Metastatic breast cancer: Anyone else?

Welcome @rae3. I'm glad you found us. I'm tagging fellow Connect members @wandering @barnum @silky59 and @saltis, all of whom have shared about having metastatic breast cancer. In the case of Silky, it is also bone metastases.

Rae, It must've been hard to believe that the cancer came back after 16 years. Soon after treatments one tends to think every ache and sniffle could be a sign that cancer has come back, but after 16 years, I bet this came as a shock. How are tolerating the injections?

Welcome @rae3. I'm glad you found us. I'm tagging fellow Connect members @wandering @barnum @silky59 and @saltis, all of whom have shared about having metastatic breast cancer. In the case of Silky, it is also bone metastases.

Rae, It must've been hard to believe that the cancer came back after 16 years. Soon after treatments one tends to think every ache and sniffle could be a sign that cancer has come back, but after 16 years, I bet this came as a shock. How are tolerating the injections?

How true...retired moved to Florida and learned to play tennis. The muscle pains I was experiencing were really the return of cancer. I guess I am fortunate for now it is in the bones and not a major organ as yet. I see you have joined recently...is this a recent diagnosis for you?? How long have you been on this regimen?? Interesting that I get xgeva monthly and you every 3 months. I will have to ask my oncologist about that. Hope your next treatment works better. My oncologist tells me there are several other alternatives if need be. Hope the next one for you works better. Keep us updated...

I was diagnosed with two different cancers in my left breast in April of 2013. I felt the cancer in my nipple and knew something was wrong. I decided to have bilateral mastectomies on July 15, 2013. The 4th day, my husband took me home and within a half hour had left to go golfing. I couldn't even open a pill bottle! I should not have been surprised because he was never there when I was sick. I got lucky and didn't have to have chemo or radiation. I didn't think I would ever set foot in the Cancer Institute again. Low and behold, just 3-1/2 years later my back pain got so bad that I went to Urgent Care and from there to another doctor because they didn't know what was wrong. I found out my back is pretty much full of cancer, the clavicle, ribs spine, pelvis and some in my femur. I wish someone would have told me to watch for back pain!! So that was February of this year. I have had two rounds of radiation and was hospitalized for 3 days in May to try to get my pain under control. This was the most horrendous pain I have ever had! I was almost screaming and sobbing at the same time. I hated that my son and Mom and Dad had to see me like that. After radiation, my pain was gone for 2 months. It came back and has steadily increased, even though my CT was good in October. It seems that my morphine and Flexeril aren't doing anything for my pain now. I have been very depressed today. I go through this about every 3 weeks. I feel like I have nothing to live for. The world goes on around me and I sit in my apartment. I have heard many times, but what about your kids? I have the best kids in the world and they will live without me. I just don't want to end up like a few friends who laid in bed dying while their family watched in terrible pain.

I am so sad reading your story. Is the pain in your back breast cancer that has spread or some other cancer type? I can't offer anything but support and reverence for your strength and will. Perhaps a new or second pain drug might help? Morphine has never worked on my pain (oddly) but Dilaudid (not sure on that spelling) always works for me. Don't know if you might be able to investigate alternative pain control. I don't think it's any consolation to you but reading your post today made me realize that I am blessed and need to quite worrying and whining about my breast cancer diagnosis because right now I am not in pain and as far as I know....cancer free and 'holding'. Prayers from me tonight and hope that your pain will subside and that you will be able to find moments of happiness despite the horror you are going through with all of this. It's all I have to give to you, but you are not alone because I will never forget your post and I am a better person for it. Your life has more meaning than you know.

I was diagnosed with two different cancers in my left breast in April of 2013. I felt the cancer in my nipple and knew something was wrong. I decided to have bilateral mastectomies on July 15, 2013. The 4th day, my husband took me home and within a half hour had left to go golfing. I couldn't even open a pill bottle! I should not have been surprised because he was never there when I was sick. I got lucky and didn't have to have chemo or radiation. I didn't think I would ever set foot in the Cancer Institute again. Low and behold, just 3-1/2 years later my back pain got so bad that I went to Urgent Care and from there to another doctor because they didn't know what was wrong. I found out my back is pretty much full of cancer, the clavicle, ribs spine, pelvis and some in my femur. I wish someone would have told me to watch for back pain!! So that was February of this year. I have had two rounds of radiation and was hospitalized for 3 days in May to try to get my pain under control. This was the most horrendous pain I have ever had! I was almost screaming and sobbing at the same time. I hated that my son and Mom and Dad had to see me like that. After radiation, my pain was gone for 2 months. It came back and has steadily increased, even though my CT was good in October. It seems that my morphine and Flexeril aren't doing anything for my pain now. I have been very depressed today. I go through this about every 3 weeks. I feel like I have nothing to live for. The world goes on around me and I sit in my apartment. I have heard many times, but what about your kids? I have the best kids in the world and they will live without me. I just don't want to end up like a few friends who laid in bed dying while their family watched in terrible pain.