getting dizzy from roller coaster ride

MsGebby
MsGebby Member Posts: 659
The MO seems to be on the same page as the thoracic surgeon. We are going to get another scan in November and take it from there. She said if this is cancer in my lungs she will do nothing different. Meaning continue Arimidex. She said if this is cancer then this drug is keeping the nodules at bay. As for the new growth on the xray that was taken while I was in the hospital she wants to see what the latest films show. I had a new xray done this week and will be seeing the pulmonologist next week. So I remain in limbo but feel optimistic .

I was asked about pain and about SE's....I told her about the usual crap Arimidex causes and also about pain in my hip. I've had what I thought to be a pulled muscle in my right hip...same side as BC....it's been nagging pain for 3 weeks now. Putting any weight on it hurts me badly. Just lying down doing nothing brings the same pain. My upper thigh ...the bone...bothers me too. She did a quick exam and told me to go get an xray of the hip. I go back to see her in a month. One of my earlier scans notes a bone island on this hip. Hmmmmm

I know where her thoughts are heading and am just trying to stay calm. This is making me dizzy!

Somehow I know everything will be fine. It has to be. I don't have time for this.

But......I do ask for more prayers. Those prayers are what keep me so positive.

Xoxox
Mary

Comments

  • hope4thebest
    hope4thebest Member Posts: 108
    try this if you think it would help
    Hi,
    I am not sure if you have these available where you live, but there are these med patches called Salonpas that you can find at a drugstore. It is kind of like a menthol soothing heat that is released over time. All natural, I think. That might help you hip. It penetrates deep, like a mini massage.
    Prayers and warm aloha,
    Annie
  • ESDC
    ESDC Member Posts: 43
    Thinking of you
    Prayers, love and hugs to you hun. Of course you WILL GET THROUGH this.
    XXXXXX
  • weazer
    weazer Member Posts: 440
    ESDC said:

    Thinking of you
    Prayers, love and hugs to you hun. Of course you WILL GET THROUGH this.
    XXXXXX

    Prayers for you
    I have had pain in my right hip for the last three and a half years...after chemo and rads, I had xrays done, showed nothing some days are worse than others, I try to stay active and exercise seems to help.
    Lots of Hugs and prayers Karie
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    My prayers are going out.
    My prayers are going out. Having pain is such a tricky thing for BC survivors. Is it, or isn't it. The waiting game is the worst. xoxoxo Lynn
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    lynn1950 said:

    My prayers are going out.
    My prayers are going out. Having pain is such a tricky thing for BC survivors. Is it, or isn't it. The waiting game is the worst. xoxoxo Lynn

    Mary...
    Hate it that you still don't have all the answers.....and that your hip is painful...did the doctor address the pain? Do you have pain meds?..if you do, take them....you shouldn't have to suffer the pain...get your X-ray appointment soon...keep us updated...we all understand the roller coaster ride of bc....and we all hate it!

    Will keep you in my prayers..
    Hugs, Nancy
  • MsGebby
    MsGebby Member Posts: 659
    MAJW said:

    Mary...
    Hate it that you still don't have all the answers.....and that your hip is painful...did the doctor address the pain? Do you have pain meds?..if you do, take them....you shouldn't have to suffer the pain...get your X-ray appointment soon...keep us updated...we all understand the roller coaster ride of bc....and we all hate it!

    Will keep you in my prayers..
    Hugs, Nancy

    OMG Nancy
    Pain meds and I don't get along. I am allergic to so many of them. Vicodin, Dilaudid, Morphine, Codeine ... I can tolerate Percocet but I know I can't take them on a regular basis. As for what the doctor was thinking ... NO she didn't say anything other than to get the xray and that she will run more tests if the xray shows any abnormalities. One of the first scans showed a bone island in that general area. No one batted an eyelash at that news so I figured it was nothing. Maybe it's still nothing. The pain is in my thigh too.

