What is abnormal bone pain?

My bone mets presented with no pain whatsoever. From what I've read here, everyone is very different-some will have pain, others not. June is only a few weeks away, and if you're scheduled to see your onc then anyway, mention it at this appointment. In general the rule of thumb is have something investigated if it has been consistently problematic for several weeks-and as you've only had a few days of pain, you really should give it some time to see if it'll clear.Good luck.

Mary

 I am having rib pain also.... almost identical to what you described.    It is a little tender to the touch.  I don't feel like mine is deep and severe at all.   I am wroried because it is on the same side as my cancer and I had rib mets right from the start. I am getting a MRI this Friday...not just because of the pain but also I am getting genetic testing and the genetic counselor noted I had never had a breast MRI and suggested it be done.   My onc said she will look at the MRI and if we need to we will get a Pet.  I just had a clean pet in February and she thinks it is a little too soon for it to be cancer.   The other thing that occured to me is that it is spring and I live on a farm.  So I have been raking and shoveling and sweeping and lifting like a crazy woman.   My onc nurse said it is probably a muscle pull or strain.  I guess I have to remember my right side is not as strong as it used to be and I am right handed so I use this side more than the left.   So until they tell me otherwise, I am going with the muscle strain theory.

 I would tell your onc in June about your tenderness too.    It is really hard not to think the worse when you get an ache or pain.

Oh, also, when I had bone mets (rib and hips) and liver mets too... I felt NOTHING!!   In fact, I felt good actually.      Like Kim, I had horrible joint and bone pain with the chemo too.

Jennifer 

Recently I have been having some pain in my rib (it's just to the back side near my waist) it hurts in 2 areas, I also feel 2 hard spots, not really sure they are lumps.  I had a bone scan around 4 months ago (everything was clear), what could it be.  I didn't bump into anything, fall or bruise anything, but the area is very tender to touch, and it slightly hurts when I'm walking

Shelley

I was wondering which side are the rib pains?  My right side (where liver is) was bugging me but I didn't think anything about it.  Just regular body twinges and twitches.  My CTs/MRIs were fine and I was just coming off my year of herceptin and getting a slew of tests.  The PET lit up and mets to the liver was comfirmed with more tests. 

Mary, I don't want to scare you, but I felt I should share my experience.  I know the odds are in your favour that you are just fine, you had a good dx that doesn't threaten mets.  When you see your onc in June be sure to describe your rib pain, especially if it is in your right side.  It's better to emphasize any worries and get some tests to confirm it's nothing than to not say enough. 

Let us all hear you are fine when you see your onc in June. 

ELizabeth

Thanks Mary -- I'm doing fine -- just coming off chemo, watching my hair grow in (only 1/2 fell out).  Last month I found out the taxol etc blasted away 5 of the 7 liver tumors and the 1 on my spine, the remaining 2 were tiny so with the extra cycle of chemo I'm expecting some good news!  If the news isn't good, I carry on with my treatment.

BTW -- I still get tingly feelings on my radiated side (more than 2 years out from treatment), sometimes pains in my lumpectomy boob but it's always nothing.

I'm relieved your pain is on your left side, from the liver point of view.  And good that you're getting the X-ray -- I definitely have the feeling your pain is just one of those normal body pains that throws us for a loop when they happen.  I have this thread as a favourite so let us know how it goes Mary!

Elizabeth

My rib pain is on the right side, what were your symptoms, and does the bruising mean something?  My shoulder pain is on the left side, my lumpectomy was on the right side.  My rib pain is just a little off to the back side half way between my breast and waist my waist area.

Shelley

I have had some rib pain on the non-cancer side for the last month or so. It kind of moves around - I find it hard to tell whether it is muscular or bone. Sometimes it feels uncomfortable when I lay on it (eg while watching TV). It is not severe at all but a bit annoying.

Anyway, I can't blame it on radiation. I wonder if it could be the Femara?

Hi Mary,

Yes - I just thought that bone pain with aromatase inhibitors is perhaps more like in the hands and feet. But I don't know for sure. And why would it be only one side of the rib cage? It does not make sense. But then again, I have all kinds of aches and symptoms that I never had before I got sick. Anything from drippy nose to fatigue to stiffness in my feet. And I am tired of bringings things up to my Onc and worrying about it. But I will do so next time I go there. But you know, when I go there for my Herceptin treatments, I see all kinds of cancer patients clearly worse off than me (at the moment). I guess I don't want to be a patient anymore.

-Helena.

Hi Mary,

It will be an aromatase inhibitor (Femara) and also Zometa twice a year. I also found the tumor myself and I am pretty sure that I must have had some false-negative mammos. An aggressive thing that came out of nowhere, to me. I actually have a mix of ILC and IDC...In any case, I hope I killed it!! Yes, the Herceptin will be done and over with after the summer. I don't know if that is good or bad, I have mixed feelings about it, but it will be nice to resume a somewhat normal life. More or less.

Yeah Mary!!!!  I am so happy for you!!  Exhale and enjoy your summer!!

Jennifer

Mary

 I did get a MRI for my rib pain and it came back clean too.  So I guess the soreness and pains are a combination of being run through the mill surgical, chemically and by radiation.    And, of course, I only keep getting older too. 

