Have you had a back ache with your cancer?

a_oaklee said:

I will answer your questions too

We decided to go to a major medical center for surgery (nephrectomy).  My husband had another CT scan done prior to his appointment with the surgeon.  Our family practice doctor thought it would be a good idea to see if there is cancer anywhere else.  He told us about CT/PET scans.  We thought it was a good idea at the time.   The results showed the mets to his spine.  The surgeon cancelled the nephrectomy and sent us immediately to a neurosurgeon to stabilize the spine.  After that surgery, we were referred to oncology. 

My husband did not lose any weight until he started on Inlyta in April.  Food didn't taste good and he lost his appetite.  He started taking Megace to increase his appetite and he hasn't lost any more weight.  There were no other symptoms except back pain and blood in the urine.

He currently is taking Inlyta 7 mg twice a day.  He also takes pain medications.  His back still hurts at the surgical site  (major surgery on his back).  He gets CT/PET scans every 3 months.  Sees a local oncologist once a month for lab work and a Xgeva shot.  Has follow-up CTs of his spine by the radiation oncology team every 3 months. 

Please do not think just because your back hurts that you must have mets.  It just isn't so.  Many people have back pain due to their kidney tumor. 

Thanks for your response. I am not worried about mets on spine, but I just have this feeling something has changed. They have been checking me over the years for MS spinal lesions, but I have not had my back scanned in a couple of years. I just wondered what the process was that your husband (and others) found spinal mets. In other words, which was discovered first the kidney tumor or mets. Do they think the mets came from the kidney or the other way around?

Its just my back pain is not getting better. Have had this for many months now, get a break then it returns. Just not sure what it is for sure.

I hope your husband is healing and on the road to remission. Sorry he is sick from his medications.

Thanks again,

Jan

Phoenix Rising said:

Lord yes.

I have had almost constant backpain since this Odyssey began.  I had a searing back pain, that trailed around front to the lower rib cage, with two "strings" of pain from the lower rib cage to the lower abdomen, and the lower abdominal pain trailed around to the back.  It was enough to make me scream in the emergency room all night until they gave my screamin' @$$ some pain killer.  The oncologist later told me that was acute kidney pain, and it is was what led to my diagnosis.  There was a cyst on my kidney that was expanding and causing pain.

So I had the right rad nephrectomy, IVC thrombectomy, and lymph resection a little over a month later (in June 2009).  I had surgical pain only. Occasionally I had kidney pain in the back, front and side even though the kidney was gone, and the onc said that was the nerve endings trying to find each other.  It eventually subsided.  Well when the cold weather hit, my lower back became so sore, I couldn't pick my feet up off the floor to walk. 

That pain has never left, even when the warm weather returned, and I am sure it was a result of the kidney surgery. The pain has been with me for 4 years now.  I hate it, and it hates me.  The pain seems to go away with exercise, but returns when I cool down.  I have a hard time bending to get things in low drawers or cabinets, and have to hold on to something for stability when I first awaken in the morning.

OH my, you sure have been through the wringer! I find your continued pain unacceptable. So sorry.

I would seek out both lazer light therapy and other alternative methods to see if your pain could be lessesed at least. After all, many nerves were involved, disrupted and unable now to communicate with the brain as before. You could find a chiropractor who utilizes ART (Autonomic response testing) methods to allow the electrical energy from the brain to the injuries places.

Also I have had lazer light therapy, inexpensive, done by both my chiropractore ANd my specialized nutritionest. Light gets the nerve endings to start talking from left side of body to right side. All I know is that it helped alot!

After another surgery, I had this special massage where the masseuse pressed hard on the scar line, breaking up the scar tissue for the body to absorb. It was VERY painful, like pressing glass on your body.. until.. I started doing my "labor-type" breathing whenever she pressed down. It was painless doing that. She said it felt not like pressing on little pebbles but actual rocks!! Yowzer no wonder it hurt at first!! Can you imagine how all those "pebbles" or adhesions are affecting your nervous system?

Trust me, no MD will know or tell you of such treatments. The lazer light treatment cost $10 for 5 minutes. It was worth it.

Here's hoping you too find ways to get some relief!

Warmly, Jan