Concerned but no one else is...

I agree with Bevin. I would not want a dr who is so dismissive.

My onc would order scans whenever pain lasted more than 2 weeks.



Laurie

Hi Kristen,

I think you should cancel your appointment to get your port out and find another oncologist. I see some red flags here - how dismissive she is of your concerns, that she doesn't look at your bloodwork, and the 6-month gap between appointments (my onc sees me every 3 months during the 1st 2 years). Now, having said that, my ribs were tender for quite a while after surgery and it wasn't mets, so you're probably OK but they should still take your concerns seriously.

About the port removal - mine was done as an outpatient appointment at my surgeon's office. Took 10 minutes with a local anesthetic. No x-ray.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I had a fractured rib in my first year of AI treatment. Have no idea when or how it happened but it was finally picked up on an X-ray. It took forever to heal.

You are the best advocate for your body. Listen and do what your heart feels. It is always best to get checked. I've learned that we have to advocate for ourselves. My dr. has seen me every three months for the past three years. And we will continue every three months. It is ok to see another doctor too. It will all work out!

Your onc should not be so insensitive to your concerns.  If it would put you at ease some form of scan..xray, CT, etc. should be done. 

It is possible for your rib pain to be associated with your reconstruction since the pain started around July and your reconstruction was mid May.  When I had my expanders put in I had pain on the left side under the expander and in the rib area.  I thought it just needed to heal.  However, the pain never really subsided.  It wasn't severe, continous pain but soreness whenever I touched that area.  Then, after reading about the procedure for making the sling to hold the expander, I thought maybe the doctor put the sling to close to the rib which was causing the pain.  However, it soon became obvious that I had an infection in that area. My PS had to go in and remove both the sling and the expander.  We couldn't wait for antibiotics to clear it up (for some reason they weren't helping) because I needed to start chemo.  I also was worried the entire time that my cancer had spread to the rib that hurt.  So hopefully your pain turns out to be something easily taken care of.  Your doctor should at least investigate the cause of your pain.  Pain usually is a sign of something not being right.  Also I don't know why she is pushing for you to have the port removed so quickly.  Is it causing a problem?  I don't know if it is usual but my ONC had me coming to see her every 3 months for the first 3 years after chemo ended.  Maybe she was too cautious.  After 3 years, she changed to seeing me every 6 months.  Then the cancer came back and now I see her every week for 3 weeks and 1 week off.  She does blood work with every visit and always have.  

I don't think your ONC is helping you to work through this.  Any pain in a specific area for a long period of time needs to be checked out.  Tell her that for the cost of an xray you would get a lot of peace of mind.   Also, if it is a bone met it might not make itself know within a few months.  I had a spinal bone met for over a year and was told it was sciatica.  The pain would come and go, as I was told it would, so I assumed it was the sciatica.  Only when the pain became unbearable and I could barely walk was an xray ordered and the tumor found.  Most bone mets grow slowly so someone could have one for years before it becomes obvious.  You'll drive yourself crazy if you walk around for years worrying about whether it's a met or not.  I'd demand the xray and tell your doctor you'll pay for it if it is a financial issue.  Maybe then she'll see how important this is to you.