Bone Deterioration

krkath

Hi All,
Back again and been a while since I've logged in.

Almost at 2 years after chemo and rads. Went to see my onc., 3 months ago and to my astonishment, I am no longer 5'6". I have shrunk to 5'4" since stopping chemo.

I am scheduled for an MRI for my C4 vertebrae (whiplash many years ago) and because the pain between my shoulders has gotten so bad, I want to know if they can fix it. (Vertebroplasty? if I'm a candidate)

My question is: Since I'm still a "cancer patient"/survivor, Shouldn't I have a FULL MRI? Or do CT Scans show better results?

What with Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow, it's pretty scary right now. But I want to be sure. And the Neurologist only ordered a "C-Spine" MRI, which is only for my neck.

Ya, 2 years out as of June and I'm still a gimp. Taxotere combo with A/C really did a number on me. Plus, where my spine hurts is where they shot the rads.

HUGS to ALL you WARRIOR WOMEN!
Kathy R.

LesleyH

That sounds so painful. You lost 2 inches? OMG! ARe you on an aromatase inhibitor? I don't think they do full MRI's much. They like to just target where there are symptoms - otherwise they get all sorts of false alarms. I hope you feel better really soon.

Hugs.

Lesley

Susan956

Hey Kathy R.

Do they have you on something like Fosamax. I take Armidex and in my first 8 months of taking it ... it did a number on my bones... so now I take Fosamax... and hopefully I won't shrink.... I have to admit... I too wonder why for me they only do mammograms... not CT's are MRI's... I think I may push it when I see my Onc next month....

Take Care...

Susan

KathiM

Hey, Kathy.....
You ask the age-old question....what level of vigilence is enough?
My onc believes that I had enough rads thru the treatment, that minimum tests should be done now...as she says...."Now look, Kathi, you must admit that the symptoms were there, looking back. You just didn't know enough about cancer to even consider them threatening. Wouldn't you, at the first sign of anything different, be on the phone to us?"

I AM sorry for all the pain you are in....I had alot of low back pain with my rectal cancer...and it invaded everything in my life!

We survivors are a tough bunch, but know when to ask for help. 1 year in June for the bc for me...still got my aches and pains...but, was talking to a 4.5 year survivor...she said one day she woke up, and the pain just wasn't there anymore.
I send the same to you, my dear!

Hugs, Kathi

P.S. I am on Tamoxifen because the chemo sent me in to osteoporosis (-2.7T). My onc decided that Tomoxifen, and Actonel to up the density, for at least the first post-treatment year was the way to go. I have also ramped up my calcium....1500mg per day.

24242

Speaking from 10 year survivor experience and dealing with pain.
I spent more than 6 years feeling like I could chop at any second, liking it to the flue and riddled with pain. I think standing up when our quality of life is minimized due to putting up with so much. It took literally years before the layers of pain were medicated due to actual diseases the direct result of my treatments including the trauma of surgery. Most of my pain were weak areas that were attacked during the treatment of my disease. Nerve ending problems the source of allot of the pain.
I took many forms of anti depressants since my GP felt all us breast cancer survivors were anxious. How about actually looking for a problem and dealing with it for we are all different. Some of us actually are genetically predisposed to sensativity to everything that is done to us and side effects our constant companion every step of the way through our treatment phase.
I found out that allot of pain is called deferred pain because the area of pain truly isn't the site of actuall problem. The body has a funny way of dealing with pain and it can actually be seared into our brains and that can continue the cycle of pain that we must cope with.
Finding a good pain specialist is the key to dealing with the problem.
Hope this helps,
Tara

prayerangel

My bc came back 3X, now for the 4th time it is growing in the middle of my chest, AND I have it in several locations in my bones, which was caught on a bone scan. I have had 3 of the 6 chemos (on Taxotere) so far. I don't know if the pain is from the chemo, or from the cancer. I can barely make it to the 3.5 hours to take my 2 percocet. My back hurts so much I can't go up and down stairs, do laundry, clean the house. The pain wears me down. Any suggestions on different pain meds, or questions to ask my oncologist? Is all this pain from the cancer OR the chemo?
God bless you all.
Karen

krkath

prayerangel said:

My bc came back 3X, now for the 4th time it is growing in the middle of my chest, AND I have it in several locations in my bones, which was caught on a bone scan. I have had 3 of the 6 chemos (on Taxotere) so far. I don't know if the pain is from the chemo, or from the cancer. I can barely make it to the 3.5 hours to take my 2 percocet. My back hurts so much I can't go up and down stairs, do laundry, clean the house. The pain wears me down. Any suggestions on different pain meds, or questions to ask my oncologist? Is all this pain from the cancer OR the chemo?
God bless you all.
Karen

Hi Karen, Susan, Kathi M. and the rest of you great gals.

Could not even start on the Tamoxifen or Femara, any aromatse inhibitors cuz my pain from the chemo of Taxotere with A/C was just super strong. My onc. still blames the Taxotere.

I also feel so bad for you Karen. And even so, it's like Kathi M. syas, we ARE a bunch of tough ol' broads. He He.

That would sure be nice to amazingly wake up one day and the pain would be gone. I'll have to visualize on that. Thanks Kathi, gives me hope.

Anyway, I'll ask my primary on April 12th, if maybe they can do the MRI at least to look at my lungs, liver and anywhere else it (the beast) might decide to show up. Just want to be sure, ya know?

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Keep that positive thinking going.

Also, Neurontin with the Percoset does seem to help. Especially with the nerve pain.

HUGS to ALL and hoping to do a HAPPY DANCE after I see my Onc. on April 20th.

Kathy R.

prayerangel

krkath said:

Hi Karen, Susan, Kathi M. and the rest of you great gals.

Could not even start on the Tamoxifen or Femara, any aromatse inhibitors cuz my pain from the chemo of Taxotere with A/C was just super strong. My onc. still blames the Taxotere.

I also feel so bad for you Karen. And even so, it's like Kathi M. syas, we ARE a bunch of tough ol' broads. He He.

That would sure be nice to amazingly wake up one day and the pain would be gone. I'll have to visualize on that. Thanks Kathi, gives me hope.

Anyway, I'll ask my primary on April 12th, if maybe they can do the MRI at least to look at my lungs, liver and anywhere else it (the beast) might decide to show up. Just want to be sure, ya know?

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Keep that positive thinking going.

Also, Neurontin with the Percoset does seem to help. Especially with the nerve pain.

HUGS to ALL and hoping to do a HAPPY DANCE after I see my Onc. on April 20th.

Kathy R.

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind uplifting words. We are not alone. It's just the pain wears on you. Also, I have been in bad pain for more than 20 years with my osteo arthritis, having gone through 2 total knee replacments, other previous knee surgeries and I broke my hip, and have a big appliance in there. So, in addition to this cancer bone pain, I have the constant joint osteoarthritis pain. "That which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". "We can't control how we die, but we can control how we live".
Love,
Karen