MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Barb....venting is good! I know I do my share! I absolutely HATE going to the gyn, even when I was pregnant......hormone therapy isn't going to be any fun, but the way I look at it is....I have 6 grandbabies by marriage and my girls are only 13 and 17, I really want to be around for them....I will do whatever it takes to be here for them.  Several people have asked why I'm going to do chemo since my nodes were clear and the tumor was small, but I'm 45 and because of my age, it was suggested to me. I am dredding it big time! Hang in there.....

I don't mind trying the taxomifen though I'm not crazy about the idea. I just have a major phobia about gynecologists! The ones I've been to in the past have all been jerks and I always have a difficult time "relaxing" when they're examining me and they keep telling me to relax. 

I'm glad to hear Jo that you were able to have your biopsy while you were knocked out. I could definitely handle that.

Thanks for the encouragement ladies!

reesie - my son showed me that cartoon last night, too. It's called XKCD - the cartoonist is actually a physicist, and he quit his day job to do this. Last fall, his fiancee was diagnosed with Stage 3 BC, and after a few months of sporadic cartoons he wrote a really nice post to explain to his fans what was going on. It was the best description of the life of a BC patient that I had ever read - written by a man, no less! - that I forwarded it to some of my dense friends....they still don't get it, not like this guy does. 

Elimar - I just do not agree with smashing up a breast that had a tumor removed. It just doesn't seem like a good idea, so I was able to talk myself into having a breast MRI instead, but since that would have been out-of-pocket I sighed and said, okay to the mammo this past April. I totally regretted it! They're acting like they're confused about the "architectural" changes (duh, it had a tumor removed from the last time), so I have to have one more this fall to confirm everything is the same and next year, I'm just going to pay OOP. I didn't get the broken capillaries, but it did excaberate my breast edema - it's just slight - and that's my excuse from now on. It just seems counter-intuitive to smash our BC breasts.

I chose a female GYN about 10 years ago, hoping for a "kinder, gentler" gynecologist. She's very thorough, and I just found out she was voted one of Atlanta's top gynecologists, out of about 15 in the whole, huge ATL area. They rate them every year in Atlanta Magazine. My radiation oncologist and endocrynologist (for an adenoma they found on my adrenal gland) were on the list, too. Usually my MO is on it, but she didn't make it this time. That's okay, I still trust her - LOL.

naralaca - Welcome to the club no one wants to be a member of.  You have found a great group of very caring and supportive gals.  Sounds like you are finished with treatment and doing well with the exception of with weight issues with Aromasin.  Sorry I can not help you there.  I am also post menopausal but have to take Tamoxifen.  I started with Arimidex and then Femara and both of those were not good for me.  I also was a candidate for the Mammosite Rads but I was not a success case, I ended up doing the whole breast rads for 6 weeks.

I am sure someone will come along and help you with your question. Come often and vent, cry, ask questions or come for a good laugh.  This is a good place to be. 

That's so cute - both of our sons are sharing this with us. The highway one wasn't funny, but informative. I really appreciate the way this guy is telling it like it is. None of the pink stuff from him! He's explaining to his mostly young readers how a BC patient has to live - always wondering what percentile you're going to fall in to, and that there's no way even the doctors know your prognosis. You should read the letter he posted to his fans about his absences - I love how he said he has basically had to become a "cancer expert" the last few months. Boy, don't we all know the feeling! This is the one I sent to my friends that just...don't...get...it!

Welcome, naralaca! Working in a bakery - oh, doubly hard to resist! I'm on Tamoxifen, so can't help you with your question about Aromasin but I do know everyone reacts differently to the various hormonals and I'm sure there are women on these boards that have lost weight on Aromasin. Definitely browse the boards - you will find a lot of valuable information about everything related to our BC and the treatments we've done.

Even though I'm happy to take the Tamoxifen, I can't help but feeling like taking these hormonal treatments is like adding insult to injury. After all the surgery, chemo and rads, now we have this stuff to deal with for a LONG time. It's not easy being us! 

Hi ladies, I have been off the thread for awhile taking care of family. My husband was just here and stayed for a week. It was nice having him here and it was nice when he left   I have to have a TVUS yearly because I have a functional ovarian cyst that won't go away. It has been there for years. I have had several biopsies also, I didn't really feel anything much until they had to do a labial biopsy because now I have a type of autoimmune disease that has attacked my who-who. I went to the OB and asked him to check it out and he wanted to know why I looked at it and I told him that I figured that if it felt wierd it might look wierd and that its mine so I will look at it if I want to! He laughed and said "most women won't"  I feel like all my "womanly parts" are under attack! My girlfriend is with her DH while he is undergoingcancer treatment and they are staying at a Hope Lodge and today the centerfold for this months Play Girl was there donating money to the American Cancer Society, this struck me as being quite funny for some reason. We should check him out LOL

naralaca ~ I have been on Aromasin since Feb 09 & I have had weight gain. I'm not happy about it at all. I've always had a flat stomach & now I have a small spare tire & it sucks!!  I've probably gained about 10# (a couple more most recently) in total. And, yes, I do find it very hard to lose. I was exercising every day & it didn't seem to help much; I'd lose a pound here - a pound there - & then it would come right back. I know Aromasin has a steriodal compound - when I read that lovely bit of information on the package insert before I began using it, I knew I was in trouble.