    I am so fed up with all of this. I really am. I hope this new blip on the cancer map doesn't take forever to figure out. You know all I want is to move on and put BC behind me. Do you think that will ever happen?

    BAH!

    How are you doing? I know you are in remission and THAT makes me smile. Do you feel OK? Thank you for always being here. WE (all of us pinks) cherish your words.

    xoxo
    Mary
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    MsGebby said:

    OMG Nancy
    Pain meds and I don't get along. I am allergic to so many of them. Vicodin, Dilaudid, Morphine, Codeine ... I can tolerate Percocet but I know I can't take them on a regular basis. As for what the doctor was thinking ... NO she didn't say anything other than to get the xray and that she will run more tests if the xray shows any abnormalities. One of the first scans showed a bone island in that general area. No one batted an eyelash at that news so I figured it was nothing. Maybe it's still nothing. The pain is in my thigh too.

    I am so fed up with all of this. I really am. I hope this new blip on the cancer map doesn't take forever to figure out. You know all I want is to move on and put BC behind me. Do you think that will ever happen?

    BAH!

    How are you doing? I know you are in remission and THAT makes me smile. Do you feel OK? Thank you for always being here. WE (all of us pinks) cherish your words.

    xoxo
    Mary

    Hi Mary,
    I am now on a Fentanyl patch and that works much better. I get so sick from Morphine, codine, dilauded, all of them, but because the patch does not go through the digestive tract I am doing fine on it. Took a bit to get the dose right, but it is so much better. If they do an xray and it shows nothing, I would ask for an MRI on the hip. Amazing how much showed up on the MRI that wasn't even a blur on the Pet.

    Hate the roller coaster rides and have been wondering when it stops and I can get off! It is so hard when you keep going back and can't get answers or the answers change from visit to visit. I am learning that the doctors can't give us answers that don't show up, and the beauty of this beast is he knows how to hide! As always I will keep you in my prayers.
    Hugs,
    Carol
  • MsGebby
    MsGebby Member Posts: 659
    camul said:

    Hi Mary,
    I am now on a Fentanyl patch and that works much better. I get so sick from Morphine, codine, dilauded, all of them, but because the patch does not go through the digestive tract I am doing fine on it. Took a bit to get the dose right, but it is so much better. If they do an xray and it shows nothing, I would ask for an MRI on the hip. Amazing how much showed up on the MRI that wasn't even a blur on the Pet.

    Hate the roller coaster rides and have been wondering when it stops and I can get off! It is so hard when you keep going back and can't get answers or the answers change from visit to visit. I am learning that the doctors can't give us answers that don't show up, and the beauty of this beast is he knows how to hide! As always I will keep you in my prayers.
    Hugs,
    Carol

    I should not complain
    I am so sorry that I did complain. You are working so hard to beat this thing.

    I do thank you for the advise however. Carol ... I also thank you for showing me what courage and strength looks like.

    Peace and love and prayers for you ...

    Hugs
    Mary
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    MsGebby said:

    I should not complain
    I am so sorry that I did complain. You are working so hard to beat this thing.

    I do thank you for the advise however. Carol ... I also thank you for showing me what courage and strength looks like.

    Peace and love and prayers for you ...

    Hugs
    Mary

    Hi Mary
    Sorry for your struggle. Hip pain is awful, however if you take a little walk you might feel better. Is it sound strange? If your pain is caused by Arimidex regular walks can help. You will see improvement within one week. Movements and little physical activity are helping me with pain associated with metastasis of bones. Please Keep your chin up and continue fighting.
    Hugs
  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    MsGebby said:

    OMG Nancy
    Pain meds and I don't get along. I am allergic to so many of them. Vicodin, Dilaudid, Morphine, Codeine ... I can tolerate Percocet but I know I can't take them on a regular basis. As for what the doctor was thinking ... NO she didn't say anything other than to get the xray and that she will run more tests if the xray shows any abnormalities. One of the first scans showed a bone island in that general area. No one batted an eyelash at that news so I figured it was nothing. Maybe it's still nothing. The pain is in my thigh too.

