New Concern

[Scared1234]

So I was looking at social media and an image popped up of a person with pain in the hip and I clicked on it. It was all about signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma. I’d heard of it before and a co-worker was talking about how her mom was recently diagnosed. I didn’t think anything of it until I started reading the symptoms. Now I’m wondering if that could be the cause of my rib pain and hip pain. There’s no cure, either, so that’s freaking me out. I wonder if it would have shown up on a CT scan of abdominal/pelvis. Do hip bones show up on pelvis CT? I also had protein in my urine and blood at the ER, but not in my urine last week. Didn’t have blood checked again. Protein in urine and blood is also a symptom.
Anybody with any experience?!

 

[bin_tenn]

With all these concerns, I would advise asking your doctor. That'd be the only person who can truly answer those questions.

 

[Scared1234]

With all these concerns, I would advise asking your doctor. That'd be the only person who can truly answer those questions.

I have an appointment next Thursday with the kidney doctor. I’m not sure he can answer that question, but I could ask. I also know it’s not super common in people under 40. So I’m sure it would take some convincing for anyone to take me seriously. I was just curious if anybody had any experience with the same. I will stop asking on here. It’s just been an outlet for when I’ve been worried, especially on the weekends. Thanks!

 

[bin_tenn]

You don't have to stop posting, I'd never ask you to do that. Just offering my own advice, since I have no experience with it. That's what I'd do. We're all here to provide support and help you and everyone else through anxiety, we know how rough it is.

 

[Scared1234]

You don't have to stop posting, I'd never ask you to do that. Just offering my own advice, since I have no experience with it. That's what I'd do. We're all here to provide support and help you and everyone else through anxiety, we know how rough it is.

Yes, but I need to quit asking others. It’s hard to get in with my doctor and then I always feel weird bringing up what I think might be wrong with me. I’m surprised it was never mentioned that this could be a possibility, but I don’t think she fully understood what I was saying when I said I had pain IN my ribs, not just under them. And that I have pain right on and near the hip bone. So I guess I need to muster up the courage to call and ask if she can look into this for me.
I was really hoping the pains were just from something like my kidney cysts, pulled muscle or just my anxiety. But it’s looking pretty clear that I have all the symptoms of Multiple Myeloma and it wasn’t something I’d even originally considered. My doctor is great but she’s hard to get into. And I know she would look into this, but I’m also scared to look into it. I feel like my health has been one worry after another since December and now I finally know what it probably is, and it’s a terrible cancer to have! I mean, it’s not curable. I feel so guilty every time I think of my children and I am once again no able to sleep because I keep having dreams about hip pain and having this multiple myeloma. My nerves are co okeyely shot... again.
Sorry—supposed to say- my nerves are completely shot.

 

[Scared1234]

I’m at a loss...I just have so many of the symptoms of multiple myeloma that I didn’t even realize that’s what it could be. I’ve been so focused on kidneys and liver and pancreas and ovaries. I hadn’t even thought about a blood cancer. Let alone one that isn’t curable at all! My friends tell me that if my pcp was worried, she would have referred me out for th protein in the blood, just like she did refer me to a kidney dr. She told me if my lower abdominal pain came back to let her know and she’s do an US. Every since I read about MM last night, my hip and ribs have constantly hurt. I’m so worried and so scared. I don’t know if I should call the dr and ask why she wasn’t concerned and if there would be any reason to be or not. I think at that point, she’d pass me along to someone because if my anxiety and then that would cause even more anxiety that she was passing me along, thinking it could be MM.
I was NEVER worried about bone cancer or any blood cancer. I was worried about cancer that had spread to my bone, and obviously should have realized that’s what a blood cancer does! . I feel so defeated. I can’t sleep or eat, again. I’m tired of feeling this way and having all these pains. Then if you recall from prior posts, I’d had a dream telling me not to ignore hip pain and then the next day I had hip pain. I just can’t let that go!!

 

[Iugrad91]

I’ve had hip and rib pain and mine was from a twisted pelvis. Went to physical therapy and it is 98% better. There was a time I thought I’d never be without pain. Have you considered it’s a nerve/muscle issue? Self diagnosing from google is not wise, so many of us have been there and done that and the percentage of people who have actually been correct is probably less that 0.1%.

