Bone mets...

[Anais]

Hello,

My mother was dx with stage IV NSCLC one year ago. Now she has some lower back pain (possibility of bone mets). She will get a bone scan in 10 days.

How would you describe the pain when the cancer has spread to the bones? Does the medication help? I heard it was difficult to control.

Thanks!

Anaïs

[Angie Daughter of Bill]

I believe that this subject came up not too long ago. There were several responses. In short, everyone had a different degree of pain. Some folks experienced mild pain, similiar to a pulled muscle, some experienced terrible pain that was hard to control. Everyone is different. If bone mets are found, radiation might be suggested. Radiation helps to alleviate the pain. Also, an IV drug called Zometa is supposed to strengthen the bones which would discourage more cancer cells in the bones. My Dad has not had radiation for his bone mets yet. His pain is mild. He has been on Zometa since he was diagnosed. He has no new spots in his bones. (YEAHHHHHHHH!) Best of luck with the bone scan.

Angie

[Andrea]

I am not sure if there is an answer to this, but is mild back pain, rib pain, etc, more likely to be just pain or more likely to be bone mets when dealing with LC? Hmmm. I am so freaked out about my mom's pulled muscle pain

[Elaine]

Andrea,

There seems to be no answer. Sometimes bone mets are silent or all the things Angie said. But since your mom just had surgery, I bet she is holding herself differently and doing things differently to "shield" her surgery side, which just might be putting a strain on the other side. Just a thought. Try to relax.

Love

Elaine

[Andrea]

or she could have just as easily pulled a muscle coughing up a storm

in other news, I need a round of applause please, I walked into the office kitchen to wash my peach and bypassed a BEAUTIFUL box of FRESH donuts I was like hmmmm, do I have even 1/2 a donut and throw out peach, same calories. But then I said NO If I quit my job I have to do something right in my life

[Don Wood]

Hi, Anais! My wife says the bone pain is excruciating and normal pain medications do not work for her. The only things that worked for her were radiation to the spot and morphine. She still takes low dose of morphine with occasional breakthrough med (Norco). Hope your mom gets the relief she needs. Don

[JoyceH]

The pain was the worse I have ever experienced. Worse than labor. I couldn't even move. It hurt to cough, hurt to breathe. Radiation helped tremendously. My bone mets were in my spine, and my ribs. It actually caused a fracture in my rib.

[Margaret]

At times the shoulder, neck pain was difficult, but I was generally able to get into a relief position in bed and, therefore, able to sleep. I am now on Zometa and have a really difficult met to my forehead bone...might have to have some radiation there, which I am concerned about because of eye muscles, etc. In the meantime, my oncologist started me on 400mg of Celebrex (for the pain and also because of the possible reduction in tumor growth as suggested in some of the clinical trials) and that has greatly decreased my level of pain. I hope your Mom can get relief...everyone can be different, but there still is an approach for everyone...it just has to be found because the pain must be relieved.

Margaret