MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

macatacmv

furfriend, welcome! It's funny when our fur babies pay attention to the tv.

Furfriend2

Macat,

LOL a picture is worth a thousand words- that is so great!

macatacmv

johnetta, good luck with the tamox. Try to keep an open mind and just see what happens. I switched from arimidex and find the tamox much kinder to me. I just saw my bs a week ago and she said it was better for my bones, too. Dress in layers for the hot flashes. (lol)

mstrouble16

I watched the replay of the dog show, fell in love with the bearded collie and the norfolk terrier. Talk about being different!

barsco1963

johnetta - best wishes for minimal SEs from the tamo. I have been on it for 2.5yrs now and the worst for me has been the hot flashes and some joint pain.

mac - love the tv watching dog! My nephew has a brindle mastiff - She is such a wimp, but definitely entertaining. lol

NativeMainer

johnetta--I actually was panicked on tamoxifen because I didn't have ANY side effects. I was convinced I wasn't metabolizing it. I'm probably the only women in the world who asked to be taken off a hormonal treatment without side effects so I could go on a treatment WITH side effects, just so I'd know it was working!

marlegal

Native, I totally understand that! I felt the same way during chemo...I didn't have a prob with A/C and so many did, I figured I must not have been getting the real stuff!

Dog show...totally enjoyed.

Welcome to a couple newbies...enjoy the ride with us.

marlegal

hmmm....long time for no posts. I hope everyone is ok, just busy with the 'uh oh, it's here' time of year!

Loral

Loral

I have a question, is it less expensive to get CT scans done somewhere other than a hospital. I have to schedule a pelvic and an abdomen CT scan in January, so I do have sometime to get quotes.... Always something, isn't it......

Furfriend2

Marlegal

Hi Phillygal!!

I am not doing a whole lot of Christmas shopping this year. Don't have the extra cash due to co -pays going out the last 4 months for this that and the other test.

What about you?

Furfriend2

Hi Loral,

like your photo =D. don't know the answer to your ??? I would think you have to go to a hospital for CT, correct? Maybe someone else here will know as there are so many knowledgeable gals on this site.

luvmygoats

Loral - I would think anyplace would be cheaper than a hospital. I had a bone scan at a radiology clinic - part of a large group. Had CT at MO's office but know same radiology group does CTs as well. Will your referring doc send referral to anyplace you find?

Have you had these done b4 so maybe need to go back to same place to compare? If not I would say shop around. I found it interesting that the bone scan was one inclusive price. I'm used to separate fee for test and the fee for radiologist.

Valjean

Had a wonderful time with the grandkids for Thanksgiving & our Christmas. They are such a joy & even more fun the older they get. There was enough snow to build a snowman & to pull them around on their sled. I almost fell down a couple of times but didn't! The little Mister tried to tell me that deer tracks & rabbit tracks in the snow in & out of the woods were from Bigfoot!! Ha! He's a little storyteller like his Grandpa!

Missed everyone here.........

wyo

Hi all

Loral- the answer probably is "it depends" just call and ask but make sure you ask what the fee is for the scan and then ask if they know the professional fee for the radiologist who is going to read it. If they don't you would as your doc who the study will be sent to what they charge.

In a center where you have "one price" its because depending on who owns it they charge the facility fee and the professional component together. Hospitals typically have to break it out because they can't charge the professional component because only a provider has a provider number for billing purposes.

lots of mumbo jumbo but the most important to know is there is the fee for the test and the fee to interpret the test and provide a "reading" you want the comprehensive amount. Also would be interesting to know if your insurance reimburses differently depending on where you have it done so your out of pocket is also known.

Loral

Thanks ladies, I will shop around..Deductibles and copay's total 5500.00 so I'd probably be paying for most of it anyway. Health care costs, way out of hand. These are my first scans, had an MRI years ago on my back.

Now the fun starts, I guess...

marlegal

answering as I read.

Loral...call your insurance rep and ask if there's a difference in how they code scans at hosp or out patient clinic. Each company is different and it could amount to thousands different.

Furfriend, are you in Phila area? I'm actually in Delco!

