Just Need To Vent

Faye33
Faye33 Member Posts: 180
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

About a month or so ago, I developed this ache in my right hip.  It was just a twinge that happened here and there.  I wasn't concerned, but I did take note.  Well that occasional twinge slowly progressed to the point where it is a deep ache/burning in my hip which is present nearly all the time now.  I wake up with the pain and go to sleep with the pain, but it does not keep me awake at night.  Sometimes it radiates down my thigh bone and literally feels like I have what I can best describe as a "brain freeze" sensation in my bone.  It is not horrible pain, but it is different then any of the other pains I have felt thru this process.  It is worse when I sit (I feel the pain up my spine), and a couple days ago I've noticed this pain starting in my left hip now.

I decided to call my oncologist to see how to proceed and he is concerned and feels the pain needs to be checked out.  He is two hours away, so he instructed me to go to the local clinic to have it checked out.

I have an appointment for a week and a half from now.

 Well, this morning I woke up and now I have a tender spot just on the left of my sternum above the breast where I had the invasive cancer.  It seems there is a small bump on the rib right where it meets the sternum and where the tenderness is.

I've told my husband about this, but I don't want to tell anyone in my family or friends, since I don't want to worry them over the holiday season. I feel our whole family went thru he** and back over the holiday season two years ago during my diagnosis process and I don't want to unnecessarily do that again, so I'm not saying anything unless I have to.

I know in my head that this could just be pain from the meds I have/am taking (I have been in nearly constant pain of some sort since treatment began), but I also know that the last time I ignored something (my breast lump) because more then likely it was nothing serious, I ended up with a cancer diagnosis 8 months later.  And this pain is different, I just have a real bad feeling about it.

Thanks for letting me vent.

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Comments

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited December 2011

    I know how you feel as I have a tendancy to push things to the side and ignor the them but with BC you never know so it is best to get them checked out. Even if it proves to be nothing you at least end up with peace of mind. Good luck with the check up!



    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited December 2011

    Hi, Heather ~ I'm so sorry about the pain and fear you're experiencing.  Can the local clinic not get you in any sooner? 1-1/2 weeks seems like a long time to wait, especially if you're in constant pain. Have you thought about maybe going to the ER for a quicker workup?  I think the majority of the time, these pains and worries turn out to be nothing connected to bc.  But the wait to find out can be excruciatingly long.  Are you on Tamoxifen or an A/I that might possibly be causing the hip pain? Are you familiar with sacroilliac nerve pain?  What you're describing sounds a bit like that.

    Glad you've found BCO.  Keep us posted!     Deanna

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  • Faye33
    Faye33 Member Posts: 180
    edited April 2012

    Thanks for the replies.  I'm sure the local clinic would have got me in sooner, but due to my schedule, it doesn't work until then.  I know that even if it is mets, 1 1/2 weeks isn't going to matter... it's just like you said the wait and what our minds do in the meantime which is the hardest... so I'm trying to talk myself out of being so worried.

    Yes, I'm on Tamoxifen (have been for a little over a year), which is what I'm hoping the pain is from... but it boils down to the fact the doctor needs to convince me I shouldn't be concerned.  I don't think the pain would even be all that annoying if I knew what it was and that it wasn't cancer.

     I'll have to look into the sacroilliac nerve pain... I haven't heard of that... thanks for the info!

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  • dragonfly1
    dragonfly1 Member Posts: 766
    edited December 2011
    hfdeboer I hope it turns out to be anything other than mets and I'm sorry you have to wait a while to find out. If it helps at all, I started Tamoxifen on 9/1/11 and have since developed some significant pain issues. I'm being told that Tamox doesn't usually cause this but there is nothing else that has been added that could account for these problems. First I developed a frozen shoulder/impingement and couldn't move my arm-had excruciating pain radiating down my arm. I was terrified until they did an MRI and ruled out mets. Then my hip began hurting around the same time and progressively got worse as well-same deal-xray is clear and the physical therapist says it's severe tendinitis. It hurts when I walk now and wakes me up at night. The BS, Ortho, PT, MO don't have a good explanation but are guessing it's a combination of menopause and Tamoxifen i.e. massive hormonal changes that are causing an inflammatory process in my joints/tendons and my body is just not managing the inflammation well. I'm hoping you end up with a benign explanation for your pain as well. It's so unnerving and you're right, you don't mind the pain so much if you know the cause (and that it's not cancer). I'm so sorry you have to deal with this worry during the holidays. Wishing you all the best-please keep us posted!
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  • Naniam
    Naniam Member Posts: 1,766
    edited December 2011

    I had no pain with my extensive bone mets.  We are not all the same so it is best to get it checked.  Two years ago I had terrible pain in my hip and thought I had a problem.  Turns out the hip was fine but was coming from my back.  

    Glad you have the appointment - good luck and let us know 

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