Bottle 'o Tamoxifen

Sherry So glad you have a great boss, and that you can be there for your parents......So many of us have so much on our plates it's a wonder we keep it all together.....I am thinking and praying for you my friend and more importantly sending you a great big HUG!!!!!  Please keep us posted.

Sandee hope your doing well today.....

Haven't had the chance to talk to my Dad yet as the house is always chuck full.  I will be seeing him on Monday, so maybe then...

Cool day here today, but heck there is no snow or rain so I will take it......hugs to you all.....

Sunangel-that is why I signed up for apersonal trainer in December...I wanted to lose weight but more than that, I needed to ensure i did not gain weight!.....going off Tami has shown me that it was keeping he weight on me and was hiding my sleep from me...the nurse in the cardiac wing said 7-12 pounds ...everything else I have read said 5-15...but if it keeps cancer away....right?

Sherry- Soooo sorry to hear about your dad....soooo glad your boss has stepped up and is doing the right thing...gives me hope....I am thinking that once my mammogram and cardiac stuff is over that it will be time for me to go...I am really disappointed with how things have turned out at work...18 years is a long time to give to a private school and only get 5 paid sick days when your key person has a heart attack....think I might be done

pinkie- I understand the no drinking thing...but now that it is my heart , time for a glass of red wine...went and bought a bottle for the holiday weekend....not tha it will all get drunk bu tgood to have it on hand should I decide to put on my jammies, watch "off the map" and have  half a glass....hmm...sounds like something I should do in between threads!

Oh, nooooo, Sandee, I was reading some of the thread, but I had missed too much, now I know what happened to you. Oh, God, Girl, I am so sorry to hear that.  I will phone my Doc in the morning and ask to be seen.  Did you have any symptoms ahead of time?  I'm so glad you are still here typing away.  That makes me glad at least.

pxsunshine so sorry you have had such a rough spring time.  I have one brother who has a terrible alcohol and drug problem.  He always calls when he wants help.  I finally got him into a rehab program and he stayed 5 days and caught a ride home.  When I got bc I finally told him he had to take care of himself I just could not do it any longer.  It was time for him to take care of himself.  It is so hard to deal with them when they don't want to help themselves.  Do check into to blood clot thing.

I had a terrible leg cramp last night.  First one since being on tamox 2 1/2 months but I have heard others having that side effect.  It was painful hope it does not happen again.

thanks for all the prayers for my Dad.  Went to see the MO today and he does in-fact have colon cancer as well as lung cancer.  So he will have surgery on Tuesday to remove the colon cancer because it is bleeding.  If they try to do chemo for the lung cancer it will cause the bleeding to get worse and the MO said he would die from bleeding before he would die from the cancer.  So surgery it is.  Three weeks of healing and then they will start chemo on the lung cancer and will then have path back on the colon cancer and decide what to do about that as well.  So my dad has had two different lung cancers and not colon cancer.  The odds of someone getting three primary cancers are so rare so leave it to my dad to to it.  He use to be a heavy drinker ( does not drink at all now) and said jokingly today he thought maybe the alcohol kept him from getting cancer before.  He likes to joke and as long as he is still joking that makes me feel good.

phxsunshine- .........strength comes in a variety of packages....that boy was lucky to have had you in his life..your brother too. You cannot help someone who does not want to help themselves...sad but so incredibly true...and even then, when they hit bottom again or want to use, you cannot stop them with your love or your anger or anything else if it is the path they choose....I am sorry for your losses because not only is it sad and senseless but that it adds to the burden you already carry. don't feel guilty about the Xanax too....it has helped you through and will help keep things in perspective while you cope...it will get better...it is the gift of time....I hope your son is doing ok...a lot to shoulder. Glad that your trip to the hospital showed no medical reason..but stress is a medical reason. With my cardiac event, I am now going to a stress classs for 5 weeks...they teach relaxation techniques...and talk about the causes of stress (emotional, physical, financial, grief, daily hassles, etc)....you have a lot going on. Let me know if you want me to pm you the strategies he suggested.....You arelikely doing them already...you are a lot stronger than you feel you are...

Wow, just went to Active Topics and found this one, and see some friends and some really awesome posts. Obviously couldn't read all, but a few thoughts to share.

Tamox - I did tamox for 3.5 yrs, then aromasin for 1.5 then .... just this week ... got the go ahead to finish my bottle of aromasin and that's it - done - no more!!!!

Leg cramps - muscle pain - that is definitely the tamox ... I literally would wake in the middle of the night screaming and jump out of bed trying to walk it off - sorry, but usually took quite a while.  The good news is that as soon as I went from tamox to aromasin (when postmenapausal) that stopped.  I used to get leg cramps before BC, and I still get the occasional one now, but nothing at all like when I was on tamox.

