Hello, I am writing this question on behalf of my friend Lil, I have asked advice for her from you before, but she is staying with me for a couple of days which is lovely, but she would like to ask this:
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my right breast eleven years ago, it was grade 3 HER2POSITIVE. I had a lumpotimy lympth nodes removed and tested and ended up having cemo radio therapy and tamoxfin for five years. After a chest infection last Autumn the doctor sent me for a chest xray because of low blood pressure. The scan came back cloudy so they started giving me CT scans. Beginning of Dec 09 they sent me for a bone scan and on the 21st Dec the chest specialist told me I had bone cancer in my ribs, pelvis and spine, and that I did not have that long to live. I was in shock obviously, and because I had not had cancer for 11 years they had to start eliminating my various organs. During the holiday period I started noticing twinches in my bones which had probably been there a long time. In Jan I saw the organ oncologist to start giving me scans and biopsys on my various organs. In the meantime i was feeling light headed and after walking some distance I feel faint. Eventually on April 1st my oncologist for breast cancer told me that is where the source of my bone cancer is from, so treatment started with arimadex and zometec. I am able to work a few hours a week. I have little bone pain but do feel very strange and light headed after doing too much. PS I also have small livermets.
Does anyone else get these strange lightheaded spells or know why and what causes these? [Report this comment | Edit comment]
Hi BessieBoo
I’m sorry to hear that your friend Lil has had a dx of bone & liver mets – it’s such a shock to learn that BC has not only come back after such a long time, but is also not curable now, and that the likely treatments will have such a broad impact on her life. I have been living with bone & liver mets for almost seven years now, and have been very lucky that my treatments have worked well – I was also told I might not have long to live, but please reassure Lil that our doctors – and a chest specialist isn’t a cancer specialist – really don’t know how long we’ll live after our mets dx. So much depends on our response to treatments, and there are a lot of these for our oncs to offer us. As for the feelings of light-headedness, there could be many reasons for this, including but not exclusively any side effects of her treatments. She does mention low blood pressure, and I wonder if she’s receiving any treatment for this? If so, it might be time for a review of her meds.
Please wish Lil the best of luck, and let her know that she will get a lot of support on these forums – secondary BC Is such an isolating experience, but we’re here for each other, and she will have a very warm welcome if she joins us.
Regards, Marilyn x
Thankyou Marilyn for your reply, it was reasurring, I havnt got access to the internet when I go home so I will get Shirley to ask any questions for me as and when if thats OK. Do you get easily tired and find that you cant walk and do the things you used to do? I will get my blood pressure checked, I go for my blood tests on Weds so will ask them to do it.
Lil
Hi,
I’m sorry your friend Lil has had to join us, but I welcome her to the forums.
Lil,of course it’s ok to get Bessieboo to ask questions/keep you in touch, we are a supportive bunch and hope we will be able to answer questinss or just be there for you.
I think it’s a good idea to get your blood pressure checked, have you a Macmillan nurse? You could also mention these spells to her.
I was dx with bone mets March this year and yes,I find I do get easily tired, I also find I get achy and uncomfortable if I walk or stand for too long and it is harder to do things I used to. I think it’s partly the desease and partly the meds like painkillers and probably a little bit psychological too.
It does take a while to start getting your head round things but you do start adapting to the new “normal”. As Marif said no-one can predict our future but there are lots of treatments out there which hopefully can keep us relatively stable for hopefully a good while.
I wish you luck with your treatment -n do keep in touch.
Best wishes Julie
Found this on the internet:-
Symptoms of low blood pressure - Symptoms of hypo-tension may include:
Tiredness
General weakness
Light-headedness and fainting
Blurred vision
Dizziness
Palpitations
Confusion
Nausea
Temporary loss of consciousness