Me Myself and ER
Well ... I've been in some pretty bad pain for the past 2 weeks. The ribs directly under the diseased breast hurt like holy hell! There is one spot in particular that really makes me cry when it's touched. The pain is in the ribs behind the same spot as the front. You know, just turn me over and hit the same spot as if it were the spot in the front. I have been crying myself to sleep the pain gets so bad when I go to bed.
I called my rads onco to ask if radiation could be the problem. He said I am too far out of treatment that it would not be an issue at this time. I asked if maybe radiation weakened the ribs to the point that perhaps I broke a rib. He pretty much let that question slide and asked if I'd been seen by my MO or PCP. So it was apparent that he didn't feel it was a radiation related problem and wanted me to see someone else.
I went to my PCP yesterday and was promptly sent to the ER. My doctor wasn't sure what was going on but thought I might have a blood clot working. Can you imagine how I felt? She gave me a script for all kinds of work ups and out the door I went. I went home first to let the hubby know. He had NO CLUE I was in so much pain. I am pretty good at keeping my ails covered up. He was mad as all hell that I didn't get this checked out earlier. Anyway, we did the ER dance (9 hours this time) and came away with very little news. But the good news did say NO CLOT. Blood work shows elevated basophils which can mean a host of things. It did say that I have a "borderline dilation of CBD". The docs think my pain is gallbladder related. I was sent home with pain killers and instructed to get back to my PCP within 2-3 days. My appointment is tomorrow.
The thing about this is that the hospital never even thought about taking an xray of my chest. Wouldn't you think a person complaining about chest pain would be hooked up with radiology STAT for an xray? I sometimes believe that I fractured a rib which isn't a far fetched thought considering how much radiation I took. I will bring this up with my PCP tomorrow and hopefully I can get the xray and get further care for this pain. I did read that when a bile duct is dilated, it can cause so much pain. I am praying that there is nothing else lurking. Of course, I went to that dark place that said "recurrence" but who doesn't do that when cancer is part of their lives? My next MO appointment is April 2nd and I think I can hold out until then to see her.
What else could this awful pain be?
M
Comments
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HIDA Scan
Mary,
In 2011, I was having pain on the right side in the liver area. I already had a diffuse fatty liver due to all the prescriptions I have. I was given an ultrasound and they did find my bile duct to be very prominent. I was given another test called a HIDA scan for the bile duct. The tech showed it to me afterward on the computer. What I had was an allergic reaction to a drug I was taking. For more information go to HIDA Scan Mayo Clinic.
A HIDA scan is an imaging procedure that helps track the production and flow of bile from your liver to your small intestine. Bile is a fluid produced by your liver that helps your digestive system break down fats in the foods you eat.
A HIDA scan, which stands for hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan, creates pictures of your liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and small intestine. Cholescintigraphy, hepatobiliary scintigraphy and hepatobiliary scan are alternative names for HIDA scan.
A HIDA scan is a type of imaging study called a nuclear medicine scan. This means the HIDA scan uses a radioactive chemical, or tracer, that helps highlight certain organs on the scan.
You could have gallstones which would show up on an ultrasound
You could have fibromyalgia which is very, very painful. I thought before being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I had gallstones. In fact I insisted it was until they should be the test which showed a gallbladder empty of stones.
It took over a year to diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. It's has pressure points and when someone touches certain places on your body it's as though you put your finger in a live wired socket. You want to scream. In fact, I did scream. There is no solution for fibromyalgia, you learn to live with it. I have muscle relaxers that help but don't do a lot. In fact pain meds, even patches don't work on this pain. It's a true bummer, I had an episode last fall. One minutes your fine and then you aren't. The episodes last about 3 months and then go where ever it goes. I hope you don't have this one.
That is all I can think of for now.
Doris
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I had chest rads and i getSIROD said:HIDA Scan
Mary,
In 2011, I was having pain on the right side in the liver area. I already had a diffuse fatty liver due to all the prescriptions I have. I was given an ultrasound and they did find my bile duct to be very prominent. I was given another test called a HIDA scan for the bile duct. The tech showed it to me afterward on the computer. What I had was an allergic reaction to a drug I was taking. For more information go to HIDA Scan Mayo Clinic.
A HIDA scan is an imaging procedure that helps track the production and flow of bile from your liver to your small intestine. Bile is a fluid produced by your liver that helps your digestive system break down fats in the foods you eat.
A HIDA scan, which stands for hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan, creates pictures of your liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and small intestine. Cholescintigraphy, hepatobiliary scintigraphy and hepatobiliary scan are alternative names for HIDA scan.
A HIDA scan is a type of imaging study called a nuclear medicine scan. This means the HIDA scan uses a radioactive chemical, or tracer, that helps highlight certain organs on the scan.
You could have gallstones which would show up on an ultrasound
You could have fibromyalgia which is very, very painful. I thought before being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I had gallstones. In fact I insisted it was until they should be the test which showed a gallbladder empty of stones.
It took over a year to diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. It's has pressure points and when someone touches certain places on your body it's as though you put your finger in a live wired socket. You want to scream. In fact, I did scream. There is no solution for fibromyalgia, you learn to live with it. I have muscle relaxers that help but don't do a lot. In fact pain meds, even patches don't work on this pain. It's a true bummer, I had an episode last fall. One minutes your fine and then you aren't. The episodes last about 3 months and then go where ever it goes. I hope you don't have this one.
That is all I can think of for now.
Doris
I had chest rads and i get pain under my left side, painful, I talked to my rads onc and he said it could be from that. It isnt persisitent but is very painful. .My husband went to the ER , he had horrible pain from mid sternum to his back, they thought he was having a heart attack, or a dissecting aorta, it was a stone froim the gall bladder that went into his bile duct. he had to go into Boston have an ERCP, to clean out the bile duct then wait a week and have the gall bladeer removed. There could be many reasons, but unfortunately with cancer that is what we immediatly go to. I doubt it, with your diagnosis, especially so soon. Hugs
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I hope someone finds the
I hope someone finds the colprit of your pain and get you back to painfree.
Lots of healing and positive thoughts for you.
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Is there any chance it's
Is there any chance it's shingles? Does the pain ever cross the mid-line? Any blisters? What about fever/chills? Crying when a spot is touched was one of the symptoms when I had shingles. How much pressure does it take when you're touched in that spot? Whatever it is, I hope you get a dx and appropriate treatment soon.
Hugs,
Linda
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I have no idea what this painGabe N Abby Mom said:Is there any chance it's
Is there any chance it's shingles? Does the pain ever cross the mid-line? Any blisters? What about fever/chills? Crying when a spot is touched was one of the symptoms when I had shingles. How much pressure does it take when you're touched in that spot? Whatever it is, I hope you get a dx and appropriate treatment soon.
Hugs,
Linda
I have no idea what this pain might be Mary, but, I am glad you are getting it
checked out.I hope you get some answers today. We will all be waiting to hear.
Lots of gentle hugs,
Noel
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wow you have been through
wow you have been through much ...I HOPE you appt finds the reason to get on the mends...
thinking of you..
denise
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I am surprised too that theylintx said:Sorry you're in pain
Mary, I can't believe they didn't send you for an X-Ray! Maybe you pulled something when you lifted or reached too high. Let us know what the PCP says tomorrow. I hope pain killers help for now. Take care, Linda
I am surprised too that they didn't give you an xray. What did they find out Mary or do you know anything yet?
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