I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Wabbit

Morning all!  Loved all the pictures!

We had a nice Christmas ... in spite of my sometimes Grinchy attitude   Yesterday we were 'treated' to some big fluffy snowflakes which looked very pretty and is already melting away.  I'm almost afraid to say it out loud but winter has been very nice to us so far.

Athena ... glad to hear you got some long standing problems moved toward being solved or at least mitigated!

Good luck Bren on the job prospect!   

Hope sinus infections and colds and headaches will go away and quit torturing my friends! 

Now I'm off to start my day and see what kind of trouble I can get into.   

lassie11

New Year's Eve will be at a friend's home with people from our regular Friday pub group. Some of us have been meeting there for a couple of hours of interesting conversation and a beer on Fridays for 15 years or more.  Good friends make for a good New Year's celebration!

crazy4carrots

No snow here either, and our neighbours who just returned from spending Christmas with family in Ft. Wayne IN were very happy about snow-free driving!

I haven't wanted to celebrate New Year's for several years now -- it marks the end of 365 days that have gone by way too fast for my liking!  OTOH, it IS an excuse to break open the bubbly! 

YramAL

No New Years celebration here this year. Just sitting at home watching the Space Needle fireworks on TV and babysitting my brother's dog. Just the way I like it.

Forgot to mention we had a 3 hour power outage on Christmas due to a windstorm. I was very glad i wasn't cooking this year. A 9 year old girl was killed by a falling tree here on Christmas Day while with her family, on their way to Grandma's. Very sad.

We're supposed to have a week of storm after storm. I'm very glad I'm not on the playground this week.

Mary

riley702

I've been offline for awhile, so let's see. A 40ish coworker had a mild heart attack on Christmas Eve. Her father had early heart issues, and she and her husband have been scolded for being overweight. Scary!

I'm on the 2nd week of antibiotics for a kidney infection (no UTI, though! Weird) I haven't been able to lose any weight since I switched from Tamoxifen to Aromasin. And I've been stiff and achy, esp. in my fingers. I have decided I'm taking a 3 month 'vacation' from the Aromasin to see if the SEs stop or at least decrease. I see my primary doc this Friday and my onc. on Jan. 5. He'll probably have a hissy fit, but I don't care. I also want to start taking Zometa. And maybe Metformin instead of the AI. If he won't give them to me, I'll ask my primary doc. She's very cool about patients having an opinion. She may say no, but she'll listen, and then explain why or why not.

YramAL

Riley-I'm always afraid I'm going to get a kidney infection because I have so damn many UTIs. How did you find out you had a kidney infection? I was actually in the ER a couple of weeks ago because of a screamin' UTI. No fun.

Mary

kira1234

I never had a UTI till I started taking Femara. The fist few months I had one after another. I drink lots of cranberry juice now plus take pills. I've been UTI free for 6 months now which I am so glad of!

 We are also having a quiet New years Eve. My new SIL gave us champagne glasses with really pretty decorations on them she painted, so I guess I will have to get some bubbly to celebrate with.

Anonymous

Hi, riley

just wondering, why would you take Metformin instead of an AI?  I thought it was only to lower blood glucose levels?   Asking cuz I may have to take it - and wondering if I could stop the AI? Oh, wouldn't that be a lovely present...

Hope all are enjoying wonderful holidays - 

Get well, Blue.  I haven't had sinus infections in a while, used to take Sambocol - couldn't take anitbiotics.  Worked well for me.

Ang7

Sunflowers~

I take Sambucol everyday...

Hope it is helping me right now as we had a wonderful family Christmas at my mom's house and it sounds like family is dropping like flies with a stomach bug.  It has hit 2 families so far and my kids are so worried...

I am making chicken soup for dinner. 

riley702

Mary, my kidney hurt! It started aching in the back, above the small of my back and below my ribs, up next to the spine. And when I coughed, sneezed, or blew my nose, it REALLY hurt. I knew it had to be the kidney as there's nothing else back there. The appendix and gall bladder usually hurt in front, or more rarely, in the shoulder.

riley702

Sunflowers, there's evidence that Metformin can reduce BC recurrences. I have pre-diabetes and fatty liver (from the Tamoxifen and Aromasin), and I could take it for that, but you're not supposed to take it if you're taking an AI. I'm wondering if I can kill two birds with one stone, by stopping the Aromasin and reversing the fatty liver and pre-diabetes, while still protecting against a recurrence. Metformin also can help you peel off the extra weight.

1Athena1

Riley, have you heard from Hadley? Hope she is doing better these days.

riley702

She had a bunch of tests before Christmas, and her neck is somewhat better. Fingers crossed!

Bren-2007

Hi Everybody!

Hope everyone is doing well.  My mom is still here visiting me and we're having a wonderful time together.

Blue .. hope your cold is getting better.

Riley .. good to see you!

Mary .. we don't celebrate New Years either.  In fact, Tim won't even be home.  He might get home on Sunday ... he's been in Houston this week.

