Just wondered if anyone has experienced hip pain, so bad at times I can barely walk? I finished all treatment July 2013 and was fine (my hips were fine at least) until about 6 -7 weeks ago when I started to get an ache in my left hip. This got progressively worse & became really painful & hurt with every step, it even hurt when I sneezed. Painkillers just about took the edge off it but it still persists and in the last week, strangely, it has moved from the left hip to my right with evern greater severity.
It has got me worried that something sinister is going on as not only have I got the hip pain which is new, I have also had episodes of urinary incontinence which started about May this year. This only seems to happen overnight however and after the first episode back in May I wear a pad at night. Since my rad. hyst. the sensation to pee has never come back to me so I don't even know I'm doing it, it doesn't waken me so I always go to bed prepared as it were. My mind is working overtime now and starting to relate these 2 problems to each other, somehow connected? I have seen my Oncologist for a regular check-up and she sent me for an xray there & then and also referred me for a more detailed bone density scan which is later this month. She said that radiotherapy can cause fractures in the pelvis but until this is confirmed my stress levels are going up. As yet I've had no results from the first xray and as time goes on my mind is working overtime.
I wondered if any of you ladies have experienced similar, and can reassure me in any way?
I finished my treatment in July last year, ever since then my hip has suffered with pain and lack of mobility. I am told this is very common after radiotherapy as it weakens the bones, I have an orthopeadic consultant who has tried a steroid injection into my hip to see if that would ease the pain, it has got a few weeks but has now stopped giving me any relief,I think the next step is an operation to remove the grisle that built up in my hip due to the radiotherapy. Please believe me when I say more often than not the hip pain is nothing sinister.
with regards to your urinary problem I'm glad I am not the only one! Ever since I had brachytherapy I seem to constantly leak urine but I can't feel when it's happening (unless I cough, sneeze, laugh etc) I've been made to believe that this normal and there isn't much my consultant can do about it. All the side edefects are rubbish but i see it as a small price to pay.
I hope you get some sort of relief from the pain soon.
Hi, sorry to hear that you are suffering with this awful pain, I can't help you with that as although my hips often feel tender and bruised I wouldn't call it pain. The bladder problem I can relate to! I take Vesicare every day to help control my bladder and it does help (most of the time!!) so if you don't already take it, you could ask your Dr for some? I really hope you get your results soon and they are good results and your pain eases.
Hi, sorry to hear that you are suffering with this awful pain, I can't help you with that as although my hips often feel tender and bruised, fortunately for me, I wouldn't call it pain. The bladder problem I can relate to! I take Vesicare every day to help control my bladder and it does help (most of the time!!) so if you don't already take it, you could ask your Dr for some? I really hope you get your results soon and they are good results and your pain eases.
Thanks Laura for the reassurance on the cause of the hip pain, you seem to be further on with the investigation into yours than I am with mine. I sooo hope you are right about it being nothing sinister. If I could just have it confirmed, I can deal with the pain so long as it's not my worst fear. The side effects just keep on coming but I can deal with the practicalities of that. It's over a month since I had the xray and so far no results yet - that itself just sets your mind racing - waiting sucks! I had a follow up CT scan in July past and to put it in their words it was 'satisfactory'. Even that concerned me as if you're like me, you hang on every word the Consultants & Oncologists say, analysing what you think it means.
This site really helps, whenever there's doubt or worry it's great to post our concerns in the hope that somebody will have had similar experience & can come on & give you the reassurance & encouragement that we need from time to time.
Hello lilykins, thanks for your reply. I saw the Oncologist recently & mentioned the bladder issues to her, but she prescribed Vagifem! She said it would help to make the bladder more sinsitive but I know it's for vaginal dryness and believe me that's the least of my worries - what was she thinking of?? It's HRT administered into the vagina so I've no idea how it woud help with my bladder. Is Vesicare available over the counter or should I ask the doctor about it? I've not heard of it before.
Hi. Sorry to hear about your pain. One thing that stuck out for me was your nighttime incontinence. Are you sure it's wee? I say this because I had the same prior to diagnosis. Would wake in the morning and 'wee' would dribble down my leg. I thought I was incontinent. However it was discharge and it was expkained to me that it 'pooled' overnight and then gravity did it's job in the morning.
