Check up :-) and Zometa

Awesome news! Happy to hear the TM issue wasn't an issue!

For the record, I am getting Zometa 6 times (4mg, every 6 months for 3 years) I think the incidence of SE's increase with usage, so she probably doesn't want to overdose you - at this point they are just making it all up anyway.

And Arimidex isn't so bad, I really notice any SE's now (just hot flashes, and Tamox gives you them anyhow). There was a recent study that showed Arimidex gave about a 5% higher survival rate over 10 years, so it is probably wporth switching.

Congrats again!!

I think about you all the time and so glad that you checked in......

glad everything is going great!!!!!

Jacqueline 

Hi Mary!

Glad it went well! I'm right behind you -- was supposed to go in on Friday but i realized it's my youngest son's halloween party and I'm not missing that! I'll go in a couple of weeks and get my 3rd or 4th Zometa - I can't remember which it is! I'll be curious to hear how many more I'll have.

I think my onc is probably going to switch me to Arimidex or Femara soon too (I'll have been on tamox 2 years in January). I was debating whether to ask to stay on Tamox for a 3rd year (tolerate it well too) or just make the switch now. I think she'll keep me 5 additional years on an AI.

Since we were diagnosed within a few days of each other I feel like our lives have been so parallel (except i'm not a marathon runner :-))

 But very happy it went well for you - now just relax (and run!)

Jackie

Wonderful!  If oncs were grade school teachers you'd definitely get a star and a smiley face! I used to love getting those on my papers back in grade school...

My onc is having me do Zometa every 6 months for 3 years.  At your next 6 mo visit you ought to pick her brain why she doesn't want to do the extra 2.  Who knows if it makes any difference if you get 4 or 6 but understanding her reasoning would probably be reassuring.

As for moving on from tamox to an AI.  I've run across a lot of research that indicates the optimum results are 2-3 yrs on tamoxifen and then switching to an AI.  Better than doing just one or the other.  I was clearly post menopause so it wasn't an option and hitting it with an AI from the start was my stronger defense for these critical first couple of years.

Is Zometa covered by insurance now?  My onc doesnt even mention it, i did have one of those density scans though and my bones were ok.  I'd like to get it anyway!!!

I am on a different zometa plan as I am on a clinical trial.  I had 4 mg once every month for the first 6 months and then every 3 months for the remaining 2 1/2 years.  Glad to hear appt went well and thanks for all you have done for all of us Mary. 

My oncologist has spoken about having me on tamoxifen & then later arimidex for more than 5 years combined.  They are finding some benefits with that too.

Weety - I am not certain what the difference in benefits is but it would still be of considerable benefit to go on zometa.  Clinical trials have rules about how far out of chem/treatments you are.   The benefits I originally read about were having zometa after treatment.  Now, they are talking about having it during chemo.  Good luck

Bev

Thanks jenna and beverly.  I finally have a date to get my wisdom teeth out--next Tuesday and dentist said if I do a bone graft with them, I should be healed well enough to get the zometa in 3 weeks.  I need to get the ball rolling because my onc is retiring at the end of December and she wanted to have the full instructions and treatment plan already in place just in case the new onc has different ideas and decides zometa is not warranted for early stage BC. ( I have Kaiser, so if the onc orders it, they will pay, but I know it is not standard of care yet.  That's why I want to get it going before she retires!!!)  I am kind of worried about 3 weeks being enough time to heal though.  I guess the dentist will check, though, before she gives me the green light?