MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Hello, Middles!

Long time no post! I just passed the third anniversary of one of the three options for a "cancerversary," which is my date of diagnosis, 6/18/08. My three-year anniversary of the removal of the globule of evil is in August, and three years since completion of radiation will be in November. I'll continue to enjoyTamoxification for another two and a half years - hey! That means I'm HALFWAY through it!

It's so frustrating how much they don't know about many medications. Does the fact that a medication reduces hot flashes imply that it tampers with the effects of an anti-hormonal or aromatase inhibitor? Benadryl worked great to help me sleep and kill hot flashes - and then I learned that this was likely because it interfered with the processing of my Tamoxifen. I have still used it to treat an acute allergic event (friends who have you over and surprise you with their three cats), but I now take Melatonin at bedtime sometimes if I want a sleep aid. I've read that they don't even really know exactly how some anti-depressants work. As time goes on, they figure more things out, and as usual, the best we can do is try to make our own best choices...

Read an interesting book for one of my book clubs: Promise Me, by Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan B. Komen for the Cure. Prior to reading this book, I was VERY "anti-pink," but getting an understanding of how the whole effort came to be and what they've done, I must say I loathe pink a little less. I still think there are companies who misuse it, but it's highly likely that all of that pinkness put me in a position where I was able to benefit from much of the research they funded. Reading about breast cancer treatments in the recent past as well as the DISTANT past was eye-opening. The book blends the story of the author's sister's experience with cancer with the history of breast cancer and treatments and the author's personal story. In my book club of 21 women, it turns out that four of us have some personal experience with breast cancer. Two of us had smallish tumors treated with lumpectomy and radiation and then Tamoxifen, one had a father who had breast cancer (so she's under surveillance), and the fourth had a mastectomy 15 years ago, followed by Tamoxifen and then an AI. (This doesn't include the number of women who have probably had biopsies or "wait and see" experiences with abnormalities that weren't cancer.) The woman who had it 15 years ago found the book to be almost too difficult to read... Although I'm glad I read it, I recommend having a follow-up book you can read immediately after to get your mind off of breast cancer. We next read "The Hunger Games." That did the trick!

Coleen 

Kleenex - must be a great feeling being halfway through the tamoxifen. I don't know what to think about hot flashes vs no hot flashes. I suppose I went through menopause, but never had a hot flash then, either - subsequently, I have never had a hot flash on tamoxifen. I'm not sure if it's a relevant indicator or not. I've had other (small) SEs, but I've never been susceptible to SEs of any sort anyway. But, for what it's worth, my onc is running that tamoxifen metabolizer test on me. I'll let y'all know how it turns out, but I suspect it will show that I'm an extensive metabolizer - no hot flashes and all.

That book, "Promise Me", sounds very interesting - I will check it out. I feel like my understanding of the "pink" movement is pretty vague; I'm almost afraid of how much it may move me. I'm on the waiting list at my library for "The Emperor of all Maladies". Such a huge, expensive book - not sure I want to own it or ever refer to it again, but I'm looking forward to reading it. I'll make sure I have a light book to read after both of these books - good advice!

Speaking of awareness campaigns - have you seen those anti-meth ads? I don't know if they run them in your state, but they freak the kids out here - way to go! They certainly freak me out! 

annette-is your avatar you? I think we've seen it before the flying goat perhaps.  Tomorrow-it's only a day away & I will have on my big girl panties in your honor!  Fly, be free, be happy!

Coleen you give me hope.  So glad you are 1/2 way finished.

{{{{{annette}}}}}

(((ANNETTE)))

Barbe - I'm VERY aware of that: have had many discussions with my MO who has said that if the ILC comes back, it's likely to be 10 - 15 years out. So the usual significance of the first five years is diminished significantly. I tell people that in person, when they're all "ooooooh - three years!"

And why have all of this follow-up, as though we're looking for something now? The theory is that just because I had a slow-growing, organized, hormone-receptor-positive cancer the FIRST time, it doesn't mean that I won't whip up something different in the next couple of years. We have no clue why my body allowed cancer to grow in the first place, right? We have this interesting game going where "of COURSE we won't find anything - but we're still going to look closely every six months." So yes, she's planning a fun AI for me after my Tamoxification is done - she's mentioned Femara - and who knows what after that? I get that I'm in this long-term, sadly.

And while I didn't throw a big party and actually feel relieved or anything at the three-years-since diagnosis mark, I was still glad, because any day without identifiable cancer cells is a good one. I don't like how Tamoxifen makes me feel, even though on some level I am happy to have something to take with a known track record of preventing more cancer of the type I had, so being halfway done with taking it is good.

Heartandsoul - I haven't heard of the "Emperor of All Maladies," but I like that impressive title, so I'm going to look it up. I'm all about reading on the cheap. I have a Kindle, but the library is my friend, and here in Texas we have tons of "Half Price Books" locations. Not great for new releases, usually, but if something's been out for even a few months...

Joni - Went to Disney with the band for four magical days at the end of May. 175 of my favorite teenagers. It was character building - my daughter's group has known each other too long, so the friendship honeymoon is over. It wasn't a matter of, "Oh, I'd prefer not to do that type of ride, because I get motion sick." It was more, "I am SO not going to walk ALL THAT WAY for that STUPID ride you want to do, because I have NO interest!!!!!" Then we have a girl who tends to not take care of herself, creating all sorts of drama with her self-induced dehydration. (She did it last year AND this year.) God forbid you cheerfully ask her to drink her water: all of her friends (except my daughter, thankfully) look at you like you're an overbearing monster. I suppose on some level, they all must enjoy having to sit with her while she doesn't feel well or rush her for treatment to first aid or wait for paramedics...

Overall, I had a great time, but this may be my last gig as official chaperone. I want to be a "Tagalong" parent, without the responsibility for getting the kids up at the butt-crack of dawn and checking to make sure they're in their rooms in bed in the middle of the night. One mom checked herself into first aid at Epcot for a four-hour nap in the A/C. Sadly, I was SO envious - what a GREAT idea! I'm several years older than she is, so on the one hand, if SHE was so tired, it wasn't just me. But on the other hand, this is how the band director likes to run the trip: a tired, busy high school kid won't get into trouble. The end result is exhausted adults, especially those with a "new normal" from Tamoxifen.

I celebrate every day. I choose to live 'in the now'.

Should I not have rented the jumping castle? Or, wait, certainly I'll be more able to jump in it now than I will when I'm 60. On the other hand, entering a jumping castle at my age on a day when it'll be 101 with very high humidity and lots of sun would probably be suicidal...

Im just as cofused as the next person on taking the Tamoxifen.  Thanks for the info gals.  I just dont know about whats gonna happen when Im done with the Tamo and this helps.  My sissy didnt have to take tamo, so she cant help me on this one.  My Auntie took it for 5 yrs, but she is gone now so I cant ask her. Her passing wasnt BC related.  She lived another 15 yrs after that. I dont recall her saying anything about more cancer treatments once she stopped the Tamoxifen.  But then again she was in her 70s when she took it, so thats even more confusing now.

Wasn't it your daughter last year that didn't want to be in your chaperone group Colleen? Or was it someone else....?

I was menapausal when I started Tamoxifen and will stay on it for the full 5 years.  There will be no switching to an AI in three years or five years.  I have tried 2 of them and just can't deal with the SEs

Barb58 - I still have my ovaries intact - no worries there.