BC markers are DOWN!! Vit D is UP!!

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Colette37
Colette37 Member Posts: 387
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

I am so excited because my BC marker is down to 11.3 after being 12.6 in April!!  I guess normal is between zero and 35!!!  Also my Vit. D is up to 64 from 43 last time they took it!  I have been taking loads of Vit D3 (my pharmacist stated you shouldn't take Vit D with a fatty meal or when you eat any dairy because it will bond with the fat in the food and not be processed like it needs to be!  I have a Calcium tab that you can get from Costco that has extra Vit D in it as well as Vit K.

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  • shells43
    shells43 Member Posts: 1,022
    edited July 2010

    Hi Colette,

    Can you please explain? I am interested. Is there some relationship between Vit D and BC?

    Shelley

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2010

    Shelleyj43 - here's a thread on Vit D and there are links with additional information. 

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/79/topic/741446?page=1

    Colette - that's wonderful news.

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  • Colette37
    Colette37 Member Posts: 387
    edited July 2010

    There is a thread about Vit. D and BC on the "Alternative, Complementary and Holistic Treatment" which has LOADS of info and studies done on Vit. D...it is fairly long thread, but the first 2 pages, IMO, have the most info in the thread.

    Low levels of Vit. D are linked with many kind of illnesses such as BC, heart disease, and bone problems, and increase risk of getting a viral infection.  Here is a quick video which gives a quick over-veiw of Vit. D:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfa_z0KTwDo&feature=related 

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  • Colette37
    Colette37 Member Posts: 387
    edited July 2010

    Shelly...Here is a good link which talks directly about Vit. D and Cancer prevention that I got from the thread that I was speaking about:

    http://sciencestage.com/v/1753/cancer-mortality-prevention-with-vitamin-d-dr.cedric-garland.html 

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  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited July 2010

    Good news Colette!  My doc said apparently almost everyone's Vit D levels are low.  Thanks for the heads up about the dairy/fatty meal thing.  They hadn't told me that.

    Take care,

    Sharon

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  • clariceak
    clariceak Member Posts: 752
    edited July 2010

    Excellent news!  Those are awesome numbers.

    My vit D only went up 3 points so now I'm on a mega prescription dose.I'm also a Vit D advocate.  I'm preaching it to almost everyone who will listen and posting links on my FB page etc.

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  • Colette37
    Colette37 Member Posts: 387
    edited July 2010

    Clariceak...From what I read on the other thread the mega dose of Vit. D is actually vit. D2 which is harder for the body to absorb, I was prescribed the little green tab too.  Vit. D3 which is the supplement in the over the counter is easier for the body to absorb.  I have been taking between 5 to 6 thousand IU a day of Vit. D3...I will take more like 10,000 IU if my kids are sick and I don't want to get ill, I will only take that much a few days and then bring it lower.

    I agree with you that Vit. D is a great supplement that helps with so much!  I am surprised that my levels were as positive as they were!  It makes me feel like I can kick this now, where as before I still got scared with the thought!

    Sharon, I thought it was a good thing to take it when I ate too, until the pharmacist said that if you take it with something like Dairy with a lot of fat, then the Vit. D will bind with the fat in the food and not be processed and go to YOUR fat..which makes sense.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2010

    Colette/Sharon - when do you take it and can you tolerate it on an empty stomach?  I take D3 morning, noon and night and always with meals because it upsets my stomach otherwise. 

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  • Colette37
    Colette37 Member Posts: 387
    edited July 2010

    patoo...I usually take it with fruit...I then know that I am not getting any fat when I take the pills and my body will absorb the Vit D3 and it wont just go into the food...although I have taken it without any food though too and it didn't seem to bother me.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2010

    Thanks, I'll do that - need more fruit anyway.

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  • AsiaYM
    AsiaYM Member Posts: 2,216
    edited July 2010

    Colette,

    Great news on your BC marker and Vit D level!  My Doc is watching my marker and D too.

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  • Colette37
    Colette37 Member Posts: 387
    edited July 2010

    Thanks everyone...I know I haven't posted much on this board, but I do come through often and read...I have been hitting the reconstruction board more often since that is the stage that I am in right now.  I am just so excited that the numbers are the way they are, and it seemed that the post really doesn't fit in with the recon board..my husband and I worked so hard to get them that way!  I feel like I am kicking cancers butt and winning!

    Sad thing now though..I am getting better and my dog who is 10 1/2 now has lumps on his tummy..I am so sad about that because he always was a mother hen and tried to protect and take care of everyone..He would even go from child to child when they were in the back yard to make sure they were Ok...He even decided NOT to go potty one 4th of July because the fire works made him fearful that I may get hurt (I was in the apartment pregnant with my first son)..he had to rush back up to me to make sure I was fine.  He also never slept the first two weeks when I had my son because he felt he needed to protect him...He even tried comforting the newborn when I was trying to get a bottle of breast milk warmed and was looking at me like "TAKE CARE OF HIM!!"  Or "WHAT DO I DO!?"   I just don't want him to be in pain..There are things that he does that drives me nuts (like gets into the trash) but he is such a sweet dog.  I hate the fact that he has something that I just went through and know how painful it is.  I am going to miss him when he goes.

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  • kimber3006
    kimber3006 Member Posts: 586
    edited July 2010

    Colette - Congrats on the D levels.  I started out at 18 or 19 (yeah, yikes!) and went up to 59 after 3 months of taking 5000 IU daily.  The weird thing is I took half of mine every morning with breakfast - cereal and milk.  I do live in the south, though, and also spent at least 30 minutes a day out in the sun until my rads burns started keeping me inside, so maybe that was a lot of it.

    I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.  They are such an integral part of our families and it's just awful to think of them suffering.

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  • shells43
    shells43 Member Posts: 1,022
    edited July 2010

    Hi Colette, I picked up the D3 today. I was going to ask how much to take, they are 1000 units. I see Kimber's post that she is taking 5000 units. I think I'll take the RDA for now until I check with my Onc. By the way, CVS has them buy 1 get 1 free right now, the CVS brand anyway.

    Sorry to hear about your doggy, we got our first dog last year after our son went to college and I don't know how we went so long without one. What does the vet say? I hope he will be ok.

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  • kimber3006
    kimber3006 Member Posts: 586
    edited July 2010

    Shelley - Good idea to check with your onc first.  From what I've seen, a lot (maybe even most?) of them don't like us taking supplements, especially in large doses during chemo and sometimes rads as well.  From your dates, it looks like your still in the thick of it. 

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