 

[Scared1234]

I’ve had hip and rib pain and mine was from a twisted pelvis. Went to physical therapy and it is 98% better. There was a time I thought I’d never be without pain. Have you considered it’s a nerve/muscle issue? Self diagnosing from google is not wise, so many of us have been there and done that and the percentage of people who have actually been correct is probably less that 0.1%.

Well, I will admit I’ve had my pelvis uneven before when seeing the chiropractor. This doesn’t feel the same though. Maybe the rib pain, but not the hip bone pain. It’s that in conjunction with the elevated protein in my blood work that was never mentioned to me that has me worried.

 

[Scared1234]

Well, I will admit I’ve had my pelvis uneven before when seeing the chiropractor. This doesn’t feel the same though. Maybe the rib pain, but not the hip bone pain. It’s that in conjunction with the elevated protein in my blood work that was never mentioned to me that has me worried.

I sent a message to my doctor so I’m hoping to hear back from her early tomorrow. The hip pain has been so bad today. I don’t know if it’s from anxiety or from it actually being multiple myeloma. There are just a few things that can cause protein in your blood, and I don’t have have any of those (hiv, liver disease, kidney disease). The only other thing: cancer like multiple myeloma.

 

[FinneousRex]

Could be viral hepatitis. Which is treatable.

 

[Scared1234]

Could be viral hepatitis. Which is treatable.

I’ve never had any symptoms of hepatitis. I’d take it over MM, though.

 

[FinneousRex]

I’ve never had any symptoms of hepatitis. I’d take it over MM, though.

Did you look up viral hepatitis? It describes the symptoms you are experiencing, including the protein levels in your blood. And more importantly, it’s treatable.

 

[Scared1234]

I’ve never had any symptoms of hepatitis. I’d take it over MM, though.

I haven’t had any fevers, etc. My liver blood work was all fine. I honestly feel like MM is the only thing left on the table that it could be... this hip pain and rib pain and the protein levels make it all too real. I wish a dr had mentioned this possibility. Although that might have freaked me out even more. I don’t think she thought of my rib pain as actual pain IN the ribs, but as to organ pain instead. And I haven’t ever had this hip bone pain before.

Did you look up viral hepatitis? It describes the symptoms you are experiencing, including the protein levels in your blood. And more importantly, it’s treatable.

Yes, but my liver numbers are fine and I’ve had no fevers. And haven’t been around anyone with any type of viral hepatitis. And it wouldn’t cause bone pain, I wouldn’t think. Thank you for trying though. I do appreciate other insight. I literally have too many of the symptoms for Multiple Myeloma.

 

[Scared1234]

Well, I will admit I’ve had my pelvis uneven before when seeing the chiropractor. This doesn’t feel the same though. Maybe the rib pain, but not the hip bone pain. It’s that in conjunction with the elevated protein in my blood work that was never mentioned to me that has me worried.

My pain will start in the actually hip BONE, not just the hip area. Was yours in the hip bone or just the hip area?

 

[matisworried]

you really need to stop reading articles like this or otherwise researching symptoms. it will never be beneficial to people like us.

remember that nearly every symptom one could experience is related to hundreds of injuries, illnesses or diseases. also remember that our brains are wired to work overtime trying to connect the things we're experiencing to an illness like some sort of House M.D. puzzle. diseases aren't a checklist of symptoms. it's not common for people to experience every symptom of a disease, even in cases where it's advanced. everyone is different. many even experience symptoms that aren't listed on your standard lists.

 

[Scared1234]

you really need to stop reading articles like this or otherwise researching symptoms. it will never be beneficial to people like us.

remember that nearly every symptom one could experience is related to hundreds of injuries, illnesses or diseases. also remember that our brains are wired to work overtime trying to connect the things we're experiencing to an illness like some sort of House M.D. puzzle. diseases aren't a checklist of symptoms. it's not common for people to experience every symptom of a disease, even in cases where it's advanced. everyone is different. many even experience symptoms that aren't listed on your standard lists.

