Hi all
About a month ago I developed a really bad tight pain going down the inside of my arm down to the wrist. After about a week the pain subsided a lot and now I just have it in “pockets”, somedays just the upper arm, some days inside my elbow and often just the inner wrist area. I cannot see any swelling although I do get the faint imprint of my clothes there. I also cant see any cording? My onc just told me to keep an eye on it - whatever that means - and my GP probably wont have come across it so dont know if its worth asking. I keep thinking it has gone better than back it comes. Anyone else had this sort of pain?
Thanks, Laine
Hi Laine
You don’t say if you have had a mastectomy/lymph removal etc. recently. If you have, I would say its probably connected to that somehow.
Certainly don’t leave it - can you perhaps speak to your Breast Care Nurse ? If not, make an appointment with your Oncologist. I’m sure its nothing to worry about, but you need to put your mind at rest.
Let us know how you get on
Love Julie xx
Thanks Julie
To be honest, at the risk of sounding like a drama queen I dont think I can carry on much longer with all this. Even if my current problem is explained away, next week it will be something else.
Oh I dont think about it all the time - after all its 18 mths post dx and I do laugh with friends, watch tv, enjoy work mostly, get caught up in a good book. Then it all comes over me in a big wave and I cannot believe this has happened.
I read a post here a few months ago when someone described themself as a “dead man walking” and thats how I feel. I am so expecting it to come back that it some ways it will be a relief when it does, if that makes any sense. I also dont know how to cope with the ongoing appts, mammos etc as I get so frightened beforehand I wonder if its worth going…
Put it behind you, evreyone tells me, put it away in its box, but I cannot, when every pain - real or imagined, brings it back ten-fold. Keep off those forums they say, but I am on here several times a day, every day. I have seen so many people come and go who are trying to move on but I cannot.
I have tried counselling but no counsellor is going to tell me I’ll be ok, no-one can and if anyone mentions that damn bus to me once more I’ll scream!
Like nearly everyone else I was so well before dx but since then always feel not quite right. Is it normal, is it tamox, is it my age or has IT come back? Obviously the latter. To be fair I was a bit of a hypochondriac before (family trait) but now I have something to hang it all on. The pain in my knee could be arthritis etc and I have made appt to see GP but if I get sent for an x-ray I will be in despair again - two years ago I would have accepted it quite happily.
Everyone thimks I am a strong person but inside I am a scaredy cat. I know I am getting on peoples nerves( probably yours as well, sorry!) as they try to change the subject when I start to talk about whats the matter with me on that particular day…
Anyway. Sunday is probably my worst day for brooding, may feel better tomorrow, at least work will take my mind off it. So sorry for moaning - i know loads of you feel the same and I wish there was an answer.
Keep well - Laine
dear laine
understand exactly what you mean. i had the chemo, mastectomy and recon. now on tamoxifen and herceptin every 3 weeks.
every one says the same that now the cancer has been removed that i need to get on with my life! my tumour was large and of high grade and aggressive, so that scares me. had my ovaries taken out four weeks ago, to reduce the oestrogen being produced so now got the menopuase at 37!
It is like a never ending roller-coaster. done cleaning, ironing and washed kitchen floor and now knackered, was taking antidepressants before dx and now have them increased but still wake up in the morning worrying about how i am going to get through what the day throws at me.
you are not on your own…it is hard to get over what has happened and those people who say you could run over by a bus tomorrow don’t really help.
granted none of us know how long we are in this world…but the treatment, recovery from ops leave us breast cancer sufferers struggling to be positive. I have one breast ,form that is 3 inches in circumference bigger than its ‘real’ boob. And sometimes i really hate the state of my body, only someone with the same thing could possibly understand this.
anyway enough ranting for one day.
bye for now
becks.
Dear Laine
Most people on this website will understand what you are feeling and sympathise with you and some will probably feel the same. Anybody who has NOT been through this cannot understand (and cannot really be expected to understand) what we’ve been through and the fact that there is this constant weight hanging over our shoulders. I’ve tried to explain it to a few people so that they can try and understand but I don’t always expect them to understand really and some really try. What I say to them is “what’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you”? Some people luckily haven’t ever had anything horrible happen to them but others have. One told me that his best friend and father died within the space of a year so I said to him well when you had that awful feeling - that’s what I have a lot of the time and especially in the early days and it doesn’t go away - it’s a constant weight. I’ve also been involved in trying to raise money for various cancer charities which makes me feel I’m doing something positive.
