I finished chemo radiotherapy in October. I have been experiencing excruciating pain in my right shoulder/shoulder blade since then. I had not had this pain prior to treatment. I called the hospital and a nurse rang me back. She advised me to contact the GP. She didn’t think it was anything to do with the treatment. I didn’t think to ask if she had put it past a Dr or an oncologist. The pain comes on suddenly and is so painful.
Has anybody else experienced anything like this?
Hi AW3 ,
Although I haven’t experienced this particular issue myself I would do as advised & run it past your GP, don’t let them brush it off either, hopefully it’ll be nothing to be concerned about but considering what you’ve been through of late understandably your mind won’t be put to rest until this is checked out properly so insist that it’s is. I hope you get some answers soon.
Nicola
I contacted the GP surgery and I have an appointment next Friday to see the nurse 
I honestly don’t know what she’ll be able to tell me? I am thinking all sorts in my head which isn’t good. Nobody knows what you go through after a cancer diagnosis as every little twinge anywhere in the body makes you anxious.
thank you for your reply. I was diagnosed late July and haven’t felt able to post anything until now. Although I do have a read on here and it does help to know you’re not the only one going through this hell that is cancer!
I do wonder if you’re ever the same again? At the moment I don’t feel I’ll ever be me again.
x
Hi again AW3 , if that’s all your GP’s surgery has offered you then I would probably give your oncologist a call to see if you could be seen a little earlier than planned. Even in the midst of all of this the receptionist is obviously still reluctant to give you an appointment to see an actual Dr!! In normal circumstances then a nurse possibly would be first point of call for back pain etc., but yours are not normal circumstances, you’re dealing with a cancer diagnosis!! Both my colorectal surgeon & oncologist both made it clear to me throughout that should I need to be seen between appointments then all I had to do was call. You’ll not rest until this has been checked out so just do what you need to do.
I think any acute illness changes us to a certain degree forever, once recovered I tried to make a conscious decision not to let this rule the rest of my life, 6+ years on I do sit & ruminate a little too deeply sometimes but give myself a quick shake & do something to distract myself so I don’t disappear down that wormhole!
Nicola
Hi,
so I wasn’t seeing the nurse as the receptionist told me 
♀️ I was seeing the Dr. He ordered x-rays and referral to physio. Checked me over, he was wanting to rule out metastasis. Did not want anymore medication due to trying to keep on top of keeping BM soft.
By saturday morning I was in agony again. I could not take a deep breath in it hurt so bad. I had no choice other than to attend A&E. It was an awful experience. We were there 10 hours. People in t
waiting room eating McDonalds and charging their phones having a right laugh in the mix of poorly people that really didn’t want to be there. Anyway, I go through to triage, nurse couldn’t give a ot why I was there. She did not take everything down for my being there. Have me paracetamol and ibuprofen and told me go back to waiting room. Off we go, then I started to feel quite nauseous. My rtner notified staff. Another nurse told me I was third on the list now to see the Dr. Therefore, I’d have to wait. Eventually Dr called me through. By this point the nausea had got worse. Dr was rlly nice and it was then I found out exactly how much detail the triage nurse had taken. None of my cancer history or treatment. X-ray and D-Dimer bloods taken. Bloods came back positive for PE altugh she did say this could be positive due to the cancer. CT clear. BP dropped to low level. Was told to sit with head between my legs and was left there. I was given oral morphine which I’m sure mbody has become immune by now but the IV morphine was something else. It made me so sick. Dr wanted to keep me in however, said I’d be waiting in A&E for two days. I came home, could not stay sitti on a chair for that long. Poor elderly sick patients waiting for beds
I saw my GP on the Monday. She arranged more x-rays on back to rule out any fractures. As I waa still in agony she prescribed naproxen and co-codamol 30/500. They did help with the pain however, two days later I was in total agony on the loo. I took senna, laxido, lactulose and morphine to be able to go.
saw the physio on Wednesday. Nothing muscular however, she was querying gall bladder. As you experience right shoulder/back pain with gall stones or inflammation. I’m waiting to hear back from my GP with regards to this.
x
Oh gosh AW3 what an ordeal for you! I really hope someone can give you some firm answers & some effective treatment for your pain soon. Let us know how you get on.
Nicola
