Painful Ribs - Met to Ribs Question for those with experience

todd121
todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

Hi everone. Sorry I've been AWOL. :) Work has been crazy and I've had very little me time.

I just had a CT scan (no contrast) of chest/abdomen/pelvis about a month ago that was all clear. I've developed a very sore spot in the middle of my right rib cage. It feels like I bruised it. I mean it doesn't hurt unless I push on it, but then it's pretty painful.

Trying to decide whether to bother my oncologist with it or not.

Can anybody that has had rib mets tell me if the pain developed before it was seen on CT scan or after? Or was it painful (I'm assuming it was...)

I've been told that they'll see something on the CT long before I feel it. However, since I don't get contrast, I always wonder if that's true or not.

Thank you all. Do miss you.

Otherwise, I'm doing ok. Just working like crazy. Not sure I want to be, but that's where I am right now.

Todd

P.S. Some background on me. Not sure my profile is up-to-date. Had right nephrectomy Dec of 2012. Path was Stage 3 ccRCC. Had met to right adrenal gland in Jan 2015. Adrenal removed. Welcome to Stage 4. Currently NED.

 

Comments

  • Jan4you
    Jan4you Member Posts: 1,330 Member
    #2
    Oh dear, I can appreciate

    Oh dear, I can appreciate your concern. Pain makes you wonder eh?

    I would call your Oncologist's office and go from there. Since you just had a scan, my hope is that it is nothing but a strain. I know strains can be painful!

    Let us know what happens and how you are doing. Have you iced it? Take an anti inflammatory med like Aleve?

    I look forward to seeing your picture when I sign onto this page.

    I'll pray everything will turn out okay and you find relief soon.

    Sending a gentle hug, Jan

  • Yeric
    Yeric Member Posts: 65
    #3
    So, How about them Mets?

    My rib met itched.  I had three others.  I never knew they were there.  Hip, spine an somewhere else.  I wrote it down.  That was a long time ago and it has washed off. 

    The Wife just looked over my shoulder...She reminded me of all the stuff that had me on edge after one of those knife fights.  Bruised .  Aches  .  After a magor I would count to six weeks an then go see Dr. Mike and get a recent bone cracking.   So yeah.  Call your Doctor.  I have been so wrong guessing what is going on in my life. 

    Bobby

     

     

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #4
    Yeric said:

    So, How about them Mets?

    My rib met itched.  I had three others.  I never knew they were there.  Hip, spine an somewhere else.  I wrote it down.  That was a long time ago and it has washed off. 

    The Wife just looked over my shoulder...She reminded me of all the stuff that had me on edge after one of those knife fights.  Bruised .  Aches  .  After a magor I would count to six weeks an then go see Dr. Mike and get a recent bone cracking.   So yeah.  Call your Doctor.  I have been so wrong guessing what is going on in my life. 

    Bobby

     

     

    bone mets

    Todd, I was standing in a long line with my wife at a wake. As we waited I began to feel a pain in my back. Over the course of an hour it intensified. I remember thinking that I was hanging on a wall by a spear. I had never felt a thing before that. After radiation it was fine. I've had broken ribs that didn't hurt that much.

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #5
    foxhd said:

    bone mets

    Todd, I was standing in a long line with my wife at a wake. As we waited I began to feel a pain in my back. Over the course of an hour it intensified. I remember thinking that I was hanging on a wall by a spear. I had never felt a thing before that. After radiation it was fine. I've had broken ribs that didn't hurt that much.

    Ouch

    Wow. I've heard bone mets can be quite painful.

    I'll just wait a week and see if it goes away. My oncologist probably won't do anything since I just had a scan a month ago anyways. I'm sure they'd probably see something before I felt it. Not having the contrast makes me a little nervous, but he insists that the risk/reward is not worth it with my kidney function where it is. He's the one that went to medical school, and why would I pay him and ignore his advice?

    Thanks everyone.

    Glad to see familiar faces.

    Todd

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #6
    Yeric said:

    So, How about them Mets?

    My rib met itched.  I had three others.  I never knew they were there.  Hip, spine an somewhere else.  I wrote it down.  That was a long time ago and it has washed off. 

    The Wife just looked over my shoulder...She reminded me of all the stuff that had me on edge after one of those knife fights.  Bruised .  Aches  .  After a magor I would count to six weeks an then go see Dr. Mike and get a recent bone cracking.   So yeah.  Call your Doctor.  I have been so wrong guessing what is going on in my life. 