I understand. But I’m also not convinced it was my anxiety this time around. I’ve been reading personal blogs and stories of people diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and it’s shocking how none of my doctors made any connection to this. I don’t LIKE chasing a diagnosis. I would like to know my doctors are covering all their bases. I’d much rather this all be anxiety, but I honestly don’t think it is.

 

[matisworried]

I understand. But I’m also not convinced it was my anxiety this time around. I’ve been reading personal blogs and stories of people diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and it’s shocking how none of my doctors made any connection to this. I don’t LIKE chasing a diagnosis. I would like to know my doctors are covering all their bases. I’d much rather this all be anxiety, but I honestly don’t think it is.

this is a very common mindset for people like us. i have been there myself. stay away from anecdotal "information." blogs, personal stories... it is not helpful and all you are doing is pulling yourself deeper into your anxiety. the things you're experiencing don't have to be anxiety, but that doesn't mean that what you're experiencing is caused by some sinister and serious disease.

 

[Scared1234]

this is a very common mindset for people like us. i have been there myself. stay away from anecdotal "information." blogs, personal stories... it is not helpful and all you are doing is pulling yourself deeper into your anxiety. the things you're experiencing don't have to be anxiety, but that doesn't mean that what you're experiencing is caused by some sinister and serious disease.

So I just communicated with my dr and told her my concerns about the rib/hip pain with the elevated protein levels and her response was that it was barely elevated so she’d order new lab to check again and that she wasn’t too worried about Multiple Myeloma because I was much too young to present with typical symptoms. That’s hard because I have read of LOTS of people under 40 who were diagnosed. There’s a 3% chance out of about 14,740 that I could have MM at my age. Not that uncommon or rare! So I’m having my protein levels retested this afternoon. She said she’d let me know when she gets them back. When they come back elevated, she will send me for more testing.

 

[matisworried]

So I just communicated with my dr and told her my concerns about the rib/hip pain with the elevated protein levels and her response was that it was barely elevated so she’d order new lab to check again and that she wasn’t too worried about Multiple Myeloma because I was much too young to present with typical symptoms. That’s hard because I have read of LOTS of people under 40 who were diagnosed. There’s a 3% chance out of about 14,740 that I could have MM at my age. Not that uncommon or rare! So I’m having my protein levels retested this afternoon. She said she’d let me know when she gets them back. When they come back elevated, she will send me for more testing.

best of luck with your test results. i doubt highly that you have anything to be concerned about. i have been thoroughly convinced dozens of times that i had the information i needed to diagnose better than my doctor because i've spent hours going down the google rabbit hole and yet, here i sit, cancer and MS free. MM is considered a rare cancer from what i've seen, especially in people younger than 40.

 

[Scared1234]

Hello, again. I received my new blood work results. She tested my protein levels again and they were no longer elevated. That was a relief. She also tested calcium, liver and kidney functions, etc. She didn’t do CBC, but those numbers were fine a month ago at ER visit.
I had my appt with the kidney doctor, too. He didn’t seem highly concerned about anything. I had a bit of blood on the dipstick test but none when he looked at my urine under the microscope, and 1 white cell. He’s going to request the actual film from my CT and look it over and call me within the next few weeks.
My chiropractor said I had a rib out of place again so that could be causing the rib pain. I told him my fears of MM and he looked over my lab results and said he wasn’t worried.
None of my drs seem worried or like I should pursue further testing. I hope they are all correct!
I still am having hip pain but now it’s going down the back of my butt. Tylenol and heat tend to help. I’m still worried it’s bone pain from MM. but, from what I’ve read, the bone pain begins once your calcium level is abnormal, and mine isn’t. Or at least that’s how I understood it. I could be wrong.
I’ve been trying to put my MM fears away but every time I feel a pain in my shoulders, hip, leg, ankle, etc I get worried again.
Also, here’s another worry—-tonight I was rubbing my neck and found a large lump. I’m not sure if it’s a lymph node or part of my muscle. I’m trying not to worry, as I had a feeling of fighting off a sore throat for two days, but felt fine today. I worry since MM is a blood cancer, that’s what is causing the swollen lymph node. But, when I look in the mirror I can see it! Any words of wisdom or similar issues? I’m so tired of feeling like I have something wrong and I desperately want the drs to be right when they say I don’t have MM.