Post cancer, how much do you check with your oncologist when something is wrong

Helen321

I took my mom to church and was just sitting when suddenly it felt like a hot pin went through the back of my eye and then it felt like fireworks spanning out (the sensation branched out like fireworks in the sky).  Then my eye went blurry.  It lasted about a minute.  The pain was pretty strong.  It then stopped.  I went to bed without thinking about it and woke up with a pain behind my eye and a headache right behind my eye.  I went to the opthamologist today and he said that he can't figure out what it is and that if I still have the pain in three days I should come back and we'll do an x-ray but he can't justify an x-ray today.  If no pain, we'll assume it's healed.  My question is for what kind of things do you call your oncologist?  Now only 4% of rectal cancer metastises to the eye and I would think it would go other places first.  A piece of me doesn't want to call my oncologist because I feel a little silly and yet the last time I was that arrogant, I was the 10%.  Do you call your oncologist whenever something unusual happens or do you just go to local doctors and accept what they are saying?  I'm 3 years out NED on the scan from the chest down.  

lp1964

Hi Helen,

If I called my oncologist every time I think I have metastasis somewhere in my body, he would never sleep. Healthy people have a tummy ache or a headache they think they ate something or tired. I immediately think cancer. It's hard to live with this but that is just how it is. Use common sense.

All the best,

Laz

Trubrit

You did the right thing

Going to the Opthamologist was the right thing to do. 

Cancer consumes us, and we tend to think everything we feel is a return.  

What you are experiencing sounds awful and should be addressed. I hope it all goes away by the three days, but be sure and get it tested if it doesn't. 

To answer your question. I have never called my Onc when experiencing weird symptoms, but my fingers have hovered over the dial many times. 

The time to call him/her is if you are diagnosed with a problem by your opthamologist, so that they can add it to your medical record. 

Good luck!  Keep us informed one way or another. 

SUE

Helen321

Thanks.  I'm feeling better

Thanks.  I'm feeling better about it today as the eye is no longer throbbing but yesterday, I have to say, I had a bit of panic in me.  It's gone now.  I need to stop Googling these types of things.  I didn't even think that rectal cancer could go to the eye until the doctor said, "well if it's a tumor, it'll talk to you."  I walked in thinking I popped a blood vessel or something simple.  I walked out ready to Google.  It hurts 50% less than it did yesterday although my vision is still strained a bit today. It's not nearly as bad as yesterday and although cancer isn't out of my mind, it's not as worrisome as yesterday.  Three years out you'd think I would be a lot better at dealing with this and knowing that everyting isn't cancer but sadly, it isn't going away.  I'm only going to call the oncologist if I still have a problem on Thursday.

JanJan63

Oh Helen, how scary is that.

Oh Helen, how scary is that. I hate how this cancer crap makes us worry about every little thing. I hope it goes away and you don't have to worry about it anymore. Good luck.

Jan 

beaumontdave

I haven't talked to my onc

I haven't talked to my onc about anything outside our regular scans and blood tests. If something came up, I might call, but I enjoy not dealing with the medicos so much it would have to be scary bad. The eye thing is scary, if it came out of nowhere, but at this point, I'm likely to wait and see if anything keeps happening. I don't say it's smart to wait, it isn't, but it's where I'm at....................................Dave