Am I overly worrisome? What are the symptoms for mets?
 

I have 0.8 cm IDC and mastec Sept 05. No nodes involvement. No radiation and no chemo. On Arimidex since Oct 05. ER/PR/Her2 +++ all positive. Age 60. I am in the lucky catagory of 95% safe from recurrence.

Lately, I had occasional dry cough, particularly going outside in cold weather -- suspicion of lung met. No cough during sleep. The coughs are infrequent.

About brain, there were occasional sharp but very short needle like nerve hits. Those occur about two times a day during work.

On bones, the hip bone is sore sometimes, not painful. By gently hitting the area, I seem to get some relief.

Cancer patients always worry about any signs of change, and I probably worry more since the only preventive treatment is Arimidex. Otherwise, I am quite energetic, have good sleeps, do walking exercise everyday and feel fine. Many of you veterans have gone through the symptom stages please give me some advise on whether I have reasons to be worrisome. In fact, I now have weaned from sleeping pills which were used for the past ten years before cancer discovery. I know I can insist to have new tests done but I don't want to get unnecessary radiation. I had my routine vist one month ago and my onc said there was no reason to do any test at that time.

Thank you for helping.

Ann

Yes, we do seem tow worry a lot, but we have cause. It seems highly unlikely that you have met's, but speak to your onc about getting further tests to ease your mind. I would get an MRI of the brain since you are experiencing the sharp pain. As to the hip pain, I am sorry to say, but we are all getting old. Maybe a bone density test is called for and something like Actenol?? From my experience, the dry cough does not sound like met's - maybe allergies? I changed my son's mattress, and pillows and his cough went away. When I discovered the met's in my lungs, I could not breath without coughing - constantly. I could not bend over or lay down flat. And change in the angle of my lungs would set off a coughing fit. Once again, talk to your onc. I do not believe we can be to overly worrisome when it comes to our own health. I wish I listened to my body more carefully sooner than I did.



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-:¦:- ((¸¸.Maryann -:¦:-´´

Ann writes: About brain, there were occasional sharp but very short needle like nerve hits. Those occur about two times a day during work

Janet Replies
I don't know about brain mets but that is also a symptom of Temporal Arteritis which if caught early is very curable. My Mother's doctor failed to detect it in time and that is why I try to warn those with the above symptom to have this checked out.
Below is a link on the web.
http://www.stlukeseye.com/Conditions...lArteritis.asp

Janet

cough
 

A side effect of Aridimex is a cough. My wife took Aridemex for two years. She had the same cough. I worried at first too, then did some research and found a side effect was a cough. Still made me worry. A quick CT scan or have the doctor listen to your lungs should help.

My Mom was on Arimidex for 3-4 months, and she had a cough and joint pains the whole time. She finally went off it.