ache in bones

pem

I know a lot has mentioned the stiff hips and sore bones but does this go away.  i cant sit or lay or lean on any part of my hips or behind without it getting sore for more than 10 minutes.  should i start exercising or something or should i continue to rest to help heal things?  i can walk fairly well but i do feel a bit of pressure between my legs for the first bit.  still feel very fatigued and im 9 day post treatment.  is this normal?    any advice greatly appreciated...god bless you all                     pem

mp327

pem

I would encourage the walking and also light stretching.  One of the most common side effects from radiation can be stiffness in the hips.  Moving definitely helps!  Even after over 4 1/2 years, I ache when I sit for long periods, such as on a car trip.  When I go to walk again, I look like a 90-year old.  Keep moving and stretch every day--that's my recommendation.  But be sure to listen to your body and not overdo--you are still early in the recovery process.

7243

Pain

Pem....it took me months to get my strength and energy back.  Walking great is exercise and gentle stretching a good idea.  Consider gentle yoga too!   My hips were so tight for quite some time! your cancer center may have a cancer rehab program either at a local wellness center or a similar option.  There is a program close to me called "thrive" ... After cancer treatment".  The staff assess you and prescribe an individualized exercise program (with your physician ok). 

this can be a great way to get out of the house and with others who are healing too!  perhaps something to explore.  I also connected with a dietitian too.  She helped me move to a more plant based diet. 

hang in there ... All things in moderation !

pem

7243 said:

Pain

Pem....it took me months to get my strength and energy back.  Walking great is exercise and gentle stretching a good idea.  Consider gentle yoga too!   My hips were so tight for quite some time! your cancer center may have a cancer rehab program either at a local wellness center or a similar option.  There is a program close to me called "thrive" ... After cancer treatment".  The staff assess you and prescribe an individualized exercise program (with your physician ok). 

this can be a great way to get out of the house and with others who are healing too!  perhaps something to explore.  I also connected with a dietitian too.  She helped me move to a more plant based diet. 

hang in there ... All things in moderation !

achy bones replies

thanks so much for all the great advice.  god bless you both                      pem

LisaMMiles

Pem

I am seven days out and I am very achy all the time. When I wake in the AM I am very sore and ache really bad. And I feel like I am cramping all the time like a period cramp  

Barb5454

pem

I'm 8 weeks post treatment and I still ache. I started working a part time job where I'm on my feel all the time and it was the best thing for me. Walking is key! It really does help

sandysp

Patience

You are very early in the healing process. Your body was put through cancer and then cancer treatment. That's a lot.

I, like you, was very impatient with the soreness and stiffness. It took me a long time, it seemed to recover and, like Martha, I still look like a 90 year old when I first get up. My feet are so stiff and sore, particularly. My Phsiologist told me it is not a "realistic expectation" to sit for any long periods of time and this was a year and a half later. I took large doses of Lyrica for a while when it was at it's worst. I had been diagnosed in 1987 with Fibromyalgia anyway but didn't start on Lyrica until about six months before my diagnosis when my pain was really out of control. At one point, post treatment I was up to 450 miligrams a day. Now, I take a 100 miligram now and again, but no longer every day. I find that Naproxen (Aleve) works very well if I take it on time for a few days. It seems to need to build up in the system but you have to take it with food, not after food but with food. (This keeps it from hurting your stomach). The worst pain is long gone now, though. My last tx was August 15, 2011. Sometimes I would wake up in the night with my hips feeling like they were filled with hot coals. I haven't had that kind of pain for quite a while now. Most days I don't even think about Naproxen or Lyrica.

The most restorative thing to do is nap, nap, nap. I never appreciated rest before like I do now. It's just not a reasonable expectation to do without them daily for at least a few months. My life really changed after this cancer diagnosis and treatment happened. I walked away from a lucrative career. I spend most of my time working on getting well. Since I have Lymphoedema, I get manual lymphatic drainage done once a week and this makes me feel like a million dollars and is the main reason I was able to reduce the pain medication to almost nothing. This was ordered by the Physiologist at MSK. They have a fabulous rehabilitative medicine department but it all takes time.

I walked our dog throughout most of my treatment, a mile a day and my inner thighs were really stiff. Now I walk the dog and take Zumba classes! But I drag my right leg sometimes, something that the MLD relieves. They taught me how to bandage my leg and how do perform MLD on myself, which is not near as successful as when they do it, but it is good to know how to do. This complication is because evidently, I had cancer in at least three lymph nodes and received higher doses of radiation to the groin area. I don't know how many people with anal cancer get Lymphoedema but I was a greater risk for it anyway. I realize the lymph nodes were damaged before the treatments by the cancer. I am very much at peace with the treatments I received since it so far has made the cancer go away. And I get wonderful care.

"God grant me patience and grant it now!" That's always been the first prayer on my lips. But the healing takes time and loving patience. Let the world pass you by and take a nap, is what I say. Your life will have a better quality anyway. This has been my experience.

Hang in there.

All the best,

Sandy

pem

sandysp said:

Patience

You are very early in the healing process. Your body was put through cancer and then cancer treatment. That's a lot.

I, like you, was very impatient with the soreness and stiffness. It took me a long time, it seemed to recover and, like Martha, I still look like a 90 year old when I first get up. My feet are so stiff and sore, particularly. My Phsiologist told me it is not a "realistic expectation" to sit for any long periods of time and this was a year and a half later. I took large doses of Lyrica for a while when it was at it's worst. I had been diagnosed in 1987 with Fibromyalgia anyway but didn't start on Lyrica until about six months before my diagnosis when my pain was really out of control. At one point, post treatment I was up to 450 miligrams a day. Now, I take a 100 miligram now and again, but no longer every day. I find that Naproxen (Aleve) works very well if I take it on time for a few days. It seems to need to build up in the system but you have to take it with food, not after food but with food. (This keeps it from hurting your stomach). The worst pain is long gone now, though. My last tx was August 15, 2011. Sometimes I would wake up in the night with my hips feeling like they were filled with hot coals. I haven't had that kind of pain for quite a while now. Most days I don't even think about Naproxen or Lyrica.

