Freaking out!!!!!

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bejuce
bejuce Member Posts: 97

Hi ladies,

I bent down yesterday to change my son before school in the morning and immediately felt a pain in the sternum area.  This was after waking up and before eating anything, but after a weekend of camping during which I carried a lot of weight and didn't eat/drink as healthy as I could. I felt the pain/soreness throughout the day, and the area is still sore to the touch.  I was also burping quite a bit in the morning and throughout the day, so I'm trying to dimiss this as heartburn.

However, with my history I have to wonder whether this could be a potential metastasis to the sternum or lymph node below it.  I had a history of heartburn and reflux in the past post-pregnancies, but whenever I had an episode it was after eating and at night before bed or right after laying down. This occurred in the morning when I bent down.  

As I said, when I press on the area, I still feel the pain/soreness.  I'd say it's about 3 fingers down from my collarbone.  I already called the nurse at the cancer center yesterday who told me to go to my primary care doctor, which I'm doing this afternoon.  But I'm sitting here at work freaking out wondering why the area is still store.  If it were heartburn, shouldn't it have gone away by now (I only feel it when I touch the area) and after I took Zantac? 

How does one distinguish between heartburn pain and bone pain in the sternum area? How likely are mets to the sternum for people that present with bone mets?

Words of comfort very much needed now, please!

Thank you so much!

Marcia

Comments

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited September 2011

    Marcia, sometimes when you have heartburn, stomach acid goes too far up and can burn your esophagus. Having an empty stomach would mean that you just had stome acid in there to regurgitate. There is also something called a Hiatus Hernia which you could be experiencing. I know we all go to the cancer option, so I thought I'd give you a couple other choices. Good luck sweetie, keep us posted on what you find out!

  • SpunkyGirl
    SpunkyGirl Member Posts: 1,568
    edited September 2011

    Marcia,

    Great words from Barbe.  In the past, I've made myself more sore by poking at stuff that bothers me.  Sounds crazy, but it could be a little of that too.  You had a strenuous camping trip, and that could easily explain it.  Good luck getting an explanation on it.  I hope it's just a pesky heartburn.

    Hugs
    Bobbie

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2011

    Hi Marcia, I've had heartburn over the years, and like barbe58 said it feels like an acid feeling in the esophogus. I also have Hiatus Hernia and it too is very uncomfortable but the feeling I get are more internally in my digestive tract.  I am also really familiar with bone pain in the clavicle and front of my chest ribs. (Sternum?)  I was  so concerned over it being mets, and my onc told me it was likely the SE from the AI or rads, but also from a scan he did to check for mets it showed that I had "bone marrow edema"  The pain has resolved itself in that area though.  But I totally get your concern after going thru this.  Speak with your onc about it. I took OTC pain relievers to help with the bone pain.

    image

    Barb

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2011

    bejuce - you may also have experienced an esophageal spasm.  Sometimes when stomach acid enters the esophagus it will actually cause a cramp-like spasm that may remain sore later.  I had reflux quite severely and never had heartburn - only these sharp pains.  Diagnostic testing later determined I was having spasms.

    barbe - you made me laugh - it is Hiatal Hernia, hiatus made me think of a hernia on vacation!

  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited September 2011

    (((Marcia))),

    Damn this disease!  I HATE that we can't trust our bodies anymore!!!!  Like the other ladies said, it's probably something very simple but for sure get in to that doc asap so you can get it resoloved and have some peace of mind!!!

    Take care,
    Sharon

  • kathleen1966
    kathleen1966 Member Posts: 793
    edited September 2011

    I'm not sure if a bone met would come on soo suddenly like this.  It is possible that when you bent over, some acid from your stomach was regurgitated and you are now having a sensation of pain that is reflux?  Perhaps just a really bad case of it, combined with all of the heavy lifting you did while camping?  It is horrible that we have to worry like this.  I have had epizodes of pain like this.  About three weeks ago, I suddenly had pain in my breast bone, like I was coming down with a chest cold.  I slept on it with a pillow pressed up against it because the pressure felt good but I was worried.  It has now gone, so I am less worried. I would give it at least four more days to clear up!  

  • clariceak
    clariceak Member Posts: 752
    edited September 2011

    Are you ok? I don't have any experience with heartburn, but it sounds like there are many benign reasons for your pain. I hope your primary doc was able to find the cause and treat it.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited September 2011

    Special K, I aim to please!!! Any light humour in a serious situation is always fun.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited September 2011

    Marcia, we do need an update, sweetie!!! I've been worrying along with you and need to know how you're doing!

  • orlandpark65
    orlandpark65 Member Posts: 106
    edited September 2011

    Since radiation I have been burping and have wierd gurgling feeling in my neck and achy in chests.  MD put me on Nexium.  It's helping a little bit.  She said that radiation has probably irritated the esophagus area.   I can't imagine what my insides  look like, the outside was really burnt.   Keep me posted.

