REALLY AGAIN...................!!!!!!!

Dear Steph,

Considering your diagnosis (Stage 3c and grade 3, 10 nodes), and the fact that your pain has persisted for more than two weeks, it is time to fire up the flares. You do need blood work, to check on your tumor markers, and you do need a PET scan or a CAT scan to look for any silliness. Granted, I'm not a medical professional, but the pain you are describing is similar in nature to the pain I experienced with my bone mets.

Now, do you need a moment? I understand. Whenever I think about it, I like to put my head down on the desk and breathe in and out for a few seconds.

Please do call your Doc and describe what is going on. Remember, tests aren't scary. They only confirm what your body is experiencing already. Granted, they are tedious and a huge bore sometimes, but I find that an Ativan and an iPod are my best buddies when I'm in the tube. At the Very Least, you need to have your CA 27-29 run. If it is not elevated, and the pain persists, pursue imaging. Many Stage 4 patients have presented with mets with a normal tumor marker result.

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I am hoping that your husband is right, but "better safe than sorry", right?

Best, 

Jennifer

Faithfulheart:  How discouraging.  I don't know what the future holds but I'm sending BIG hugs your way!!!

Faithful, two weeks is the limit of waiting and wondering, so it's good that you have an appointment tomorrow.

My right side lymphedema developed from leaning my arm on a table, so your husband's idea is not without merit. Inactivity also limits lymph flow, so again, it's a possible explanation. Truncal lymphedema (breast, chest, back, shoulder, or side) can be very painful in a nerve-pain sort of way, and the pain comes and goes and may even move around the area unpredictably. It can be treated with therapy and compression, which reduces both pain and infection risk:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/breast_chest_trunckal_lymphedema.htm
Your doc and lymphedema therapist should be able to help make a diagnosis tomorrow. Looking forward with you to only good news!
Binney

I am going to say that what your husband is saying may make sense.  If you are laying on this area, if it gets slightly better with meds and if it improves with massage, it really could be a pinched nerve from your position of using your computer in bed. I understand your fear of not wanting scans. I am having symptoms right now that could be interpreted as lung mets. I had a dry cough for a week that went away (thank God), and now my chest just hurts.  I was the only one who was sick...then the rest of the family got sick and they got REALLY, REALLY, REALLY sick. They needed inhalers and breathing treatments, AND antibiotics. I believe, now two weeks later, that I am improving. I did not want scans. Not until it is completely obvious without a doubt that I need them. I want to live in the world of "I will be ok", like you do.

I would get a massage, get acupuncture, and change your position in bed with the computer.  Wait another two weeks and see how you feel. 

I know you like to stay positive. I think there are reasonable explanations for the pain you are having. But it is good to let the doctor know.  Peace of mind will make that pain in your shoulder go away pronto.....

Sorry you are going through all this stress.  A few months ago I started having some pain in my right shoulder.  I know way too much about bc so I soon thought about my liver.  It did start after a slip on some rocks and then I realized I was aggravating it  by carrying a much too heavy purse on my right shoulder. The pain was intermittent and finally resolved itself.

 It is good to get things checked out, but there is most likely a benign reason for your pain.  Hang in there.

Perhaps you pulled something and at the time didn't realize it and propping on it in a certain way may be aggravating it.   I'm glad you got the appointment so you won't have to have it looming over you much longer.

Recently my gyn was checking me in a follow up from my hysterectomy/ooph and he did a breast exam and felt like my breast surgeon move my appointment up and not wait until Aug.  He's will be out of town and I can't see him until July 2. 

It hasn't even been a year yet for me and then I think things like.....well, they told me I needed to leave my mediport in for at least 2 yrs.....and before I know it my mind has ran away with me.  It's a battle I expect to find myself in time and time again.  Waiting is tough but I am hopeful God is using it to strengthen my character for His glory.

I expected false scares (just not this soon) and hope this will be one of those for both of us.

I'll be glad to hear how things go and I'll have you in my prayers.

Thinking of you! Hope everything is fine.

Sounds like pinched nerve to me. We carry lot of stress inour shoulders. Orthopedic can help treat it

Steph,

I'm betting a physical therapist will be able to help you immensely, but it's always good to check with your oncologist to see what they think.  We all hate these scares!  We are here for you.

Love
Bobbie

Just checking in Steph, any word from the doc?

Sharon 

faithfulheart.....that sounds good about the pain getting less frequent.  That does go along with a lot of other things like muscle strains.  Hope you are doing well with the stress of it all.   Also, hoping it will be resolved for you next week.   I'll have you in my prayers here in a bit.

I'm sure it is nothing, the fact that you had so many nodes removed (like me) then the Breast Surgeon, (and this often is the case) nicks your median and radial nerve's plus the banding that occurs from the scar tissue tightens up and causes much pain but the main culprit is, and the MRI will confirm this, is most women already have case's of Bursitis and Tendonitis going on in their shoulders but when they bend your arm during surgery only aggravates it-my MRI detected both Bursitis, Osteoarthritis, Tendopathy, 2 small tears to the radial and median nerves and a small cyst on the supralavicle bone caused by rubbing of the joints. I have had 2 cortisone shots, a month's worth of PT where the therapist had loosened up the hardened scar tissue by deep massage and heat sonogram, then I did the shoulder pulley exercises and took Relefan for anti-inflammatory medication but it did not work so I read about Celebrex and requested it and BINGO!!! Pain went away overnight and my arm started moving 10 times better. I still can't reach upright totally but after 9 long months post surgery, the breast surgeon and PT said it will take at least 18 months to heal. I also took Gabapentin for the nerve pain as it was throbbing so bad but now it seems to have dissipated-I also had a TENS unit which helped with the nerve pain as it weaned me off pain meds and Gabapentin. No one could really tell me what was going on until I had an MRI of the arm/shoulder done, I was told it was Frozen Shoulder, Adhesive Capsulitis, RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, PTN (Post Traumatic Neuropathy), Intercostobrachial Neuralgia, Brachial Plexopathy-so basically, get an MRI and start from there. Pain med's are only going to mask the issue, not fix it-Anti Inflammatory med's are a MUST!!! Physical Therapy may be very helpful. Rest arm on pillows when sleeping to A. Prevent Lymphedema and B. Adjusting position of arm/shoulder while resting will help heal the arm and tears, if any, will not throb as much while sleeping as the nerves are not being stretched. 

Polyana-If it is the same arm as the mastectomy then that is to be expected-you had very little nodes removed (Thank God) so you are feeling some nerve pain from that. Nerves can also send pain to the muscles when contracting (Reaching/Pulling) if you want to invest $100.00, go to a medical supply store and buy a Tens unit. The electrical pulses will retrain the nerves and pain will decrease.

Yeah... good to hear:)!