sherriot Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I was wondering if anyone might have a similar experience? My Mom has been doing very well for the last several months, in fact her last PET scan shows NED. Unfortunately about a month ago she started having severe pain in her right hip, which shoots down her leg. It has progressed to the point where she can barely walk. We have now had a bone scan, MRI Cat scan and Pet scan and the only thing we know for sure is that she has some compression fractures in her lower vertebra. They haven’t been able to even curb the pain. She has had a bad reaction to hydrocodone and duragesic. So now she is taking duladid and amitriptyline and has had an epidural but is still in pain. The bone scan lights up all over the fracture areas, the MRI is inconclusive and the Pet scan shows no areas of increased uptake so we don’t know if we’re dealing with bone mets or not. The area has been previously radiated so that may be part of the cause. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks so much! Sherri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chloesmom Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 Here's just a couple of thoughts-- May be osteoporosis with your mom--she's at that age and if she's had some steriod treatment, that does suck calcium right out of your bones. I know that we all think it must be mets, but not necessarily. Sounds like all the tests are pointing away from mets to the bone in that area, which is good news...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelliemacs Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 can you push for a bone scan??? call the insurance co. and if they will authorize it see if you can get the onc. to do it. that way you will know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 There is a treatment for that kind of bone 'disintegration" fracture where the doctors surgically squeeze in a cement like substance that fortifies the vertebrae and helps with compression and stress fractures. Assuming that it's compression fractures, see if the doctor would talk to you about this procedure. It's good for bone, not disc, compression fractures. XOXOX MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 My wife had a bone met in her left hip, which caused a stress fracture and much pain. She had 14 radiation treatments on the spot and has not had problems with it since. The fracture seems to have healed. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlendaG Posted April 11, 2004 Share Posted April 11, 2004 Sherri, My husband has bone mets to vertabrae (but no pain); after radiation to the area he has started taking Zometa. He had a hip fracture due to bone met (that's how we found out he had cancer) and the surgeon operated and replaced his hip. Every situation is different but I did see an article in a previous issue of Cure magazine (Winter 2003) about treatment, including surgeries for bone mets. Keep asking questions and keep searching. Good luck and God bless. Glenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tess Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 it kinda sounds like a ruptured disc if its not cancer. I had one, and its very painful! The sciatic(spelling??) nerve that goes down the back of the leg is usually caused from a ruptured disc. Hope its that, and not mets. It can be fixed. Good luck to your mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.