The reason why I asked about the ‘toilet’ without saying anything much to you at the time was that it one of the symptoms of spinal cord compression (inability to wee) but I’m sure your oncologist would have checked that out.
I agree with you, the MRI machine isn’t the best of scans! I always close my eyes as well. They put a pillow under my legs this time which made it a lot more bearable as I find if I’m lying flat my back goes into spasms.
I remember being on Tramadol and it spaced me out completely!! Am now just on cuprofen with a cover for my stomach but I know what you mean about not being able to sleep that easy.
Bit of a bummer isn’t it going all that time in remission (I was 10 years) and I think you start to feel that maybe, just maybe, you’ve cracked it but it obviously wasn’t the case for us.
The Arimidex stopped working for me and then I had Exemestane which also stopped working but have been fairly symptom free since September 2006 (was diagnosed with mets in 2004) and really don’t want to go back to not being able to walk properly again (I’m noticing that I can’t stand for as long as I have been).
Good luck tomorrow - let me know how you get on as well.
Scan results showed that cancer is active again in the pelvis and now in spine. Onc is concerned about the state of the pelvis because it was badly damaged when mets first dx.
Arimidex has stopped working and so he is trying to get me onto a trial where 2 out of 3 take Faslodex and the other one takes Exemestane. Notice that didn’t work for you.What do you take now ? He is going to speak to an orthopaedic surgeon to see if anything can be done about the pelvis.
Will be starting 10 sessions of rads soon so fingers crossed the damn thing can be blasted away again for another 18 months
Snap! Saw my oncologist today (which wasn’t scheduled but she’s got my MRI results through) which show that my spine is active again (has been pretty good for the last year or so) but it’s my lower spine this time T4-7 and my neck so am having radiotherapy next week starting on Tuesday for 5 days.
I’ve got to stop chemo whilst on it and for 10 days following that.
I don’t take anything now - not sure whether that’s because there isn’t anything else I can take?! The Exemestane worked for about a year but we’re all different so hopefully you’ll get a good result from it.
Good luck with your rads - I’m still determined to go to the Ritz!
Sorry to hear your spine is playing up again. Bit confused about the sentence re stopping chemo whilst you have rads but you don’t take anything now. Which chemo do you take and have you had any side effects because my onc has spoken for the first time about chemo for me as an option.
On the subject of there not being anything else available for you to take has your onc exhausted all the hormonals? just thinking about the Faslodex.
Don’t think I will be going to the Ritz although it sounds great. I can get lost in Stoke if I take a wrong turning so I can imagine what would happen if I ventured to the great metropolis alone lol
The reason I was given for stopping my chemo (capecitabine) is that she thinks it’ll be too much for my body to cope with as she’s prescribed dexemesthatone (sp!) as well to protect ‘things’ in my nether regions!
I’ve have very little side effects with it (also known as Xeloda) but I’m on a lowish dose because of my liver involvement and the state of my liver.
Interesting you saying about Faslodex as it hasn’t been mentioned. I wonder, because I’m on chemo, that’s why it hasn’t because I was under the impression that while you’re on chemo you can’t be on any hormonal things?
Sorry you won’t be at the Ritz - I can totally relate to your sense of direction though because if I turn out of a shop on the left hand side that’s the way I’m headed!
Carol and Barbara…following your posts with interest…I’m sorry to hear your news…wonder if I might be in the same boat? Still have quite a painful leg, will get tumour markers taken in a few days.
Love to you both…Belinda…xx
Faslodex is given by intramuscular injection once a month but is only suitable for postmenopausal women. Don’t know whether you can have chemo and Faslodex together but onc said that some women were taking a combination of Arimidex and Faslodex. Might be worth mentioning to your onc Carol to see why it has not been recommended
Tumour markers don’t work for me Belinda and I wanted to laugh yesterday when the onc looked at the blood test results and said that they were ok except the Alk Phos level had risen to 110 which is still acceptable. I would push for an MRI scan Belinda as that will show clearly what is causing your leg pain.
Feel cowardly about the chemo route and I am full of admiration for the girls who post and say how ill they are on them but they keep going, sometimes trying to bring up children at the same time. So I really am hoping that he has got enough hormonals in his bag of tricks to keep me going.
I’m now postmenopausal so will ask my oncologist when I next see her. The worst my Alk Phos has ever been (when first diagnosed with mets in 2004) was 495 and the best it’s been is 112 but has slowly crept up to 175 so I knew something was going on.
It turns out that I’ve got two discs out of place as well so no wonder I’ve not been walking brilliantly just lately!
The chemo I’m on Barbara has to be the best one I’ve ever been on - Xeloda but am on a low dose so don’t get a lot of problems some ladies on here to with their feet and hands.
Am cooking for 8 tonight (!) but my husband is brilliant so he’ll be probably doing most of us!
Thanks Belinda - have already cooked the meat in the slow cooker overnight.
My GP gave me a print out of my MRI scan - fascinating reading!!! Having read it through again there’s 3 discs out of place so no wonder I can feel something!
Roll on Tuesday when I can start to get back to ‘normal’ again. Had to cancel a meeting with a GP regarding an idea I have with secondaries which I didn’t really want to cancel but my oncologist basically said my bones were more important than the meeting! Ho hum…
Thanks for info on chemo will write down what your on for future ref. Sorry about the discs out of place hope that something can be done for you soon. Was too much of a coward to ask to see my MRI scan
We had a really nice evening. My husband is brilliant and did all the clearing up etc.
It’s strange really because I wasn’t offered the print out at the hospital although they told me more or less what it said. I went to see my GP later that day (haven’t seen him for 3.5 years and he wanted to see me!!) and he just printed it out and gave it to me. I must admit that I didn’t read it Friday night but plucked up the courage to read it on Saturday and it was really what I thought was going on inside of me! I don’t know whether I would actually want to see x-rays!
I just have a feeling that at the moment for a lot of ladies on here they seem to have things that they can still give us. I’m changing from Pamidronate to Zometa and have been told I shouldn’t really notice any difference although it is stronger.