Disk Compression Fractures

I posted a couple of days ago, asking if anyone had experienced/heard of a GBM spreading.

To update everyone, my husband has disk compression fractures, NO SPREADING. I thank God for small miracles, however, Steve is in quite a lot of pain, which is being managed with morphine. This makes him very 'spacey', so me the worrier is concerned its the cancer in his brain making him loopy. Thank goodness, my care giving supporters are on board with me, just ensuring me it's all the many narcotics he's had pumped in for the past week.  

The reason being thought for these fractures, is steroid use. What a wonderful drug decadron is, what a horrible drug decadron is!!.

This is just another block in the road of our cancer journey, another learning experience.

Thanks to everyone who reached out and offered their support, towards my initial posting.

Wendy M 

Wendy,

I have posted a message on your previous posting that it could be a compression fracture. I see quite a few of these cases with my patients. Is it a compression fracture of the disk or the bone? If it is of the bone,you must look into a procedure called VERTEBROPLASTY, it is simply amazing for compression fractures. They inject cement in the bone so they stabilizes the area thus getting rid of the pain. If it works, pain relief is very fast,pretty much a few hours after the procedure. I should know, my father had 2 of them.

Call Interventional radiology or medicine and inquire about the procedure. It is usually done by a radiologist. Pain from compression fractures can last 6 to 8 weeks and it is excrutiating. The last thing a GBM patient needs is more suffering. Look into it, you will not regret it. Best of luck to you

Joe

On 4/25/2008 wendym wrote:

I posted a couple of days ago, asking if anyone had experienced/heard of a GBM spreading.

To update everyone, my husband has disk compression fractures, NO SPREADING. I thank God for small miracles, however, Steve is in quite a lot of pain, which is being managed with morphine. This makes him very 'spacey', so me the worrier is concerned its the cancer in his brain making him loopy. Thank goodness, my care giving supporters are on board with me, just ensuring me it's all the many narcotics he's had pumped in for the past week.  

The reason being thought for these fractures, is steroid use. What a wonderful drug decadron is, what a horrible drug decadron is!!.

This is just another block in the road of our cancer journey, another learning experience.

Thanks to everyone who reached out and offered their support, towards my initial posting.

Wendy M 

My husband's first seizure he was buckled into his seatbelt ready to drive, because of the seatbelt he got a compression fracture of L4. The pain was unbearable so the doctors suggested a kyphoplasty (which is the cement into the space to make an internal cast sort of). It was amazing how quick the pain subsided and has not returned. He sometimes has to take tylenol extra strength for body aches but not for the fractured area. The porcedure was done on 1/4/08 five days before he had the crainiotomy. His GBM is in the left occipital lobe - was 90% resected and has finished the 33 treatments of radiation and temodar. He will begin his first round of 5/23 temodar on May 5th. He will also have the first MRI since finishing the RT so we are interested in finding out how it all worked.

Good luck with everything.

Colleen