MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

I was wondering where you'd been hiding, Juanelle!  I was going to track you down.

I was so stirred up by my DS#2 today that I didn't even check my messages when I got home today.  There was one from Kimberly, my NP "We've reviewed your scans from Monday and everything is stable".  Whoopee!  Stable!!!!  I can exhale now.  I can celebrate with a glass a wine and a bubble bath.

Meece, good for you.  Glad everything was good.  I know what a relief that is.

I have been trying to keep up with all the posts, but not posting much.  I am addicted to all the threads, but sometimes I don't feel like I have much to say.  I am all caught up on the reading now, so maybe I can stay up and since I will not be spending so much time reading, I will be able to post.

Again, woooo hooo for all the good reports.

Juannelle

Thank you.  Only you can understand how this makes me feel.  DH listened to the message with me and then went about his chores.  I asked him if he heard and he said Yes, that's good!  Arrgh!  It's GREAT!!!

Meece - wanted to let you know that both of our children were adopted.  Our son was 6 years old when he became ours and our daughter was 8 months old.  I am sooooooooooo grateful to have had them in my life.  Our son passed away almost 7 years ago at the age of 24 and I am so very thankful to have had those years with him.  I don't know what I would be doing right now with all this chemo if it weren't for the help and support of my DD.  It was very difficult when we first found out we couldn't have our own biological children, but the children we were given took all that pain and made it for naught!

Yeah about those scans!!!!

Meece,

I can't imagine that happening.  I worried about it until  the adoption was final for our granddaughter, because they have an open adoption also.  When she went into labor, they called my DS and they went and got to participate in the birthing process.  The hospital  was so nice that they gave them a room next to the birth mother's and they could get the baby anytime.  They let her keep the baby overnight and lots during the day. I was so worried that she would not be able to give the baby up, but in the end, she signed the papers and walked out.  She has come to see her once and I think she only wanted to make sure she had made the right decision. They asked her if she would be back and she said she didn't know.  It was very hard on her.

When a birth mother does it for the right reasons there is never a question, but the guilt can get to them.  This mother took good care of herself during the pregnancy and didn't drink or take drugs.  She made the decision early into the pregnancy and tried her  best.

I hope your DS and DIL all the luck in the world and hope they have a really good adoption experience.

Juannelle

Glad to hear Meece!

I've never joined a support group, but the gals here have been here for me through thick and thin, and even completly bald. LOL I crashed the Young Survivors Conference last night. I got a chance to meet Nik Nak from my chemo. topic. I tried to find a couple others but did meet about 90 of the sweetest ladies. I've signed up for next year and look forward to going.

regina--it would be worth taking the tamoxifen in the morning for a week or so and see if the headache pattern changes.  Or you could talk to your doc about splitting the dose and taking it twice a day.  Personally, I'd use the headaches as an excused to get a massage!  Seriously, I hope your headaches go away very soon. 

Or he got our mental vibes!!!

Maybe if he starts speaing with a european accent...

Quick question for anyone regarding the hot flashes side effect from some chemo therapies.

If one has already completed menopause, will hot flashes reoccur on some regimes?

I'm curious because I have only one ovary and the little trooper pooped out sometime in my early to mid-40s. I remember the hot flash period quite well!

Will those hot flashes kick in if (or more likely when) I take the estrogen suppressor after my chemo and radiation therapies end? Or even kick in during my chemo (taxotere and cytoxan)?

After the ovaries poop out there's this pesky little enzyme called aromatase that floats around until it finds a fat cell, then it barges in and coverts the fat  (cholesterol) to estrogen.  It's not a very efficient enzyme, and there isn't a whole lot of it floating around, but it makes enough estrogen for ER+ beasty cells to use to make baby beasty cells.  That's why post menopausal women are put on one of the aromatase inhibitor (arimidex, femara, can't think of the others).  Probably won't trigger hot flashes if you're already post menopausal but it may if the pesky aromatase has been working overtime since the ovaries gave up the ghost.

Excellent explanation NM, the best one I've heard!!  I hope you don't mind if I use that? (you sound like an excellent nurse ; )

About the hot flashes.  I have been post menaopause for 18 years and I got the flashes with the chemo still.  Also, my dr in Okinawa Started me on aromasin until I was ready for chemo.  Had the hot flashes with that also.  Not right away, but soon enough.

OMG, that is what my body is doing,  building estrogen producers, since I have gained about 20 lbs since all this has started.  My body has got the jump on me now.   It is preparing for the famine.   Now what am I suppose  to do, eat more cheetos?  I had some for lunch, but maybe I better get to the store and buy another bag.  Comfort food, yea that is what I need.