Faslodex Girls

Don't you love it? I'm talking food so my iPad changes the word to feast instead of breast. It really tries to think for me. Unbelievable.

Susan, thanks so much for sharing your "story". It's good for all of us to read it. It gives us hope.

Tree

I have to laugh,

Years ago I was working for a large department store that was going through a remodel. I was on the selling floor pinning dress shirts and a very pleasant older lady walks pass me, we both nod and smile. As she passes by I realize with each step she is "tooting" along! Latter my co workers and I all share a laugh that we could all become that little lady....someday...

Well, someday is here and there are times that as much as I try not to...I just "toot" along!

Tree, As far as dieting and stage 4 go, that would be adding insult to injury! A dear friend said the kindest thing to me a few months ago. Which was " what you are dealing with, you deserve some cushion , bon appetite".

Night night all,

Tish

Tree, Tish, Annetia, I am a fully-paid up member of the "when the going gets tough the tough eat chocolate" club. 

As a result, lots of exercise.  Most of the time.  Well, some of the time.

I discussed weight this week with my onc.  He said that women on Faslodex discover it's hard to lose weight.  Back in the days you could easily drop 5 pounds for that wedding next month?  Gone on this drug.  He did say one COULD lose weight, but not quickly.  He also said, bless him, that I should try to stabilize at a weight I'm happy with. 

Hi everyone

I am a girl that likes the really bad things like popcorn with a lot of butter and salt, potatoes chips, ice cream anything crunchy. Sometimes sweets and nuts and Dairy Queen ice cream cakes. That will out on a few pounds and of course all foods. Put something in front of me and I'll eat it seems like I'm always hungry. I do eat a lot of fruit.

Tina,

Thank you for saying you were having the same side effects from the shots! I tried tramadol about a year ago for the pain. They said it wouldn't have the same side effects as vicodin and I would be able to work while on it. I was dizzier with the tramadol than the vicodin. I couldn't work or drive a car being like that. So I take 3 ibuprofen every 4 hrs (sometimes I can go longer) and use a heating pad for my back pain (spine mets) while I sit for 9hrs or more in front of a computer daily. I take the vicodin at night if I haven't had alcohol (which sadly, seems to work the best!) or don't have to work the next day( I get the dizziness for awhile the next morning sometimes). I wish they could find a non-narcotic drug for the pain. Because even when I take it, it doesn't seem to do anything for the pain, it just spaces me out, and I end up taking the iburprofen too.

Good luck!

Well, tomorrow is shot day. 💀I just in the past week started having less pain in the right side injection site, so I guess it will begin again. Also, I will see the MO tomorrow and the RO on Wednesday to talk about my bone scan. I finally got up enough nerve to look at the report online (I had it on the 11th!), and it's not great. I have another lytic lesion, this time on my scapula. The lesion on my ilium, which was radiated, still shows lytic activity, but also sclerotic activity, which the report says, is consistent with healing. I need the doctors to explain all this to me, but I'm pretty bummed. For one thing, the MO said if there were any more mets, I really have to take zometa or something. I don't know what to do about that. I have a mouth full of crowns, and am so afraid of ONJ.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, Tina. I'll let you know what I find out tomorrow. I have a feeling they're going to recommend radiation, because the RO wants to see me. I don't mind radiation much, compared to other cancer treatment choices.

MaryLW, excellent news! I'm so glad for you. Now you can relax and enjoy the summer.

As far as going "on and on," there's absolutely no need to apologize. Everyone in this forum has issued long posts at one time or another and, compared to many--including some of mine--yours is a telegram!

Tina

Subject: Severe Case of Pre-oncologist Visit Monkey Brain and a Very Weird Dream

There's a lot of stuff going on in one part of my life right now, nothing life-threatening, just intense and involving a fair number of people, and fraught socially and politically.  It has required a lot of attention, juggling and careful treading between and among factions over the past week or so. I have other work to do and am quite distracted by all this, not to mention tomorrow's looming oncologist appointment and Faslodex treatment. Since I have such a good prognosis I can't figure out why I'm so antsy except that the injections will begin their cycle of pain once again and I want to get the appointment over and done with.

I intend to beg the nurse to take even more time administering the shots ( she never takes more than 30-seconds, no matter how nicely I ask) and hope that makes some difference. I am already sick of taking NSAIDs and muscle relaxants every day and will admit to you alone that I resent having to take them at all.

Last night's dream: I was among a crowd of dozens of hospital-gowned cancer patients who had all just had their various regular treatments and were feeling woozy/sick/tired. We were herded into a theater to watch a vaudevillian-type performer in a clownish baggy checkered suit dance a jig and sing an upbeat ditty about upcoming side effects, particularly that we must be ready to lose control of our bowels. I wish I could remember the lyrics!

I woke up having hot flashes.

Tina

Come on you guys that week of getting our blood read for tumor no.s can be earth shattering and getting worse every month, at least for me. I go in on wed to have my blood drawn, back on thurs. for Xgeva and faslodex shots as well as a print out of my markers.up? Or down? My numbers are still in critical areas yet they come down every month. On Friday? Well, i don't know if I'm emotionally shot, physically collapsed, being affected by the drugs or all of the above, but I have finally come to the realization that I must be left alone to collapse or let my body do whatever it has to do to react to the drugs. Saturday I'm usually back to me.

Tina, be thankful it's only your dreams that are whacked. There are times when I think my life is.

Teresa

These dreams are very telling. What does it say about me that I just clunk to sleep and don't remember a darn thing about my dreams? I do clunk, but am getting about an hour less sleep than my body wants. This aging stuff is NOT for the weak.

I am hydrating like crazy here which isn't easy during such hot weather just hoping for an easy blood draw. And of course, I am really, really, really hoping that this month is one of the easy ones for the Faslodex shots. I don't like dread or fear very much; and for the past few months dread has entered my vocabulary.

Best to you Tina tomorrow.... [still need to PM you, life is out of control right now]

*susan*

Well I've only been on this thread about a week, but guess this will be my last post. My bone scan showed four new tumors, so I'm off the faslodex. Can't say I'm sorry to be off of that stuff, but wish it had worked. My onc is looking into aromasin and afinitor, but doesn't know yet if I can take the afinitor with my herceptin. Has anyone been on either of these drugs? If I can't take them, it's on to chemo.



Good luck to each of you.



Granna

Dear Fanny Pack,

My report from Thursday's onc visit and injection:

There is a gradually diminishing goose egg on my left buttock and the usual deep ache in my back, despite the nurse injecting the Faslodex more slowly than ever. She actively listened to my theories about Faslodex causing most of my back pain and appeared to be receptive to the possibility of cumulative scarring and other issues caused by long-term intramuscular injection.

The blood draw produced the worst bruising yet, a large purply mass and satellite splodges all over the interior of my elbow. Was I not hydrated enough? Is it the NSAIDs?

My oncologist said "You look well." (Do you think this was because I was wearing lipstick?)

Granna1948, I too hope that your next treatment is the one that takes out those mets. Best of luck! Hope to see you around the forum.

Tina

MaryLW, thanks, but I'm okay. Yesterday was was pretty much no different than it's been with me all along. Sometimes I get big lumps on my butt and sometimes not, but I always get the pain in the back and it lasts for weeks. My nurse forbids me to use heat until at least several days have passed since the injections. She insists that doing so would cause an absorption problem, I assume from the stuff being dispersed too rapidly.

Tina