
Well, hope all have a wonderful weekend. We are going to a charity ball for autistic children tonight. Puts your head back into real life. We all have lemons to deal with in some way or another.
Myra
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Hi all,Carla, I'm at a loss for words. You've been through so much. Sending you hugs and healing vibes.
Patty, hope you're home!
Annie - that's awesome news. So happy for you.
Myrra - Congrats. Hope the tx is gentle on you.
Syrmon and Deanna - for back spasms I use Robaxacet (sold over the counter here). There are two types: one with ibuprofen and methocarbamol and the other is acetaminophen and methocarbamol. The latter is a muscle relaxant.
KWC - the pic is absolutely magnificent. Good luck with house hunting!
Dee - how are you feeling?
Dune - How did your 1st week or rads go? and your appt with your Onc? Is your pain any better? I worry about you when you don't check in.
I treated myself after getting the news on my scan. Went shopping and bought clothes for my trip to Cuba.
Wishing all of us a pain free and good week-end! - Linda
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Thanks to all of you for your ideas on handling back spasms. Like Deanna, mine came on suddenly & was a 9/10 pain for days, had just been feeling better & now it's back, so frustrating!! I've had tense neck muscles and back issues all my life, but nothing like this. Unfortunately, I can't soak in a bath as a urologist told me years ago it can cause UTI's - don't need that now. Been trying to figure out if it's a cumulative reaction to chemo or my mets, either way, have to find a way to function, this is awful. Ibuprofen usually works well, but on chemo have to be careful of the platelet issue, makes it so hard.
Anyway, if anyone cares to describe their pain related to mets, I'd appreciate it. Just trying to figure this out. You can PM me if you'd rather. Have started PT which is only a mild massage type tx, but guess that's not helping either. Very scary.
Also, if anyone had this type of reaction while on chemo, pls. let me know.
Thanks ... The sun is out, would really like to enjoy it instead of staying in and laying down all day.
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linda when are you going to Cuba? We are 90 miles from the island, and hopefully now that the embargo is somewhat lifted would love to see the country.
I rely on pain meds. Vicodin 5/325 every 7-10 hours or so. Keeps all at bay. Never took meds at all, now I look like a pharmacy. Vicodin, lerazole, Ibrance, calcium. Pretty funny actually. It makes me somewhat tired but you get used to it.
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