    I am so fed up with all of this. I really am. I hope this new blip on the cancer map doesn't take forever to figure out. You know all I want is to move on and put BC behind me. Do you think that will ever happen?

    BAH!

    How are you doing? I know you are in remission and THAT makes me smile. Do you feel OK? Thank you for always being here. WE (all of us pinks) cherish your words.

    xoxo
    Mary

    Drugs, Hip Pain, Tests and Patches.....
    Dear Mary,

    If you do have cancer in the nodes of your lungs it would be a kind that is slow growing. You have been on this issue with them since December and a fast growing cancer would have spread a lot more by now. Arimidex for a slow growing cancer would be appropriate since your cancer was ER+. I believe from my own long experience with hormonal therapies that it is far superior for those of us who have estrogen feeding their cancer. I have been using hormonal drugs to control my cancer for 17 1/2 years. I am hoping that Faslodex will continue to buy me more time. I scan soon, so I will know if it is still my best friend or not.

    I have a lot of hip pain and it's due to osteoarthritis which is every where in my skeleton. Laying down did not bring relief either. It was worse with aromatase inhibitors. I wish you were having an MRI instead of just an x-ray. I know that the insurance companies make them start at the least expensive test and work upwards. However, it would save so much time and how much money do they make if one has to keep going to the next step. Have you ever had a bone scan? That is another test that doesn't reveal much, just states there is some uptake in certain areas without revealing what the real problem is.

    I wear a Fentanyl patch also. I began at the lowest dosage which was not enough and then found one that agreed for about a year. It was increased at that point, again by going to the next mg until I found one that worked. I still have some pain but I need to function as I do work full time. On very bad days, I add a pain pill that helps that the edge off. I have a lot of other medical issues beside mets. The Fentanyl patch does not cause me any problems.

    Best,

    Doris
  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    camul said:

    Hi Mary,
    I am now on a Fentanyl patch and that works much better. I get so sick from Morphine, codine, dilauded, all of them, but because the patch does not go through the digestive tract I am doing fine on it. Took a bit to get the dose right, but it is so much better. If they do an xray and it shows nothing, I would ask for an MRI on the hip. Amazing how much showed up on the MRI that wasn't even a blur on the Pet.

    Hate the roller coaster rides and have been wondering when it stops and I can get off! It is so hard when you keep going back and can't get answers or the answers change from visit to visit. I am learning that the doctors can't give us answers that don't show up, and the beauty of this beast is he knows how to hide! As always I will keep you in my prayers.
    Hugs,
    Carol

    Roller Coast Rides...so much fun:(
    I kept this paragraph written in an article title: "A Pink Ribbon Race, Years Long" by Roni Caryn Rabin" a few years ago.

    ..."But theirs are not pink-ribbon lives: They live from scan to scan, in three-month gulps, grappling with pain, fatigue, depression, crippling medical costs and debilitating side effects of treatment, hoping the current therapy will keep the disease at bay until the next breakthrough drug comes along, or at least until the family trip to Disney World."

    It sums it up so very well for those of us who have reached that point.

    Doris
  • MsGebby
    MsGebby Member Posts: 659
    SIROD said:

    Drugs, Hip Pain, Tests and Patches.....
    Dear Mary,

    If you do have cancer in the nodes of your lungs it would be a kind that is slow growing. You have been on this issue with them since December and a fast growing cancer would have spread a lot more by now. Arimidex for a slow growing cancer would be appropriate since your cancer was ER+. I believe from my own long experience with hormonal therapies that it is far superior for those of us who have estrogen feeding their cancer. I have been using hormonal drugs to control my cancer for 17 1/2 years. I am hoping that Faslodex will continue to buy me more time. I scan soon, so I will know if it is still my best friend or not.

