VERY discouraged

Purple, as you can see from my siggy, I was triple negative with both a primary IDC tumor and high grade DCIS.  Medically, I only did surgery, twice; but I cobbled together a protocol with my own research and several visits to different types of alternative advisers, two of them medical doctor specialists.  With all the secondary issues you've got, you absolutely need imput from people who know what they are talking about.   No anecdotal stories, no folk medicine, no hype.

We can only give you suggestions for you to take and research on your own.  For example, you dismiss vitamin D3, but that is the most important thing for you to check out both for breast cancer and bone issues.  Do you know your own serum levels?  K2 will not increase clotting significantly.  But if you take significant doses of D3, you need to consider it as it will help prevent serum calcium, which can increase from taking D3 in high doses, from affecting the walls of your blood vessels.

Do you know your risk factors as they relate to why you have bone thinning?  Do you have a hyperactive thyroid? Taking calcium alone will do little to affect your bone thinning.  Boron, magnesium, silicon, and other minerals are co factors in this as well.  I take a dizzying array of sups and use some specialized topicals that work with my situation, along with vigorous exercise.  It is constantly evolving, but I believe that it not only may have helped in this cancer battle, it may have helped improve my general health as well.  No single supplement is the turn key here. 

purple32...you did have cancer. It did become invasive. Any dx shows us our body is out of sorts that even with early stage our body is making cancer cells. You have a right to be concerned. It's sorta at least for me a wake up call to find out why our body is making cancer cells, and to do something about it so we can stay cancer free.

I respect that you are thinking everything through. I had a bad experience about 10 years ago where I didn't ask questions or research, which led to a RSD dx. Before breaking my wrist, I never questioned a doctor. When my hand turned purple, shiny, and the nerve pain was intense to the point no one could come near me the doctor just said it will get better. If I knew the symptoms of RSD, I would had demanded help before it became a permanent disability. RSD caught in the early stages can be cured. By the time the doctor dx it, my hand had gone into stage 2 or 3 which left it forever locked, and overuse or even a hard handshake can cause intense burning pain.   Knowledge is power. Better to know than to look back after the fact with regrets. So...from that point on I research everything.

Like you, I have many of the same issues with "standard" cancer therapy. Due to Hashiminto (hypothyroid) my naturalpath said not to eat crucerious vegetables or take iodine. When I did take idorial anyway, my thyroid antibodies number went from 200 to 1100 so my naturalpath took me off it and the numbers dropped. Due to low bone density, peni and ostro-, my oncologist prescribed fosamax. One pill almost did me in. My tongue, and throat swelled up. I could barely walk. I broke out with a rash. I learned that I am allergic to bone strengening drugs. Due to that my oncologist wasn't about to put me on Al's. Fear of strokes, heart issues, and cancer elsewhere, with stage 1a, I'm not about to do tamoxifin. The only thing for me to do other than surgery was Herceptin. and be as it may, I fell in the minority to have the herceptin side effects with heart and breathing issues. And oh, I don't think with my heart issues my oncologist would recommend chemo. I said the other day, when she took me off herceptin, well not much for me to do other than alternative. At this point safely she could only recommend tamoxifen, and knowing me I would fall in the high risk for side effects.

 Hopefully surgery was enough. I did have a stage 1, grade 1 in the left breast and all I did for that was surgery. My last cancer was a little different (in the other breast ... right) in that it was a aggessive grade 3, her2+++ as to why I did the herceptin...although still stage 1a. Sometimes you feel you are between a hard place and a rock. You have to do what is right for you, your body, your life.

I wouldn't worry to much about seeding. From what I read cancer cells that often do break away are often destroyed by our immune system before finding a suitable place to grow. From what I read it's rare that seeding happens due to a biopsy. BUT...there is the chance it can happen. I was really concerned about the seeding, but of recent decided not to let my mind go there.

Be encouraged that we don't have to deal with the big guns. Hopefully eating right, and staying stress free is enough to keep cancer cells from growing in our body. ((((hugs))))

It is my understanding that calcium, actually, can help lower the risk of recurrence, although the results of various studies are not consistent.  But I do not think that the recommended daily dose of calcium has been definitively identified as risk factor- or cause of breast cancer recurrence.  In fact, I think it, actually, helps.

kira1234...Funny, our family changed from dairy to almond milk. I had it on flax seed hot cerial. I also heard almonds are anti-cancer so the last few years I've been eating them for snack food. I've also been plagued with mouth sores for about 2 years. I had 3 to 4 sores at a time, which made eating difficult. The sores worsen with antibiotics, but even when not taking antibiotics I had them. One day, about a month ago while eating almonds, I felt a sore develop while eating the almond. I then had the thought that I could be allergic to almonds so I stopped eating them. I haven't had a mouth sore in a month. Crossing my fingers that my mouth sore problem is mostly due to an allergy to almonds. Instead we're milking goats, and drinking raw goats milk. It's delicious, and no problems. Plus, it's suppose to be alkaline where cows milk is said to be more acid.

I'm a little confused about the risk of taking calcium. Perhaps I misunderstood. I'm taking it along with magesium.

Purple32...most people, who have stage 1 have moved on from bco. I've been one of the unlucky ones who've had multiple recurrences, but forunate each time to find it early. For me, bco has been pretty good as I've become aware of alternatives that can help me in staying cancer free. Surgery alone might be all we needed, but it doesn't guarantee that a new cancer unrelated to bc can pop up some place else. DX with cancer made me see I'm vulnerable to getting cancer. Before dx, never thought about cancer.

