6 wks PFC

Joyseeker

I’m 6wks PFC. Clean scans prior to chemo. Good blood work the first week of February. On Sunday I was bathing my puppy leaning over the edge of my tall tub. I felt some discomfort / pain in my ribs. On yoga Tuesday night during the twists I felt mild discomfort. I didn’t really feel anything prior to yoga. This discomfort has continued and my anxiety has grown. I can breathe deeply. Sleep. Do all my daily regular things but discomfort is there. I feel around and it’s not tender. Of course my head thinks fracture from mets. Is a rib fracture very painful. Is it possible this soon after the end of chemo? I want to think I’ve irritated cartilage or something. But of course I can’t. I hate this worrying. My anxiety is heightened with the recent addition of tamoxifen. Looking for guidance and support.

VL22

Hi Joyseeker - I’m so sorry you’re dealing with the this - if you’d had the pain prior to a cancer diagnosis you’d not give it a second thought- this is why I hate this disease so much.

I’ve had the same issue, but with my shoulder blade (cancer side) and then my left shoulder. The right shoulder blade pain lasted about 6 weeks and I was convinced it was bone mets. I actually had a meltdown on the RO’s office. Now I have a stiff and sore left shoulder going on 4 weeks. I’m calmer with this, but still worried.

My MO explained that the trauma our bodies go through is extensive and recovery takes time. Some people recover faster and we may have different lingering SEs. She said the chances of my pain, discomfort, etc being signs of bone Mets this early after treatment are very very low. More likely the after affects of chemo, forced menopause etc.

I hope thishelps a little - I know how it feels to be afraid.

Hugs.

Joyseeker

VL22 this helps!! Thank you. I am wondering how I will cope with these things post treatment. I need some sort of strategy. Sounds silly. But real. Yes. Post diagnosis would give my tub incident a second thought 😳.

KBeee

My strategy is to keep a section on my notes on my phone called “symptoms”.

When I get a symptom such as pain, i write a date and write the symptom. I then close it and consider it documented. In my mind, I think what I would have attributed it to if cancer was not in the picture. Thst’s What I “go with”.

If in 2 weeks, the symptom is still there, I report it. If it is not, I put an X next to it.

Seeing the Xs gives me the positive idea that the new symptom will resolve too.

If it does not resolve, I have documented exactly when it began.

Hoping your pain eases soon