I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

(((((((((((((Athena)))))))))))))) - we're all there with you sweetie.

Jumping up from the bottom of Athena's basket to pelt Libby with frozen brussel sprouts.  Rabbit for dessert?  I think not!  Might I suggest steak instead?  Or the GOP congresscritter of your choice?   

All paws crossed that Athena and Mary both get good results today.

There is a segment of fundamentalist knuckledraggers in this country who value women only as servants to men and breeders.  Of course they don't like birth control either.  It gave women the power to control their own lives and they are having to compete with us for jobs and power now.  They think that taking away women's reproductive choices ... even if from rape or incest ... will allow them to put us back in their box and they can resume what they consider their 'rightful place' at the top of the food chain.  The American Taliban exists.  But they won't win because we are not giving up the rights the women who came before us had to fight so hard to win.   

LOL at John Oliver .. he is a most excellent replacement for Jon Stewart!        

Wabbit, that may be true south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, Wabbit! Was only thinking "bite-sized and tasty for carnivore!" Wabbits off the dessert menu - how about chickens? Or possums, although since they are scavengers I doubt they would be tasty!



Oh yeah, there is this religious fundamentalist belief that women should be punished for having sex outside of when the fundamentalist patriarchy says they can. And the ones who defy the edicts are whores and deserve whatever happens to them, including rape, being forced to carry unwanted or unviable fetuses to term, doing without medical care associated with said forced pregnancy, and not feeding or educating the product of said forced pregnancy. There is no logic there - there is just hatred and fear and control, because if one successfully defies the fundamentalist patriarchy, then everyone can and their control would end. It is especially important for fundie women to buy into this, because to do otherwise would require them to question their lives and choices. Sad.



L

I am trying to figure out if there is a connection between this distaste for women as several of you have attributed to right wing fundamentalists - and their ongoing verbal assault on the First Lady and her daughters.  Both are quite disturbing.

Sadly, your explanation makes more sense Libby.

We have had this conversation before, but what happened to all that stuff I learned in Sunday school about kindness, tolerance, inclusion, compassion and just plain decent behaviour? Maybe that was only Canadian Sunday school.

Meanwhile in Canada, many people all over the world might like this report. One of the researchers is the one who got Herceptin going.

http://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2013/06/18/cancer_breakthrough_new_drug_to_prevent_cancer_growth.html

MRI uneventful and done. I should have my results on Friday when I go for my checkup with my oncologist.

Hoping to hear from Athena soon.

Mary

Hi Kam, I'm still here! Been reading periodically. I went on a road trip to a family reunion in Texas. Had loads of fun! But I'm also looking for a part time job, which involves all the usual b.s. of getting applications done and transcripts submitted. UGH. Almost hoping I don't get a job, except that I would kind of like to be back in the fray, PART TIME. I'm feeling more energetic now and really think I could handle it.  But in my profession it is hard to get hired part time, so we'll see.

Athena, hoping you are feeling MUCH better soon! 

Kam - why Metaformin?  diabetes? bc prevention?  Not sure the later is living up to original "hype" -do have a friend who takes it for diabetes, and the worst SE means she ALWAYS has to have immodium near by

I had no hair loss 5 years of Arimidex - the SE's seem to be so different for each of us.  thanks for reminding me I need to have TSH checked, and must ask for T4 this time too.  Am hearing of several women who have had almsot "normal" TSH, and yet very low T4.  Wonder what that's about.

What kind of painting are you doing?  Oil?  Watercolor? acrylic?  I really am a dabbler, and loving it.  Can't wait til everyone joins Retired Libby in having a Saturday Life.

Good to see you, Yorkie  - now all we need are a few chickadee chirps...

oooooohhhhhhh.....did everyone see what Blue wrote - "girls enjoying sex" - wow!  Speaking of breaking all the rules, and by girls I mean women of all ages...enjoying "it" -oooooohh...dangerous woids...giggle, giggle...

Metformin for recurrence.  I know it is in Clinical trials (or is it?), but you think it's "hype?"  The hype says it works for all Lum A and some Lum B.  At first glance, I'm not one of the Lum B's that it works for (or it might be to my detriment).  Lum B that are NOT pre-diabetic, or so it appears, have more recurrences with Metformin, not less.  My PCP (and I'm draggin my MO, reluctantly along), wants an Endrocrin to interpret my fasting glucose and fasting insulin (HOMA index > 2.8 would be safe for Lum .

Acrylic paints.  For some reason, I had in my mind, I wanted to do watercolor and not oil.  I knew nothing about acrylics, but as it turns out, this is the perfect type of paint for a beginner like me.  My teacher is wonderful...a retired art professor who decided my little town was a great place to live.  She's teaching us color theory - translation, I can mix any color I want from the 3 primaries - theoretically.  Can't paint (that will come with experience, I presume), but I know how to create a paint color - lol.  It's only 8 class, 6 hours a class and I'm already lamenting the end date.  The bad part is my Taxol-induced neuropathy.  Apparently, standing at an easel on cement, even for an hour, is worse than walking 7 miles on dirt.  Today I took celebrex for my neck.  It's a tough sport for me.

Yorkie - what about the next trial?

Luminal A and Luminal B are both ER+ subtypes.  Luminal B has 2 further subtypes - Her2 neg and Her2 positive.  What I said above about Metformin, atleast, applies to Luminal B Her2 negative, as that is what I am and I kind of filtered the Her2+ out.  Luminal B is marked by higher Ki67.  I think the cutoff is >13.5%.  A lot of pathologists do not report Ki67, but it was recorded on my initial biopsy (60%).  It is one of the factors measured in Oncotyping, but not reported out individually.  I'm not sure of this, but perhaps the Mitotic Count in the Nottingham grading system might indicate a high or low Ki67 - "3" being equivalent to high - but I'm not sure.  Ki67 is a marker for proliferation.  I've seen it referred to as the poor man's oncotype score (in combination with hormone receptor profile).

The HOMA index combines fasting glucose and fasting insulin - otherwise fasting insulin isn't a test often used.  I just got it so we could figure out this Metformin thing.   I could probably figure out the calculation, but I just would feel better if an endocrinologist could double-check it.  By all measurements, my numbers are good (low everything) in the blood sugar dept, but given that all of my other stupid numbers are bad (cholesterol, weight, BP), I'm rather in disbelief that I'm doing well in the blood sugar department.  Makes me doubt my understanding of things.

I think the Metformin thing has not been verified, but there have been some empirical observations that seem to indicate it reduces recurrence.  On the other hand, it seems iffy to negative for some Luminal B's.