Just a small concern

Hi,

I'm sure most of you know me and the story of my husbands cancer. He is approaching his one year checkup and ct scan this month. Staged 1A no further treatment. For the past 2 weeks his back has been really bad. He has had back problems before. Nothing diagnosed, just work related, whatever. Ok, now he hasn't worked for almost a year. Back went bad about 2 weeks ago. Got a little better then we had plumbing problems under the sink so worked on that and got a little worse again. I think......he has layed around too long so the back muscles are weak but in the back of my mind ( and I have not said this to him) I am worried that maybe something spread? Would it show in the Ct scan? It is lung and abdominal ct that he is having. He would NEVER want to mention it to the Dr (Thoracic) because he wouldn't want to have further tests. It's just that......anything that is wrong I worry about . I have urged him to go to the Dr if it didn't get better but he wouldn't. No other symptoms, he looks great, great appetite, has actually gained weight (was very thin before cancer) . Has just been nagging at me and what better place to go? Thanks all. Kathy

By texaszan
Posted October 8, 2009 at 12:15 am
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Please, please, please get him an MRI. My husband had the same thing, back pain after initial NED and I'm now waiting for his ashes to be returned to me tomorrow. Don't trust a CT scan unless they scan the whole back. My husband had two CT's and they still kept telling him he was NED. I can tell you exactly what to do, take him to an orthopedic doc. He'll give him an MRI and if it's just a regular back problem he'll be able to fix it. If it's something else he'll send him back to his oncologist. Please show this to your husband...it was a horrible way to die, so much pain and it could have been avoided or at least better managed had he been able to get an MRI sooner.

By cuddles53
Posted October 8, 2009 at 1:46 am
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I have to agree with Texaszan,
she has been to hell and back, and is so much into getting evryone checked, she does not want to se what happened to her hubby have happen to someone else. How kind of her to be this way. I want to help her too, she is hurting so much.
I think any time there is a pain that just will not go awaqy ion a few days it is time to talk to the oncologist and as she has just told you it may be best to go to the ortho man. I am thinking the same thing with my partner who has been having sever e back pains as well, they never find anything except the usual problems with all bad backs but his is worse. I also had a friend whose father had it grow in his spine and he too had horrible pain and died quickly, so it is nothing to play around with. If caught early enough, they can use the cyberknife on it and kill it.
I am so sorry another problem has come up.
god bless many prayers for you.
Sandy

By cuddles53
Posted October 8, 2009 at 1:57 am
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Dear Texaszan,
I know you are still hurting so much. My prayers go out to you. I understand how you feel. I know the real fear of knowing something else could have been done to save a life. It happened to me too with my husband. I know if I had done more and made them get off of their asses!!! I could have prevented my husbands death. I live with it every day. I see his face struggling to live, and iIdid some things I should not have done. I hired hospice, and he was not ready to die. I should not have listened, I should have made them give him a tube feeding. I knew my husband, and he was not a quitter, he wanted to live, but thinking it was in his best interest, as he was in pain, and could not eat or drink, he was aspirating it all in his lungs, I still should have asked for the tube feeding. I didn't. I live with this knowing maybe I could have prevented his death. It is a horrible thing to relive. I also think for you, you saw that your husband was having these pains, and nothing was being done for him. Everything was too slow in happening, all things on hold for too long, No one listening. and it was too late. This is haunting you, and you want to be sure it does not happen to anyone else. You can not prevent it from happening to everyone, but you sure are gonna try for all of us. I know, I appreciate what you are doing, I respect you for what you are doing. I also pray for you to heal in the loss of your loving husband. I will keep praying for you.
God bless Sandy

By stage1
Posted October 8, 2009 at 2:25 am
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ksep, Im sorry your husband is having problems. I agree with the others, to get additional tests. Has he had a Pet Scan? I am getting ready to have one and was wondering if a Pet Scan would be better for him to get. Please ask you doctors..

God Bless

By beckylynn
Posted October 8, 2009 at 6:03 am
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Kathy,
My mom's lung cancer took 3 months to dx. She was suffering from lower back pain. Dr. thought it was osteperosis (sp??) and gave her celebrex to see if it would work. Pain did not get better he did a bone density test came back good. Only after she started vomitting did he do the additional testings which she ended up being dx w/Stage IV NSCLC.

I have had several people tell me their original pain was in their lower back so tell your husband he needs to get it checked out. If it has moved to his back area, they can work on treatment now.

Becky

By cards7up
Posted October 8, 2009 at 7:24 am
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Morning, too bad he's being so hard headed about conferring with his doctor as it could save his life. He's not that old, so why wouldn't he want to live? I understand the testing is a pain, but the cancer is a lot worse. Try to talk some sense into him or talk to the doctor yourself. You are his wife. Good luck and take care, JC

By Chum
Posted October 8, 2009 at 8:00 am
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My first year after being diagnosed 1a and having a lobectomy, every time I had a pain, I worried. What I did was to set time limits - if my back didn't feel better in three days, I'd promised myself that I would go to the doctor. I told my wife about whatever ailment I had and wrote it down. Then, I would check every day and see when I had an ailment and how long before it had been. Never had to go to the doctor - everything went away. But I had a plan and a "trigger" - a particular length of time - that would send me for more tests. Worked for me... and that was almost five years ago. The fear has diminished, but the plan remains. Every time I feel something might be wrong, I set up a trigger.

Courage

Chum

By Marylou1
Posted October 8, 2009 at 10:31 am
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Kathy,
I understand your fears and please do your best to talk your husband into something more than a CT scan of the lungs and abdomen. An MRI or a PET/CT scan would be great. I get the combo each time I am scanned.

You just don't know about this beast. It could be some pulled muscles and yet it could be something else. Please ask him to NOT take any chances.

Sending prayers and much love,
Marylou

By ksep
Posted October 8, 2009 at 11:11 am
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Thanks everyone,

I just got done talking to him. He was better but then did some plumbing under the sink so got a little worse again. I just came out and asked him how it was and he said a little better. I explained to him that I had posted and about your replies. We discussed it so I will keep you posted. Kathy

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