Trying to get past several bad months

swimmom3

I know as stage iv, we have to be prepared that anything goes, but I've had a really bad stretch of events/side effects and I hope you can help. On Christmas night, after feeling some pain in my right hip for about a week (X-Ray was negative for fracture) I suffered a sudden pathological fracture there. Nothing says Christmas like a ride in an ambulance screaming in pain. I spent a lost week in the hospital where I was so drugged up after surgery that I have very little memory of it, then another week learning to get mobile with a walker before being shipped off to rehab for almost another 2 weeks. I came home the end of January and began in home PT which was successful and today I get around my house without my cane and just use it when I go out.

In the midst of recovery, treatment with herceptin, perjeta, letrozole, lupron shots and zometa continued and I also did 10 rad sessions to my pelvis. Tomorrow I see my oncologist and I feel like human wreckage. Every bone in my body hurts, I have terrible hot flashes, insomnia, gastro issues, neuropathy in feet and hands, and bed hugging levels of fatigue. I'm guessing a lot of these symptoms are related to the letrozole, and they are getting worse over time (been on it for over 1.5 years). Scans in the hospital showed mostly stable disease so not sure if progression is rearing its ugly head. New symptom includes weak pincer grasp in right hand which scares me since it seems like a neurological symptom.

My question is do you ladies have advice on how to isolate what is causing the majority of these symptoms and what do you do to motivate yourself to push through when you feel so crappy. Prior to breaking my hip, treatment made me tired but it was more manageable. I feel like this event has worn me down and I hope I can bounce back.

Grateful for any advice you can give.

GoldenGirls

I'm sorry you've been having such a rough time.

My mother has just finally gotten past a bad stretch similar to yours. Scans showed stable but after more investigation they found a fracture in her sacrum. She had 10 rads to the area (sacrum and lower spine). Her new pain meds made her feel sick and barely touched the pain and she ended up taking her pain meds to close together because of the bad pain that she ended up ODing which causes dizziness, extreme fatigue, and vomiting. After rads she was too tired to do anything and just feeling terrible and this was even before starting her new chemo. Turns out the rads to the pelvis very commonly cause anemia so on top of everything else her counts dropped considerably which explained the extreme fatigue. Slowly but surely she's gotten back to feeling better again.

Have they checked your blood recently? Anemia can cause extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, GI issues, heart palpitations...all kinds of symptoms.

Hope your onc is able to get to the bottom of it for you.

AmyQ

Oh my gosh swimmom, you've got a lot going on. I think you are the perfect candidate for a Palliative Care consultation with a palliative doc. He/she will be able to sort through each and every problem and come up with some sort of plan to help you recover from this awful road you've been on. Your Onc can get you a referral. It's a growing specialty so unless you're in a very small community with limited medical professionals, there should be someone nearby who can help. Good luck to you. I got anxious just reading what you've been through. I think I'll take an Ativan.

Hugs -

Amy

artistatheart

swimmom, with all the SE's it's not a wonder you can't sleep! I think Amy has the best suggestion which is a palliative specialist. Also I hope your Onc can offer some solutions so you can start feeling much better soon!