I have only been diagnosed 4 weeks so am at the beginning of my journey. I am a 59 year old lady. Always busy, and lucky to have had very little wrong with me. Following the tiniest of falls, where I fell forward onto my knees and didnt hurt myself, I thought nothing of it. I had lost some sensation in my left leg went to put my foot down and couldnt feel the floor. It only lasted 5 mins and was gone. I put it down to a trapped nerve, I have had those before. I checked it out with doc who seemed to think that probably was correct and was put down for a couple of none urgent scans, just to check. 3 days later the pain started in my leg, it was nothing like a trapped nerve. It was horrendous and relentless, day night sat stood didnt matter. I am very tough and resiliant to pain but this was incredible.Took some paracetamol and ibuprofen and waited for it to go. It didnt, in fact it was getting worse if that was remotely even possible. Finally after10 days trying my best it was just too much, I knew I was at the end of coping. No sleep hardly, and pain that didnt stop. I was now in a state crying in agony all the time. The pressure had dropped in my leg again and I literally couldnt walk more than 10 steps. From this point I knew for definate there was something seriously wrong, this super brave persona was long gone. I ended up at hospital in same day emergency care a quivering wreck. The speed at which things started to happen took my breath away. 2 scans, 7 x rays, blood tests in 6 hours. Before leaving, with tons of pain killers I was told this doesnt look good. There was nodules in my lung, one of which was very concerning at 20mm and all the glands in my lungs were substantially raised. Tomorrow morning expect to be contacted by the hospital early. within a day I had 8 consecutive scans mri and things I hadnt even heard of booked for the following 8 days, starting today at 11am. It wasnt hard to guess what this was and that night with all those painkillers nothing subsided. My brother and sister in law took me, me partner was already seriously ill upstairs in the same hospital. That day i gave in and had to get a wheelchair at the door. We saw a different doctor who explained again the seriousness of this situation was grave. I was given a cancer nurse, there and then and told she is going to do everything for you. My reaction was blase to say the least, I wasnt frightened and was very upbeat just cracking jokes. Certain now that they knew what it was that I would get treated, recover and as everything else that would be that. My brother and sister in law were taking this so much harder than me and I was really worried about them and suddenly realised the family were going to struggle with this. At this point cancer had not been confirmed. That day I had an mri scan on my lower back, supposed to be half hour. It was 90 minutes of absolute torture. We waited around a couple of hours and then got the results. I had a tumour growing round my spine and next day I had emergency radiotherapy to try and get me out of pain. It worked and so quick, the relief was immense, I was totally upbeat now, thinking one down and result. I was told he was sorry but the wait to find everything out was 7 - 10 days, cultures. I didnt care I wasnt in pain now. Some of the sensation had come back in my leg and next day I made it round the corridors on foot, pain free, with little more than a limp. I was told the results would come after the MDT which was 8 days. In the meantime I would carry on each day with the tests. It was so much easier, out of pain, but I was getting really tired. My partner now out of hospital was able to come with me on day 5 saying they had enough results now to make a full diagnosis. So he and I got to see the oncologist together, him complete with oxygen. I was not expecting what came next. SMLC they believed I had only had it since christmas and there was nothing I could of done. It had already spread to my stomach, liver, and bones. No cure, no operation but a whole host of chemo and radio to extend my life. It was going to be gruelling. Ok how long - 5 years was in my head - but no - without treatment 3 to 6 months and with full intervention maybe 12 to 15 month! At which point my partner love of my life cracked. My decision was made, there was no question I was going to do everything to stay alive, whatever it took. Its only numbers guestimate. I will beat this and I will defy the odds. I didnt even cry a feeling of fight and determination and peace too strangely, came over me. Watching my partner gave me insight into how hard this was going to be for my family, much harder than for me. I was very grateful to know and thankful that I had some time to prepare and look after them. I am ever the optimist, and truly believe I can do so much better with my motto, I am going to live forever. I would not have the last 2 tests, there was no point. The treatment would be exactly the same. I was grateful for that too. The chemo would have started earlier, but I was physically not fit enough now, so it was delayed for 3 weeks to give me time to recover and I was grateful for that too. The pain side of things remains fantastic, but the sensation in my leg was back and I was no longer able to walk much, so back to the wheelchair. However the solution turned out to be simple. They had tried to wean me off the steroids too early, so they were reinstated immediately cant have the steroids anyway when the chemo starts in 2 weeks. But gradually the strength is coming back in my leg, so I am out the wheelchair again. Im out to ladies that lunch tomorrow!! my confidence is coming back, my partner finally found out what what was wrong and is on the right medication and has surpassed every expectation of him. To be honest he is helping me more at the moment, by far. My question - has anyone else out there had this sort of pain?????