I dont need to tell you that hip pain could be something just as it could be nothing (sinister at least) but it's worrying you so tell your CNS and see what she says.
Hello there, thanks for your reply. To answer your question - I'm pretty sure it's pee - far too much of it to be discharge.
I haven't had much contact with the CNS - I last heard from her back in 2013 when I was still using the catheters. I met up with her again at a Jo's meeting a couple of weeks ago and she didn't really remember me. I found that the team who treated me back in 2012/2013 were amazing and the care I received was second to none, however, I found the after care lacking. The CNS was supposed to be part of the aftercare team but as I say, lacking in my experience.
Off to the Doctor tomorow so I'll see what the craic is with her.
By the way, I've enjoyed your blog, I sometimes go on there to read up on your progress, I may suffer from the same sense of humour. (funny but not)
Yes, the results are long in coming, I've rung my GP surgery several times already as the results go there, but nothing yet. I'm seeing the GP tomorrow so I'll ask her to chase them up, it's over a month now. I could ring the Oncologist's secretary, get her to check if it's even being prepared to send out. Part of me is scared now to ring directly, in case I hear something I don't want to hear. Maybe it's no big deal and they're in no hurry to let me know?
Hi Sharon, Don't know how I managed to post my comment twice!! I would imagine that Vesicare is prescription only, my oncologist prescribed it for me and I now have it on repeat prescription off my GP. I would ask your GP about it as it has definitely helped me, it isn't a miracle cure for incontinence but it does help!
Hello ladies. Saw the GP today. Still no results for xray. She believes it may be muscular or in the tissues, especially as it shifted from the left hip to the right. She suggested I take paracetamol & Ibuprofen when it's really bad and listen to my body, resting when it tells me to. She reckoned if the results showed anything up then I'd have been contacted already. However, in my experience no news is just no news! I've found that bad news is not relayed to you any faster than good news. I'll just have to continue with the waiting game & dose myself with painkillers so I don't think about it so much!
Hi Sharon, really sorry to hear that you are in pain. It's 10 months since I had radio etc and I def notice my hips/ pelvis to be more achy all the time but couldn't describe it as a severe pain. Was sent for bone density scan which shows osteopenia so put it down to that. With regards to bladder I also recently find that if I literally don't get to toilet as soon as I get the feeling then it's just too late. I too still don't have much sensation. Bit of problem if I'm not close to a loo.lol but hey it's pretty much the joys of radiotherapy after effects. I think we must have the same consultant as I too was prescribed this vagifem to help with bladder. But if I was you I'd d ed ring Secretary and ask for Dr to speak with you about results to give yourself some peace of mind. Hope the pain settles soon and that your mind eases x
Pain in the hips is often the sign of a bad back, so it could well be entirely unrelated to your cancer, especially if it is sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other. You might find a short walk along level roads helps a bit.
Hello all - just an update on the hip pain. I was getting down about it as painkillers don't seem to be taking the edge off it and along with new bladder & bowel issues I am getting really anxious now. Got an emergency appointment with my GP yesterday and he didn't really put my mind at ease. He was able to 'hack in' to the computer system and get me the result of my xray, which showed nothing - no fractures. So it's not my hip bones, he got me up on the table & twisted my legs all shapes & I didn't flinch - no pain. Good but bad news if you know what I mean - a fracture I can work with, anything else I'll go under. He knows I have a bone density scan on Monday 27th therefore wants to wait until he gets results from that before he does anything. He said he can't send me for MRI or anything, he would have to refer me back to the Oncologist for that - now that scared me because I know now what he's thinking - it might be back?
Has anyone had similar expeience where the pain has turned out not to be your hip bones or joints? Please?What else can it be?
I know how terrifying this must be for you right now, and I'd love to give you a great big hug. Really this could just be something disc related in your spine. Have you been dojng heavy lifting or carrying in the last fortnight? I had a slipped disc donkey's years ago and the first I knew about it was excruciating pain in the hip. It felt like somebody had taken a very long, thin screwdriver out of the freezer and poked it between the ball and socket of my hip joint.
No, that doesn't sound very nice either does it, but not everything is a recurrence, so try to stay positive until Monday at least.