The most restorative thing to do is nap, nap, nap. I never appreciated rest before like I do now. It's just not a reasonable expectation to do without them daily for at least a few months. My life really changed after this cancer diagnosis and treatment happened. I walked away from a lucrative career. I spend most of my time working on getting well. Since I have Lymphoedema, I get manual lymphatic drainage done once a week and this makes me feel like a million dollars and is the main reason I was able to reduce the pain medication to almost nothing. This was ordered by the Physiologist at MSK. They have a fabulous rehabilitative medicine department but it all takes time.

I walked our dog throughout most of my treatment, a mile a day and my inner thighs were really stiff. Now I walk the dog and take Zumba classes! But I drag my right leg sometimes, something that the MLD relieves. They taught me how to bandage my leg and how do perform MLD on myself, which is not near as successful as when they do it, but it is good to know how to do. This complication is because evidently, I had cancer in at least three lymph nodes and received higher doses of radiation to the groin area. I don't know how many people with anal cancer get Lymphoedema but I was a greater risk for it anyway. I realize the lymph nodes were damaged before the treatments by the cancer. I am very much at peace with the treatments I received since it so far has made the cancer go away. And I get wonderful care.

"God grant me patience and grant it now!" That's always been the first prayer on my lips. But the healing takes time and loving patience. Let the world pass you by and take a nap, is what I say. Your life will have a better quality anyway. This has been my experience.

Hang in there.

All the best,

Sandy

sandysp

i too had higher doses to my groin area beacause i had one lymth node that showed up enlared on an mri.  they did both sides of my groin area.  is it possible that i will get lymphoedema also because of this.  my chemo dr said the cancer could be in all my nodes but they just dont show yet on tests because not big enough to see.  that gave me real hope.  they said i had T2N2 which automatically made it a stage 3b because it was the nodes in my groin area.  i think i will start going for walks soon and telling myself to be more patient.  as for the zumba class....i wish i had your endurance and energy because that is a very intense workout.  good for you though.  what types of signs do i look for if i get lymphoedema?  so glad to hear your doing well overall..god bless you..................pem

Rej0328

Ache in bones

 

Thanks so much for the information.  I am 2 years out and I also about fall out of the car with the aching hips.  Nice to know its normal.  Thanks Martha. Also when I was getting the chemo and radation I fell and broke my femar neck bone.  It did not show up on the x-ray, but 3 months later it was found on the cat scan.  Wow, I still remember the pain trying to get on the radation table.  But the best news was they sent me to an orthopedic surgeon and the darn bone healed on its own.  So I seem to have more pain on that side than the other side.  

I don't get on here a lot, but I really appreciate the information I receive from all of you.

 

ita

Rej0328

Ache in bones

 

Thanks so much for the information.  I am 2 years out and I also about fall out of the car with the aching hips.  Nice to know its normal.  Thanks Martha. Also when I was getting the chemo and radation I fell and broke my femar neck bone.  It did not show up on the x-ray, but 3 months later it was found on the cat scan.  Wow, I still remember the pain trying to get on the radation table.  But the best news was they sent me to an orthopedic surgeon and the darn bone healed on its own.  So I seem to have more pain on that side than the other side.  

I don't get on here a lot, but I really appreciate the information I receive from all of you.

 

Rita

pializ

Rej0328 said:

Ache in bones

 

Thanks so much for the information.  I am 2 years out and I also about fall out of the car with the aching hips.  Nice to know its normal.  Thanks Martha. Also when I was getting the chemo and radation I fell and broke my femar neck bone.  It did not show up on the x-ray, but 3 months later it was found on the cat scan.  Wow, I still remember the pain trying to get on the radation table.  But the best news was they sent me to an orthopedic surgeon and the darn bone healed on its own.  So I seem to have more pain on that side than the other side.  

I don't get on here a lot, but I really appreciate the information I receive from all of you.

 

Rita

Ache

Well I am now 2 months out of treatment. I am going to the gym and doing some walking on the treadmill. Last night I had my initiation into Pilates. Yoga next. Hope this will help in the long term.  Thanks for all your advice. It really helped me prepare for treatment, & now I am thankful of post treatment advice & support. Liz x

pamela_preib

Achy Hips

I'm two months out and I've done remarkably well, but I do notice that ache in the hips when I go to get out of chair etc.  Just started taking a weekly yoga class and I'm back to riding my horse which I think will help immensely.  Wow, what a ride this has been.  I read the posts from the newbies who are just getting started and my heart goes out.  Hang in there as "this too shall pass".  This has been a life altering experience for sure.  I have my follow up appointment Thursday.  Looking forward to passing another benchmark with good news 

Marynb

pamela_preib said:

Achy Hips

I'm two months out and I've done remarkably well, but I do notice that ache in the hips when I go to get out of chair etc.  Just started taking a weekly yoga class and I'm back to riding my horse which I think will help immensely.  Wow, what a ride this has been.  I read the posts from the newbies who are just getting started and my heart goes out.  Hang in there as "this too shall pass".  This has been a life altering experience for sure.  I have my follow up appointment Thursday.  Looking forward to passing another benchmark with good news 

Pamela

I am so glad that you are doing well. Riding your horse again must feel so great! Good luck with your appointment Thursday!