Valjean, my grands are only 14 mos and 10 months so no sledding yet, buttheytired me out Thanksgiving too. Best kind of tired in the world

wyo, good advice. Loral, get those phone calls going!

macatacmv

So ladies, I made a trip up to my cancer center today. I had a new prescription for bras faxed over from my BS's office. What a great experience. The woman that did the fitting was so nice. I got to switch to bras with more support and one even has a bit of lace!!! She also "gave" me a small prosthetic to even the girls out. I felt like a new woman walking out of there.

Furfriend2

Macat,

All I can say is " you go girl!!" love WonderWoman!

Valjean

macatacvm ~ I agree with Furfriend2: you go girl! I'm happy you had a great experience with the bra fitting.

elimar86861

mac, Thanks for sharing the uplifting experience with us. The right bra can work wonders, woman!

I've been playing catch-up with my non-cancer docs (and dentist) lately, trying to get it all in this current calendar year, so lots of appts. this week and next. Add some shopping and decorating in and it makes for a busy time. Big difference from last year, because now I have the energy to do everything. For those who just joined us recently, do not feel a speck of shame if you are not up for turning your house into a Christmas Wonderland. I opted out of putting up a tree last year, and you know what? Everything was fine, the world did not stop turning, and everyone enjoyed the season just the same. So, do not knock yourself out if you are in treatment or fresh into your recovery.

elimar86861

Of course, any of you Christmas overachievers are welcome to try this:

"The outside of the house is roped off so that no one aiming to make sure that it’s made of gingerbread reaches out and takes a bite of the exterior."

Hahaha! They must have seen me coming! Read More.

marlegal

mac, I totally understand. I didn't think I needed a prosthetic or special bra since I 'only' had a lumpectomy. When my doc sent me after my shrinkage from rads finally stopped (yrs later just as an fyi to those still in tx) I couldn't believe what a difference it made in how I felt, not just how I looked.

Eli, good advice to newbies, as always. Well said.

Anonymous

Elimar, I just love it that I get surprise when I jump to Back to the Top of the page. No mention in the posts, and voila, something new and fun appears!

elimar86861

2TA, Aw, shucks, that's the least I can do.

I forgot to tell macatacmv that her photo cracked me up. I would like to know what goes through a pet's mind when they see something on t.v. My dog never paid a bit of attention to t.v., not even Animal Planet. To her (houndog,) if it didn't smell like something, it wasn't anything.

I had a blood draw this week for my PCP, the usual stuff that the MO follows (and which I just had a few weeks ago,) PLUS he's checking my cholesterol. I haven't had that for at least two years. The last time I had that, I was still on Tamox., which as we know tends to lower cholesterol, so it will be interesting to see how I fare this time around. Will find out on Monday. Not worried.

Because of my second bout with colorectal cancer and subsequent treatment, I went off the Tamox. after three years. I guess I do have the option to go back on for two more years (maybe more) if I wanted to. I know full well that studies support five years of use as better than one or two years, and you are not going to hear me poo-poo that finding. But, you know, there are no studies of on for three years, off a year, on for two more, so I just decided I was done with it (and the hot flashes that went with it.) As usual, I find myself winging it once again, in uncharted territory.

p.s. You might find me posting a bit more today, since all I have planned is housework and I will take any oppty. to get out of that.

staynsane

Eli- you got me thinking...My company recently asked all employees and spouses to have free blood screenings, and results provided numbers for about 20 different things. They even paid us as an incentive to have it done (including my husband)! So I pocketed $225, and discovered that my cholesterol is 202 (my husband's is 168!). I have always had low cholesterol, and knowing that Tamox is supposed to reduce it has me a bit concerned. No, it's not way above where it should be, but it is higher than it should be, and I don't eat much animal fat, fatty meats, etc. I used to eat oatmeal every morning (the healthy, grainy kind) but in the last six months usually have nonfat Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts/flax seed sprinkles. Wondering if that has made a difference.

