I have secondary breast cancer with mets to bones and lungs. In November, I was/am experiencing severe pain in my back and the left hand side of my ribs.
Reported this to oncologist and my scan was brought forward a month. I had the scan on 7th December.
I am taking morphine. This was originally prescribed for pain in my hip which has been treated with 
radiotherapy which seems to have done the trick as I no longer have pain in my hip.
However, the pain in my back/ribs has gradually got worse. The morphine helps somewhat but doesn't take away all of the pain. I have just been prescribed Gabapentin as the palliative care nurse thinks there is a nerve component to my pain. I have only taken my first dose so too early to tell if this will work.
I met with the oncologist on Wednesday 8th January and she said that the cancer in my hip/lungs has not responded to Letrozole so that has been stopped. I asked her if the pain I am experiencing is due to cancer spreading to my ribs. She then brought up the scan on screen and she was surprised to see that there is a lot of fluid on my left lung which, she says, hadn't been reported.
She has arranged for me to have this fluid drained on Tuesday.
I am still in a state of shock. I can't help but think that Christmas may have been so different if I'd received the treatment earlier. As it was, I was in a great deal of discomfort and couldn't enjoy what was very likely to be my last Christmas with my family.
I know that nothing is guaranteed but I'm praying that having the fluid drained will help with the pain. I am feeling so down.
Not sure why I am posting this. Just need to get my thoughts out there I think.
Best wishes to all of you and your loved ones.
