Hello everyone
It is just over a year since my dx. Had WLE + ANS - 5 out of 7 nodes involved. Had chemo + rads, finished end Nov 08, now just on Tamoxifen. Have had a pain in my hip for ages. Had an xray in January which showed a ‘lucent area’ then I was sent for an isotope bone scan, which happily showed no ‘hot spots’ which the staff told me immediately.
I was then referred to an orthopaedic surgeon who gave me an anti-inflammatory and steroid injection deep into the joint, which hurt! It has not cured the problem.
Today I have been for an MRI to both hips. Afterwards the staff retreated to their room and did not say anything, just told me to get dressed then I could go, which has made me worried as whenever they don’t tell me straight away it has been bad news.
With a clear bone scan only recently for the same problem, does anyone know whether I am looking at bone mets?
Kinden
xx
Hi
I’m not going to be much help to you as my bone mets were discovered by X-ray and confirmed by MRI - I didm’t have a bone scan until a month later, so I can’t say if a bone scan would not show something that would be visible on a MRI. All I will say is that I have never been told any results immediately following any sort of scan (even my latest hip X-ray which showed nothing) so don’t necesarily think their silence means bad news.
I hope it’s good news and that you get the results quickly
Take care
Lesley xx
Hi Kinden
I had a pain in my hip this year for nearly three months this year and was convinced I had bone mets. Xray showed nothing, bone scan showed nothing apart from wear and tear on my knees… typically, the pain has now gone.
Fingers crossed for your MRI results. I’ve never had radiologists give me results verbally, so I wouldn’t read too much into that.
xxx
Hi Kinden,
I have been having a lot of scans this past year. I have had bone mets for 7 years now but have increased pain problems over past year which include pain in lower back/hip/thigh. Like Lesley says I too have never had a radiographer discuss what is seen on the MRI. They have to be read by the radiologist. The MRI scan will show more than the bone scan - it can look at soft tissue in the area as well, and can see if for example a nerve is being compressed. It is good that your hospital is being thorough in checking out this pain for you - hip pain can be referred from problems in the lower spine. Have you a date yet for when you will be told the results? Good luck
Dawn
xx
Lovely ladies
Thanks for your replies. I don’t know what I’d do without this site sometimes.
Don’t know when I’m getting the result, but am seeing surgeon who has taken over from the guy who did my op on Tues, so will ask her.
Have been to a Russell Watson concert this evening, he was fab, even better than I thought he’d be. He alluded to his past brain tumours and said how grateful he was to be able to perform again; I really empathised with a lot of what he said.
Hope all are ok tonight, and thanks again
Kinden
xx
Kinden I just wanted to wish you luck for your appt on Tuesday and hope the results are good.
Take care now,
P x
Thanks peacock. It’s astonishing how long a week can feel like when you’re waiting for results, eh? I’m taking the fact that I haven’t been called in earlier as a good sign, and doing lots to distract me from thinking about it.
Can’t believe my parents haven’t phoned to find out how I got on, they knew I was having an MRI on Tues and would usually have been on the phone straightaway. OH not much more interested. Don’t know what I’d do without this forum.
Thanks
Kinden
xx
Yes I’ve said before, people think you finish the chemo/op/rads and then thats it, no need to ask how we are or take into account that we have really had a bashing and need time to recover from it. Sometimes I think they bury their heads in the hope they don’t have to deal with it.
Hope that you get some rest and some support from your loved ones, I will be thinking of you on Tuesday.
Love P xx
Hooray I have not got bone mets. But I do have an ovarian cyst, which has shown up on the MRI scan. Will probably have to see gynae. Will soon know every Dr in the hospital!
Now the bad news. Surgeon + bcn looked shocked when I mentioned dizziness and heaedaches that I’ve been getting the last few weeks. The surgeon is new and asked me to confirm that it was a grade 3 tumour with lymph node involvement (5 out of 7). I just thought that it was something to do with the Tamoxifen, but now I am referred for an urgent brain CT scan. All this is feeding my paranoia big time. I know that they are doing the right thing in checking, but I would like a rest from hospitals! So, fingers crossed all over again.