As long as it isn't the cancer knocking my door, I can deal with pain.

Jennifer 

Hi Mlkelly58,

It's been long time since Ive written, "no computer", though what I hear from you, and read from others about (with any new aches/pains/etc), you automatically think more cancer..I know I do..in my case which was Nov 04, after telling my own doc about a marlble lump, and always had my mammos, a verylong story which I wont go into, as tons of you have heard it long ago, but those who havent i'll make it brief..I was told by my doc that it was "just" a fatty tumor, a reliefl? NOPE, as it didnt go away and the next year 05, same thing only larger lump, and I was only then an A cup..in 01 he sent ne to a surgeon, ugh, who automatically did a core biopsy in hosp, and NOW I look back at all Ive been thr, u I think to myself "If I knew then what I know now"????? things would be SO different, as a core bx, the surg has to be aimed so perfectly and on spot, if not, even a smiggen off, it wont show nothing, and thats how my story went, so I went from 99 when I told of my lump til 04 of Nov, and that same surg did a FNA, which with that the needle is longer and more flexible,where they can actually move it around, NOT JUST THE EXACT SPOT...well 2 days later surg called and told me i had cancer, well of course, as I knew in 99, just no one would listen, but he wanted me and my DH to come in next day "friday" to get a preop as I was going to have to have a masct on my R breast..lovely, during surg they had to remove most of my nodes on the right side, then the cancer had spread down my right ribs, and use what i call a "potato peeler" to scrape, all the under arm, ribs, take the breast...

anyway the next nov 05 i went in for my L mamo, and again their were so many ugly spots etc,but this time I did NOT go to same surgeon, as the 1st one screwed me up when it came to the port-a-cath......

But your also talking about the pains in many places, which I went on disability a couple years prior to the BC due to I had RSD (reflex sympathyic dystrophy) NO circulation in my Left foot/toes, as if i stood too long or thinking soaking them in warm water, even warm baths would sooth them, all it did was swell the foot/toes, and turn them bright red then blue then black, and if i didnt take of them THEN, the pains and coloring went all the way went up my calf and a bit over it.

Now in Nov 06 they found mets to my left hip and boy does it hurt, feels like sharp knives going in and out, adn i use to love my feet rubbed along w/legs, NOW its keep away...also now I had one of those scoopes down the throat due to a sore throat that wouldnt go away, they didnt find cancer right their, but being my mets are, but they have NOT recently moved or traveled, but the surgeon who did this found some wierd things that she had a name for them and put me on some medication to make them go away and so they would NOT get my mets to want to start moving around...oh yea, my onc and i have had several outtings, and i dont mean a picnic! lol, my pain dr gave me a sample of a new drug that just came on the market which came from Europe called_____________   .  I havent started it as i have such bad reactions to so many meds, even though i let them know.

but now as it has been since my first and 2nd masct, mainly on the right side (the ribs, all the way down hurt like hell), and where you would raise your  arm on the R side the pain is so bad I just want to cry, and I use a heating pad, which in this weather, and this weekened should be in the 90s.

you were very smart to get 2nd opinion and seem to have such a good support team..,,mine is, well I cant down my family as thats just not my style, but a good part of them think just because i had 1 then 2 masct my cancer is gone, and dont understand why i dont like going anywhere, as I use a walker and if its too far ihave my w.chair,and its such a hassle, and i hear thru the "grapevine" gibrish about how heavey my chair is, so from onow on j=i just dont go..and i have missed all of you and SO many new gals here for support, as during those 4-5 months without you guys I cried myself to sleep every night.

Oh for those that have ask specific questions, well to answer them "briefly", its very hard to do or make food, thats why Ive gotten so skinny, sa to stand and walk is much to hard to do, then try to clean up...the only thing that taste good are these great popsicles they make here in town, Mexican popsicles, oy are they good,(chocolatecream, coconut cream, banana, vanilla, strawberry, pecan, and the other side are all juice ones)..they keep me hydrated, at times when I get a ride as I am not driving due to my dilliaudid, and i sure dont need to get in a wreck and hurt anyone.  When I feel maybe 1/10th human, i might do a few things ilike shower and one load of my laundry, then Im down for weeks...oH i HATE THIS!  sorry if I moaned and graned too much please forgive me, its just one of those days as my mom is not doining too good what so ever..

I dont know if this answers your ?s even a bit but you were talking bout the pains dow the side , and no your not imaginatiobn is not fooling you..they can go anywhere.

please take care, and hope all these new gals get to know me, and understand as i write, I seem to have so much to say I get scrambled up, and end up with a mess, due to that and the meds I need dto take..

hugs

Ter  yes my eyes hurt too, but i know its old age, and i have gone too long since i have seen an opthomologist.

After reading a lot of postings, I wonder if we should stop thinking we are "just paranoid" and make our doctors listen to us!  I think my doctors are great, but I also think they don't really listen to me!  I have had pain at the rib just under my left breast where I had cancer.  The lump that was removed last year was there for 3 years and I kept being told "it was nothing to worry about".   I just had follow up mamms yesterday (which were clear) but I have asked for a breast MRI so I can be sure about the rib.  I hate the medical waiting game.  My one doctor told me that if he investigated every complaint by cancer patients he would never be able to see all his patients!  What the heck does that mean???!!!