Quick question if I may.  My friend finished her radiation treatment a few months ago and is now experiencing some severe pain in that radiated area.  It is to the point where she can not lift her arm up or even lift a cup.  The pain started about a month ago and got steadily worse. It happens when she moves it, does not move it, and when something bumps her in that area.  She did go to the doctor last week and they did x-rays and did not have an answer for her (typical Kaiser response).  She did have a pet scan last week and will get the results tomorrow with her oncologist.  Her doctor did go over the pet scan findings for that specific area where she has the pains and there was no cancer there...thank goodness...but she gets the rest of the pet scan results tomorrow.

 

I think it is because of radiation.  I know her tissues and nerves have to heal and rebuild and the fact that she is on chemo can slow that process down a bit.  I was just wondering if anybody else had pain like this and what helped it go away....or if I am way off base with my assumptions then please let me know that as well. 

 

Thanks

Craig

 

Craig, sorry I can't answer your question directly.  Did she let the radiologist know that she is having this problem?  They may be able to help her with it.  But at the very least, if the PET scans are clear, let her ask for some physical therapy to help.

 

(I had radiation to my neck a couple of months ago, and having just started a new chemo regimen, I'm finding that I'm having "radiation recall" on my neck. Not too bad right now, thank goodness.  This might be some of what she is experiencing?)

 

Hope that things start to go well with her, and you.