Hi My Name Is ...

Hi everyone and welcome to you Tiger!   We have a lot of fun in here encouraging one another to exercise and eat healthy.  Glad to have you join us!  Thats great that you are walking everyday at work.  It just makes you feel good, doesnt it?  And I know its good for our blood pressures and just overall health, especially since you have an upcoming surgery.  Keep up the good work!

tenaj-----you've got prayers from me---hope that infection clears up quickly and no need to go to the hospital.  Sounds like you caught it early.  Are you able to get some extra rest---hope you can and that it will feel and look better in a short time.

Kindergarden----can't believe it would be cold in Vegas.  The weather is crazy everywhere this year.  The rain here stopped and I did get to go walk outside.  I was so warm, I had to take my jacket off today--that was a first.  I don't think the temps will last----will probably be chillier by the weekend.  Am glad I got to go to the track.   It is the best place to walk, think, pray and ponder.  Yes, I ponder sometimes.  I have often pondered how those magicians do those magic tricks!!!  I am one of those people who just need to know how its done.  Sorry you didnt get to see Celine, but sounds like you enjoyed David Copperfield.  

My good news today is I saw my onc.  She said the scans looked good!   There is a small kidney stone showing up that was there last time too, but it doesnt look any different.  The bone scan looked good too.  And then she said that I could have the port taken out!!!  I was not expecting that----that is really a step in the right direction.  Will see the surgeon  on Friday to set up an appt to remove it.  Before my appt today they had me step on the scale.   The last time I was weighed was on Jan 4 in my GP's office and today at the onc's------I was 7 pounds lighter.(and that was with my shoes on, I usually take them off)  The scales in the different dr offices I have to visit never seem to give the same number so that might be off by a pound or two but its moving the way I want it to----down!  

Hello to Blueyez and JFV and Seaside and everyone else---hope everyone is doing okay.

Take care and hope everybody will have a good day tomorrow-----judy

Dear TENAJ, Did they think you might have cellulitis??? I have had cellulitis twice, but I do have lymph edema. I don' t want you to worry, there is a thread on lymph edema. I hope you feel better and the antibiotics work quickly!!!! Judy, great news with everything. Celebrate!!!!!! I also have had kidney stones and they have passed on their own. Hi, TIGER AND PLANTLOVER!! Have a great tomorrow!!!!!

Judy, great news on the port!!

tenaj, good news on the infection not spreading.

Me, well I did not walk yesterday cause my walking buddy was not here AND I had to catch up on my school work. I was behind two assignments and that is NOT good. So I got all caught up and even got ahead a little. I just seem to have lost my umph for school these days. I have this class and then one more before I get my degree and then I will be done completely. I am due to graduate June 2nd.

Have a great day everyone and I am sure I will post again later.

Welcome back plantlover.

Tracy,

How long after the reconstruction was it before you had the nipple reconstruction? I am glad that you are at the end of the surgical journey part.

Tracy,

Because I am BRCA1 positive and I have mutli-focal, multi something else in both breast, I will be doing a BMX with immediate reconstruction with TEs. I figured this would be a full-year process. Just want the cancer out of me. My mother (bless her soul) passed away from breast cancer 26 years ago. My sister who is 39 (same age my mother was diagnosed) has very dense tissue and the rad & onc told her that if there was cancer there they would not be able to tell. She had blood drawn for her BRCA last Thursday and has an appt with an oncologist on the 19th. They are suggesting a BMX or Tamoxifen for 5 years. She is waiting on a 2nd opinion at the Cancer hospital in Seattle,  WA.

Tracy,

Thanks, we both have had a MRI and that is how they found out how spread out mine was. Plus with the BRCA coming back positive didn't help matters. March 27th can't get here fast enough for me.

Gigi, I'll be thinking about you until then.  Keep positive and keep in touch!

Hi ladies,

I'm still here...taking it easy as I wait for this cellultis to clear up. I have an area on my other side now. They both appear lighter in color but if it's not better tommorow I have to call & go to the ER to be admitted. I'm really hoping not!!! This has got me so upset as I felt like I was doing so well, past the exchange and doing really well at exercising. I hope you all are doing well, enjoy your weekend. Keep up the good work!

Hi, JFV, Nice to see you and you did alot of walking. I took aromasin, but I am sure others on here will post soon about arimidex. Have a great day!!!! Kathy

Good Morning Ladies!

Kindergarten- thanks for your prayers and support. The good news is it is much better.  I see the PS tomorrow so we will see what he says.

I am on Femera since September and found that the fatigue was only for about 4 weeks.  As far as the joint pain, that is still there, but I think it is getting better. Exercising does help, I can do the treadmill for an hour without pain.  My pain is after sitting for a while and then getting up, I def can't get up off the floor that easy anymore. I did start supplements and I think they are helping. I will put up with it as to keep the cancer away!!

Good news!! The scale is moving!!!!Just a bit but is going in the right direction, 2 lbs so far.

Keep up the good work ladies! Have a great day

Tenaj, so glad to hear everything is going well for you!  Sorry about the cellulitis, hopefully everything is clearing up.  Good luck with the PS tomorrow!  You are doing awesome!  Dealing with a set back and still able to lose some weight, incredible!  I know when I'm stressed it's straight to the sweets!

