Every Ache is a Pain

Today, I received the quarterly reassuring news that my tumor markers were the same as last time, with no elevation. My oncologist seemed pleased, and therefor so was I.

I was almost out the door to pick up my 10 year son from school, preoccupied with being late because my oncologist had been an hour behind schedule, when I was reminded by a persistent pain in my hip that I had forgotten to mention to the doctor. It's a pain that I've had for a few months and it can actually take my breath away if I move wrong every now and then.

Now, I'm not trying to be dramatic, but the truth, for me at least, is that even the smallest ache that doesn't subside in time causes pause for concern - is it cancer? Admittedly, that's what goes through my mind when I have a nagging ache that cannot be tamed by Advil or Tylenol.

I know that chemotherapy and the Tamoxifen I take can cause joint pain, but unfortunately, so can cancer. So when I casually and sort of "Oh by the way" mentioned it to my oncologist, he promptly returned me to the exam room. "I don't think it's cancer, but you'll need an MRI so we can see what's going on." He said.

Knowing full well that breast cancer often travels to the bones, it took me back to all the testing I had to do when I was first diagnosed and it got my over active imagination going again. I'm sure it's what I had suspected, residual side affects from the cancer treatment, or, um, old age, but nevertheless, my mind, oh how it wanders.

Please pray for me while I will wait for the MRI and subsequent results (probably within the next few weeks). In the meantime, I will try to make light of this by recalling and trying to believe the wisely spoken words of Arnold Schwarzenegger "It's not a tumor!"

http://youtu.be/6ucfgdFrlho