MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Loral

SnS ... my ALT and AST are high also, and I've been on Tamoxifen for almost a year. MO says he thinks it could be Tylenol that raised it. I do take Tylenol every night. He checks my blood every 3 months, so he watches it well. He really hasn't said it was Tamoxifen that is raising it. He's more concerned about the pain I'm having on the left said of the pelvic area that radiates to the thigh and down my leg. I have 6 fibroids that continue to grow larger because of Tamoxifen, maybe they are pressing on a nerve. After the Cat scan, we'll see what is what.

wyo

Saw my MO today and picked up my first prescription for tamoxifen. She also wrote my a hydrocortisone perscription for my itchy bumps- she did not like them either and said if it does not resolve I would be referred to dermatology.

We had a great conversation about breast cancer, risk/benefits of tamoxifen which in my case she felt far outweigh any side effects. She feels very strongly about the research linking alcohol to recurrence- not necessarily because of alcohol intake per se but possibly lifestyle and dietary choices etc. that add to more risk factors. She ordered labs for hormone levels and I told her "well....I am having my period now"- she laughed and said "forget it" you are not menopausal- I kind of knew that . She said 1 out of 8 women will have breast cancer at some point in their lives- it makes me look around the room at meetings and wonder who else is out there.

staynsane

Loral- I don't have regular blood work done; other than pre-surgery it's not been checked, so that's why I so willingly went to the lab via the screenings my company authorized. The results were interesting to me and I will definitely know to ask about my ALT and AST levels with my Onc next June. I know my "out of normal" levels are due to Tamoxifen, because I don't take anything else other than a daily vitamin and Dim (which if anything, would help repair my liver, I would think).

I hope you get to the bottom of your pelvic pain and get it resolved asap!

Furfriend2

Hey Gals,

The ALT & AST test for liver function- is that part of the CBC panel? I don't see this on any of mine & am very concerned about my liver as well. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

elimar86861

Furf, Not part of CBC. It is done as part of the CMP (complete metabolic profile,) maybe the BMP (basic metabolic profile) but I'd have to check as my MO would alternate with he two. It is also known as a Chem Panel.

Furfriend2

Elimar, Thank you so much for this information. I have not had one since two months ago. I am going to ask.

cakes

Thanks for the info Ladies. I am due for my first post treatment 3 month check-up in January and can now ask about the blood draw prior to seeing my MO. Also having my first mammo since surgery. Do I have anything to be worried about as far as pain or is it just uncomfortable as alway?

macatacmv

oh, cakes, my techs were so kind to me for my post surgical mammo. They ask where your pain is and your scars. And I get the films read right away so I don't have to worry. It is uncomfortable, of course, but they try hard to accommodate any hurt areas. One funny thing was, they color code the paperwork, while I was at the desk signing in one gal asked what color the other gal said red. So a red sticker was placed on my paperwork, Not sure if that is because of dx or possibility of mental breakdown. lol

Furfriend2

Macat,

Thank you for the laugh

macatacmv

fur, you're welcome. I laugh at myself all the time.

eli, I saw the gyn yesterday. She said that they use to do biopsies every year for tamox users, but now they have a wait and see attitude. She said if I ever saw any spotting to call her right away and they would fit me in as soon as possible. Not sure what to think about that yet. Was thinking they might want a base scan to compare with other scans? She did do an internal exam and said everything felt fine. I have heard that one before. lol

elimar86861

cakes, In my experience, the mammo hardly hurt before all the treatment but after surgery and rads I was firmer on that side and it hurt more when they tried to flatten me. Also, they squished me hard enough to give me damage to the blood vessels/capillaries and it gave me little red & purple spots of petechiae, which I hated so much that I paid a pretty penny for a cosmetic procedure to remove them. Some came back with a subsequent mammo, but it is better.

(Taking the oppty. to air a pet peeve: Can't stand when they position me with a skin fold in the armpit, then say they have to retake that one because of the fold. I swear next time I am just going to say, up front: NO RE-DOs, so do it right the first time. Don't they understand that we don't want ANY extra radiation than absolutely necessary?????!!!!!!)

mac, My guess is the ins. co. is calling the shots on the biopsies now. Statistically, very few will get uterine cancer from Tamox., so why biopsy everyone as a matter of course? Yeah, I get that, but it sure would suck to be that one woman who does get it, ya know? I would not be comfortable with the "wait til you are spotting" protocol.

(Another peeve: Did you ever notice how clinicians talk about our postmenopuasal uteri (first time I ever used the plural of uterus, I think) as if they were nothing but expendable organs now that we are "done with them" so to speak?)

Eph3_12

Did you have to look up the plural? I would have had to

wyo

The uterus (from Latin "uterus", plural uteri) or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans.

could not resist

cakes

Whew, you ladies make me feel so much better! My breast center has wonderful and kind techs so I am sure they will do their best to make sure I am comfortable. I just worry about my seroma causing issue. With a little luck, it will gone by then. Thanks so much for your input.

(((HUGS)))

Cakes

Momine

Bah! No need to look up the plural if they made you do Latin in school

elimar86861

As we thoroughly enter the Winter season, please allow me to compliment EVERYONE here on NOT posting a weather report. Believe me, I know we all have had, are having, or will have some kind of weather that could be remarked on, but as you know I have always felt that we can find OTHER interesting commonalities to talk about without resorting to the old standby of weather.

Good job, all!

Anonymous

I guess there's so many other things to talk about here....

