Hi, My name is Heather, I am 47 years old and was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma in my left breast on 29th June 2012. Since before my lumpectomy I have had an aching in my right shoulder and pain in my back. I have visited the GP before my op and she thought i had pulled something when helping my husband - he is in a wheelchair. I mentioned it to the surgeon, ONC and radiologists when I had my rads (finished 30 sessions on 27th September). All they tell me is to take painkillers. I had a chest and abdomen CT in July and the ONC said that I had a few nodules on one of my lungs but that they could just be normal for me. He has booked me in for another CT of my chest on 1st November and I see him on 29th November. My GP has also booked me in for a scan on my right shoulder - she is querying arthritis.
My pain/continuous aching has now gone to my hips. When I went to the local shop yesterday (10 minute walk) I had to sit down in one of the shops as my legs were too painful to carry on walking. When I stand washing the pots, after about 5 minutes I really have to force myself to carry on as my legs feel really heavy and painful.
Has anyone had anything similar? It is really starting to worry me now as I have started to have dizzy spells as well - even if I am just sitting on the sofa watching the telly. I sometimes have to sit with my head resting on the back of the sofa as my neck feels as if it is stiffening up.
I am probably just being paranoid but it is really starting to get me down and I would appreciate any advice/words of wisdom from someone. Also, if anyone has adenoid cystic carcinoma I would love to hear from them.
Take care everyone x
Dear Heather
I am so sorry to read that you are in such pain and in the waiting room again waiting for these scans.
You could give our helpline a call just to talk over your concerns. They will be able to offer you information and support. They are open from 9-5 0n weekdays and 10-2 on Saturdays. The number is 0808 800 6000
Take care
Very best wishes
Janet
BCC Moderator
Bumping, in the hope of someone being able to help me. I will phone the helpline tomorrow to see what advice the nurses can give me. Am I supposed to go to my GP or am I supposed to contact my ONC? I have just had to go to the shop again (only time I have been out today) and am in agony in lower right back and right hip and top of leg. I don’t want to keep taking codeine as I have just been diagnosed with IBS and the codeine doesn’t help that - can’t win really!
Help!!!
Take care, from Heather x
Hello Heather
I too am in the waiting room for aches and pains. I am 47, had a mx for lobular cancer last October and then had 6xchemo and 25xrads.
Since the middle of August (possibly when I moved the sofa’s hunting for a child’s toy), I have had lower back-ache, that ebbs and flows, but I can feel it every day. I have had an x-ray that showed something was up and am back for a bone scan next Monday.
I would say that the heavy legs and general aches are possibly your body still recovering from the radiotherapy. The side-effects and tiredness can take a while to wear off and it is only 3 weeks into your recovery. I finished rads in May and still find a brisk walk or climbing too many stairs more of an effort than I used to. I feel that all this treatment has tipped my body into middle-age.
I hope the ct scan on your shoulder and back goes well.
Sue
Thanks Sue for replying to me. I never thought about rads still affecting me. I have decided to take things a bit easy for now and just take my codeine when I know I am going out. Hopefully I will get some answers from my x-ray and ONC.
Hope your scan goes ok.
Heather x
I am wondering if anyone can give me any advice tonight? My hips are now very painful and I am having difficulty walking. I will phone the helpline in the morning (if I can remember cos my memory doesn’t seem to be working either!) but just wondered if there is anyone out there who has experienced anything similar and who can advise me? Please. Thanks, Heather x
Heather, I tend to find that since my treatment 4 years ago, I do get aches and pains in hips, back and shoulders. I have talked to GP and surgeon, no one seems to be very concerned. They aren’t constant pain and that seems to be the telling factor. And I do find that they do get better, but very very slowly. The only painkiller that works is paramol, but I do also have daily amytriptyline prescribed by GP, which is used for nerve pain. I would go to your onc. Contact his secretary or go through your bcn. Ask for a scan. It will put your mind at rest. if all is ok they can then try to get your pain meds right. Hope you feel better soon lots of love xx
Hi Heather
When I discussed aches and pains with my onc, he reassured me immediately by saying he is not worried by pains that come and go. Hope this reassures you too.
Big hugs
Stella
Hi Heather,
Have had very bad pain in hips, ankles and groin, same as you difficulty in walking etc. Had a bone scan, xrays and MRI scan all clear of anything bc related and showing arthritis, whew!! Just waiting to find out which kind of arithritis I have. I would do as Moser says and get in contact with BCN really quickly, like tomorrow and get the ball rolling!
Hopefully it will be nothing but your mind will be at rest, wishing you the very best xx
Heather,
If the CT scan did not pick anything up, it is likely something else. I had hip pain for a while, CT and MRI werw clear. I went to see a sports physio who sorted me out. Unfortunately one of the side effects of cancer is that we become hypocondriac. So hopefully this is nothing to worry about, but try to get it sorted. Take care
hi Heather I have exstensive bone mets but most of the pain I am suffering is arthritis.I have bone mets in my left hip but all the pain is in my right hip.I have a really painful shoulder but that has been dx as frozen shoulder and the pain in my fingers is also arthritis.I have had scans-bone,ct,mri and they all indicate arthritis.the trouble is as the others have said when we have bc we always think that any pain means something sinister,I have to stop and remind myself I would have aches and pains without bc.If you had rads recently that could account for some of the aching.I take glucoscamine and omega 3 daily as recommended by my onc.I am also going for a course of acupunture as I find this also helps,as does aloe vera muscle gel-anything to reduce the painkillers. Hope things improve for you soon,but do try to keep walking as much as you are able and moving about as this really does help with joint pain.
L xx
Hi ladies, thank you for your comments. I think I need to calm down a bit and stop the panic with every ache and pain. I have to go back to see GP this week for results of x-ray so hopefully she will have some good news for me. Its probably just old age setting in!
Take care everybody. x
Heather, I went into panic mode too!!! Hope you have very good results, fingers crossed xx