Sending hugs to all,

Bren

bluedahlia

Been fiddling around with my computer today.  My son upgraded it for me and as usual not everything works.  ttyl.

kira1234

It has been a really interesting Christmas here. My son number 2 thought I was hiding something like I was really sick or something.  Well it came down to how I feel with the Femara like no feelings at all. So now I am looking at who I am with this stuff in me. I don't like me I hurt all the time, I have no feelings ect. So do any of you have any advice how I keep taking it and still have some of me somewhere in there?

YramAL

Oh kira-I'm sorry you don't feel like "you". I'm not taking Femara so I don't have any advice. I'm on Tamoxifen and I told my onc I feel "old". He asked me what I meant, and I said, " My muscles have low grade pain pretty much all of the time, and I have a mustache that I have to shave every couple of days." He asked me if I had either of those before starting Tamox and I told him no. So even though they are not listed as side effects, he said they probably are for me. I'm sure if you asked my family if I was different than I used to be they would tell you yes. I am grateful to be alive, but I wish I had the old me back.

Blue-I hope you're feeling better.

Riley-I hope you're feeling better as well.

Bren-Is your husband a long distance truck driver? Mine is a truck driver, but local. He picks up and delivers fuel.

Mary

Bren-2007

Morning Gals!

Hi Mary .. yes, Tim is a long distance truck driver.  It's such a hard job.  I wish your husband would deliver some heating fuel to my house!

hugs,

Bren

AnneW

kira, welcome to your world without estrogen! It's essentially like you are depressed. I had the same issue with Arimidex. Changed to Femara, and later Aromasin, and did better. Sometimes a switch in drugs is all it takes. I also went on an antidepressant, which boosted me back to being me. I'll never go off it!!

Quality of life is so important. I quit AIs at 4 years the first time, and 2 years the second time. With my oncologist's blessing. I would never advise that without discussing with your doctor, though. It's just what I needed to do for me.

pip57

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.  Sorry to hear about the family dramas for some and illness for others.  

We had a wonderful Christmas.  I was sick just before but was pretty much on the mend by the 24th.  Work was fun, almost everyone were in good spirits.  My dh cooked a ham dinner on Christmas day for some family members and a turkey dinner on Boxing day for the other family members.  I gave him a couple of days off and then he made two different homemade soups for a champagne lunch with my z'daughter in law's to be" family yesterday.  Yes!!  My son proposed on Christmas Eve.  We are absolutey delighted, as is her family.  They are looking to the fall but haven't settled on a date yet.  I am sooo excited!!

We always spend New Years with two other couples.  We just hang out and eat left overs and play board games.  Usually a nice night.

I hope the rest of you are feeling better soon.   

Anonymous

What AnneW said.  Me too.  Being without estrogen IS always being a little (sometimes a LOT) depressed.  Generic SSRi's at Costco are so cheap, cash price is less than my co-pay.  Wouldn't be without it.

Don't know what can be done about the muscle weakness, it's just there.

Happy New year.

kira1234

AnnW and SunflowersMA thank you for verifying what I'm feeling isn't in my head. Boy I wish my Onc had said this might be a SE. It came on so slowly I didn't even realize what was happening till people who care about me started questioning what was happening. I dodn't see my Onc for 6 months but I think I will give him a call next week.

bluedahlia

You can't see me!!!!!!!!!!!!

BarbaraA

Awwww, look at Virgil!! He's so cute!

208sandy

Virgil cracks me up!

YramAL

Is Virgil a Jack Russell? My brother has a Jack Russell and she loves to be wrapped up like that.

Mary

riley702

I saw my primary doc this evening and broached the subject of a vacation from the Aromasin (and I talk to my onc. next Thursday, so I'll discuss it with him, too. I just like to keep both docs in the loop). She said she could understand that, given the SEs I've been having (and also, my body is now one big, stiff ache since starting the Aromasin two months ago). I had said I would give them a try as long as the SEs weren't horrible, and now I'm worrying about diabetes, heart disease and achy joints. It's not worth it anymore.

I showed her the paper from PubMed about Metformin, metabolic syndrome, and breast cancer. She wrote me a script, but asked me not to fill it until I'd discussed it with the onc. I told her he gets pissy whenever I've looked something up online. She was aghast: "Why? You're an intelligent, educated woman working in a medical profession (respiratory therapist) and can sort through reputable vs. disreputable sites online. Everything has pros and cons, and you should decide what you're comfortable with." I really like her! *sniffle*

BarbaraA

{{Riley}} Why oh why are many oncs so anti-informed patient? I bring studies to mine and he rolls his eyes. Sheesh.

Happy New Year to all my 'I say yes' friends. Here's hoping for a better 2012 for all!

Thinking today will be a pool day followed by HGTV and tree de-decorating.

duckyb1

Hey Barb...................send some of that weather up to Philly........................its gonna be ok today, but next week is going to be a "bear"...................................hate the winter, I want my "sun back, shore house, ocean, and my pool........................boo hoo.......................................take a sun basking for me..............................please..........................

Happy New Years ladies...................................

BarbaraA

I hate winter, too, Ducky, that's why I moved here from DC. I love Cape May and envy you your house there.