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Chelee · 11-13-2008, 12:37 AM

Chrisy, I like the way your mind works. I really did not expect both my doctors to deny me a scan. I let them both know a PET/CT or just a CT would be fine...but both denied me. I think putting my oncologist and primary BOTH on the spot like you suggested might help. That is something they would expect from me...I'm pretty pro-active and speak up which has gotten me in trouble before. But my life is important to me even if it's not to them.

I'm really scared about this back pain. My mother had this same pain in her upper back & it was lung cancer. She passed away last year thanks to them. They never did scans on her either. They put her off and convinced her that she was old and it was just a bone spur. They even told her not to go see any other doctors about it. Again, profit over patient.

Joan, I have been blaming my upper back pain on my posture too. Thinking its the way I'm sitting when using my laptop. (In fact I pray it is!) The pain just happens to be the scapula area that you are mentioning. That's exactly where it hurts. It seems harder to take in a deep breath...this just has me sick. I really need to know what is causing this. I was feeling pretty good till this came up, now I'm an emotional wreck.

I wonder if I should make an appt with my onc and ask her in person to put something on paper as to why she is denying me a scan...or call her first thing tomorrow? They have put me off long enough...if this is lung mets its been going on a long time. I only have 50% use of my lungs as is...I can't afford to mess around with what little I have and they know it. I haven't felt this stressed since I was first DX.
Chelee

11-13-2008, 12:37 AM	#7
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Chrisy, I like the way your mind works. I really did not expect both my doctors to deny me a scan. I let them both know a PET/CT or just a CT would be fine...but both denied me. I think putting my oncologist and primary BOTH on the spot like you suggested might help. That is something they would expect from me...I'm pretty pro-active and speak up which has gotten me in trouble before. But my life is important to me even if it's not to them. I'm really scared about this back pain. My mother had this same pain in her upper back & it was lung cancer. She passed away last year thanks to them. They never did scans on her either. They put her off and convinced her that she was old and it was just a bone spur. They even told her not to go see any other doctors about it. Again, profit over patient. Joan, I have been blaming my upper back pain on my posture too. Thinking its the way I'm sitting when using my laptop. (In fact I pray it is!) The pain just happens to be the scapula area that you are mentioning. That's exactly where it hurts. It seems harder to take in a deep breath...this just has me sick. I really need to know what is causing this. I was feeling pretty good till this came up, now I'm an emotional wreck. I wonder if I should make an appt with my onc and ask her in person to put something on paper as to why she is denying me a scan...or call her first thing tomorrow? They have put me off long enough...if this is lung mets its been going on a long time. I only have 50% use of my lungs as is...I can't afford to mess around with what little I have and they know it. I haven't felt this stressed since I was first DX. 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.