How did you find out?

I couldn't breathe and forgotten all about the BC I had 10 years before. At first they said it was COPD but when nothing they tried worked, I had a CT which showed a pleural effusion in my lungs. They just told me it was there, not what it might mean and had me admitted to the hospital to drain it. Eventually the labs came back, but I was relieved because now that they knew the real problem, they were able to fix it. Which was lovely after having breathing problems for five months.

I was like KBeee, I found a lump almost under my lx scar but to the side a little. My MO acted quickly and local recurrence was confirmed. Salvage MX with immediate diep followed.

In my case my back muscles started to spasm. Two months later I sneezed and fell. Needed crutches. Eventually they did an x-ray. Lo and behold my back was broken. Mets had eaten L5. Major surprise to everyone.

The first treatment got me to NED. I wouldn't be doing any better if they'd found it earlier. Maybe I could have avoided the week in the hospital but I doubt it. By the time my muscles started to spasm it I would have needed surgery.

Diane, I realize it's hard, but you need to not worry about this. Someone quoted at Stage IV lady who said that when mets were found you never wished you worried more. Live your life. Worry less. If mets appear, they appear. There's not much you can do about it. Live well.

Occasional twinges and aches are not typically concerning. They are things many of us had, but ignored prior to cancer. Now they get our attention. Ongoing pain should be reported

Diane, for what it's worth, here's my story...

Around October 2014 (almost 6 years out from my original Stage II dx), I developed a severe lower backache that I chalked off to the change of seasons and going from wearing flip flops every day to boots, as well as carrying a lot of heavy stuff. I'd also lost about 10 lbs., which I assumed was due to stress. We had had a serious flood in our home in August that necessitated moving first into a hotel and then a rental home and putting everything we own in storage (no small task) for 5 months while our home underwent extensive repair and renovation. In the midst of all that, while we were still living in a rental home and overseeing reconstruction of our home, my DH decided to follow thru with knee replacement surgery scheduled prior to our flood, which meant more lifting and additional stress. So it was easy to explain away my earliest symptoms of an aching back, overall exhaustion, and just not feeling well. Then, in December, after a week in Las Vegas and expecting to come home to a finished house that wasn't, I got literally the sickest I've ever been in my life. I thought I'd picked up an exotic bug in LV, but when I wasn't getting any better after about 10 days and two trips to Urgent Care, I decided to see my onc, who initially reassured me that I was not dealing with a recurrence but had a very nasty viral infection. But the labs he did came back showing a CA27-29 of 155 (my normal range was always 10 - 12), as well as sky high Alk Phos levels. A CT Scan was ordered, and it divulged extensive bone mets.

The best advice I can share with you is the advice I got from UCLA shortly after I finished up my early stage tx -- which was, if you have an ache or pain that doesn't go away in 3 weeks' time, get it checked out -- if only for your peace of mind. In my situation, both prior to my re-dx and since then, everything that's ever bothered me that wasn't mets -- no matter how achy or painful -- seemed to go away in that 3 weeks time. It was only when my backache and other symptoms didn't improve and actually worsened over several weeks that it turned out to be an mbc recurrence. And I personally feel that stress was a huge factor. I think my body reached a point where I just couldn't deal with the stress and stay healthy.

Another thought that might be worth sharing with you... Even though I have had a recurrence, I clearly remember at one point when I was like you -- worried about every ache and pain -- and it occurred to me how foolish it would be if I constantly worried about a recurrence and it never happened, I would have wasted all those years worrying for nothing. And if it did, I still would have wasted all that time worrying. So it's fine to be vigilant, but don't let worry ruin your life now. (((Hugs))) Deanna