I need to get back to walking again - fast walking - but it's hard to get motivated when I know it really doesn't do much good. Yes, I know it is good for me in general, but I want to see the weight loss & that doesn't happen. Ugh!

As for SE's, I do well. Minor stiffness if I sit too long, hand numbness in the morning, hot flashes - all that I can live with.

I'm just not happy with this fat ass & thighs of mine!!!! There, I said that outloud in cyber-space!!  

I hope you do well & Welcome!

ETA: Welcome SAB. Sorry you have to be here, but happy you have found us. In answer to your Q of what I might have wished I'd asked but didn't - at this moment, I can't think of anything. At the initial & second meeting with onc, I was so numb, I could hardly think at all. And then all the doctors got an ear-full!

Welcome Naralaca and SAB!! You came to a great spot for support, sorry me had to meet under these circumstances. I'm on tamoxifen so I can't help you on the AI question.SAB, what kind of surgery did you have, what kind of other treatment are you having?

I had bloodwork done last week to check on my thryroid levels, which has finally found a happy spot to stay at. For now. The weird thing is (to me) is that their has always been something wrong with some component of my blood, each month something different. I know the BCTX will mess up your system, but it just seems to be yo-yoing like crazy. Makes me internet search whatever that issue is, get all freaked out--and then stop and realize that it'll probably be fine next month. Stop worrying!!!  When does the worry of reoccurence ever lessen?  Better question is will I ever stop being such a worry wart!!??? : ) 

Welcome SAB - Like some of the others, I was so numb in the beginning I had no idea what questions to ask.  I saw an onc before surgery and all I heard him say was that I did not need chemo and I was to see him after surgery.  This website is full of such good information so ask lots of questions and someone will come along and answer them.

SAB-I am assuming you had a lumpectomy so you will be receiving radiation.  I can't remember things to ask but I do know that my BS did not tell me that I had options.  She just said lump and rads.  I found out 1/2 way through rads that I could have had a MX and no rads.  Just make sure you know if there are other options so that you can make the decision and not your DR's.  The oncotype DX is also good to have.  It will help in treatment decision making.  I also had the BRCA test done so I could decide if I wanted to take my ovaries out or not.  It came back negative so no need to do that.  Just read as much as you can and it will help you form your questions.  Good Luck

Hey, El there's no pic at the top. Just a white box with an X in the upper left corner.

Hi all, been off for a while. Came back once or twice on other threads to drop a quick line. But it takes days to catch up on here so I saved the best for last.

Have had a really bad few weeks. My dad(step), for the last 30 years, passed away on the 20th of July. He was dx with Lung Cancer @ 3 months before I got my IBC dx. So we have been cancer buddies. He was starting to do a little better, then took a turn for the worse. His throat was closing up due to scar tissue and he wasn't able to eat ANYTHING. Hard for him to even get down liquids. He had a procedure done on Thursday the 14th of July to put a stint in his throat to open it up so he could eat. He finally was able to for a couple of days. Then on Tuesday the 19th, he started having trouble again. The scar tissue collapsed the stint. He started coughing up blood, was taken to the hospital, started doing a little better @ noon, was talking, then @ 3 went down hill really fast. Was gone by 4p.m. Was a bad day.

Had a memorial service for him on the 23rd, then my mom took him home. He was cremated. It was kinda funny. We went to the funeral home to pick him up. My mom said, "You know, I've never stopped and picked someone up to take to their own funeral before." Kinda weird.

But we all know life goes on no matter what happens. So on the 24th we had a birthday party for one of my grandsons. He turned 4. Got him & his brother a new inflatable pool & a swing set. Watched them on the 30th, so finished putting it together for them. Hopefully they've been able to play on it.

Then after all this time, @ a year & a half, I started on my dang PERIOD. Not fun & not really prepared for it. Damn thing anyway. Just another thing to bitch @ I guess. Okay, sorry. Made this long enough. needed to get some of that off my chest. Thanks for all you wonderful women.

Hello newbies, sorry you have to join us. This is the most supportive & best place to be. We have lots of good times. Bitch, moan laugh, cry, vent. Anything you need. Think I may be caught up now. Thanks all. Later, going to my moms this weekend (she lives in Kansas) to go through dads stuff & help her get ready to move. Oh, and we have also been house hunting for her. Finally found her one yesterday. She should be able to move in a couple of months. So gotta get everything ready. She's moving back home.

Now I gotta go get ready for work. Hopefully it doesn't take me days to catch up next time. Love ya all. Leisa