    I have a lot of hip pain and it's due to osteoarthritis which is every where in my skeleton. Laying down did not bring relief either. It was worse with aromatase inhibitors. I wish you were having an MRI instead of just an x-ray. I know that the insurance companies make them start at the least expensive test and work upwards. However, it would save so much time and how much money do they make if one has to keep going to the next step. Have you ever had a bone scan? That is another test that doesn't reveal much, just states there is some uptake in certain areas without revealing what the real problem is.

    I wear a Fentanyl patch also. I began at the lowest dosage which was not enough and then found one that agreed for about a year. It was increased at that point, again by going to the next mg until I found one that worked. I still have some pain but I need to function as I do work full time. On very bad days, I add a pain pill that helps that the edge off. I have a lot of other medical issues beside mets. The Fentanyl patch does not cause me any problems.

    Best,

    Doris

    I absolutely
    love the paragraph you shared. You are right .. it pretty much sums up our lives. (I can't believe I am including myself in this one)

    The MO says she needs to start with the xray. I guess, like you said, gotta start from the bottom rung of the ladder and what our way up. The area where I have pain is the same area that a gray mark was found on an earlier scan. It states there is a small sclerotic focus of the right ilium. ie---a blastic lesion. I guess further testing is a good idea. I've not had another full body scan since December and therefore, this focus has not been reevaluated. I try walking and all it does it aggravate the area even more. I am noticing pain in my right thigh and in the shin bone. Also in my right upper arm. What the heck is going on?

    I had a bone density scan last summer. That's about it for bone issues. It did show I am osteopenic. Something tells me I may be put on something to help strengthen my bones. I am all for it. I do take calcium and Vitamin D. It's probably not enough. 1200mg cal and 1600m g Vit D. Those are supplements and I do have foods that provide calcium during the day.

    I hate cancer~AND~it obviously hates me. Or maybe it loves me cause it wants to stick around too long. BAH!

    Thanks Doris for always showing me courage and strength. It helps me move forward.

    Hugs,
    Mary
  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    MsGebby said:

    I absolutely
    love the paragraph you shared. You are right .. it pretty much sums up our lives. (I can't believe I am including myself in this one)

    The MO says she needs to start with the xray. I guess, like you said, gotta start from the bottom rung of the ladder and what our way up. The area where I have pain is the same area that a gray mark was found on an earlier scan. It states there is a small sclerotic focus of the right ilium. ie---a blastic lesion. I guess further testing is a good idea. I've not had another full body scan since December and therefore, this focus has not been reevaluated. I try walking and all it does it aggravate the area even more. I am noticing pain in my right thigh and in the shin bone. Also in my right upper arm. What the heck is going on?

    I had a bone density scan last summer. That's about it for bone issues. It did show I am osteopenic. Something tells me I may be put on something to help strengthen my bones. I am all for it. I do take calcium and Vitamin D. It's probably not enough. 1200mg cal and 1600m g Vit D. Those are supplements and I do have foods that provide calcium during the day.

    I hate cancer~AND~it obviously hates me. Or maybe it loves me cause it wants to stick around too long. BAH!

    Thanks Doris for always showing me courage and strength. It helps me move forward.

    Hugs,
    Mary

    Bisphosphonates...
    Well kid, your in the game too, like it or not. Well, no one likes it at all!!!

    Since you are on Arimidex, using a bisphosphonates might help in making or keeping your bones stronger. There are many, many kinds. There are the kinds like Zometa, Aredia, and a newer one which the name escapes me or the old ones like Fosamax, Boniva and etc. Aromatase Inhibitors are known for fractures. That is how I became acquainted with this sort of thing by falling and a very minor fall to which fractured 3 vertebra. Then my luck, I didn't get the osteonecrosis of the jaw problem but for me it went to my eyes and developed uveitis. Might be worth looking into it.

    Wishing you the best with this new development. It is always something...

    Doris