For those dealing with family issues and other heartaches, including the suicides, my heart goes out to you. I just hope and pray...and you are all in my prayers daily ... that things get better for you soon.

Hugs roomies.

Caroline...... I get them too and even had to go have the ultrasound to find out if it was a blood clot and thankfully it wasn't. My primary dr. didn't want to take a chance at not finding out that it might have been one.  Yes, to me they are extreme every once in awhile since I have started the tammy. I have been on it for three months now, have had this happen three times.... and yes, I did have them before but very seldom and NOT as severe!

Thanks for your prayers, your thoughts and your suggestions.  I went to bed with bad calf pain and woke up and it was barely noticeable and by noon it was even gone to the touch. Very weird indeed and I blame cancer.  Sandee, I am doing tension relieving exercises that they offer at  Luke AFB's mental health clinic.  Ladies, these are awesome, you can look them up yourself at www.traumaprevention.com.  You are so right about getting rid of stress. I have had a lot of time to think about many things in my life that are like piles of dirt I have been stepping around instead of cleaning up. I'm cleaning them up now, I am empowered.  Nothing makes me afraid anymore. I was so ashamed of my life growing up, but I have figured out, it was not our fault and I have laid the shame down and left it there.  It's not my burden to carry anymore.  Those Xanax were lifesavers when I needed them, but I don't think I need them anymore.  I am down to .25 mg a day for the past 2 days and I will be done in a couple of weeks at the latest.  I'm keeping them around though, just in case, and nice to know there is something that can keep me from stroking out whenever the shit hits the fan again.  But I'm pretty sure that there will never be another 2 months like this in my life ever again.  The odds are astronomical for this to have happened in the first place.  

Now, here's something I want to share with all the Hot Flash Girls. I have found through trial and error that I don't have hot flashes if I don't eat sugar, or hardly any. I had a tsp of honey in my oatmeal yesterday and one butter cookie with 2 grams of sugar in it and I have not had a hot flash in over 48 hours. This happened once recently and I did not want to admit it was the lack of sugar that did it, because I love a little bowl of ice cream and chocolate sauce with peanuts from time to time.  Figured I could get away with it because I am officially skinny now.  My Rad Onc told me to "eat" three times this past week when I saw her.  I am what I weighed my Jr year of HS now, but I feel fine, I just don't eat when I am stressed and man, have I been.  So, just what you wanted to hear when the Easter Bunny is set to make the rounds.  But there you go.

 Hope you all have a blessed Easter. All my hugs, love and prayers go out to all my sisters here. 

Hi Ladies... just checking in... so much to catch up on.....

Sandee hope your feeling good and taking care of yourself.... hugs

Sunangel.... hi there good to see you on hear

marlegal  that is fantastic you are almost done good for you!!!!!!!!!!

sunshine ...thanks for the website I will be checking it out~

You ladies have a lot of wisdom to share, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. I actually take notes and re-read the parts I really need to absorb, especially how to treat ourselves better! Thank you for all the recommendations and big HUGS for your strength and bravery!

Thanks Tink- Ecuador...and it really and truley looked like that. No modifications....thought at the time that experiencing a sunset like that would never get boring, even if it does happen most nights! I have answered your PM:)

So hard....splitting up is hard in any way you shake it....when people are jerks about it, it is so unnecessary. How can people forget the love that brought them together? I never have understood it...She is lucky you were with her this weekend. Friends help.

yeah....but as we get older, the time is a touchy thing....I have sixtten under my belt...hard to let go to let someone else in....been working on it for 18 months and still not there. I wish her better luck....sometimes if the person was an asshole it is easier to let go because you go through the angry stage which propels them from you....I just want to run...and am close to doing it....don't want our meetings to be hook ups to catch on the last month of life of chatter...we nevef did chatter...i do not want chatter....I hope your friend has a clear picture of what she wants...that will help.

Welcome shari.  I know this is a place none of us want to be but it is a good place for those who are in our situation,.

I've never been prone to yeast infections, only a couple of them in my life and probably 30 years since the last.  Like you I've been on tammy about six months.  I  seem to have developed on and will be calling the Dr Monday.  I'm sure it must be related, if not why now?  And I have heard a couple of others mention it here some time back.  Sorry I can't help you now but I'm sure someone else can help us both.

sgreenarch acidolophogus (or however you spell it)..you can get it inthe health food store or grocery store. Helped immedialtey with the yeast thing

pink- my BS and onco said not to soy as well...no point risking it...moved back to cows milk but organic skim only....yeah....tamoxifen and family heart problems not a good combo apparently...or so my heart attack seems to indicate so....i am wih you. they are testing to see if my estrogen levels have changed since november to see if they can put me on anything this summer.might say no regardless....between the heart meds, the angina and the fear...don't know if I want anything else in this body i am currently calling a host!