Kinden
xx
Hi Kinden,
I am glad that you got some good news, but it is tough that the worry seems never ending. I had headaches and nausea for many weeks last year and when I told my oncologist they acted very fast and sent me that day for CT brain scan - but I hadnt realised it was a CT that is done with contrast dye - to which I am allergic. When I got to the CT scanning area I told them no contrast!!! so had to return first thing following morning for MRI brain scan. I was so relieved that I had a brain 
and it was functioning. You do wonder sometimes. I do hope your MRI is clear on this as well and the headaches down to something quite simple
Dawn
xx
great news Kinden that its not bone mets and at least you know for sure.
On the other hand, at least they are being careful regarding the brain scan, and fingers crossed for you its something simple.
I am off to have a bone scan myself on 19th, finally, after complaining about my painful shoulders for months.
Anyway, I won’t hog your thread, take care
P xx
Hi Dawn and P
Thanks for your support.
P - feel free to continue posting on here re your bone scan - maybe it will bring you the same great result that I had re bone mets. Whatever you do, let us know what’s happening
Kinden
x
Just had a phone call from my new consultant - gave me a heart attack! The mammo i had yesterday is normal, but she wants a CT of my chest and abdomen as well. At least they are being thorough, but do I now have to worry about mets elsewhere?
Scans all booked for 2.45pm next Tues 19th, so same day as your bone scan peacock.
Kinden
x
Hi Kinden
God what a shock you must have had for your consultant to be phoning you! At least they are being thorough and I hope your tests today went well and the news is good.
My bone scan was fine : the pain in my shoulders is down to “frozen shoulder”, they did do a full body scan and all my bones are ok, free from cancer.
Looks like I’ll be having treatment for my shoulder but it won’t be anything too bad at least.
I do hope your news is as good and I wish you well.
Love P xx
Hi peacock
Delighted to hear the news that your bone scan was clear. You must be elated! Can you have physio for your shoulder?
I had the brain chest and abdomen CT scans today but am not likely to find out the results until next week. Meanwhile, I continue with the headaches, dizziness and nausea. (And my hip still hurts, but my appointment with the orthapaedic surgeon is not until 11th June). A kind friend came with me today, but even she did not want to talk about why the CT scans are being done. At least she took my mind off things while we were waiting.
I’m trying not to think about it, and trying to reach out to people for support too, but no one seems to understand how scared I feel to possibly have brain mets, except those on this site who have the same fears.
Kinden
x
Hi Kinden
Sorry it’s taking so long for you to get your results, the difference in France is that you get them straight away thankfully, no waiting around.
I understand how you must be feeling, on top of having pain you also have horrible feelings, feeling sick is just not nice. Have they given you anything to relieve it? I have decided that its probably difficult for anyone who hasn’t had BC to understand how much it worries us, we have to live with these anxieties.
I think I will worry about every ache or twinge that I have, one of the reasons I’ve been put on anti depressants, its quite normal so I’ve been told.
We all have each other here to give support, offer kind words and understanding, and what is important is that we know what its like to go through this.
I hope your tests are clear and it turns out to be something simple, like vertigo, I wish I could offer more comfort and support.
Take it easy and let us know how you get on.
P xx
Hiya
Delighted to report that everything is clear for me too. BCN phoned today. Will have to go to GP to find out what is causing the symptoms, but elated it’s not mets. BCN said it might still be after effects of chemo (finished in Oct).
Thanks for your kind support. Hope you get some relief from your shoulder pain soon
Kinden
x
That is brilliant news Kinden, so pleased for you too.
I only finished taxotere in October as well so I think it is still early days for both of us.
With my shoulders its not just pain its also restrictive movement, like trying to scratch my back, do up a bra, rub dry after a shower etc. its so annoying.
Anyway, great news hope it makes you feel better in yourself and less anxious.
P xxx
Hi Peacock & Kinden,
I am really pleased for you both - when we know how bad things can be it is such a relief to know that at least it isn’t the dreadful news of it being 2ndaries.
Dawn
xxx
Thanks Dawn. Have spent the day erecting a big trampoline with a sort of tent thing over it for the kids, and now intend to have a glass of red, feeling soooo relieved.
Thanks peacock too
Kinden
xx