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Chelee · 06-02-2008, 10:26 PM

Susan, I had my MRM on 1-3-06 and I still to this day have rib pain. I've had PET/CT, MRI's & ultrasounds. Those scans were for other reasons but nothing ever showed up to explain the rib pain. (So it did help relieve my worries.)

My onc did tell me once that she hears this complaint from women all the time that have had mastectomies & lumpectomies. When I googled rib pain I found so many women with the same complaint which is exactly what my onc told me. That's a serious surgery and alot of tissue & nerves that are cut into. Not to mention added damage from radiation in that same area.

One women on John Hopkins "ask the expert" said she is one year out from rads and her ribs are very sore to touch but they can't find anything wrong? The reply to her was that this is common and many women complain of this pain as far as two years out. I'm not sure this helps but I just wanted you to know this seems to be very common. I've dealt with this for over 2 yrs now so I can feel for you.

All that being said just make sure you are always pro-active and continue to let your onc and surgeon know it continues to hurt. If the x-ray didn't give you the peace of mind you need then push for other scans of the area. After all my scans, tests, etc I have just chalked it up to the MRM. Are bodies have been put through so much. If it continues to bother you let your onc's know about it. Its awful to have to worry about something all the time. That not knowing will drive you crazy. Hang in there.

Sending warm healing thoughts and prayers your way.

Chelee

06-02-2008, 10:26 PM	#3
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Susan, I had my MRM on 1-3-06 and I still to this day have rib pain. I've had PET/CT, MRI's & ultrasounds. Those scans were for other reasons but nothing ever showed up to explain the rib pain. (So it did help relieve my worries.) My onc did tell me once that she hears this complaint from women all the time that have had mastectomies & lumpectomies. When I googled rib pain I found so many women with the same complaint which is exactly what my onc told me. That's a serious surgery and alot of tissue & nerves that are cut into. Not to mention added damage from radiation in that same area. One women on John Hopkins "ask the expert" said she is one year out from rads and her ribs are very sore to touch but they can't find anything wrong? The reply to her was that this is common and many women complain of this pain as far as two years out. I'm not sure this helps but I just wanted you to know this seems to be very common. I've dealt with this for over 2 yrs now so I can feel for you. All that being said just make sure you are always pro-active and continue to let your onc and surgeon know it continues to hurt. If the x-ray didn't give you the peace of mind you need then push for other scans of the area. After all my scans, tests, etc I have just chalked it up to the MRM. Are bodies have been put through so much. If it continues to bother you let your onc's know about it. Its awful to have to worry about something all the time. That not knowing will drive you crazy. Hang in there. Sending warm healing thoughts and prayers your way. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.