Forum Discussion
Joinmelb
7 years agoMember
new bone lesions....help whats next for me
Hi all,
I thought I was off this merry go round that is cancer. I've just been diagnosed with METS on 2 ribs(one each side), humeral head, scapula and a also in pelvic bone. I originally thought it was only in the 2 ribs which were discovered via a bone scan and then a follow up MRI. I elected to pay the exhorbitant fee for the PET scan and my breast surgeon has just called tonight to tell me it's in the places other than ribs. He has said they are only tiny spots.
At my oncologist appt the week before xmas (when all i had was the 2 rib mets) the game plan was shit hot drugs as she called them - letrozole and ribociclib, then a massive single dose of radiation to the ribs.
Now, I'm not sure what next step will be seeing as though its in different spots. She did tell me at my last appt not to google but to come in here so here I am.
Sorry, this is really rambling.
I am absolutely shit scared, I have 2 kids who are young teenagers and have recently divorced my partner, long story but he couldn't cope with my ongoing medical issues as cancer was 95% caused by me according to him and I couldn't live with the ongoing guilt. Now I'm in limbo land with everything.
<My oncologist is away until mid Jan when I have my next review.
Hoping for any words of wisdom, the letrozole is absolutely killing my joints in my feet particularly and I haven't even started the ribociclib and won't until the review with her.
Thanks in advance xoxox
I thought I was off this merry go round that is cancer. I've just been diagnosed with METS on 2 ribs(one each side), humeral head, scapula and a also in pelvic bone. I originally thought it was only in the 2 ribs which were discovered via a bone scan and then a follow up MRI. I elected to pay the exhorbitant fee for the PET scan and my breast surgeon has just called tonight to tell me it's in the places other than ribs. He has said they are only tiny spots.
At my oncologist appt the week before xmas (when all i had was the 2 rib mets) the game plan was shit hot drugs as she called them - letrozole and ribociclib, then a massive single dose of radiation to the ribs.
Now, I'm not sure what next step will be seeing as though its in different spots. She did tell me at my last appt not to google but to come in here so here I am.
Sorry, this is really rambling.
I am absolutely shit scared, I have 2 kids who are young teenagers and have recently divorced my partner, long story but he couldn't cope with my ongoing medical issues as cancer was 95% caused by me according to him and I couldn't live with the ongoing guilt. Now I'm in limbo land with everything.
<My oncologist is away until mid Jan when I have my next review.
Hoping for any words of wisdom, the letrozole is absolutely killing my joints in my feet particularly and I haven't even started the ribociclib and won't until the review with her.
Thanks in advance xoxox
22 Replies
- Jenny_BCNACommunity ManagerHi @Joinmelb sending you a private message
- SoldierCrabMemberhi Joinmelb - forgot this one in the middle of the night
https://www.bcna.org.au/resource/kits/hope-hurdles/ - arpieMemberHi @Joinmelb - that's a real bugger of a diagnosis - you've already had a really hard slog one way & another. I hope that your treatment plan is sorted soon & that it at least contains the mets 'as is' ...
Sending big hugs to you you & all the best with your ongoing treatment xxxx - wendy55MemberHi @Joinmelb, I have sent you a private message,
wendy55 - Anne94MemberHi @Joinmelb,
I was on Letrozole for over 12months, this medication is great and but side effects are that it turns us into old women. I find once I get moving, the feet don't hurt so much. I also invested in a pair of birkenstocks which have helped the feet. I have numerous bone lesions and have had a couple of surgeries to stabilise the long bones (humerus and femur). For the lesions, it depends on what they are - whether they are sclerotic or lytic lesions. All mine are sclerotic (maybe 1 is a mixed lesion). I've had radiation to my really sore spots (lumbar, sacrum and humerus and shoulder). I also have teenage children, 19 & 14. I was diagnosed in Sept 2016 ( 2years ago).
As written above, there are many links to information.
Also, you are not to blame for your diagnosis. Cancer is indiscriminate and has no bias. Your husband is externalising his own guilt/issues onto you which isn't fair. I see occasionally, a psychologist that is part of the cancer clinic, they are very helpful especially when stress levels are high.
Kind regards
Anne xo - JoinmelbMemberThanks kmakm
- kmakmMemberNot at all helpful... And utterly pointless. Sounds as if you're better off without that negativity in your life.
If you're up nights you can always post in Night Howls. When we're wakeful in the wee small hours that's where we congregate. K xox
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/19269/night-howls#latest - JoinmelbMemberThanks so much for answering my whirlwind post!
I've requested to join the METs group and I've ordered the My journey kit also.
The breast care nurse will apparently call me next week to discuss what's next.
I think the night's are the worst as you think of all the "what if" questions, what if it's something I did wrong, what if it's something I ate blah blah blah and unfortunately that was what my ex focussed on a lot of the time so not helpful at all.
xoxoxo - ZoffielMemberHi @Joinmelb
I'm sorry to hear the bloody thing is back.
Some of the Mets ladies will be able to give you better advice about the next steps treatment wise, but you not alone in hating the AI treatment and it's miserable bastard side effects. Letrozole is a terrific drug for containing boney Mets, which is what it was originally designed to do, and mid January is just around the corner so stick with it for the next week or so.
There is no point in digging around looking for possible misdeeds which we could have committed to put ourselves in this situation and we most certainly don't want to be hanging around with someone who relentlessly persues that task for us. Life will be easier without being constantly blamed for something that is not your fault. And it is not your fault, you've just won a particularly crappy lottery. Mxx - SisterMemberShit! I have no advice to offer but hopefully one of the ladies on the mets group can help.
As for your ex-husband, I'm sure you know you're well shot of him. It doesn't help with 2 teenage kids, though. Have you got a support network around you to help with stuff?