MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

MinusTwo

NicolaSue - Glad you found BCO. This particular thread isn't really active, but there are lots of topics from LCIS to chemo side effects to surgery to bras to exercise & food. Please do check under 'all topics' for areas that might interest you.

NativeMainer

Loral

Yummy Native!!! Hi ladies hope things are well with all of you...Anyone hear from Diana???

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy 2018 to all....

Tpralph

Merry Christmas to all and happy new year!!

mistyeyes

Welcome Sue, sorry you have to be here. You are one busy lady! Keep positive and take some time for you!

Loral

NativeMainer

kkuziel

Lurk in the shadows most of the time on these boards, but wanted to wish all of you a Happy New Year, filled with stress free days. Had mammogram yesterday and have now been moved to a once a year visit to my radiologist. Guess five years is the golden standard for less monitoring. I go to my oncologist in January and wonder if I'll receive similar news from him. I know it's a good thing, but it's weirdly unsettling to be put on a "longer leash." It certainly doesn't seem like five years have passed. Hopefully the next five will be uneventful, healthwise,for us all. Happy 2018.

Loral

Kkuziel...Congrats on 5 years my 5 was in October...I still see my Oncologist every 6 months for blood work...Take care.

Happy New Year to all the ladies!!!!

Anonymous

Hi Ladies! I'm in this age group. So I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Becky and I am 55. I was one month shy of my 54th birthday when I was diagnosed. Today is the one year anniversary of my first diagnosis. Of my right breast. Which is +/+/-. March 21 is the one year anniversary of the diagnosis of my left breast. Which is +/+/+. But today I am celebrating the fact that I am here, I am cancer-free and I am waiting on the birth of my first grandchild in April!!

MinusTwo

Oceanbum - congratulations on your two 'one year' celebration markers. And on the impending birth of your grandchild. So are you done with Herceptin? Looks like you'll be on Tamox for awhile since you're hormone positive.

This thread isn't very active any more, but I expect one or two ladies still have it pinned on their 'favorites'. Take a look at the 'active threads', or in 'all threads' to see if there's something under - moving ahead/making new friends/ etc. where people post regularly. The BCO discussion groups & people experiencing things at the same time I did have been my best support.

mistyeyes

I pinned it as a favorite because I am in the age group, but you are right....it seems to be a quiet bunch.

MinusTwo

So maybe a new batch of you can get it going again!!!

Lita57

i'm stage 4, so i pretty much hang out over there, but this thread is still pinned to my favorites.

L

Annie-B-7-14

hi guys!

I'm mid-forties with a 5 year old and a 7 year old. I only lurk quietly here in this thread now, but would love to liven things up here!

NativeMainer

Oceanbum--congrats on the dual cancerversaries! And a special congratulations on the April Grandchild!

Annie-B--your two must keep you pretty busy!

Cpeachymom

ok, just had a birthday, so I guess I should move here from the “Ladies in their 30’s” thread. Funny how cancer gives you a different perspective on birthdays. Especially a big one like turning 40. I have a toddler who’s going to be 2 soon, so I think my cancer journey will be based on Her birthdays, because I want to be around until she’s grown. My older kids are mostly grown now (I started young)! I’m STILL recovering from rads- I ended up with pneumonitis and just finally finishing steroids this month- hooray! Tamoxifen And Lupron are tolerable, just massive hot/cold flashes mostly. I hope you ladies are doing well!

NativeMainer

Cpeachymom--birthdays do have a different feel after bc, don't they. I cannot imagine hwo anyone can think of rads as "easy" treatment--I still feel the effects in my muscles and with the asthma issues it made so much worse. I also remember the Lupron/arimidex hot flashes. Was so glad when that part of treatment was over and that stopped. I was very much less pleased with going into natural menopause a year later and starting over with them! Fortunately, the natural menopause hot flashes were no where near as intense as the chemically induced ones. Also, I don't see why you can't stay with the ladies you've met and know in the 30's thread AND join us here in the middle's thread. We're not jealous here!

MinusTwo

Good idea Native. I've moved on to the 'older' threads, but as you can see - I still have this on my favorites. Age is relative.

NativeMainer

Age is relative, indeed. Relationships are important, no matter where they started. And Favorites remain favorites!

