Results of Radiation to My Fractured Superior & Interior Pubic Ramus Bones

[hopenowandtomorrow]

Hi Fellow MBC’ers: If you’ve followed my posts for the past 3 months you know I’ve been on a quest to research & learn then I embarked on journey to find the best solution (outside of pain meds) to enable me to walk & function without pain. I’ve traveled to MD Anderson in Houston & Emory in Atlanta (I live in Florida) to get their perspectives on the best of 3 options:

1. Interventional Radiology- bone cement

2. Radiation

3. Surgery to screw the bones together

Option 1 was viable but not on the small pubic Ramus bones-it works best on larger bones & the spine. Certainly an option I will consider if I get fractures or tumors in other bones.

Option 2 - The option I chose. Getting treatment back at home in Florida.

Option 3 - Not ready for major surgery nor was it recommended by 2 of the 3 doctors.

I was prescribed 10 fractions (days), 30 Gray Dose.

At my 6th day, my pain dropped from 8 (with 800mg of ibuprofen 2-3x/day) to 3.

I have 2 more to go and each day I feel less pain. I’m incredibly thankful that my quality of life is being restored. 🙏❤️🙏

They 3D mapped the radiation to go around any organs to minimize any adverse side effects. I saw the whole program of how they do it and it is incredibly impressive. Radiation has come a very long way.

The only side effects I’ve had are fatigue (to be expected) and some light nausea (now I take an anti-nausea pill prior to radiation).

I’m so happy I got expert medical opinions & chose the best option for me.

Since most MBC goes to the bones, I thought this would be relevant to share.

🙏❤️🙏

[Hidden]

God love ya! That’s a lot to manage. I appreciate you sharing your experiences.

[NPmary]

Thanks for sharing. Glad you are better. Radiation can be a good palliative treatment. It was for me as well.

[hopenowandtomorrow]

Thank you Sandra! I have read about “less is more” on the Fractions. However, I’ve also read that a touch up may be necessary down the road if you have less. Time will tell as more people do less. Thank you for sharing your experience too!

🙏❤️🙏

[13plus]

Thank you for continuing to share your journey through this with us. It is great to hear you are getting such a quick pain response! I find that quite amazing. Good luck with the remaining doses and nausea being minimal. Hoping you get to a pain-free point!

[13plus]

Do you know why lytic lesions can cause a pain surge when they get radiated? Hopefully the rads worked well to manage your pain too.

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to 13plus]

I had the pain surge on my original 2019 acetabular tumor after 5 doses of SBRT. The radiologist told me it was from inflammation caused by the radiation & it took several months or more to start to feel pain relief from that.

[13plus in reply to hopenowandtomorrow]

Thanks, makes sense !

[Tolife_18]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. So happy radiation decreased your pain and your quality of life is being restored. Hope for a lasting effect!

[13plus]

I think so, ha ha!

[Dragonfly2]

Dear hope! So very glad to hear about the excellent results from the radiation. I too had radiation on the pelvic bone and knew after one treatment that I was feeling better. By the time I finished my tenth visit I had gone from walking on crutches to walking on my own without any significant pain. It’s was after this amazing success that my orthopedic oncologist revealed that he thought I’d be getting the cement surgery. What a lucky break for both you and me. Hope your outcomes continue to improve with many more years of health.

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to Dragonfly2]

Dear Dragonfly2: Thank you for sharing your success story & kind words!

🙏❤️🙏

[love2golfwell]

Sounds like you did a great job researching your options and chose the best one for yourself. So happy you are having such a good response to the radiation. I had radiation for 2 different bone lesions, 5 treatments each. Although I was not experiencing any pain with either lesion, they wanted to do the radiation before the lesions got bigger and did cause pain. I also had the 3D mapping to avoid organs. I was never told the GY only that the treatments were SBRT. After reading both your and Sandra's stories, I think I should have asked more questions!

[mariootsi]

So glad you went for different opinions. Sounds like you chose the right option with wonderful results!

[ChrisVict]

Glad to hear that the radiation is successful For all who replied. I know I will need eventually but onc says to wait for pain not just progression. I am a little concerned about lesion growing and affecting organs

That’s the balance of facing this.