A story from a newbie to this site.

[Susia59]

Hello, I am joining this site because I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer a little over a year ago. I have ER+ Breast cancer that has moved to my bones. It is in my neck where I had surgery to remove a huge tumor, all throughout my spine and in my hip bones. Before I was diagnosed, I was having back pain that I attributed to getting old and thinking maybe I had a slipped disc or something. I went to the doctor many times and all she did was give me anti-inflammatory drugs, then told me I had sciatica and gave me excercises. She never ordered any tests like an x-Ray or MRI. The pain increased and so I then, on the recommendation of friends, went to see a chiropractor who took an x-Ray and said he saw something in my neck, asking if I had been in a car accident ever. When I told him 30 years ago he diagnosed this spot as scar tissue only to find out later, it was a massive tumor. He cracked my back and neck which I know now probably broke more of my bones. One day when I had a spot in my back so excruciatingly painful, I went to the emergency room where they did a c-scan and found the cancer. It wasn't until I saw an oncologist that they looked for and discovered a small lump in my breast. After a biopsy confirming breast cancer, I had surgery on my vertebrae in my neck where they removed the cancerous lump and reconstructed my bones to fuse back together. Apparently the cancer had destroyed so much bone that it was very close to my spinal cord and could have paralyzed me. I am now under the care of a great oncologist who has prescribed Ibrance and Letrrazole as my chemo drugs. These drugs have been keeping things stable. All in all I believe I am lucky to be alive but I live with a lot of anger towards the doctors that should have diagnosed me earlier. That's my story! My name is Sue and I live in Wisconsin.

[Markayjay]

Yes it's terrible to awake to feeling like you ran 10 marathons , I'm on chemo pills which the doc saids is keeping me alive, pain patch that works for about half of the 72 hours and 1 to 4 norcos a day, I live near downtown Chicago and now visiting in Florida with two sons. Hope you have a blessed day.

[Rhwright12]

Hi Sue!

I have MBC to bones as well. Diagnosed in July and started treatment July 28. We have it under control for now as of my last visit. I've always worried about how this can effect my bones long term. I'm doing a walking 5k on Thanksgiving. I guess I'll learn the hard way! Lol My largest tumor was on my left femur...

God bless and keep taking your calcium and D3....

-Heather

[Kats3]

I can identify with your anger at your doctor for not doing more screening on you. It happened to me too. But you know what? Now that we have doctors who actually care and we're getting the treatments that we need, we have to look to the future and concentrate on getting well. It does us absolutely no good to look back at the " should haves." I obsessed over that a long time myself. Now I try very hard not to think of the past, but concentrate on the positives that have come into my life, namely a great Oncologist.

Don't let your thoughts "eat you up!" You're here and making good progress. That's where your focus needs to be in order to get yourself well. I wish you continued progress in the New Year. Kats3