worried again!

Pray · 09-05-2011, 09:36 PM

Every time I get good news and I let my self be happy something else happens! I think I'm beginning to lose it! I mentioned 2 posts ago that I had an mri on my right shoulder and lumbar spine. They showed a bulging disk in lower spine and bursitis in my shoulder which I was happy with. Then I saw a sports dr. who said neither were that bad and steriods would take care of the inflamation and stop the pain in both. The pain in my shoulder went away but the pain in my my lower back has not! Now I'm thinking that my cancer did not show up on Mammograms so maybe it didn't show up on the mri either! Am I crazy? I am seeing my radiologists late this afternoon and I'm going to ask him to look at the mri. I hope he doesn't think I'm nuts. The sports dr. also is my lymphdema dr. (I do not have lymphdema) and I don't see him for 2 more weeks, also my reconstruction surgery is weds. Should I be doing anything differently? Any advice would be appreciated. Any other questions I should ask any of my drs? Please help me.

JillaryJill · 09-05-2011, 09:56 PM

Just got my MRI results back on Friday. I have a bulging disk also and some degenerative disk disease. My back still hurts also. This can be a chronic condition, but there is alot of things you can do to help your back. My sister has this so I have gotten lots of advice from her. Ice your back for 20 minutes at at time. Provides great relief, do not use heat. Do what you can to strengthen your core. This is not only abs muscles but lower back, shoulders etc. All of these muscles help support your back. From my understanding MRI's are detailed. Talk to your onc if you are anxious, but bulging disk pain can be chronic. Good luck...right now my back is killing me!!!

snolan · 09-06-2011, 08:20 AM

Ask your Dr. to see a physical therapist. They have specific treatment protocols for disk problems. It all depends on how bad the buldge is if it will works. Sometimes if therapy doesn't work, surgery is the only way to correct it. But they usually don't do that unless you are getting nerve impingment from buldge. There is no quick fix for the pain but icing will help, avoid bending forward as this puts more pressure on the disc. Depending on the direction of the buldge back extension positions will help repositin the fluid in the disc.
Hope this helps.
Suzanne

chrisy · 09-06-2011, 05:45 PM

I have 2 thoughts:
On the lumbar pain, if it is a disc problem I'm skeptical that steroids would help much. I've had a history of disc problems and they just take time to heal. Icing is good, and actually walking is very good as it tones the muscles that support your back.

Second, if you are really concerned that there are mets (I'm not a doctor, but it seems to me that the pain is due to other things) a bone scan is generally considered a more definitive test than an MRI for detecting mets.

It sounds like the MRI is actually indicating other things that are treatable, but not mets. If the MRI showed nothing, and I had pain I'd definitely keep looking... but sometimes things do happen that are NOT cancer related!

Pray · 09-06-2011, 08:34 PM

Thank you so much Jill, Suzanne and Chrisy! You all have great advise! I saw my Radiologist today and he said it is definately the bulging disk and Not Cancer! What a relief! He also told me to do just what all of you have suggested! Walk, Ice and strengthen my upper torso and arm muscles it will all help the pain. Thanks again!