MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Thanks so much, Luvmygoats. I truly am proud of him and love him more than I can ever express.

I agree with native on the rads issue. I did lump and rads with lots if damage. Ended up having a BMX and they made me wait one year post rads befor I could move forward. I had 3 PS opinions all said the same thing. I know many have rads with no problems but many have long lasting problems. Good to have all your info going into this
Sherry what a sweet caring son you have
Diana I use the date my cancer was removed

Answering as I read ... Barbe - storm proofing - cutting the branches back and down so less sway in the wind. If a tree is old and water-logged, nothing will save it but for healthy trees, keeping them from being too top heavy and growing out  too far goes a longggg way! And the bay didn't save us, but we have several hundred feet of wetlands and reeds between the back of the campground and where the bay actually starts. That area absorbed most of the water from the bay that "surged" during the storm, so what made it into the campground wasn't catastrophic.

Joni, big hugs to you hon. I hope the day worked out for you. Those "firsts" suck. My mom died in 1989 and I swear, I can still remember that whole year of firsts after she died.

Diana, I suffered from ocular migraines for years. They thought it hormonal - started with first pregnancy, then eased for a while (meaning only a few a year) then beefed up when I was pre-men and hormones were raging - had several a month during that time period - then a lot during stress of the whole cancer year. Luckily, I can now state that I've had maybe a total of 10 in the last 7 yrs - and those have been nowhere near as severe as they used to be. So hang in there - hope sleep comes to you one way or another - and I hope you follow my same path that once you're through this, they almost go away. Hugs sweetie.

Hi JRyan, something that I use for hot flushes is evening primrose oil capsules three times a day. I checked with my pharmacist and they are safe to use with Tamoxifen. I still get the occasional one every now and then but it has helped immensely. Hope this helps as they can really get you down at times, Cath

Reality - What a touching moment with your son. I am so glad he was able to express his emotions and love like that. (Gave me goose bumps imagining it.) I have 2 sons, 25 and 20.



I had bilat cancer and lumpectomies last spring and when I met with radiation oncologist, who was very honest about potential SE's, i decided no way with so much area being radiated. Breast cancer was bad enough. So decision made for BMX and I haven't looked back!



JRyan - I take 75 mg of Effexor, take Tamoxifen.... and very few hot flashes. I did have bilat ooph in '08 though, but suffered from hot flashes all over again, as they took me off Estriadol when I was diagnosed last Mar. I also use what's called a Chillow Pillow at night when I have a hot flash. You can find online.



Nausea seems to be escalating and I started Tamoxifen on 10/13 ???? Not sure if that is normal. It's tolerable though. I had Annie (3 HR old GD) for 2 days and boy am I tired! My poor Mom is still struggling with lightheadedness, so I was busy helping her and my brother all last week. Cardiologist says she's been in a-fib since 30th, but said meds can be more damaging. Also, turns out her autonomic nervous system is not regulating

BP on standing causing orthostatic hypotension. It's a worry. It's been hard on her since my Father passed 7 months ago. Does it ever sink in when a parent dies? We feel such a loss still. Easier to some extent.... but sure miss having him around.



Hope everyone else is doing well. Thanks for listening. Gnite.

Thanks, also, to all who were touched by my post about my son - Hugs to all!

Janis - ...forgot to mention - did not really forget, just avoiding topic...My youngest child, my daughter, 31, has not remained as close to me during BC as my sons have. She has been living with me this year, but plans to move 10 mins. away next week. We both know that it is time for her to move. We love each other dearly, but I believe she just cannot handle seeing me with BC every day (bald, sunken eyes, etc...) I try my best to always be upbeat around her, but she sees through me. For example, I had my port put in this past Fri. - let's face it, I am in pain - I do not, however, tell her that, but she knows. It's almost as those she is angry at me for having BC. I just do not know - she has always been my most challenging child....She works hard as a CNA at a local nursing home - she is compassionate and caring all day - I believe she just cannot handle is at home, too. 