My diagnosis was June 2007 and I’ve just finished the main part of my treatment - still have herceptin until autumn. My body does feel different. I feel stiff and sore a lot of the time and my body aches but I don’t think any of these are the cancer coming back, just my body’s reaction to all that it’s been through. I think if something was bothering me constantly in terms of aches/pains I may do something about it but I really believe that my body is now just recovering from trauma and yours probably is too. I’m not on hormonal drugs but from what I can see a lot of women suffer with various aches and pains as a result of taking these.
One of the things I did during treatment and still do is try to take my mind off this illness as much as possible by keeping myself busy. I haven’t been working and so have kept busy seeing friends with kids, going to the gym, going for walks, dance class etc and I do find that by keeping busy it really helps. I will be going back to work soon and feel the time has come to do so as I’m getting really bored now.
Sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time dealing with this but maybe a few of the things I’ve said about my experience will help you.
Ruby xx
Hi Laine
I’m sorry you are having a difficult time at the moment, there are a couple of Breast Cancer Care’s support services that might be of interest to you. The first is Breast Cancer Care’s telephone support group. It’s a chance to get together once a week to talk with people who’ve been there. Linked together by phone in comfortable surroundings, you can express your feelings and discuss the practical and emotional impact of living with breast cancer. The groups will be particularly useful for you if you feel isolated. The groups are completely free (we pay for the phone calls) and as long as you have access to a phone and have a quiet private place from which to call, you can join us from anywhere in the UK.
There is also Breast Cancer Care’s peer support service. The telephone service aims to quickly put you in touch with one of our trained peer supporters, who has had a personal experience of breast cancer. Our peer supporters are from diverse backgrounds and ages and have experienced different types of breast cancer and treatments. They are ready to listen, offer skilled emotional support and share their experiences and understanding. For more information about both these and our other support services available to you please telephone our helpline on 0808 800 6000 or email: <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%69%6e%66%6f%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%22%3e%69%6e%66%6f%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>. You are welcome to call the helpline for further information and support regarding the specific concerns that you have at the moment.
Best wishes
Katie
Thank you so much Becks and Ruby - you are both so right. I honestly think Sunday is my worst day and I think I am suffering from depression a bit which brings about a viscious circle - feel cant be bothered to do anything=leads me to sit and brood=makes me think the worst=depression etc etc.
This has got to be dealt with I know and I do know that I have a lot to be thankful for, not least the fact that I am alive today!
Katie - I will contact the support groups -thank you.
Much love to all
Laine
Hi Laine
I know what you mean. It’s one bloomin thing after another isn’t You just get one thing finished and it is something else to deal with.
Well it seems we are all in the same boat doesn’t it. At least we are not on the same bus!!!
Positive thoughts to you
Kx
Hello Laine
I finished my treatment in October 07, at this point I gave up the Hormone treatment because of hideuos side effects, so now am “on my own”, so to speak.
I am just waiting for my nipple recon in April. The thing I find is that I seem to get angry for no reason, like yesterday, I seemed to feel like this all afternoon, specially when I am still having hot flushes brought on by the treatment, although they are better than they were, they are still there! So when people ask me how I am, I find myself saying fine thanks, but inside I am not, body not the same, sex life not the same, peace of mind gone.
Other times I can feel ok for ages then it comes back.
Oh well, suppose that is how it will be from now, just hope it gets better in time.
Love and hugs, Deborah xxx
Hi Topper - that did make me laugh about the same bus! Feel a bit more chipper today tho it wont last! (tho would that be any different without dx? h’m.) And Deborah I so hope it gets better but dont know how it can - its not as tho anyone can say, right its been 2 years now, if it was going to come back it would have done by now. This worry must last forever. Still I’d rather be here worrying for a good many years to come than not be here at all…
Hope everyone has had a good day
Lots of love Laine