Hi all,
I’m looking for a bit of advice please.
I’m currently being treated for a local recurrence of IDC in 2011 (initial diagnosis 2007) with letrozole.
An initial DEXA scan in 2011 showed osteopenia and a bone scan showed something suspicious on my rib, which on further exploration was considered not to be of any concern. I have been taking calichew D3 since 2011.
The latest DEXA scan shows a 10% decrease in BMD of my lumbar spine (L1-4) but no difference in my left hip. My oncologist has said that I need to take a bisphosphonate regularly and that I need to see my GP for them to decide which one I should take. I saw my oncologist on Monday. Since then, however, I have got myself all worked up, questioning whether the decrease in BMD is a sympton of spread to the bones instead; I have not felt able to mention it to my family because my brother in law has just been diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer in his early 50s and we are all devastated and I don’t want to add to their worries.
I would like to know, should I be asking for a whole body bone scan? Will a bone scan distinguish between degenerative disorders (I also have early onset of arthritis) and metasteses and, if not, what other scan should I be requesting, if indeed I should be requesting a scan at all? And from whom should I be asking for a scan; my oncologist or my GP? And as the oncologist didn’t suggest it in the first place am I just worrying unnecessarily?! Unfortunately, my mind is working overtime and I don’t know how to stop it, and it’s all so exhausting.
And finally, I wondered if anyone could give me advice on how I go about getting a tailor-made office chair? I’ve been trying for some time at work but I’m just given the usual options, through the usual websites that we use (I work in a University) and I know that they are not going to help my back and neck pain, so I have not bothered, which is just exacerbating my pain. But now I know that I am not just imagining this I feel I need to get something sorted properly.
I had understood that organisations can get some contribution to the cost of equipment (like a chair) but I don’t know what I have to do to arrange it! If anyone has any suggestions of particular office chairs that have supported the lumbar spine and the neck that would also be helpful.
Thank you for listening to me - I don’t post very often but I always come here when I need advice!
Naz