I too have family heart issues, and refused conventional meds.  I am trying diet, (mostly vegan) - D3 (5,000 units a day), Tumeric, Quercertin, Mushroom extracts, Modified Citrus Pectin, BetaGlucan, Bcomplex, green tea, I take a small dose of Loderal (iodine) - I have hosimotos disease so I am careful with anything that might interfere with my thyroid, so far, and my alt. M.D. put me on DIM (estrogen blocker) found in health food store. I take a breast health vitamin (from my alt. doctor) -this has DIM in it which is a natural estrogen blocker. I also use Coconut Milk. 

At Stage I, I agree with above posting, enjoy your life....good luck!!!  (((hugs)))

What is DIM?

Purple...you had mentioned you have clotting issues, so you couldn't take tamoxifen.  Are you on coumadin or another blood thinner?  If you are, does DIM have natural Vitamin K in it (like broccoli iteself does?)  Because Vitamin K is like an "anti-coumadin" and could interfere with the effectiveness of certain blood thinners. 

Can you check for interractions with your pharmacist?  The larger chains have great software and they can plug things in to see contra-indications. 

Oh, and my mother, when she was on tamoxifen, she took 1 of the 2 recommended Calcium pills (so half of the recommended dose), and it didn't cause her any problems at the time.

My alt. M.D.knows I have thyroid problems - I am underactive (Hosimotos) - no goiter...I am taking a low dose  of DIM (50 mg. a day) - If I have any side effects, I am going to lower it.  I eat a lot of fresh veggies everyday so I am getting the benefits of natural estrogen balancing with the fresh veggies.  Really, I am not sure if anything I am doing is going to work or is working...only time will tell...but I am doing what I feel is best and praying a lot.

Purple, I've just read through a few pages here, and suggest for osteoporosis the best help is always weight bearing exercise.  For those who can't or won't exercise for whatever reason, there are strategies that help.  I have osteoporosis in my hips and I'm lazy about exercise, so this is important to me and I've read widely.

1. If you're weight is normal to low, get a good weighted jacket from a sports store and wear it when you go out walking (shopping etc) so your weight is greater on your bones.  Only use low weights at first and build them up as you feel comfortable.  

2. If it's safe for your hip bones, do heel drops regularly while standing to do normal household chores or standing for any reason in the privacy of your home.  A heel drop (or heel lift) is simply standing on tip toes then dropping your weight onto your heels.  Like running without any of the effort. I try to do sets of 20 or 30 and fit in several sets a day but for some frail people this may not be a good idea.

3. Get a vibration platform and use it each day.  It simply shakes your bones and muscles attached to them which stresses them. The stress causes strengthening of the bones. At the moment there aren't enough proper studies to show that they reduce fractures though the sales people will all say theirs is the bees knees that has the right vibration level/direction/any impressive technical word, to work better.  I bought the cheapest one in a sale and that sure does shake my bones when I remember to use it.  I generally do it in the 10 minutes while sport is on the evening news to force me to remember.

4. If your Dr approves, do some simple exercises such as leg lifts, any direction, while laying down. You can be watching TV or reading. Spine strengthening can happen from laying face down, arms stretched forward, raise right arm and left leg a little, then the opposite arm and leg.  Easy, no stress on the heart or lungs, but you'd need to do them most days, building up the number of reps.  I'll look for some you tube videos and post them.

See a qualified instructor to show you the best exercises to build bones without straining your heart or lungs.  If you've already had breaks then some spine exercises are best avoided so get good professional advice. You'll feel much better for it. 

Purple,

I am taking olive leaf extract. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=olive%20leaf%20extract%20breast%20cancer

Curcumin http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22772921

Bromelain http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22191568 Do not take this if you are on blood thinners or bleed easily.

Vitamin D3 (over the counter) 4,000mg per day. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22399586

I am on Arimidex. Last year my bone scan showed osteopenia in all areas of my spine and hips. Two vertebrae of my lumbar spine were in osteoporosis.  My Vitamin D3 level was in the low 30's.  After one year of 4000mg of Vitamin D3, 1200mg of Calcium, 250mg of Magnesium, my osteopenia has improved in all areas of my spine and hips.  My Vitamin D3 level is now 54ng/ml.  One of my lumbar vertebrae is now out of osteoporosis and the other is almost out.  I expect further improvement by next year.

All of my supplements are discussed with my doctor and I suggest that you print out the links and discuss these with yours.  There are more links for each of these supplements. Just put in the supplement name and breast cancer into the search box.  PubMed is supported by NIH.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

Best wishes for improvement in your health.

Joy, thanks for the exercise info, very useful. I have started going to the gym, but was having trouble figuring out hownto strengthen my spine.

Purple, sounds like you have a lot of medical issues and are recently Dx'd w/ BC. It's a lot to process. FWIW, it sounds like you and I are in a somewhat similar boat.  (Due to bone issues I can never take an AI.  I also have a milk allergy so dairy and bone density has been an concern since I was a teen. I have one copy of the Factor V blood clotting factor which puts me at somewhat higher risk for clots, so taking tamoxifen wasn't an easy decision. ). So yes, it can be tricky juggling multiple health issues.

A couple thoughts:

a) if your doctors haven't said this, your Dx is very favorable. (similar to mine). So the absolute "benefit" of tamoxifen (and other hormonals) is generally less than someone with advanced or faster-growing BC.

b) sometimes all the info and decision making can be overwhelming. Maybe take it one decision at time?    Maybe triage/priority the health concerns?  One option is to focus first on the cancer Tx you'll do; then go back and think about bone health, etc.   Maybe consider taking a short break from investigating these health concerns?

We are (hopefully) in this for the long haul, which will means years and years (and decades)! So, even though I also pushed myself to do research and make decisions, sometimes it might help to have some "distraction therapy" (for a day. maybe a week?) and come back to the topic with a fresh perspective or perhaps just some much needed rest. Best of luck. This isn't easy for anyone, esp. the first six months. Take care.