my Foot hurts

tudana

Hi all,

46 yr old here, I was diagnoses back in June with a .7 cm lump, found on a routine mammogram. Had a lumpectomy July 28 2009. Radiation started in Sept before Chemo, reason due to the Dr. Office not sending in proper insurance request info for a BRCA test my Oncologist requested. So since he didn't want to wait any longer for the results of the BRCA test he ordered up the Radiation to be done first. My Chemo started Nov 3, every 3 weeks for 4 cycles. So my last Chemo was Jan 21, 2010.

I was put on Tamoxefin, which I started Feb 12, will be on it for 5 yrs.

Now, to my issue, MY FEET HURT! Mainly, my right heel. I can barely walk at times. I do not know if this is an extreme case of joint pain associated with chemo and my body is just healing and this will soon go away or if something else really wrong. I want to get back to my work out regiment but with my foot hurting and my joints aching I can't see me doing it just yet and I NEED to! I need to feel some normality back in my life, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!

Also my left breast that had the Lumpectomy done seems hard (swollen possibly) and feels very sore to the touch here recently.

How long after last chemo treatment does it take to start feeling better? I'm on day 32 now and I'm still bald, my body and joints ache and my foot hurts. Did I mention shaking hands with someone is very painful as well?

Thanks for listening / reading sorry if I am complaining to much, I know things could be a lot worse for me.

Chris

Suzanne3131

Hi Chris ~ I don't think you are complaining too much!  Pain hurts!!  And I am sorry you are in pain.  Did all this pain just start? Could be the tamox?  I have read many complaints about bone/joint/body aches with tamox.  Either way, let your onc know about your pain and about your tender left breast.  It sounds like you are very anxious to get back to your fitness plan, but try to be kind with yourself...you have been through an awful lot.  Best wishes that you will feel better soon. 

ruthbru

 The heel problem sounds like what I had; plantar fascitis (totally unrelated to any cancer 'stuff'). Get some new good, well supported shoes, and some heel inserts for your shoes. ( I just bought some off the shelf at Walmart). Ice helps, stretching, and a friend who is a PA told me to never go barefoot; so I started wearing some good walking sandals around the house, starting right when I get out of bed (which I think helped the most). The chemo after effects take awhile, but I would say to get some excercise; especially when you don't feel like it, it really does help. Good Luck! Ruth

scrappy_survivor

I got a heel bone spur from my chemo. What you are describing sounds EXACTLY like how my heel feels. I have been through physio had heel inserts custom made am now going for cortizone & am waiting to see a ortho for surgical removal. GOOD LUCK!!! Hope it feels better soon!

tudana

Thanks for the replies,

I see my doc again on March 11, I`ll try some shoe inserts until then and a good pair of slip on shoes for the house (i do tend to go barefoot alot, I didnt realize). My plan is to get back to the Gym March 1st.

I also found i go Braless alot around the house to, I hate the feel of restriction around me normally. Most days I shed the Bra as I walk in the house from work. So all weekend, unless I go somewhere I let the girls loose. (I`m not that big so its normally comfortable) But with my sore boob now, I found last night it feels alot better and less noticable if i keep my bra on...sigh...even in bed. So hopefully wearing my bra will give more support and help the boob ache go away..I`ll let my Doc know of this too on my appt.

Come March At Deb's gym (the gym i go to in Lakeland Fla.) I will try to start slow, riding a bike or tread mill, also there are Zumba classes, these can be done at my pace. Slowly getting back to weight training after my Cardio is strong again. Going slow will be my biggest fight..heh... the gym is a very fun and friendly place, most there know of my condition and have been very supportive. We have many PTs there, I'm not sure of their costs, I normally know what to do in a gym, so never inquired about PT, but this is something I may need help with...keeping things slow at first for my come back, rehab if you will, will be hard for me...I want my old self back now!

leaf

I've never had chemo (I'm on tamoxifen though), but I've had several foot pain issues throughout the last 2 decades (long before tamoxifen).  Ah, the joy of having a foot pain attack in the middle of a supermarket where I was lucky enough to be able to wheel myself out to the car on my supermarket cart.  My diagnosis was plantar fasciitis.  Got custom orthotics.  I'd spend *{11 months working up to being able to walk 3 miles a day, then go hiking (max distance 3 miles), then drop back to only being able to walk a block. } Rinse, repeat from * 8 times (i.e. 8 years.)

Then found crack in custom orthotics and found a piece of stripling tape  and stretching made the difference between walking 1 mile with pain vs the next night able to walk 4 miles with minimal pain.  One book said, as long as you don't have broken bones,  for acute muscle injury,  get into the position where you have the most pain and stretch it.  I stretched every other house the first few times.  I looked like a nut (I did it in the middle of the night), but it worked for me, along with new orthotics. Eventually got to walk/jogging 4 miles/day.  Don't put off getting proper treatment and getting physical therapy or physical exercise.  Its much easier to get rid of acute problems than have it go on to become chronic.

Fast forward to a few years ago (about 8 years hence).  I was sent back to my same podiatrist for new orthotics for pain in back of ankle.  Podiatrist gave new orthotics, no pain improvement.  Fuzzed around for a year. 'Put more padding here, etc'.  Got new podiatrist.  Got good orthotics the FIRST time.  Able to walk 1.5 miles for the first time in a year 1 week after new orthotics.  8 months of physical therapy - I had posterior tibialis tendonitis (or something like that.)  The physical therapist said I really had tendonosis (tendon degeneration - its permanent to some degree) because the tendonitis had gone on too long (a year) and become degeneration.

Moral of the story:  You may want to consider going to a podiatrist.  If it doesn't improve in a few weeks, then have a low tolerance for asking for physical therapy.  If its not getting better, see about getting different orthotics. *Go to other docs if the first doc's suggestions aren't working.* As my PT said, making orthotics is an art, not a science.

For me, stretching made the difference between sitting on the curb because I can't walk, and being able to walk home. Much faster relief (though not complete) than pain meds.  My favorite exercise: find curb where you can hang onto a pole, or a step where you can hang on to the railings.  Put instep (mid-foot) on edge of step/curb.  Make sure you hold on to the pole or railing so you don't lose your balance!  Try to stretch your Achilles' tendon by pushing your heel towards the ground, and hold.  

jazzie1

Hi Tudana,

I was diagnosed on 2nd March, 2010-had mastectomy of left breast, and am now up to day 20 of taking tamoxifin.(no chemo)  I have never had any foot problems but am now experiencing soreness of the inner left heel. No other real side effects so far. Good Luck...

JenJo

I just had my exchange surgery and got heel pain. I think it was aggravated by being home for a few days and not wearing any shoes.  Arches dropped.  Also getting foot cramps at night.