I am so confused about my symptoms…

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

What is mets symptoms and what is medication symptoms?  I was diagnosed Halloween of 2011 with stage 3 breast cancer.  I’ve had segmentectomy (sp)  two tumors less than 2mm and 3/3 sentinel and 6/11 ancillary nodes positive on right breast.  I had TAC, Radiation and now on Femera.  Since Oct. of 2012 I’ve had bad shoulder pain in the Left shoulder and it is now so bad it is a constant hurt/burn feeling and if I move my arm wrong it sings out to the point of tears.  Now, for the past few weeks my Right shoulder is starting out the very same way.  This concerns me.  I can not raise my Left arm above shoulder level nor can I reach back past my Left upper hip.  (It is so hard to describe)  I’ve had other things go wrong, but for some reason this bothers me more.  It’s much worse at night and when I go to bed.  Has anyone else had anything like this???

Thank you in advance,

OneHungLo

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Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2013

    It sounds like you have a frozen shoulder. I developed that too after rads. I would go to my PCP and start with an xray/mri. Frozen shoulder is one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. They gave a shot of cortison to help break up the scar tissue and then I had physical therapy for a few weeks to get a functional range of motion back.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    Thank you for your reply AlwaysHope, and I love that name.  Why is it on the oppisit side?  Now starting on the right side too?  I also am having a CT done of the chest in the morning because my Onc says I have some inflammation in my chest?  Sometimes I feel discomfort, but not bad enough that I ever complained to him.

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 3,534
    edited May 2013

    Opposite side can be referred pain, a strange phenomenon

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2013

    That I don't know. Maybe you are using that side more than normal since the other side is so painful. The best way to find out is to have an xray/mri to get it checked out.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    Thank you, I'm just scared I guess.  My body feels like I have aged 30 years in the past 6 months or so.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2013

    I'm 9 years out but the first 2 years after treatment finish were rough. I lost most of my muscle mass and couldn't even climb stairs or walk very far. Getting up after sitting for a while at work would take longer because the hip joints felt like they belonged to someone 80 years old and didn't want to move. The good news is that it does get better.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    Really?  I wasn't going to complain about my walking problems or steps because I didn't want to sound like a crybaby.  Don't take this the wrong way please but it is a comfort to know someone else had the same.  I even went through a phase that I couldn't speake correctly.  I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not think of the words.  I sounded like an idiot to me.  Friends thought I had a stroke.  Hospital said no stroke.  Onc said possible Para Neoplastic Syndrome maybe and he is still not convensed that I don't have it.  I don't understand it at all.  My understanding is very slow still.  I've had 3 lumbar punctures in or around about Dec and Jan.  They were clear.  At that time, I was just having a little pain in my left shoulder, not bad.  My thyroid stopped working about November if I remember correctly.  I get dizzy sometimes too.  I just don't want to come off to my Onc like a whimp.  He says that I have been through alot and that I shouldn't think that way.  I was alergic to much of my meds, and sometimes put off my symptoms to that fact.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2013

    Nope, its not just you. Chemobrain is real! That took a while too. I still haven't found my car payment coupons I misplaced during chemo and have several other things missing that I know are still here somewhere. I think a lot of the muscle loss and joint issues are from the massive doses of the steroid (dexamethosone) they gave me during chemo.



    It is not unusual to think every little thing is the cancer back. I call it my 'pain of the month' club membership. First, the joint of my big toe would hurt so bad I could hardly walk for a month. Then that mysteriously got better and then my knee would hurt and I was sure I needed a knee replacement. It seemed like just as the current issue was better something else would act up. I was sure I had cancer in my thumb, my toe, my neck.



    I do think treatment and being put into early menopause does age us prematurely. I found the more I made myself move, walk, squat, lift, the better it got. I still have minor aches and pains but nothing like when I just finished treatment. It WILL get better.



    It really does sound like you've developed a frozen shoulder. I developed that on my mastectomy/rad side about 6 months after finish of radiation. I also got a good dose of shingles.



  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    God love your heart!!!  How long before you were able to go back to work?  They don't even want me to drive yet?  I'm 58.  Come this Halloween it will be two year since my diagnosis.  How do you count? From diagnosis or end of treatment?  Believe it or not, I do ask my Onc these questions, but I can never remember most of his replies...  It makes me feel like an idiot.  I used to have a good job as a computer operator and worked for a mental health institution.  I was constantly working on making inprovements in the billing and medical records areas of the mainframe.  Now, I've lost my job because I couldn't work a minimum of 40 hours so now I have no insurance.  I have seen better days all around.  It is encouraging to hear that it does get better.  It was a month 1/2 before I started my radiation treatments after chemo and I worried that the mets would go elsewhere besids the lymph nodes.  My little "F" pill is supposed to stop the cancer from growing, but I still worry everytime I have a pain.

