Hi all,
I’ve been living with excruitiating pain in my ribs on my treatment side directly under my scar for months. My GP just prescribed me painkillers and told me that it was some broken ribs healing slowly due to rads. I saw my surgeon a couple of weeks ago for a check up and mentioned it then. He said that there was absolutely no way at all that I should be having pain from broken ribs for so long (I broke them May 2011). He immediately ordered up a CT scan which I had last week and I am now waiting for the results.
As you can imagine I am worried about it being mets to my ribs. My primary dx was October 2010 and I had right MX with ANC in November 2010. This was followed by 8 x AC-T, rads & tamoxifen. I had multi-centric invasive lobular, ductal and lobular in-situ and more than half my nodes were affected. Didn’t get an exactly stellar 5yr survial rate even after treatment, so I guess I wouldn’t be that surprised if that’s what it turned out to be but I was wondering whether anyone else has had a similar experience?
Ondine Blue
(formerly Nymeria)
Anyone???
Hello OndineBlue, Not really sure if I can help here. I sorry that no one has replied to your post yet. Perhaps it is difficult for others to reply because it is hard to compare syptoms as each of us is different.
I think it is great that the surgeon has taken control and listened to your problem and that hopefully the CT scan will give him more information to make a diagnosis.
I do have bone mets. I know what pain can be like. But it is impossible to say what is causing your pain until all the tests are completed. On the plus side he has just ordered a CT scan. If he thought it was secondaries I presume he woud have organised a bone scan too.
Just to say that I can feel how worried you are and that the waiting for results is just the pits and is the hardest part of the whole thing as you do not know what to think and your mind runs haywire and goes into overdrive. ( Been there many times myself!). Please do not google for information as it just mucks up your head.
Just wanted to say that even if it was the worst case senario that there are lots of treatments and painkillers to help you. A word of encouragement is that I have had bone mets for 13 years now and am doing well. Pain in the ribs can be painful. Keep in touch and PM me if you want to ask more. Thinking of you. Val
Ondine Blue - I have just had my 4th chemo (docetaxol) and am starting to get all sort of weird SE’s. Yesterday I started to get pain under the rib on my operation side. At first it was just little spasms but now it is there all the time and I can’t take a deep breath at all. I did not want to phone up the unit about this as it is hard to describe so I have an appt with my GP this morning to get it checked out. I’ll let you know how I get on. I haven’t however, ever broken any ribs like you so this might be quite unrelated!
K M
Aww thanks ladies! I will admit to being quite scared at the moment but I think that’s partly because it’s dealing with the unknown and waiting for the results.
The pain is absolutely excruciating and the painkillers I have from my GP are no longer helping at all. So I’m hoping that even if it turns out not to be more cancer I will at least get something done to help the pain. I can no longer wear a bra as even a loose fitting one is too much pressure which means I’ve had to abandon my prosthesis and go back to wearing a softy again.
Val - my consultant won’t order a bone scan until he’s seen the results from the CT scan because it’s only a small hospital and they don’t have the right sort of scanner. I would need to travel 80 miles to Exeter for that so he tends to wait and see before he orders up tests that can’t be done at our local hospital. He ordered up blood tests for my kidney and liver function but he didn’t tell me why because he obviously thought about it after I’d left and then included the request form when he wrote to say that he was ordering the CT scan.
Kitten-mad (love that name!) Did you have an mx? I did and had quite a lot of pain in that area for several months after surgery but it did eventually go. Onc said it was most likely pain from the trauma to the site and damaged nerves. Hope you get it sorted soon! x
Another idea OndineBlue, why not cal the main hospital direct and speak to a Breast Care Nurse if you have one there, just to have a chat? I have had broken ribs and it can be very sore indead and they thing is there is no cure. They should heal themselves. But stronger painkillers could help and you could speak to the breast care nurse about that too. Just a suggestion. I know Exeter very well because I have lots of family living in that area and in Crediton! My dad is a devon lad…well he is 87 so not so much of a lad now! Would love to know whereabouts you live. I have been visiting Devon and Cornwall for years and years and years! Hope you get an answer soon. Much love and a gentle hug. Don’t want to ouch you! Val
Hi Ondineblue, I have been going through much the same as you , I would not say the pain is excruciating but I cannot wear a bra, I have had Bone and CT scans last week, they have come back clear. BUT my breast care team have said the Rads cause damage to ribs which never heals, if you have broken those ribs they may take much longer to heal.So hope you get some relief soon.
Jean
Hi everyone,
I decided to phone my BCN regarding the results and she said that although there is a nodule in my right lung that needs monitoring they don’t think that it’s more cancer. So very relieved about that! However they are undecided on what is actually causing the pain or why it is slowly but surely getting worse. A letter is being sent to my GP suggesting that he refer me for an orthopaedic consult. I do have quite extensive damage to my lung from rads which accounts for some of the pain but not the ribs themselves because it hurts just as much on the ones that weren’t broken or cracked as well.
Yesterday was truly horrendous on the pain front so I spoke to the duty doctor at my health practice and have been put on a cocktail of Naproxen, Codyramol & Codeine as an interim measure as I am going away for a few days. I have an appointment with my regular GP when I come back. No improvement on the pain yet but was advised it could take a couple of days before I start to see the benefits.
Whilst I am of course hugely relieved that it’s not more cancer (I am at high risk for it to return) what I really need is for someone to work out what’s wrong and sort out effective long term treatment for it. BCN did say that I may never recover properly from rads - apart from the issue with the broken ribs, I did have a high dose which would obviously make a difference too.
Thank you all for your advice and support. I’ll report back when I’ve seen my GP and heard his opinion on the whole thing.
Cancer - never gives you a day off does it?
Kitten-Mad - how did your appointment go?
Val - I live in North Devon, just a few minutes from Westward Ho! and Appledore. We aren’t from here originally having moved from Berkshire 11 years ago but we love the slower pace of life and the beautiful scenery. Plus I have to say that I have nothing but praise for North Devon District Hospital. Not just the consultants but all the medical staff. During chemo I spent more time in hospital than at home including a long spell in icu and I couldn’t have wished for better treatment.
Maybe next time you are in the area we could meet up???
Ondine Blue - she said I have just pulled a muscle and it has nothing to do with the chemo or cancer. So hope she is right! Was at the hospital today for my rads consultation of which I am to have 5 weeks worth - I was quite shocked at this as I expected 3! Hope your pain eases up soon, mine was slightly better today and I could lie on my side to sleep last night.
K M