Bone Mets Thread

Bruising can certainly cause a hematoma. Beyond that, I can’t say that I have ever heard of a hematoma as a symptom of a bone met, but as a retired teacher, I have neither the education nor professional standing to even guess. Good luck tomorrow.

Shanagirl/ Thank you so much for your kind comments.

Hi Ladies /I am going to try and be on these boards more. When I am off I get more depressed. I feel so much better when I am here. I am feeling so alone. I am missing my old self so much. I am trying to remain positive. So far everything is going pretty well with my treatment. I think I am still grieving this diagnosis. I am now perseverating on all the possible fractures I can get; I don't share anything with my family because I am the one everyone comes to for encouragement. I think I just need to vent.

Now more questions ladies lol. 1/ Did any of you have osteonecrosis of the jaw. What were your initial symptoms? How many infusions of the Zometa did you have before you discovered that you had it?

2/ What kind of exercises can we do with bone mets?

3/ At what point did some of you get radiation for pain. I am starting to have more pain in my hip and but. So far rest and Tylenol seem to help.

4/Also are any of you still working. I also think I am depressed because before the mets I was thinking about subbing. I am a retired teacher. I do not want to sit around feeling sorry for myself.

Jen1 Yes, ask your doctor about exercise. Mine has ok'd reformer pilates, for example, even though I somehow broke my rib. It's now healing. I suspect that exercise—even just walking around—is good for depression. Endorphins. Fresh air. All good for the soul.

gailmary/Thank you so much/tougholdcrowthank youdivinemrsm/Thank you so much for your kind response. Thank you all so much.

Divine - Re the decluttering, I keep meaning to tell you how much I liked your comment way up the line here, that you call it "editing". I mentioned earlier that I am doing some serious decluttering/downsizing, and you noted your "editing". I try to see if I can get a better perspective for myself using that term, rather than "de-cluttering". I'm one who has a real hard time parting with things - emotional attachment to "things" and I can't let go. I actually hired someone (professional organizer) to help me and she comes about once a week and we work for a couple of hours together. Due to my cancer troubles I can't do too much on my own. She does the heavy lifting and I pretty much just sit and go through papers, to recycle or shred, and then yea or nay items she comes across. It's a slow process, but we are making progress.

It's my turn for scans tomorrow. Hoping I'm good for another 6 months. No new pains just the same Ole complaints of insomnia and profuse sweating. I had 1 hot flash 40 yrs ago after hysterectomy. After that it was only warm flushes. Now I perspire quite easily and everything gets soaked in minutes if I try to work outside. Of course the higher the dew point the worse it is. But even outside in winter I sweat like a running faucet. Yuk. Of course it is from lack of estrogen. Any suggestions?

I echo the others about finding ways to keep your days full. Some quilt, some read, some continue working. I went on medical leave start of this year to get things under control and I may just go back to work early in September (work from home, gradual return to full hours) because Im going absolutely nuts right now. But Im effectively stuck in the house and have been since March, I cant walk anywhere and the lack of engagement with anything, even my god awful job I hated, is just too much for me to deal with. I need my brain engaged and to not feel like this lump of medical meat that they just stick various drugs into during the week. Ive got weekly cycles of Taxol until November and right now that feels ages away and I dont know how Ill manage my sanity to that point. So @jen1 if you want to go back to subbing, youve got the energy and desire, I say go for it. Stable is a lovely place to be, make the most of it!

Scan results tomorrow - MO is 'cautiously optimistic' based on my tumor markers, Im downright pessimistic based on the aching in my right pelvis and whatever the hell is going on with my sternum. Every week there is a new fresh hell awaiting me it feels like, lets see what tomorrow brings. Im getting very very nervous that our trip home will have to be delayed/cancelled, but hoping that some shots of chemo will start to calm things down again and move them in the right direction.

threetree, what a great idea to enlist the aid of a professional organizer to help with “editing” your possessions. Has she given you any helpful tips? Like you, I found getting it done a little bit at a time helped me. I used to think I needed hours and hours of uninterrupted time to tackle such a big project, but have learned to split large projects up into smaller, more manageable tasks so I wasn’t overwhelmed. We use the expression “chunk it down”. I use this approach for many things, not just decluttering.

Well, scan showed it was indeed a met on my breastbone that just took off in the month between the biopsy and starting treatment. From April if you look really really close you can see just the start of it, and then the July scan well, yeah that was hard to actually look at. It doesnt hurt it just feels weird.

Overall my scan was technically worse compared to April but that month between is when no one is sure about, though with everything else moving in the right direction, MO and I agreed it probably got worse before it started to get better. Going to do another Taxol cycle and I will scan immediately when I return to see where we are at. My pain is certainly decreasing in the hip but this breastbone thing just came out of nowhere. Ugh.

Sondra, interesting that you would mention the breastbone. I’m having new pain there. Not bad, but I notice it when I touch it. (Then, don’t touch it!) I also feel a bit SOB after eating. Again, not bad, but it’s just weird. Will keep an eye on it and mention it to my MO at my next appointment.

I’m going to try to insert a link to a movie with Rock Hudson as a hypochondriac. It cracks me up. If I can’t I’ll describe the scene in another post.

Well it’s not working, so here’s how the scene goes: Rock Hudson goes to his doctor about this pain in his chest. He says, “It hurts like the dickens when I press (he grimaces) it.” Doctor replies, “Then don’t press it!”

Anyway, it’s a funny movie and co-stars Doris Day. I think it came out in 1964. The movie is called, “Send Me No Flowers.” If you like old movies, it’s worth watching.

I hope you get some answers. New pains are such a pain (sorry for the pun) and every new one is a new worry.

(((hugs)))

Carol

gigil, I love your approach and have a similar one. When I feel down, I give myself time for those emotions, but I also try to maintain a steady diet of hopefulness. Like you, I avoid heavy subjects in the evening. There’s lots of good tv to be found. My grandkids recently got me started watching the show “Community” and it is a hoot! I also like serial dramas and different documentaries on streaming platforms. Some I watch with dh, some I watch on my own. I read a lot, too. There’s nothing like getting into a great book. I try to savor the good moments. Lately we’ve been enjoying all the produce from dh’s garden. Cabbage rolls, haluski, tomato sandwiches, green beans, etc. My body gets sore and tired much quicker this year than last, so I pace myself. If one day is busy, I try to take it easy the next day. I guess it’s about adapting.

I had to watch Alien last weekend in honor of my chestbursting met. The CT scan like I mentioned, its downright frightening. It seems to have stopped growing and doesnt hurt so I guess we will see what we will see. @sunshine99 I also had some strange shortness of breath but that seems to have passed - I do get some pain in the left (non cancer) breast so it must be pressing on a nerve. But its a huge knock to self confidence in taking a shower with a messed up leg, this mess on my chest and no hair. Surely nothing else can go wrong!

I love a Doris Day and Rock Hudson flick to cheer me up, and watched sooooo many over lockdown. I love the ones he did with Douglas Sirk and the future Mrs Angela Channing like All that Heaven Allows, and then the one where he helps her cause shes blind. Its just all so vibrant the colors. Ive also been watching 70s series like Columbo - its so brown! BUt its also very comforting and non stressful.

sondra, I love Columbo! I quoted him in one of my blogs. I referred to his “one more thing” that he used so often. I also used a line from “My Cousin Vinny” where he asks, “Is there any more sh!t we can pile onto this?

That blog post was actually titled, “Columbo and Vinny.” It felt appropriate.

Carol