Shoulder Pain 16 months post partial nephrectomy

rcarrig

Hello all - I had a partial nephrectomy in October of 2018 for RCC on my right kidney.  Everything went well and I have been feeling great overall, however, in May of 2019 I began feeling pain in my shoulder.  I attributed this to overuse due to weight lifting and exercise etc.... The pain would come and go so as it worsened I would scale back my exercise routine.  Fast forward to September, I was moving a couch and it got stuck in a door frame. I attempted to force the couch through by taking a few steps back and running into leading with my shoulder (stupid).  The next day, I noticed a lump on the top of my shoulder (above the bursa) as well as some swelling. Attributing this to the couch injury I didn't really pay much attention to it until recently since the pain has increased and it has not gotten any better.  I am at the point that my shoulder hurts regularly if I attempt to do anything with my left arm. Lateral movements like opening a sliding glass door, or if I am laying on that side and attempt to get up are very painful. Taking off my shirt and doing other routine things hurt but I still have full range of motion and strength.

 

A few days ago I went to the doctor and he said that he feels what he believes to be a cyst and has ordered an MRI.  Naturally, I am freaking out. It seems like an extreme jump from my right kidney to my left shoulder but has anyone ever heard of something like this happening?  Has anyone experienced bone mets in the shoulder or arm? Thank you for taking the time.

 

Rob

 

a_oaklee

MRI is a good plan

Hi.  You are doing everything that you should be doing.  Monitoring your health, making an appt with your doctor and doing follow-up testing.  Your shoulder pain can be many different things, and your doctors plan to do an MRI is perfect.  Please have it done soon.  It will put your mind at ease.  You are such an active person perhaps you injured yourself.

I hesitate to tell you about bone mets, because I think you are prematurely full of worry, and thinking about what scares you regarding this pain.

I can tell you that the #1 site for rcc mets is the lungs and #2 is bone.  My husband has bone mets and I am happy to give you more information if you wish.  Let me know.

What was the results on your pathology report.  Stage, grade, margins, type?

eug91

welcome

Sorry you had to join us, Rob. But this is a great group here - we've all been through it and we know what you're going through. 

Your natural instinct is to automatically think any pain is a recurrence, but try not to worry about it until you know for sure. My story: last year I woke up with the worst jaw pain I've ever had in my life. Excruciating pain. I was completely convinced it was a bone met in my jaw. Turned out to be my first cavity in 35 years. I've never been so happy to get a root canal...

Yes, bone mets are theoretically possible - but there are zillion other possibilities that are not cancer. Weight-lifting or exercise strain or just old injuries coming back to haunt us, etc etc. 

Like a_oaklee said above, you're doing the right things. Get your MRI and know for sure what you're dealing with. Good luck! You've got this! 

rcarrig

a_oaklee said:

MRI is a good plan

Hi.  You are doing everything that you should be doing.  Monitoring your health, making an appt with your doctor and doing follow-up testing.  Your shoulder pain can be many different things, and your doctors plan to do an MRI is perfect.  Please have it done soon.  It will put your mind at ease.  You are such an active person perhaps you injured yourself.

I hesitate to tell you about bone mets, because I think you are prematurely full of worry, and thinking about what scares you regarding this pain.

I can tell you that the #1 site for rcc mets is the lungs and #2 is bone.  My husband has bone mets and I am happy to give you more information if you wish.  Let me know.

What was the results on your pathology report.  Stage, grade, margins, type?

Thank you so much for your

Thank you so much for your response.  I completely agree with what you are saying.  It is funny, there are moments (most of them) where I am rational and say to myself it has been be sports related.  Then I get these waves of irrational worry where it becomes difficult to focus on anything else and I find myself on Google.  Thank you for sharing the information about the likely spread of rcc.  I am 37 and had a T1b grade 2.  My appointment for the MRI is scheduled for Tuesday with a follow up Thursday.  When I went to the orthopedic doctor I was expecting him to say I may have had a AC joint sprain, a bone spur, or even a possible tear.  It just kind of felt like a sucker punch when he used the words mass and cyst because that is exactly what they told me when they incidentally found the rcc on a scan due to appendicitis.  

 

I am very sorry to hear about your husband having bone mets and hope his treatments going well.  All the best to both of you.

 

Rob

AliceB1950

A great piece of advice from

A great piece of advice from another cancer site: When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.

rcarrig

eug91 said:

welcome

Sorry you had to join us, Rob. But this is a great group here - we've all been through it and we know what you're going through. 

Your natural instinct is to automatically think any pain is a recurrence, but try not to worry about it until you know for sure. My story: last year I woke up with the worst jaw pain I've ever had in my life. Excruciating pain. I was completely convinced it was a bone met in my jaw. Turned out to be my first cavity in 35 years. I've never been so happy to get a root canal...

Yes, bone mets are theoretically possible - but there are zillion other possibilities that are not cancer. Weight-lifting or exercise strain or just old injuries coming back to haunt us, etc etc. 

Like a_oaklee said above, you're doing the right things. Get your MRI and know for sure what you're dealing with. Good luck! You've got this! 

Thank you for your support

Thank you for your support and sharing your story.  That must have been scary!  I woke up today feeling in a much better place mentally and my rational side is back in the drivers seat.  Glad it was only a cavity and I am not the only one who's mind heads to the wrong place.  Honestly, there are times I feel as though I am crazy so I keep most of these feelings to myself.  I am so happy I found this board.  

eug91

AliceB1950 said:

A great piece of advice from

A great piece of advice from another cancer site: When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.

awesome

That is GREAT advice.

eug91

rcarrig said:

Thank you for your support

Thank you for your support and sharing your story.  That must have been scary!  I woke up today feeling in a much better place mentally and my rational side is back in the drivers seat.  Glad it was only a cavity and I am not the only one who's mind heads to the wrong place.  Honestly, there are times I feel as though I am crazy so I keep most of these feelings to myself.  I am so happy I found this board.  

great to hear

What your mind is going through is totally normal. You've got this!

a_oaklee

AliceB1950 said:

A great piece of advice from

A great piece of advice from another cancer site: When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.

Good saying

Alice.  I like that saying.  Thanks for sharing it.

Rob.  Glad you are having some better days.  You will know more very soon.  Your age, stage, grade are all good.  

Thanks for asking about my husband.  Hes doing great.  Bone mets found in 2012.  So we tend to believe they are treatable.  He had many, but hasnt had a new one since 2013.  

thingone

The advises here are also helpful to me.

Rob, I think the advises you got here are also helpful to me.  I want to share my experince for your information. I had a partial nephrectomy last September on my left kidney. My recovering went well and the outcome was a big surprise. Since last November, 2019,  I began feeling pain in my shoulder and butt bone. I was worry about the pains and hoped that the pains were because  of overuse and injury when I was doing excise during the recovery. The pains came and went away several times and sometime I even was unable to sleep due to the should pain. I had been treated by a therapist for a couple of months. The butt pain has almost gone away, and my right should pain has been lessoned quite a lot, but still feel the pain when I make some special movement.  I definitly felt better when I read the advices here. I can't tell how much I love and feel for the people in this group. Wish you and everyyone here all the best!