Titanium rod

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chef47
chef47 Member Posts: 76
edited January 2018 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Hi, I have been stalking here for 4 years after being treated for stage 3. Now I’ve just been diagnosed stage 4. Still going thru the shock and horror part, looking forward to the learning and living part:) anyway I’ve searched and just couldn’t find any relatable posts about fractures due to mets. Does anyone have any relatable stories? I had hip pain for months and finally last week had the “right” test show up mets to femur with impending fracture. I have surgery scheduled called proximal femur replacement. I’m wondering how anybody else made out? Also per pet scan have multiple scattered spots all over, bones, lungs, liver. My onc hasn’t met with us yet to discuss treatment plan because biopsy must be done first and can’t start treatment anyway until I’m healed from hip surgery. So yep, concerned, worried, need help:

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited January 2018

    Chef, I don't have experience with this, but here is a link to the Bone Mets thread where you may find people who do:

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/...


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  • WorkingMom10
    WorkingMom10 Member Posts: 72
    edited January 2018

    I had a very similar situation happen. I felt a pop in my hip and after enduring pain for almost 6 weeks, I learned that my hip had broken due to bone Mets. I had a rod inserted in my left femur and a pin placed in my hip. I’m sure my femur would have broken at some point. I’ve been NED since April 2017 and I get monthly Zometa infusions to strengthen my bones

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited January 2018

    Chef, I'm sorry to welcome you to this august group. Bone mets are the most common way to find mets.

    Many of us have had vertebral fractures due to mets, but there aren't a lot of broken femurs out there. It's rare for breast cancer bone mets to be lower than the hip and even rarer below the knee.

    In my [limited] experience, you repair whatever it is, rehab it and then start treatment. The good news is that when they go in to repair it they'll take out as much cancer as they can find. That'll lower your cancer burden and make the treatment work better.

    I know it's hard, but consider this to be as if you'd broken your leg. They'll operate, you'll do rehab. You need to think long term because you'll be around for a while. Don't give away your stuff (that's what my onc told me in the beginning).

    Hang in there -- it's always hard in the beginning.

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  • chef47
    chef47 Member Posts: 76
    edited January 2018

    pajim, thank you for the welcome and encouragement:) and workingmom10 for the shared experience:) I am so flooded with emotions and questions right now. After my surgery I will have a plan (probably be loaded with even more questions;) looking forward to really gaining friendships here:)

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