Thanks for listening and caring, 

Sherry

Sherry, it seems unfornuate timing with your daughter moving out. Will that leave you all alone???

JRyan, my trick for night flashes is lying on a bath sheet (towel) over my pillow and down my whole body length and naked if you can handle it. NO sheets with polyester in them!!! Most of them DO have man-made fibres so be careful. The towel is the best as it soaks up any sweat before you realize that you are soaked! I also only use a top sheet to cover myself and keep my feet exposed. 

Beckers - are you thinking your nausea is from the Tamoxifen? I'd talk to onco to see if that's expected. Not sure I'd heard of that particular side effect from Tamox. I'd hope they could give you something to combat that too. If they do think it's from the tamox, maybe you could take half a pill in AM and the other half in PM, I've heard of others doing that.

Reality - I hope things work out with your daughter and for your daughter. Maybe she'll actually have a better perspective if she's removed from the day-to-day living with you and wind up helping more. Hugs.

Jryan my hot flashes finally became unbearable and Onco put me on 37.5mg if Effexor. Very few hot flashes since then.

Backers I also got very neauseated with tamox but mine was at the very beginning. I am now on Prilosec to combat the neausea

Sort of on topic, I am four years out today. The day the it was removed from my body. My anniversary date. { According to Merriam Webster: anniversary: The annual recurrence of a date marking a notable event. } Notable event, damn tootin' it was!  

Four years.....where did it go?

That time in my life. I have lived that four years as a different person. Born as one, now another. Sometimes I feel like I am looking down from above seeing someone I don't even know doing "life" like I used to do, but yet....different.... I am not the same me anymore. Sort of sad in a small way.

But, I am still here. Just a new me.

I do want to thank all my dear sisters for being here day & night, when I need you and when I think I'm doing okay. It means more than you realize.

♥♥♥♥

Val

Neurontin (Gabapentin) in small doses works well for hot flashes, at least it did for me.  Easy to wean off when the arimidex was done, too.

When I wrote that rads was a piece of cake for most women I was reacting to the comment I got over and over again from medical people--"Wow, that reaction to rads is really unusual!"  It made me feel like I was the only woman who ever had trouble with rads.  I know that isn't the case, that most women have some discomfort and some side effects.  I didn't mean to imply that rads was easy for anyone or minimize any one else's pain and discomfort.  I just wish I had been told that the rad onc's definition of "sunburn like rash" meant all the skin peeling off my breast, huge amounts of smelly drainage, constant burning pain, dressing changes every hour or two around the clock from half way through rads to 3 months after.  That "fatigue" meant that I would not be able to do anything, not even cook meals or clean house for the entire time plus 3 months.  I wish he had told me I could stop whenever I wanted to. 

My apologies again, I have got to get off this memory.  I just cringe when I think of any woman going into rads without knowing what it really means. 

Dianarose, a satin pillowcase may be adding to your heat!!! Satin sheets are notoriously HOT!! I sweat right through pillowcases and rot the guts of the pillow. When you take off the case you can see exactly where I sweated! Gross!!

Sherry: I was so touched by your son's demonstration of his love for you.  You raised him to be a good man!

All, I'm one of the lucky ones who had no problems with rads.  My skin turned red and felt warm to the touch, but it never felt painful like a sun burn.  Then it faded to a blotchy tan, and it's mostly back to normal now.  I did have a bit of cracking around the nipple (my apologies if that's too much info), but it didn't hurt and healed quickly.  I didn't have fatigue, and kept up with my 5x a week workout schedule.  I think these things helped me: 

1. I appled aloe generously twice a day.
2. I ate huge amounts of protein (~90 gm) daily to help my cells heal.
3. I'm half Mexican, so I tan easily.
4. I did upper body stretches every day.

Having said all that, I agree with others who suggested that rads aren't needed if you're having a mastectomy.  I knew I had to have them with a lumpectomy, and I accepted that to keep my breast.  I wouldn't have had them if I was having a mastectomy.

Usual disclaimer: This is my opinion, and everyone is different.  We all make the best decision we can for our own treatment.