Ladies in their 30s

Stephmoen - if you are not BRCA+ then your chance of getting ovarian cancer would be the same as of the normal population 0,5%. And even with BRCA they recommend oophorectomy at age 35, you are way too young for oophorectomy. If you go with one of the AIs + Lupron you will not have the risk of endometrial cancer/ thickening of the uterus that you would have while on tamoxifen. I'm 38 but I have to be honest - surgical menopause is not very pretty.

Hi ladies, I am 36 (turning 37 in July). Married with two kids (turning 3 and 6). I was diagnosed with stage 1B multifocal IDC (12 tumors). Going through chemo now.

I would like to have early menopause too. I think I will start with Lupron and then consider oophorectomy later. Anyone taking AI now? Heard AI's SE are much harsher than Tamoxifen...

Thanks a lot for sharing, Srh242!

I had a full spayed at 36 y.o. I'm on letrozole. The night sweets were awful, so I took the pill in the am doing much better on it. For the bone aches I did vit. D3 don't drink milk or other things with calcium 2 hour before or after. I heard that even though I'm in menapause that when I hit the menapause age again our bodies will go through the side effect. Who knows?

FairyDogMother, it seems that different people react very differently to these drugs. Thanks for sharing your tips. Will keep them in mind

Morning ladies! Has anyone experienced mouth sores. I'm starting to get bumps on my tongue and the back of my throat is very scratchy. They are not open sores, so they don't burn or hurt but I don't want it to get worse. Should I ask for prescription to help? Or just continue with the mouth wash and baking soda wash I've been doing? Also before this I did get cold sores once and awhile so I have a prescription for those I wonder if that would help?

I just saw my MO yesterday and she suggested to do OS+AI and said that I didn't want to as I didn't like myself while on chemopause. She didn't push for it as she believes in Tamoxifen. It is a personal choice and the study showed on 5% more in survival rates for women under 35. I rather have a "normal" life as that 5% increase is immaterial to me. I wasn't really pleasant while in chemopause and was very emotional. 

Kady, I am assuming your mouth sores are from chemo. It is a good idea to mention it to your MO and ask for something to help you with it and continue to use the baking soda as a rinse.

anyone on antidepressants I'm thinking I'm to that point

I haven't started antidepressants. I am thinking about starting counseling though. I am done with all treatments but going through the reconstruction part. I have good days and bad days, it's hard when your done with your treatments and are "cancer free" now...it's always in the back of my mind if it's going to come back. I think talking to someone will prob help!

Good luck,

Kathy

I am on Exeffor and Xanax it helps I hope to not have to stay on these drugs forever but I couldn't keep crying everyday on fear that I will not watch my children grow up

Hi Ladies,

I am new to this group. I wanted to respond because prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer in May, I was about to complete my degree in clinical psychology... something that will now be postponed a bit. I just wanted to throw out there that receiving therapy during such a difficult time could be one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself... whether it's individual therapy, couples therapy, or family therapy... or some combination of these. Antianxiety meds and antidepressants may certainly help, but they don't offer the long-term changes that therapy can offer and they certainly don't assist with grappling with some of the bigger issues we're all struggling to deal with. As for the type of therapy, CBT can help you to manage symptoms. Dynamic therapy will help you to resolve much deeper, core issues if you find a talented therapist. It really depends on what you need and how deep you want to go.

newlydx15-- is your question about whether or not to receive chemo?

stephmoen, you are so young, I'm sorry you are going through this. I'm 35 myself, you will have plenty of support

newlydx - sorry you have to be here but welcome. The question of chemo or no chemo usually comes down to nodal involvement. If you have positive nodes and you are young - chemo will most likely be recommended. If your nodes are clear - because of your age they may do an onco type test. If it scores high they will suggest chemo. I can say that for me - I wanted to take all possible steps to ensure I'd be here to see my boys grow up and so welcomed the option of cancer crushing chemo. But I didn't take into consideration fertility issues as I already was fortunate to have two healthy children. While it does admitedly suck - chemo is doable. I continued to work during treatment -although I did it from home - and still spent time with my young boys. It is all doable if you put your mind to it and your family and friends pitch in to help and support. Your Dr's are there to answer your questions about all of this. And if you don't like their answers you can look for a second opinion. Good luck and hang in there!

newlydx-- it depends on the characteracteristics of your diagnosis. Whether or not to undergo chemo will be a personal decision between you and your oncologist. Whether or not you're her2+ may also be an important factor. If it's recommended by your oncologist, it's probably because your life may be at risk without it. I'm going through chemo now and didn't have the opportunity to preserve my fertility prior to treatment. As important as it is for me to have kids, I can't have kids if I don't live.