Update on Mystery Back Pain!!!

[kcherub]

Yesterday, I was SURE I had bone mets. So sure, I sobbed for two straight hours. The stress of my back, hip and upper leg pain had just finally gotten to me. Hence my lack of posting in the last week or so...

As you may remember, I kept having periods of intense back pain that seemed to move around (with an ovarian cyst thrown in for good measure and to keep me from getting to the real issue). I had three cycles of it--one about two months ago, one three weeks ago, and one that began last week. The previous two times it went away, and I just chalked it up to my cycle, and wearing really high boots (and bone mets, bone mets, bone mets, my mind kept whispering to me). This time, it didn't go away and just got worse and worse. For those of you who have children, it was like labor pains.

On Thursday, I went to my ONC. for a urine test and was supposed to have an x-ray that afternoon at the hospital. My husband runs an imaging lab, and wanted to give me an MRI (he said I had too much radiation for one quarter--LOL). We set it up for last night. I got a heating pad and took 1/2 a vicodin (thank you, ovarian cyst). Yesterday morning was horrible. I had to have my FIL come and take my son to school, and had to call one of my girls in to work in the store for me. I took another 1/2 vicodin and took up residence on the heating pad. It got a little better, except for the anxiety attacks that kept creeping up.

The MRI showed two areas of arthritic activity, and some minor bulging of those two discs. The intense pain came from the two major nerves that the bulging was hitting. It was actually kind of cool to see those two little lines that I felt like ripping out with a spoon.

This might be chemo brain lurking, but haven't I read about these things happening more frequently after chemo and/or Herceptin? I know I have at least read about the same types of problems on the boards I visit. I am only 35, haven't had any major injuries, and don't really lift anything too heavy at my store.

So, as you all said--cancer pain doesn't just go away, and as you tried to reassure me, all the indications were NOT for bone mets. Thank you, and thanks for checking in on me...

Once again, it is a funny world when an ovarian cyst and arthritic discs are cause for celebration!

Take care,