Anyone else Stage 1 BC Survivor who gets Zometa infusions?

weety

Hi Nicole,

Nope, no reconstruction for me either.  I just didn't think it was worth my "effort."  I'm really petite and was just an A cup, so even though I had a uni-mast, it really isn't that noticeable (at least not in clothes.)  I usually just wear a regular bra (the padded push-up kind) and no one knows that one of the cups is full and the other empty!  I just don't want to deal with another surgery either.  I guess if it was more noticeable, I'd be thinking otherwise, but it really doesn't bother me much.  Husband is fine with it, too.  Once I told him that maybe I'd reopen the possiblity at the 5 yr mark (I'm HER2+, so far it looks like most recurrences with the aggressive HER2+ cancers come back the first few years) but he told me he didn't really mind it the way it was.  I guess I'm lucky he really doesn't care, but maybe I will.  I just don't know.

Okay, back to the topic of this thread--Zometa. . . Does anyone know how long it takes to get any results from the zometa?  Is it months? or  weeks?  or years?  before the bone shows improvement in terms of bone density? 

Parentof1

  HI there Weety.  I have Zometa Infusion 1x a year.  I was Dx in 7/09; ER and Pr+; HER2-; Had double mastectomy-no reconstruction; On Femara.

  However Tweety I also have other helath issues.  In 1983 broke the C-3,C-4,C-5 vertebraes in my neck and had both anterior and posterior fusions done; Had a total hysterectomy done in, 2004; And was diagnosed with Stage 3 Osteoporosis in 2006.

   Usually they say when one has a total hysterectomy that this throws one into menopause.  I must of been the exception!  They sent me home back then with hormone pills called HRT (I believe).  Well I never went through things such as:  Hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, moodiness, ect.  So I filed these into the garbage can, and never used  or needed them.  In hind sight now, I am glad I did because not too long fter my hysterectomy they came out with a study a Mayo that linked these HRT hormone pills to an aggressive form of BC. 

   However being on Femara like I am...I have really gotten to know what hot flashes are-!  I was waking up 4-6 times a night either drenched or damp, and would have to change my clothes ect.  Well recently my Oncologists nurse who also is a BC survivor said she takes 1000 IU of Vitamin E in the AM and another 1000 IU after dinner in the evening, and this had helped with her hot flashes.  I started this and by golly, this has worked!  It has not totally alleviated the hot flashes all together, but they are not as intense and, I am sleeping more than 4 hours per night now.

   Anyhow back to the subject of this thread...lol!  I have done the Zometa Infusions for the last year.  I do them 1x per year.  Due to my diagnosis of:  Osteoporosis prior to being diagnosed with BC; Having a total hysterectomy like I did my Onco did this as a preventative.  And she also did this because I had been on other Osteo meds prior to BC such as:  Fosamax; Bonive ect and my bone density was not getting better.  Also a potential SE of the Femara can be a decrease in bone density.

   I am not sure why my bone density was not getting better while on Fosamx and Boniva.  What I suspect is:  No doctor had ever told me about having my Vitamin D level checked.  I had not even heard of this until maybe, one year before I was diagnosed with BC.  And then my Vit D level was 8!  So I was then put on 25,000 IU of Vit D a day. (I now take 5000 IU everyday.)  At the same time I had been taking Calcium supplements for at least 3 years but, Calcium does not bond to bones without adequate Vitamin D-3 levels...so I don't think the Calcium that I was taking back then did any good, with my Vitamin D level being as low , as it was. (However this is only my hunch...not said by any doctor or anything.)

   Anyhow I had one Zometa Infusion back in, October 2009.  I had another infusion done in October 2010.  I then had my yearly DEXA/bone density scan done also in October 2010.  And my T-scores on my Dexa Scan/Bone Density Scan/ Osteoporosis have improved some.

  I didn't have Osteo everywhere, but in many places I did and those that were not Osteoporosis back in 2009 were Osteopenia (I believe this is the correct medical term for this!)

   Anyhow doing my Zometa Infusions 1x per year, from October 2009-October 2010 they have seen my T-scores have improve on on DEXA/bone density scan recently done.

   I don't know if this helps any or not.  And I don't know that every single person will see this improvement within 1 year.

   My Onco did tell me, with the Zometa they have seen much better imnprovements in T-scores in women who have done the Zometa as a preventative, versus other drugs used for Osteo such as:  Fosamax; Boniva ect.

   I also understand each individual womans medical history can also play into a decision such as this. As mine did.

   Have a wondeful day!  Peg