Does this sound like mets? :smileysad:
I’m so so worried. I was diagnosed with a massive grade 3 tumour in Feb 2014 and had neo-adjuvant chemo, which shrank my tumour to nothing, then surgery. My surgeon and oncologist told me I had clear margins and was NED. I had my annual oncology check up early November and an ultra sound and mastecomy were all clear.
However since the end of November I’ve had some back pain which isn’t agony, but a constant ache. I also feel a pressure in the middle of my back when I sit on the sofa or in the car or in my chair at work. Just a pressure - not painful but I’m aware of my back touching something. My coccyx also aches.
Today I’ve just looked in the mirror and the area that aches has a patch of different (paler) skin.
I feel deep down - have done since the pain began - that this is it. But everyone said “oh it’s probably muscular” and also I so so don’t want to ruin Christmas for my husband and my 16 year old daughter. They’ve been through so much and things have been especially rocky with my daughter, who has some signs of depression.
Has anyone else had anything like this? I’m on Tamoxifen so I thought this stopped mets.
Well you Def need to have a scan to check out. Ring your hospital point of contact to be seen this side if xmas and have the tests. Have a good Christmas as norm and go back for the results. If it is the sooner you get sorted the better. Sometimes it takes a while to pull the results together as does not always show up easily, have to wait to be reported etc.
I am talking from a personal point of view but have a professional background. Unfortunately we get cancer too! Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Hi LM
I have a tumour in my sacrum also a slipped disc I have had this for 2 years although I have not had any pain from them I know others have. I would say please ask your Dr to get it checked. But don’t worry yourself it can be treated. Why let it spoil your Christmas and try not to assume the worse.
Best Wishes xxx
You need an mri scan. Don’t let your GP fob you off (mine did). There could be plenty of other things which could be causing the symptoms, but if it is as you fear, sbc, I can tell you I have 3 tumours on my spine, one was treated with radiotherapy and I have no pain from them now at all. However you need that scan ASAP because there is a small possibility of spinal cord compression which needs to be treated as an emergency (this happened to me).
Tamoxifen is given to help prevent you getting sbc, but unfortunately there is no guarantee, (I was on it myself for 4 years after primary, but I got sbc in my spine and other bones). If it has stopped working you will be given something else instead. there are lots of treatments for sbc, albeit no cure yet.
Best of luck. I hope yours turns out not to be sbc xxx
Thank you all for your replies - and sorry not to have posted before but I chemo-brained my password and got locked out of the forum!
I rang my breast nurse who asked about the pain and then said it is more likely to be arthritic. Then I saw my GP yesterday and she examined my spine and seemed really sure it isn’t anything to worry about (although she could see the different pigmentation patch).
So now I’m in limbo land. I have been given exercises to do by my GP and my breast nurse has said I can bleep her if the pain becomes constant or I get involvement in my legs.
I feel like this is now a waiting game - but what can I do. I feel as if the medical profession thinks I’m a complete hypochondriac!
On the plus side the pain has not been so bad yesterday and the day before.
As Sally says try to push the doctors for a MRI scan you don’t feel lumps in the spine. Best wishes xxx