JFV, Jaytee and Kathy, great job on the working out!  Can't wait to get the go ahead from my PS to resume my work outs.  I  see him tomorrow, but don't think he's going to give me the go ahead yet, we shall see.

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile but my Mom has been here helping me after my surgery last week and she hogs my computer.  She has been such a huge help, I don't dare ask her to get off.   She left today to head back to Florida, so I am on my own again.  Sad to see her go, but kind of good to get out of patient mode.

Anyways,  hope everyone has had a good Monday!  tracy

Hello, Ladies - what a great thread this is!

The only diet that ever worked for me was Jenny Craig, and that was 20 years ago. I lost 45 pounds and kept it off for three years. Then life happened.

Now I am 40- 50 pounds overweight, and after my BMX/recon in December, I had some hard choices to make. I knew I had to "get healthy" "lose weight" "get fit" etc, but the sad truth is that I have no will power whatsoever.

But things have changed. I need to lose this weight fairly quickly for two reasons:

1) I need to give my PS the best body I can so he can put in the correct size implants for my frame in a few months. Right now I have in Amazon-sized TEs. If he puts in the same size implants, and I lose weight later, I will look like Dolly Parton, which is SO not o.k. He is also going to have to do some nipping and tucking on my armpits and side-boobs when he's in there.

and

2) My breast cancer is estrogen-positive. Even though I am waaaay past menopause, estrogen is still produced in body fat - especially belly fat, of which I have plenty.

For this reason, I will be joining the Optifast Program run by Kaiser in a week and a half. It consists of 16 weeks of meal replacements (shakes, bars, soups) followed by a Transition phase where regular food is introduced, then a year of meetings, medical checkups, and counseling.

Every week there is a weigh-in and an exam with the nurse, and every few weeks there is additional labwork, EGKs, and physician's exams.

I talked to my PS who said I was healthy enough for the program. I met with the supervising Weight Management physician who said to check with my Oncologist. I met with the MO, who was THRILLED that I was doing this. Her exact words were "Forget the drugs (Arimidex) for now. The very best thing that you can do for both your overall health, AND your breast cancer, is to drop this weight, NOW."

I won't be able to have my exchange surgery until three weeks into transition. but that's o.k.

I want to use those 16 weeks of meal replacements as sort of a "food detox" as I am a horrible carbohydrate addict, and I want to get off the "whites"....white sugar, white flour, etc. Then when Transition starts, I want to eat more of an Anti-Cancer diet.

DH and I have already started. He doesn't eat red meat because of his kidney disease. We bought a VitaMix blender and have been making whole food veggie and fruit smoothies. For dinners lately, we've been having soups, and I've been practicing trying to drink my mandatory GALLON of water a day.

I was fortunate. I didn't need chemo or rads, so I am looking at the next four months of food restriction as just another part of my breast cancer treatment.....one that I can control.

You've all provided such good motivation.....I hope to check in here frequently, as I count off the days of my program, and try to incorporate exercise into each day.

Thank you, PlantLover, for starting this!

I'm late to this thread. Thanks for starting it PlantLover. I was working on losing weight when I was diagnosed with BC in August. I mostly hovered around the same weight through my surgeries and such, but given that I had a DIEP, I SHOULD have been down. I wasn't. I didn't watch what I ate during the DIEP recovery - many dinners were provided to us.

Almost 5 weeks ago I decided that I was well enough to start back on Weight Watchers. My biggest trouble has been with exercise. But DS is at soccer practice for 1.5 hours 2-3 times a week so I've been walking for part of the practice time. I suspect it's made the difference this time around. I notice that this week I'm not following as well as I should, but I know I can get back to it, I just have to focus again. This is also my PMS week, so that it probably some of it too.

Before BC I had lost over 35 pounds. I now have 25-30 more to go. I'm hoping to take care of a lot of it before my Stage 2 surgery which I'll do this summer.

One of the things that I struggle with is that I've always seen myself as somewhat big boned and after having a bone density scan, my bones are DENSE (some up to 124% average for my age). So I have a difficult time figuring out what my target weight should be. If I just look at my BMI, they say I should weight less than I'm comfortable weighing. Anyone else worked through this and have any suggestions?

Thanks!!

-Judy

Good morning, wow, between this wonderful thread and another exercise thread that I am on, I am finally seeing the progress that I have been shooting for!!!! Plantlover,thank you again for starting this thread!!!!!!  I am going to a movie with some girlfriends today, but we are walking there and no popcorn for me. I am bringing a glucerna bar with me. I am finding that cutting out bread and exercising every day is the trick for me. I am so carb sensitive. I am not totally cutting out bread, but only having it every other day and only one slice of either whole grain or oat.  Just more vegetables and fruit and less red meat. I also am giving up the sugar. Lent has helped with that, and I am finding that after almost 2 weeks, I really don't miss it. Love being with all you gals!!! And the most important thing for my family is, my mood has been so much better!!! One more thing, most of you are still early in your journey, and I so admire you all on how you are doing everything to stay healthy. I was so lazy during my journey. It is because of these threads and my wonderful family and hubby that I am finally doing what I should have been doing all along.  Thank you, thank you!!!!!!

Hi my name is Marsha. I need to lose at LEAST 25 pounds. I have been trying to get motivated. This thread may be just what I need.