|
Hi all, well I don't want to alarm you, but I have been having chemo and radiation for lymph gland involvement in the neck for the last 7 years. As to the question of it being there in the first place, after surgery and lymph gland involvement the most likely spot for it to resurface is the neck and that is why any onc worth his salt checks your neck at each visit. In my case that is where it went not long after my original chemo and radiati. A ct and biopsy confirmed that it was then and I was treated with chemo and rads, it went away but not long after returned further up just outside the rad field, this has been going on ever since and with a couple of skin mets as well, my strain of BC fingers crossed leaves the organs and bones alone and just irritates me as I never seem to be free of it for very long. As to the pain in the neck, I have always felt sensations in the area and I put it down to the chemo doing its job, a bit like ripping it out of your system and destroying it. With the Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin combination I held a hot water bottle to my neck during the Taxol invusion this made sure the Taxol went there first before the rest of the body, I now put down my peripheral neuoropthy (numbness) to the ear down the neck across the shoulder along with the finger tips and bottom of feet to the Taxol. This combo got rid of it for a while then I had a reoccurence in the skin of the other breast in February which has been treated with more radiation and Xeloda. I am on Neurontin (also used for epelipsy and diabeties numbness) for the numbness and other unrelated problems but it only helps with the pressure against nerves and hasn't done anything for the numbness. I am now having bad neck pains and my shoulder is becoming frozen and I put it down to the heat treatment but I was warned that this may happen but I have to weigh up on the NED factor or no treatment and short cut life expectency, so I have gone for the discomfort and I have to take drugs to manage pain and stiffness. I have been lucky that my lumps have always been felt first and not having cells doing damage on the inside that I don't know about. I was given 2-3 years at best life expectency in 1998 so apparently this type of BC is manageable and the Herceptin has been a bonus by slowing down anything that is headed towards invading my body. Hope this has helped and just stay vigilant when it comes to your own body, the oncs and other patients don't know all and this is why this a valuable site and I have taught my own Onc a lot since being involved and he uses the info for his other patients.
Love & Hugs Lyn
|