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Getting through the pain days
It's been a tough week. The cancer itself is fine (still in full remission), but the damage the cancer did to my body has jumped to the foreground. I've been dealing with a lot of pain this week, partly from straining my back moving boxes on the weekend, and partly from compensating for the initial pain. I have to overuse some muscles to make up for the ones that don't work (no nerve signal), and that initial strain seems to have brought my core and hip muscles down like a row of dominoes.
Or, to use a different simile, my body from the middle spine on down feels like a piece of Ikea furniture that's been assembled incorrectly, with stripped screws, crooked pieces, etc. etc. etc.
But I also wonder if some more neural pathways have rebuilt themselves 3+ years after my paraplegia (caused by the tumour compressing my spine), and that's why I'm feeling so many new sensations from the bottom of my ribs on down. Certainly, my right knee suddenly feels less numb than it has since the injury in 2021 -- it's almost normal again. I guess that's a good thing in the long run (you don't expect much nerve recovery after this much time), but it's frustrating suddenly being bombarded with all these new pains this week, when I used to have nature's epidural blocking them.
No question to ask. Just needed to vent. Thank you all for listening. 🙂
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Thank you for asking! I had a good start to the month with encouraging test results, but then managed to put my back out, and just as it was getting better, I pulled a muscle in my side between two ribs — as I told my spouse, it felt like my body was falling apart on me.
But I feel like I'm getting on top of it today, and am hoping to be back to (my new) normal well before Christmas.
Thank also for the work you put into this forum — it's an important source of support for me and for many others.
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5 ReactionsYep, that north guy is a good dude.
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3 ReactionsThanks! Doesn't make me stand out here, though. It's a great online community. < 3
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1 ReactionGood people stand out everywhere, as do you. Wishing you the best.
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3 ReactionsDITTO!!
Phil
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1 ReactionNorth you are a constant source or support and knowledge for the members of this forum - I thank you and send my best wishes that you are feeling stronger and less pain in time for Christmas. As for myself, today is the one year anniversary of my current ADT treatment. I had SRT (IMRT) at the Dan Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Houston that concluded last May. I was G8 with positive margins (pT3b) and persistent PSA.
My numbers post SRT have been encouraging. Last PSA was < 0.01. Am currently taking Orgovyx + Abiraterone. My oncologist wants me on this cocktail for 6 more months. He thinks that once I complete 18 months of ADT I will have an 80% chance of cure, if I quit now, 75% chance of cure. Not sure how he calculates his odds.
The ADT really takes a toll. The muscle and joint pain are probably the worst. I used to walk my dog 2.5-3.0 miles every morning and go to the gym 3-4 times per week. Now we walk less than 1.5 miles and lifting weights is daunting to me. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m trying to focus on that and am hopeful I will regain some of my pretreatment vigor.
Happy Holidays to all.
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3 ReactionsNot sure how it is in Canada, but in the U.S. doctors have started to under treat pain as a result of opiate abuse and the FDA watching them like hawks. Not saying pain meds are the answer but when pain is really bad they do help.
Do you have access to a hot tub, hot spring or anything like that? I find that heat is also really helpful for hip and back pain.
I see this post is a couple weeks old so I hope you are at least feeling a little bit better by now!
Hey ddl, you are doing great- don’t even try to compare what you did before ADT and after!
I myself have a hard time getting thru my thick Italian skull the fact that the ADT is working AGAINST me physically…I cannot possibly lift ,run, cycle or do anything at the level or intensity I did before Orgovyx.
So now my workouts are lighter or shorter and Although I still push myself, I am not doing the ‘no pain no gain’ thing in my head!
KILL THE CANCER , and then worry about everything else! Happy Holidays!
Phil
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1 ReactionLet's hope and pray you still have many happy classical guitar days ahead. I love the classical guitar, but was not successful with developing skill. I had to let it go, but I still love to hear it played live. You are fortunate to have that ability.
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1 ReactionYes, thanks, finally I'm improving.
Hot baths are great, but the last time I took one I fainted when I started getting up and hit my head on the side of the tub. I woke up to my frightened spouse trying to revive me after she heard the thud and rushed in. My body doesn't regulate temperature properly since the spinal compression, and I guess I was a bit like a boiled frog. I'm going to try a bath again soon, but will stay sitting for a while after the water drains until I'm certain I don't feel light-headed.
I did not respond well to opioids in hospital recovering from surgery (bizarre, vivid dreams every time I closed my eyes), so I've consistently declined them when offered — that's on me rather than the system. CBDs did nothing for me, but Pregabalin (Lyrica) helped a lot with the nerve pain from my spinal injury. Unfortunately, it was also slowing the return of sensation below my ribs, so I finally titrated off it in 2023.
Most of the time the pain is mild and I'm coping fine, but every once in a while I have a rough couple of pain weeks, like the ones I just came through. The world looks much sunnier today.
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