General pains and paranoia

Adam

Your mom's intestinal tract suffered damage from the radiation and I suspect that is what's causing her issues.  I had periods of intense cramping a few months after treatment ended, which was never identified, but thought by my radiation oncologist to be the formation of scar tissue.  We all understand how easily our mind can think cancer with every ache or pain, but more times than not, it turns out to be something else.  Just have your mom monitor the situation and if things become worse, a call to her doctor is probably a good idea.  However, I think all of this falls into the category of normal after this treatment.

Martha

PAINS

Hello , I had one and a half year after the end of my treatment of the osseous pains at the levelof hips. It has proved after radiological control that i had multiple fractures of fatigue due to the radiotherapy. I am 60-years-old. The treatment radiochimiotherapy is responsible for numerous troubles among which also the digestive disorders. Your mum must be patient because it improves in time who passes. Good day to you and to   your mum.

mxperry220 said:

Maybe No Coffee For Now

Your mom might want to discontinue cooffs for now since it can upset one's stomach due to caffine and acid.

Mike

Pain

Cancer is painless.  It becomes painful when it has grown to the point that it is crushing organs, or blocking your feces and so on.if you recently had a scan then you would know that you did not have a giant tumor blocking your ability to breathe, Urinate or defecate.  If it was painful then everyone would find their cancer right away.  That would be nice.

 

After years I burp everyday all day. I had to give up coffee switched to tea, that was good for a while, I think I have to give up the tea now.  Oh well.  I can go surfing and that's what really matters.  

 

It takes a while to come to terms with these changes.  Your new normal.  It took me a very long time....

Adam26 said:

Hi guys, I got this from my

Hi guys, I got this from my mum, she asked me to send it on as she's not been feeling great recently (I think mentally more than anything).

"Thanks for your reply, we had no idea this burping came from the treatment! Does it get better or worse over time do you think? 

Six months past treatment and have the occasional twinge which is probably the affter effects of the treatment. 
Does anyone have an ache sort of in the bottom are when they sit for a  while - it feels like nerve pain?"

Specifically it is a bone pain in that area which she had about a year before her diagnosis so maybe it is completely unrelated, a damaged nerve perhaps.

Adam

Please tell your mom that I have experienced lots of butt aches and pains in my 6 1/2 years as a survivor.  The most annoying was a bout with sciatica.  I still have occasional numbness and tingling that goes down into my legs and feet.  I find that sitting for long periods of time can bring it on, like a nerve is pinched or something.  I would recommend that she get up and walk about every so often.  I am getting ready to go on a road trip next week and am already dreading the aches and pains it will cause me from sitting in the car for a long period of time. 

Martha

Adam26 said:

Is it like a nagging bone

Is it like a nagging bone pain. She only gets it about 5 days a month but she had it about a year before the diagnosis. It was possibly the lesion growing on a nerve and damaging it maybe. She says it feels like a tooth ache. Someone suggested it was maybe the nerve endings repairing themselves again and I know she said it's worse when she sits on a hard chair.

 

 By the way Martha, she wishes you a happy roas trip!!

Adam

Thanks for the good wishes on my road trip.  As for the bone pain, I'm not sure what could be causing it.  I think if she is concerned enough about it, the best course of action is to contact her doctor.  I cannot sit on a hard chair for very long or I begin to hurt.  I'm not sure how much your mom weighs, but I only weigh about 95 pounds and I have little or no padding on my hind end, so I am literally sitting on my bones.  It can lead to lots of pain.  

I am certainly not an oncologist, but I wonder if this bone pain is associated with her body producing white blood cells.  The reason I say this is because that happens in the femur and pelvic area.  I remember when my WBC dropped very low during my first round of chemo I was given a Neupogen injection to induce white blood cell production.  One of the side effects was bone pain, which affected me for a couple of days after the shots.  The bone pain, as explained to me, was from the making of more white blood cells.  

Like I said, I'm just thinking here, and perhaps this is way off base.  It would definitely be a question for her doctor.  Please tell her I wish her well.

Martha  

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

Good thought, Ms Martha.

I had lots of Neupogen, too, about 11-12 doses, but fortunately, no bone pain. Maybe I was too sick to notice it, though.

Adam, if your Mum's blood work is okay, then her marrow is probably functioning well - the doctor would have mentioned it if it wasn't. The chemotherapy drugs can affect the marrow. Mine briefly "took a vacation" as the doctor put it. Although I felt thoroughly miserable and had a lot of anal/"dipaer area" pain, I didn't have bone pain.

Is it possible that your Mum's pain could be cooincidental? Perhaps she was developing osteoporosis when the cancer came along? Radiation can also contribute to osteopenia/osteoporosis, too. Lucky us! Has she had a bone density scan to check it out? The oncologist wanted me to have a bone density scan because of the possible radiation effects, but the oncological gynecoloist already beat her to it. I have osteopenia (hips) and osteoporosis (lower spine and sacrum) and an appointment to see an endocrinologist. >_<

Did you Mum ever follow through with physical and pelvic floor therapy? Increaing the strength and function of the pelvic muscles can really help with pain control.

Nerve pain may well be an explaination if nothing else turns up. Nerve pain feels like it's deep within one's core and is hard to tolerate. Meanwhile, do warm compresses or a heating pad help?

And Adam ---

Did you ever think that you'd be having conversations with groups of older women about pelvic floor excercises and osteoporosis? Isn't life strange!