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Joanne1957's avatar
Joanne1957
Member
13 years ago

Anybody had fractures after treatment?

Hi everybody. I finished radiation in February and was feeling rather tired and wrung out with lots of leg pains which I put down to treatment. In April, while trying to exercise, I twisted my ankle, off to the doctor, a sprain. Then when the bone pains weren't getting any better, my oncologist ordered a bone scan, no mets but lots of osteoarthritis showed up. My left knee was particularly bad, with a large blob showing on the scan. Off for an MRI, and guess what? A fracture! Officially a subchondral insufficiency fracture involving the femeral condyle. $300 for the MRI... A brace was ordered to help with the weight bearing part of my knee $300 for the brace.... $90 for crutches... On numerous amounts of OxyContin.. Three weeks later, just as my left knee was starting to feel better, my right knee started to hurt, yep.... Another fracture, $300 for another MRI and I'm hoping they will be able to modify the brace. Then just as an added extra, I had a large hiatus hernia diagnosed, so last week an expensive hospital stay. My GP believes that the chemo has probably damaged my bones. Anybody else had osteoporosis diagnosed out there from cancer treatments. I'm counting my blessings, I'm still smiling, but oh this cancer stuff has caused me some grief!
mri
radiotherapy

4 Replies

  • pisces_tas's avatar
    pisces_tas
    Member
    13 years ago

    Hi joanne,

    yes it does seem to go and on.. My  double mammogram and ultrasound were ok..  so that is good.

    Sorry to hear the infusion had bad side effects. Hopefully it will help the bones and calcium levels. What were the side effects? Pain in body ?

    The hiatus hernia was done through keyhole surgery?

     Accepting how things are now, is not always easy.

    I will definitely have to do a strength programme for arms and legs I think. Start off slowly, and may be go through a trainer. When the warm weather returns it may be easier?

    Have you had your Vit D blood levels done?

    Kathy.

  • Joanne1957's avatar
    Joanne1957
    Member
    13 years ago
    Hi Kathy, your are right, having gone through all that treatment, we tend to think that we should be super 'okay' after, but we are not. It just seems to go on and on. I hope you find some solutions to all your ongoing issues Kathy. They picked up my hernia when I was having X-rays for something else. I had my op two weeks ago. I had an infusion for the osteoporosis two days ago. Never again, the side effects were every bit as bad as chemo. Still suffering from them. Take care. All the best. Jo
  • Joanne1957's avatar
    Joanne1957
    Member
    13 years ago
    Thanks Julia.... Some of the stuff I've read on international sites recommend Claratine? when doing chemo. I did have shocking bone pain on my fourth round with the D part of FEC-D. The last two rounds went back to FEC. Jo
  • Julia44's avatar
    Julia44
    Member
    13 years ago

    Hi, sorry I have no experience with that but I have been wondering if we can do something to prevent this. I am on Tamoxifen and know that it is one of the causes.

    Hope that's the end of your fractures!

    Julia