VISIT W/ ORHOPEDIC DR.

FRANTIC
FRANTIC Member Posts: 106
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello everyone. And thanks for your responses.
Actually I am half falling asleep from these meds. that I am on to control the pain in my back. On Friday saw the orthopdeic DR. The reports from the MRI and catscan on the thoracic
area in my back came back as compression fractures. The T8 compression states it appears to be benign osteoportic fracture. This T8 fracture is 60% loss of height centrally and 30% loss of height both of anteriorly and posteriorly.
Other compression fractures are seen as well in the T12,L1, and L2. The DR. states I have to have a custom made brace for this. Gradually the compression fractures will heal. I still take the dilaudid. And I was also given a stronger muscle relaxer that puts me in LA LA land. The great news is I will take the pain as it does not see any metastatic lesions. The orthopedic DR. still wants to make sure and order this needle guided biopsy of the spine thru radiology in the cat scan dept. for this T8 area. He states it is a very small needle and it will estract the cells to see if there is any cancer. Down the road it looks like I will always be proned to these fractures due to the radiation of the pelvis and osteoporosis. Last year I had an insufficiency fracture of the right scaral ala which has healed. But this spine area is a nightmare, what pain. As far as the lymph nodes are concerned I asked the orthopedic DR. if the enlargement of them in the back are had anything to do with the back pain and he said "NO". He said the lymph nodes were only 2 cm. I will call my oncoligist
tomorrrow. I do see him on Thursday as well. I am not too fond of doing this needle biopsy of the spine. I was also advised to post pone the surgery in January to remove the rest of the colon and rectum. I will keep you updated, your friend Fran from LOng Iskand.

Comments

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    ((((((((Fran)))))))))Hang in mate,Ron.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    Oh, Fran, I WISH I could do something to HELP!!! I remember the back pain when my rectal tumor was pressing against my tailbone...WHEW! It took my breath away!

    I know I'm just stating the obvious, but Please don't be a 'pain hero'. I was...WHAT an IDIOT! It wore me out so fast, I couldn't do anything more than shuffle back and forth between bed and bathroom. My drug of choice, when FINALLY I wised up, was Vicodin (I know, Nothing compared to Dilaudid). I could start working again after a few days, even though I could have been arrested for 'driving under the influence' with the drugs...hehehehehe!

    I'm putting my arms around you right now...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • Glv49
    Glv49 Member Posts: 206 Member
    Hi Fran,
    Just hang in there... we are praying for you.. and everything will turn out fine.. keep us posted.

    Gail in PA
  • lynn1222
    lynn1222 Member Posts: 105
    my dear fran, i wish i could say something to take your pain away. know that i am praying for you everyday. i wasnt aware that you could have so many comprssion fractures from radiation to the pelvis. hang in there you are stronger then you think.
    lots of gentle hugs, lynn
  • pink05
    pink05 Member Posts: 550
    Fran,

    I will keep you in my prayers. You will get through all of this.

    -Lee-
  • Russell05
    Russell05 Member Posts: 60
    Hang in there Fran, as I can tell being new here your in the right place with this group of people. My prayers are with you. hugs :)
    Russell
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    Fran,

    Glad to hear the news that they are osteoporotic compression fractures and not metastatic. I would recommend the needle biopsy of T8 as I said before. Then you don't have to worry about it. Are they giving you any of the meds for osteoporosis? You may have said but I don't remember. I would also postpone the reconnect surgery until after your pain is under control. Otherwise you may have alot of difficulty getting up and moving after surgery.

    Your Minnesota friend, ****
  • jams67
    jams67 Member Posts: 925 Member
    My mother has osteo arthritis in her spine and has been on and off pain meds. She told the doc that she was hallucinating and he put her on something else. She teased that she really wasn't complaining about the meds she was just explaining how much she enjoyed all of the pretty colors and pictures she saw. Mom has quite a sense of humor at 87. jams