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    Onehunglo. Love your username. Sounds like muscle but I was told any constant pain lasting more than two weeks, call the doctor. Sounds like a doctor call is in order anyway, at least to get pt and help with shoulder.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2013

    I worked full time through treatment. I couldn't afford not to as my health insurance is tied to the job. However, I did get laid off in 2009 due to the economy and now work as a contractor. I was fortunate during treatment that I did have an understanding supervisor and wonderful coworkers who helped alot. I was a bit younger though. I was diagnosed at 44 years. If I ever get diagnosed again, I know that I will not work full time again. It was hard to do.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    Thank you.  My wonderful husband gave me the name OneHungLo after my surgery.  I was so upset because one boob was high and one was low.  He knew I needed a good dose of humor so he gave me that name.  All of my doctors love it too.  It makes me laugh.  OneHungLo is the good boob.  haha 

    I've had to call my oncologist so many times that I just feel like a constant pain in the rump.  I do have the CT scan in the morning for my lungs so I'm hoping that maybe it will show something having to do with both my shoulders.  Maybe I should hope that it doesn't show anything????  I'm just getting impatient maybe and just want to be well.  I have never been this bad off in my entire life and I don't like being like this at all.  I want to do the things I love to do.

  • TectonicShift
    TectonicShift Member Posts: 752
    edited July 2020
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    Come to think of it, when it started and I talked to my Onc about it I told him at that point it sort of felt like tennis elbow.  That was two visits back.   So that makes me having the left shoulder for about 5 months.  Right shoulder only started about a month ago.  TectonicShift, do you have Mets as well?

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    My onc has repeatedly told me to call, no matter how small it is. Took me awhile to get this, but now I call. I agree. It sucks to deal with this and I want my life back too.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    This sucks so bad!!!  My mind and my body don’t agree anymore.  Hard to explain… I love to laugh and have a good time with simple things.  I am very spiritual and can usually meditate, pray or read and find some form of comfort.  Last summer I told everyone… next summer I will be able to plant my garden and keep up my flowers…blah-blah-blah.  Heck this morning and again just a few minutes ago I fell off the commode just trying to sit down on it!!!  My knees will bend so far and then they totally give out! 

    I feel like I need to apologize because I feel bitchy….Just found out that yet another friend passed away from some form of cancer.  Where was I before I got diagnosed?  It was few and far between hearing of someone with cancer. 

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    We attract other cancer folks like flies. No. It's just people tell you once they know you're there too.

  • Nettie1964
    Nettie1964 Member Posts: 759
    edited May 2013

    Just wondering what is your actual Breast cancer type?  I have triple negative, aggressive and I worry over every little pain!!  Especially pain in my ribs and back!  That pain has been intermittent for about 2 months!!  I've told my ON and he does not seem concerned!!  My tumor margins were clear and the sentinel node was negative, but I was diagnosed on Dec 12 and was not able to start treatment until March 7th due to other issues! 

    I ended up in the hospital with a severe colon infection, and my GI DR and ONCO seem to think the pains are still from this!  But that was in february!!  I just don't know anymore, I stay worried and confused!!  I've had an abdominal CT and I've had ultrasound of gallbladder, liver, pancreas, kidney, all clear!! I just wonder if I have some other tumor that wasn't picked up on either of these!!

    anyway, just know you are not alone in the wondering about pains.

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    Nettie. If all those scans were clear for me, I'd be chiller, and I'm stage iv. :-). I go for scans tomorrow and praying for stable. The side effects if treatment go on for a while. I'm still stiff in muscles and joints and my last chemo was end of June.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    My cancer was diagnosed as Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, stage 3c, er+pr+HER2+. Two tumors less than 2mm.  I have node mets for sure and they were removed, but 3 were sentinel and 6 were ancillary.  One of the tumors was on my chest wall.  I was told I have clear margins as well.  But something in my gut tells me it still in my body.  I’m taking Femera and I hate it with a passion!!!!!!!!!!!  My quality of life is the pits and I’m just being honest. I don’t like being waited on, I want to do for myself.  Sometimes I feel like what’s the use?  No insurance, over $130,000.00 in debt just from this cancer so far and I feel like total She-I-T.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    I think I’m nervous about my CT tomorrow.  I’m normally not a negative person.  I feel like I’ve made a bad impression of myself.  Cancer makes me so angry!!!!!  I don’t piss and moan outside of this site….  Aren’t we lucky!!!!!!!  haha