Thanks again, Elimar, for the header change!

macatacmv

So, will be going to discuss my sleep study with my PCP tomorrow. I got a copy online today. The impression is that I don't reach rem sleep at all. But not sleep apnea per say, 1 hypopnea and 25 respiratory-effort-related arousals. They are recommending a zzoma, which is a belt with a foam wedge so you can not roll over on your back. I am saying "are you kidding?" I already "sleep" with a night guard in my mouth, compression gloves, wrist splints, a pillow between my knees, a special pillow for my neck, another pillow I hug to keep the pressure off my chest.

elimar86861

mac, Ah, but will it look like a shark fin? Yes? Then I have got to get a zzoma too!

Can I ask why the wrist splint at night? I have had a tendonitis-type thing in one wrist for a year now, and I admit when I sleep my wrist do sometimes fold up like a praying mantis. With my cancer, it has not been a priority, but it does not seem to be going away on its own.

TB90

Gosh, there are so many things about to change with this bc dx.  It is not only about having cancer, but now it is also about living the healthiest and best possible lifestyle.  Previously, it was ok to enjoy a glass of wine or fries, but now I see everything as poison.  Giving up my white wine is so hard, given the recent stress.  I have mastered some tasty adult non-alcoholic cocktails, but it simply is not the same.  I have read extensively about the connection between alcohol and bc and although nothing is really conclusive, the general belief is that there is an association.  DAMN  But no one knows if it is really about the alcohol or the associated life style that often accompanies alcohol consumption.  If I give up on my one favorite luxury and later discover that alcohol really had nothing to do with bc, I will be p.....ed!  What are others doing/believing??  

macatacmv

eli, the wrist splints are for the hand pain. I tend to sleep with my wrists under my chin while lying on my side. I also have trigger fingers and thumbs that are painful enough to wake me up. We thought I might be getting carpal tunnel, but that is not the case because it affects my whole hand even the little fingers. I have a feeling I would look more like a spinosaurus with that thing on my back.

TB, welcome to our group!!! sorry ya gotta be here, but join in the fun. I am not sure what affects people having or not having cancer, seems like luck (or unluck) of the draw to me. I personally do not drink alcohol and ended up here anyway. Now, too many of the meds I am on have a warning about drinking while taking them. I find the giving up sugar to be much more difficult. And who knows about that connection either. Then "they" say that dairy affects inflammation, which I am battling also. Sheesh!

TB90

Thanks mac.  Following my surgery I am likely to be on some sort of medication that will not mix well with wine, so may as well get used to this now.  Really a small price to pay for health, but we all need that treat once in awhile.

macatacmv

tb, hang in there until the surgery. Are you having lots of anxiety? (that is a stupid question) Share that with your drs. I had my surgery 2 years ago right before Christmas, too. Ask all the questions you want.

Valjean

Maca~ Oh, boy, have you hit on one with me! I also find it very difficult to master the art of giving up sugar. I know, I know, people say once you have given it up for 3 weeks (what is that habit thing you always say, E~??), that the temptation is gone. Well, it doesn't work for me. I just get the craving again - out of the blue! Where in the heck does it come from??? Fall from the sky?? Out from under the rock?? Behind Oz's curtain?? I always think it's just one little grain of sugar hiding, calling to "her" friends to come join her again ~ and there I go again.... the cycle begins......

And I love the "they". Who are these people??!!??

cakes

TB - I still have my glass or 2 of white wine and was told by my MO to up my intake of B complex. Geeze…….life is too short to not have wine time.

MinusTwo

TB - my oncologist said maybe I shouldn't drink on the day of the chemo infusion. Other than that he said practice moderation in drinking - and in all the other things I love. But I found that wine tasted yucky so that problem was solved, at least for the duration of the treatments.

Valjean

As for me drinking wine, I don't like any of it. Red nor white. I very occasionally have Tequila, Rum Chata (newly found yummy drink!), or Kalula. (usually with my DD#2, whom I see 4-5 times a year as she lives 7 hours away from me ~ oh my, she is such a wicked influence on me!) LOL

NativeMainer

ValJean--I discovered Rum Chata recently, too, so yummy!  My take on drinking is that life is for living, and there is no point in going through treeatment in order to live longer only to not enjoy life.  So if I want a drink, I'll have a drink.  Moderation is good, abstinence is bad, in my book! 

 

TB90

OK gals, I like your attitude.  I will enjoy the occasional glass of wine and will NOT feel guilty about it any longer.  And yes, I am very nervous about the surgery.  Although it is DCIS, there is a strong suspicion of invasion so of course, like you all know, the unknown is the scariest part.  I am ok about recuperating over the holidays as my wonderful family will take good care of me and there will be less stress as none of us will have to worry about working, etc. And oh my pets . . . . two beautiful dogs and a rescued parrot . . . . they are my therapy.  Blanche greets me everyday with a big "hello" like I am the most important person in the world! 

elimar86861

Welcome, TB90! Wishing you the best results for surgery next week, and hope it will be strictly DCIS with no invasion. Glad that you have family there for support and pets there for love and laughter during your healing.

I'm not a good one to ask about the drinking. It's something I rarely do. This summer, while on chemo, I don't think I touched a drop. No taste for it, plus I felt my liver had enough to deal with. Wine is not my thing, but if I want an occasional beer or cocktail, I am sure I won't feel too guilty about it. Be careful of alcohol interacting with various meds., if you do choose to drink.

I'm not really sold on any direct link between sugar and cancer, since the body will always be producing glucose for cells, be they cancer or non-cancer. I am probably taking in MORE sugar now than before because I have given up artificial sweeteners. I do like my treats and not planning any guilt over them either.

-----------------------------------

I went in for my obligatory PCP OV today. After three years of not going, they were ready to inactivate me, so I went. Well, the good cholesterol report alone made it worth it. My total was 207, which didn't sound so good to me being over 200, but my doc said he would love to have my numbers because I had great HDL, and LDL in normal range. Good triglycerides too. I love nothing more than boring old numbers, as I remind myself that I have survived the onslaught of chemo and am bouncing back nicely.