I also discovered that my ALT and AST levels were a little elevated (clue that liver is stressed) and that is a known side effect of Tamoxifen. My onc told me initially that she would recommend Tamox, but that my results were good and that it was completely up to me. So I am taking it, but now am rethinking my decision. I'll probably ask to have my ALT and AST results next blood test and monitor them myself. If they continue to shoot up, I just may stop Tamox. Liver damage can be reversible up to a certain point...

macatacmv

Good morning, 

Eli, I have no idea what goes through my dog's mind most of the time,unless she is chasing a squirrel. But she does pay attention to certain things for a short period of time. She sings(howls) along with the smoke alarms. Which I found out last time the plumber was soldering in the basement. Seems like I live in a construction zone. The laundry room, bathroom switch is still ongoing. Some hang up with the town board of health. And my next door neighbor is installing a fence and lots and lots of stone work. Which,by the way, keeps the dog busy with supervising. I can tell you now, she is not gonna like this fence when it gets done.

I am not in the Christmas spirit,yet. I am one of those people that does all my shopping in the 2 weeks right before the holiday. Otherwise I can't wait to give the present to the person, or I forget where I put it. The exception to that rule was the year I was dx and having surgery 3 days before the holiday. Then I was a maniac to make sure it was a "perfect" Christmas. Lol I barely remember it. 

Marl, I don't quite get why the bs office didn't tell me about the script I can get once a year for bras and things. Maybe it was in some of the pages of paperwork, but it wasn't until I wandered into the boutique next door to the cancer center looking for something that might be semi comfortable and they told me to go back to bs office and ask for one. Which was written out happily. We all seem to stumble tho this journey at our own pace. Lol I should just speak for myself.

I get to go to my Gyn today. Check out what's going on since my switch to tamox. Interesting about the cholesterol levels, last blood work for me said mine was in the safe range, usually it is a little high, but because the good part is so much higher than the bad part we haven't been worried about it. Now blood pressure is a whole nother issue.

Eli, I am so happy for you having some energy this year. You have such a way with words. I know you would be the one caught taking a mouthful of that (really?) gingerbread house. It better not rain or snow where ever they are.

So here's to enjoying this day what ever it brings. 

elimar86861

mac, While on Tamox., I always had either a uterine biopsy or a trans-vaginal ultrasound done by my Gyn. Are you having either? I am catching up with my Gyn. next week and getting the TVU. I'm interested to see if I have the uterine lining thickening like I did last time when still on Tamox.

SnS, My ALT and AST never elevated while on Tamox. Those did get out of normal range during my last few rounds of chemo, another reason I was happy to stop a little bit early. Like you, I think our bodies can take a little adversity, but there a line somewhere there that if we cross it the damage can have permanence (even if it is vague or ill-defined.) The MO blood draw I just had a few weeks back did show my liver was again on track, luckily, everything in normal range. I think it is a good plan for you to keep an eye on those levels yourself. I don't know if it could be due to Tamox., but if the numbers stay elevated then you certainly need to question the doc as to what could be happening with the liver.

I love my liver a lot. I want to swaddle it like a baby and keep it safe. Call me overprotective. I'm funny that way.

elimar86861

What you might not know is that his life was touched by B/C also. His granddaughter had BiMx. Breast Cancer is out there and it doesn't care if you are rich, poor, black, white, famous, unknown, a Nobel laureate, anything...with so many women being affected, just about everyone now has at least a passing acquaintance with this disease. Those not affected by B/C most likely have a loved one who was or will be. What a world!

macatacmv

eli, just lost a post, dumb tablet writing! back to the laptop.

This is only my second appt with this gyn. It was one of the health issues I let slip while taking care of everyone else. It is hard to get an appt with her the first time and then they never called to set up the yearly appt this year, I had to call and then they postponed it once. It is my first appt since switching to tamox. I will see if they measure up. If not I have a number for another highly recomended gyn. I have to say I have gotten much more critical of dr's "bedside" manner and office staff. If she doesn't bring it up I will ask about the biopsy or ultrasound. Thanks for the info.

We are keeping a wary eye on my liver levels. I really like my liver, too. All these meds just seem to put such a strain on our bodies.

I know what you mean about everyone being touched by this disease. It is really everywhere and doesn't care who it affects. It also seems like I cannot pick up a fiction book that doesn't have someone dealing with cancer in it. It is hard to get away from sometimes.