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    You and me both. Although I do bitch outside of this site too. :-). We can virtually have our scans together tomorrow. I have a ct and bone scan in the morning. Yeah, us.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    Gritgirl, do you find yourself a little nervy a few days before a visit to the oncologist?  First thing they do is check my blood.  My WBC has been as low as point 3 and they smack my rear in the hospital.  It hasn’t made it back up to 4.6 yet and I think that may have a little to do with my concern. 

    I don’t know if you’ll see this before your scans tomorrow, but much luck to you and I’ll say a pray for you.  Virtual Scans…… That cracked me up!  I won’t find out anything probably until the 31st of this month.  The waiting is the PITS!!!!!  I truly think God is trying to teach me more patience through this.  Lord knows you sure do have to have tons and tons of patience.  I have tons of patience with everything and everyone except for myself.  Haha  

    I have the BIG EYE and can’t sleep.  Insomneia is just another side effect of my meds.  If it says it’ll make me drousy, you can darn well bet that it will give me the BIG EYE.  My Oncologist laughs and says that I am a very unique person and he has never seen anyone quite like me.  Haha  I make the best of whatever I have to go through and deal with for the most part.  For instance….. I have nick named all of my meds….  Anything for nausea is called Big stomach pill or Little stomach pill.  Hormone pill is The Fix-It pill, Thyroid pill is just as it is, Thyroid pill.  Depression pill is called Happy Pill.  Anxiety pill is called smiley pill (I only take those on rare occasion because I’m normally smiling all the time)  You piss me off and I pop a smiley pill.  I’ve had no pain meds since my surgery in Nov of 2011.  Didn’t even take a whole bottle.  This just goes to show you how I can tolerate pain.  But this crap is getting so old.  Going on two years I’ve not been able to drive, walk my two beast Bonnee and Klyde (2 spunky black labs)  I love them dearly and want to pitch Frisbee for them and can’t because it makes my arms worse.  They know something is wrong with mama.  They stay right by my side and sniff my chest, arms and breath everyday.  Kinda strange, but Klyde started sniffing my chest 6 months before I was diagnosed.  I thought he was just looking for crumbs.  All through chemo he had to lay across my lap or he was not happy.  He was so pitiful.  But he knew I was one sick puppy!  He weighs 132 lbs. and he thinks he is a lap dog.  Bonnee always stares in my eyes for long periods of time.  She didn’t do that until just a few months ago. 

    Well, it’s obvious that I’m going to be up all night.  I wonder if anyone will see this?

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    OHL. Thank you so much. Boy, you've been through. I sure pray for your eventually getting better. I have 3 dogs and they so failed on the cancer sniffing test, the bastards. Waiting is the pits. At least I hear mine sooner. I took a Valium so I should be able to go back to sleep. I just wake up many times. I hope you're able to get some sleep.

  • TectonicShift
    TectonicShift Member Posts: 752
    edited July 2020
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    Great Goodness!!!  haha  I'm still awake.  I caved and just made a pot of coffee.  What the heck, can't sleep anyway.  Thought I would check back to see if there were anyone up.  You got me good.  How do you like my pic?  haha, the little babe's shirt reads "Find a cure before I grow boobs".  Isn't that precious?  My very favorite poster for BC.  My babes are sound asleep, my hubby in on the otherside of the US working and here I am at 4am drinking coffee and wondering what to wear to my scan at 9:30am.  What a life.  Laughing

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    Yours must not be with contrast. For me no food or drink after midnight. I'll be wearing my "Don't mess with me, I have cancer" T-shirt. My show up time is 8:30. Love the icon you put up. Damn dog woke me up.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    haha, Yes mine is with and without contrast.  They always tell me no food or drink 4 hours before the test.  I have until 5:30am and milking every moment of my time it seems.  Hope I'm not still wired when time for test.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2013

    I’ve been reading up on this Frozen Shoulder deal.  Seems I do have all the symptoms and then some.  I also have dull burning pain between the shoulder and elbow and between the elbow and wrist.  It doesn’t say anything about that at all???

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,871
    edited May 2013

    Ask the doctor. Everyone is individual. :-)

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