    Bobby

     

     

    Thanks

    Appreciate your comment. Just read your bio. Thanks for keeping it up to date. Your story gives me hope I'll be here for awhile yet. You've been dealing with this sh*t a long time. Thank you Bobby.

    Todd

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #7
    Jan4you said:

    Oh dear, I can appreciate

    Oh dear, I can appreciate your concern. Pain makes you wonder eh?

    I would call your Oncologist's office and go from there. Since you just had a scan, my hope is that it is nothing but a strain. I know strains can be painful!

    Let us know what happens and how you are doing. Have you iced it? Take an anti inflammatory med like Aleve?

    I look forward to seeing your picture when I sign onto this page.

    I'll pray everything will turn out okay and you find relief soon.

    Sending a gentle hug, Jan

    Jan! Hugs back!

    You're so supportive! Thanks.

    The good news is like that old, old joke.

    Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do this.

    Doctor: Then don't do that!

    As long as I don't push on it, it's fine. So I won't push on it. Haha. And I'll wait. I seem to get pains for no reason. I probably did something and don't even remember it.

    Have a great weekend.

    Todd

  • a_oaklee
    a_oaklee Member Posts: 566 Member
    #8
    todd121 said:

    Thanks

    Appreciate your comment. Just read your bio. Thanks for keeping it up to date. Your story gives me hope I'll be here for awhile yet. You've been dealing with this sh*t a long time. Thank you Bobby.

    Todd

    My husbands rib met did not

    My husbands rib met did not hurt.  He only knew it was there because of the report.  His shoulder and hip and vertebrae mets were very painful.

    Good luck Todd.

  • a_oaklee
    a_oaklee Member Posts: 566 Member
    #9
    a_oaklee said:

    My husbands rib met did not

    My husbands rib met did not hurt.  He only knew it was there because of the report.  His shoulder and hip and vertebrae mets were very painful.

    Good luck Todd.

    Be cautious with nonsteroidal

    Be cautious with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. NSAID'S.  Check with your doctor what you should take for pain when you only have one kidney and perhaps decreased renal function.  Tylenol is okay to use.

  • Srashedb
    Srashedb Member Posts: 482 Member
    #10
    Rib met

    Todd:

    my husband had a bone scan last August which showed uptake on his left 8th rib; nothing on the ct scan and no pain. Same thing in November. In February of this year, he felt a bit of pain and the scan in March confirmed a likely met.

    he had 5 radiation treatments (conventional) and before the third one, the pain was gone.

    the radiologist and oncologist told him they only treated it because it hurt; otherwise, not a big dea

  • Allochka
    Allochka Member Posts: 1,072 Member
    #11
    Srashedb said:

    Rib met

    Todd:

    my husband had a bone scan last August which showed uptake on his left 8th rib; nothing on the ct scan and no pain. Same thing in November. In February of this year, he felt a bit of pain and the scan in March confirmed a likely met.

    he had 5 radiation treatments (conventional) and before the third one, the pain was gone.

    the radiologist and oncologist told him they only treated it because it hurt; otherwise, not a big dea

    Todd, 
    you DEFINITELY WILL be

    Todd, 

    you DEFINITELY WILL be here for a while! No doubt for that! :-)

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #12
    Allochka said:

    Todd, 
    you DEFINITELY WILL be

    Todd, 

    you DEFINITELY WILL be here for a while! No doubt for that! :-)

    Todd, it wouldn't hurt to

    Todd, it wouldn't hurt to contact your doctor. Who knows with this stuff? I am always wondering about aches and pains (I know I am not the only one doing this!) but I put it out of my mind til my next scan. But I am stage 3, not stage 4.

    Glad to see your post - I haven't been on much either - we have just recently sold our house and also on vacation, and looking for a new house - so not on the computer much, these days!

    But I think of you all - and still pray for everyone every night.

    Hugs

    Jojo

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #13
    Jojo61 said:

    Todd, it wouldn't hurt to

    Todd, it wouldn't hurt to contact your doctor. Who knows with this stuff? I am always wondering about aches and pains (I know I am not the only one doing this!) but I put it out of my mind til my next scan. But I am stage 3, not stage 4.

    Glad to see your post - I haven't been on much either - we have just recently sold our house and also on vacation, and looking for a new house - so not on the computer much, these days!

    But I think of you all - and still pray for everyone every night.

    Hugs

    Jojo

    Pain is gone

    I waited and it went away. :)

    Thanks for everyone's feedback! Glad to hear from you all.

    Hugs,

    Todd

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