Looking for Answers

Persistent sore throat for 6 months, breast bone soreness and pain, increasingly worse, occassional hip pain, headaches, dizziness…initial breast cancer 2013 lumpectomy with radiation.  I have been to so many doctors last few months chest xray…clear,  throat us showed a lesion, but throat ct scan showed nothing. Symptoms getting worse MRI of breast requested by surgeon. Recent diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis…I am getting frustrated I feel fatigued, weak, numb etc most of the time afraid my breast cancer had metastasized to the sternum and possible hip…anyone have this…if so can you share symptoms? Just wanting answers:( …thanks for your time

Hi, I’m so sorry you are in such distress. This is an excellent place to seek support, and I’m sure others with similar symptoms will join in shortly. Unfortunately my experience is that physical issues have a tremendous impact on our mental health, making it difficult to stay positive, but with the help of a psychologist I am able to work through issues. Positive mental health has improved the physical side. My lung mets were discovered two years ago, before my adjuvant therapy finished, so it was a great blow. The persistent joint pains I have are the side effects of the meds I am on, but with exercise and judicial use of pain killers I have a very full and active life. The Letrozole and Palbociclib I take are keeping my disease well under control, and there are so many treatments available these days that there are few secondaries that cannot be treated. Mets don’t grow as quickly, and I have had several breaks from treatment to allow my body to rest, and then continue treatment. I do suffer with a constant sore throat since my radiotherapy, and this is very common. I combat this with Manuka honey and staying well hydrated. I found it extremely useful to join in support groups and activities at my local Maggies centre. Is this something you could do? A sleep workshop and a mindfulness course have helped give me some balance. In my BC support group there are a couple of members who have secondaries in the sternum who are living with cancer, and working! One of them works for BA as cabin crew - how great is that? Both have had ops to remove the mets. The main message I hope you are hearing is that there are loads of us living with, not dying from, cancer. Until you have a definitive diagnosis try to stay positive. There are a couple of other threads on here dealing with bone mets. If you want to pop onto them I’m sure you would find some reassurance. Hope you get some help soon. Please keep in touch as to how you are doing. X