Cpeachymom

thanks Mainer! Age being relative really hits home when you’re in your 30’s and thrown into menopause! My DH jokes about how we want to grow old together, but not like this!

Tpralph

Congratulations oceanbum on your grandchild and cancerversary. I am also celebrating mine today. Year one

helenlouise

Hello, I fit into this age group and I am happy to participate. I am in my second round of BC and my second week of my first cycle of chemo. I have been going really well with few side effects but today (day 14) my hair has started to come out. Wow! Is that confronting. Just getting use to having cut short (16 days ago).

Celebrating caneranniversaries and waiting for grandchildren to arrive sounds like fun!

Good wishes to you all.

NativeMainer

Peachy--I can't imagine being thrown into menopause in the 30's. It was bad enough in my 40's, and I was SO unhappy when it happened again, naturally, a year after I finished treatment!

Tpralph--CONGRATULATIONS!

Helenloluise--second time around? So NOT FAIR!

helenlouise

Yes nativemainer, second time. Almost made the 5 years clear from DCIS in 2013 & was discussing the efficacy of treatment for DCIS with my GP early December. Both agreeing that doing something was better than doing nothing. Then I found the lump, not 3 weeks later. Same breast with main tumour adjacent to scar from lumpectomies. Very interesting it is a new event not a reoccurrence, according to surgeon.

Anyway I don't feel cheated or angry. I am ok just sometimes I get sad. Having been through diagnosis and treatment before I knew it was going to be a slow and frustrating process to get to treatment. So I am very glad that's done. My main concern was establishing I was less than stage IV which I am (IIB). All scans clear and an MRI confirming there is nothing in my head (ha ha)! I have triple negative and apparently it likes to go to the brain! Main point - a cure is possible!

Its incredible to think we are in a forum that has been going for so many years with over a thousand posts. It is wonderful that technology enables us to be connected and provide support to each other.

Looking forward to hearing more about your journeys and other stuff that makes us who we are.

Wishing you all well X

NativeMainer

Helenlouise--I'm so glad there is good, effective treatment available. And I am very grateful for the technology that lets so many of us be in touch and supportive to each other.

helenlouise

Hi again,

Nativemaine, I note you had lumpectomies like I had and then a little while down the tract you had mastectomy. Can I ask why? The timelines don't make always make a clear read.

Please don't feel obligated to share. No offence would be taken if you opt not to respond.

I had lumpectomies first time round and with the second diagnosis I have been advised to have mastectomy.

NativeMainer

helenlouise--I found a lump in my left breast, and mammogram found an abnormality in the my right breast during the work up. The right breast lumpectomy was actually an excisional biopsy as that turned out to not be cancer. I opted for lumpectomy/rads on the left breast. The radiation did so much damage that I had constant pain and constantly draining holes in the breast that would not heal, so I had a mastectomy. I was really lucky that the mastectomy relieved the pain (it wasn't expected to, as the pain was from nerve damage from the radiation). The mastectomy was about a year and a half after the lumpectomy, about a year after rads was finished.

Cpeachymom

wow Mainer, now I know why you said that about rads not being the “easy” treatment! I’m glad the surgery helped with your pain.

Helenlouise- sorry that you’re going through round two with this beast. Makes me sad that we’re never in the clear. Best of luck.

helenlouise

Thanks for your replies. Wow! I had very little impact from radiation in 2013. Towards the end my breast looked like it was sunburnt but that was about it. I know how devastating radiation can be from the neck up but had not heard of that sort of damage to the breast. Sounds horrible. So sorry.

It's really incredible how differently we react to the range of treatments. I really did expect to be much worse for wear before now. I know I have had treatment and have odd side effects but none that are really debilitating (as yet... Touch wood.... Fingers crossed).

My hair has started to fall. Well not really fall but come out when I brush and if I grab some it will come out and I can see the roots. My oncologist said day 18. You will get a sore head and the next day you will have hair on your pillow and most will come out in the shower. Needless to say I won't be washing my hair tomorrow! I pick up my wig tomorrow but have a wedding Friday evening so would like my own hair for that - if I still have it. As soon as it gets scrappy I will ask my hairdresser to buzz cut it.

When I get down about my hair, I try to remember it will grow back (hopefully). Much more concerned about losing my breasts but will leave worrying about that until surgery is closer.

Hope you are all doing as good as can be expected.