  • bejuce
    bejuce Member Posts: 97
    edited September 2011

    Thank you so much, ladies! I saw my primary care doctor yesterday. I explained to her what I felt and asked her how to distinguish between heartburn pain and sternum bone pain. She said the answer was simple - pushing. If you push in the area and it's tender/sore/painful (like in my case), then it's most likely due to bone pain. I must have made a panicked look because she smiled at me and said "but that doesn't mean it's cancer".

    She thinks the most likely cause is costochondritis, as a result of all the heavy lifting I did over my camping weekend and the day before I felt the pain when I returned the tent (carrying it as a backpack in my back) to our local REI store. She told me to take Aleve, stop the Zantac and see how I feel in a few days. She also said that she thinks it's costochondritis with 95% probability and as we get past the age of 25, we're bound to have some pain once in a while.

    I'm better today but can still feel tenderness when I press the area. Either way, I'm scheduled to have a bone scan and a CT soon and I'll find out for sure.

    I was so anxious last night that I had to go to bed early at 9:30 to turn my brain off. I couldn't deal with the possibility of being a bone met in the sternum when I looked at my children. I hate it that I seem to be the kind of person who upon any pain or feeling immediately thinks it's the cancer returning. I hate it that if there's a 5% chance of it being a bone met, I think that I must be in this 5%. I wonder if I'll ever stop feeling this way.

    I was told that I had a 1% chance of having breast cancer when I was diagnosed, so I don't trust statistics anymore. How do I convince myself that it's not all doom and gloom sometimes? What are some of your coping mechanisms when you're dealing with all this anxiety? My children need me so much and I can't see myself dealing with cancer again. At least not so soon. I need to be here for at least 20 years. See how I am? How can I be more optimistic???

    Thanks!!!

  • Yanyan
    Yanyan Member Posts: 38
    edited September 2011

    Hi Marcia. Good to hear that nothing seemed serious !

  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited September 2011

    GOOD NEWS Marcia!

    You sound a lot like me though---whenever I feel a new spot I am constantly pressing, touching, feeling it---which of course makes it worse from all the pressing, touching, feeling---lol.  So.....................HANDS OFF WOMAN!  And keep us posted on how you are doing!

    I struggle with the unknown (especially not knowing what are "normal" aches and pains for a 49 year old woman) and get down by it too, but I keep plugging along.  I STILL need to find a good therapist, someone that can px meds too.  Would definitely help to have an impartial person to vent to.  Of course there's always here for us though right?

    Love,

    Sharon

  • kathleen1966
    kathleen1966 Member Posts: 793
    edited September 2011

    Dear Bejuce,

    I have found that a good dose of denial works for me.  I have a lot of anxiety.  In fact, I had an anxiety attack a couple of years ago that landed me in the hospital.  I thought I was dying.  Maybe it wasn't anxiety but breast cancer but needless to say, I have been on anti-anxiety medication since this time.  I tell myself, I do not need to be concerned about this pain because I am never going to have cancer again so I don't NEED to be concerned.  This has helped me get through a rash (it went away), severe headaches that came and went over a one months span (haven't had one since, think it was a hormone issue), severe chest pain (gone),  and that has been all soo far....I think I will know if something serious is going on.  The pain or issue will not go away after a couple of weeks time. So I just wait it out. It has only been a year for me.  I HAVE to do this or I will go crazy.  It has worked soo far.  Right now, I still have a mild heaviness in my chest.  But it is allergy season for me.  I know a lot of women who are walking around sounding all hoarse. If they had had cancer like me, they could or would or may be freaking out having this hoarseness.  I try to think like they are thinking.  It is working for me soo far.......It is soo hard....I know....but if you come on here, some-one will always direct you to a reason for what-ever issue you may be having. And remember, a great portion of us will never have cancer again.....

  • celina2011
    celina2011 Member Posts: 29
    edited September 2011

    Hi Marcia, I am scared of whats goig on with you. I have the same diagnosis except I am P- and E-. Plesae update me with your recovery and add me as your member. I am new to the sites and I still dont Know how to post my own personal message. I just had my surgery july 14, 2011.What kind of  treatmet did you take .

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited September 2011

    Gee, I thought I already told you to consider Costochondritis as I have that too, but it must have been another thread that's going on!! Wierd....

    If you are like me, you will always go directly to cancer and not consider anything normal for at least a couple of years! I haven't had a cold in the 3 years since diagnosis, thank God, but every other little fuss I've had has immediately been a 'mets' diagnosis for me!!!! I hope we can both slow down our thinking as time goes on.

    Keep us posted here when you get your scan results so we know you're still okay.

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