Good Luck Lesley with the chemo and keep us up to date on how things are going. I too ‘looked forward’ to chemo as I really wanted to give my whole system a blast and it certainly seems to ahve worked. I’m now anxiously waiting for my next scan dates to see if the hormonals are doing their job as well as they should be!
Take care
Nicky x
Hi Lesley.
I was diagnosed with bone mets last July. Had to have surgery to shore up my right leg!
Tumors are in all the usual places.
I am HER+ so not quite the same as you and had been on herceptin for about nine months…didn’t work for me.
I have just finished 6 cycles of Paclitaxel with avastin and zometa ( for bone building) and my scan showed the tumors are " stable"
ie no spread or growth.
My Onc wants to keep me on the Avastin and Zometa indefinitely, but have a break from the chemo for the moment.The problem is that nobody wants to pay.
The Ins Co say that Azastin is paliative not curative.
Well isn’t anything they give us paliative apart from a miracle!!
I am post menopausal but have been on Arimidex since initial dianosis.
Let us all know how you get on with the chemo. Hugs xxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks Rosiebear - great news that your mets are now stable - it’s interesting how almost everyone on this thread with bone mets has had slightly different treatment! Avastin hasn’t been mentioned to me at all yet and probably won’t be until it becomes fully available on the NHS, who knows??
I’m starting chemo next week as my markers haven’t come down on the latest blood test. I have now been told that the chemo will probably put me into menopause anyway, but if it doesn’t then I will have Zoladex injections and then hopefully be able to go onto Arimidex or Femara at the end of the 18 weeks
Will let you know how it’s going
Lesley xx
Good Luck with the chemo Lesley…Belinda…xx
Thanks Belinda x
Which day are you having the chemo lesley? Good luck with it sport - any info you need just ask - there’s is a wealth of it on here.
First one is booked for Monday the 9th. Thanks, will keep you posted on how it’s going xx
Hope all went well today Lesley - if having chemo can be thought of like that! Take care and you will feel better in a few days.
Nicky x
Thank you Nicky - not suffering too many side effects, bit tired today but no nausea thank goodness!
One thing though - and I’m not sure about this, but my bone mets haven’t been bothering me for weeks now, I don’t even take any painkillers any more but today I’ve been noticing definite ‘twinges’ in my hips and spine - is this likely to be related to the chemo or just coincidental?
Lesley x
Hi Lesley
Remember to take it easy on yourself and take any meds you’ve been given when they say - don’t leave them until you maybe don’t feel so good.
As to the twinges, I can’t remember if you are on Bisphos? If so and you’re on IV ones it could be you feel twinges as it ‘wears off’ just before the next one is due. Otherwise I seem to aches all the time and I’m sure it’s down to hormone tablets etc. It could be you’re getting side effects from these but it’s always scarey when you know your bones are affected already. I was luckily not in any pain before I had chemo and disn’t really feel my mets much during but I do get twinges as well. Sometimes it’s the weather as the damage is like osteoporosis and people with that can ache more in damp or cold weather.
Hope they don’t trouble you too much but you can always speak to one of the bcn’s if you’re really worried.
Take care
Nicky x
Thanks Nicky, yes, I’m being good about taking my meds and it’s the last day for the steroids today.
Yes, I’m on Pamidronate but it’s only been a week since my last one. I stopped taking Tamoxifen on Sunday prior to starting chemo on Monday so not sure if that’s connected. Sometimes I think it’s just the way I sleep - it’s a different sort of pain to the bone pain I had previously so am not going to get too alarmed at the moment. It’s worse if I lie on my back - I went for reiki this morning which was lovely but lying on my back for an hour on a fairly hard couch isn’t the most comfortable experience!!
Lesley xx
Hi Lesley
Chemo for bone mets seems an unusual treatment. How many sessions are they planning? Obviously your onc seems keen on using markers for his treatment. What are they planning after chemo? Did you not have pamidronate? Was that to give your bones immediate help at calming down the pain? Surely, you have to be on some kind of hormonal treatment. Besides, will you not have to be menopausal to have any hormonal treatment that is going to be effective? My understanding was that the reason the young females are always given tamoxifen is that because that is the only drug available to pre-meno sufferers! If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? I am 48, was on tamoxifen but now with bone mets, have stopped tamoxifen and started zoladex to turn me into a flushing wreck and then combine it with letrozole, which only works on menopausal ladies. So you see, it would be so mch easier if we all hit the menopause as soon as we started initial treatment! That way, we coud all cut out the middle phase of zoladex, save ourselves from those painful injections, not to mention th saving to the NHS!
When are you seeing the onc again? You have to find out about the hormonal treatment that will have to follow. Hope this helps. PM me anytime. LOL Dee x
Hi Dee, I was initially prescribed Tamoxifen before Xmas on dx and after nine weeks on it with my markers steadily rising the onc decided not to waste any more time on it as it obviously wasn’t working quickly enough and so decided to put me on 6 x EC chemo immediately. I think there are quite a few people on here who have had chemo for their bone mets.
I asked if I could be put onto another hormonal drug but he didn’t want to waste time getting me into menopause and then waiting more weeks to see whether or not another drug worked, that’s why he wanted to go straight ahead with the chemo. I think the plan is to get me into menopause whilst I’m on chemo and then to get me onto another hormonal drug after the sessions have finished.
Yes, I do have 3-weekly pamidronate which is helping enormously with the bone pain.
Lesley xx
Hi Lesley
Hope you are feeling better and twinges have subsided or sort themselves out soon. I’m sure you’re getting the right treatment (yes, of course I’m a qualified oncologist!) and that it helps get your mets under control, including any pain. Take it easy whilst on chemo though, it does knock you for six.
Nicky x
Thank you Nicky - I KNEW you were an oncologist!! The pain is not really a problem and if I didn’t know what was wrong with me I probably wouldn’t even notice it if that makes sense. I think the aim is to get my markers right down so that any spread is kept under control. Have felt ok since my chemo on Monday although I do feel very tired this evening - going to have an early night watching Comic Relief in bed, lol.
Lesley xx
Hi Lesley
as you know I am on pamidronate every 3rd week and I get really uncomfortable leg pains on the Monday so Iuse a hot water bottle in bed.
Glad to hear you are feeling o.k. don’t forget plenty of water and rest.
Love Debsxxx
Thanks Debs, glad it’s not just me who gets twinges - although that’s all they are really. Getting plenty of water but sleep seems to be eluding me for some reason …
Lesley xx
Hi Lesley,
It is probably the steroids which are responsible for the lack of sleep. You will probably rest easier when you are not taking them.
Jenny
x
You are not alone.I was diagnosed with secondary cancer which spread to my bones in November 08 after 4 and a half years on Arimidex(2 months on Tamoxifen)I was immediatly switched to Aromisan hormone tablets 25mg,Had 3 sessions of raiotherapy which had to stop after a very bad reaction.I have just had my second session of chemo and hormone stopped plus all suppliments apart from calcium.Just to ease your mind that there must be other ladies out there the same but I personally feel in the dark with secondary,not knowing a lot about it and having to keep asking questions.
Maureen
Hi Maureen
I’ve not been on here for a week or so, so I’m not sure if you’ve posted elsewhere about your mets but do ask any questions. There are so many lovely ladies on here who can help or offer advice etc. Don’t mean to highjack this thread but thought I’d offer!
Hope you are feeling OK Lesley and the side effects of chemo - and all the extra tablets, are easing. Enjoy the nice weather but protect yourself from the sun.
Nicky x