CherylRubie

You can also consider one of the clinical trials, like accelerated partial breast irradiation.  That's what I did, and I had a total of 10 radiation treatments over the course of 5 days.  I had breast changes and pain in my breast, but no severe burns or peeling and no bad fatigue.  Mammosite is another possibility.

Hi, I haven't been on for a while and didn't see your post.  I did the 5 day 3D ext beam in NASBP 39 clinical trial in May 2006.  I had no fatigue at all except perhaps one day about two weeks after rads ended.  I felt just fine.  However, my breast was very sore.  I did not peel, but the breast remained tender for about a month or two.  The breast STILL feels warmer than the other one, and it is very lumpy.  There is still some tenderness after two years, but not much.

Sorry I wasn't there for you sooner!!

Cheryl

It would be unethical not to treat Vitamin D deficiencies.  It would never pass the research board review.

Cheryl

Hi all,

I had the "good fortune" to be diagnosed with Vit. D. deficiency a year after my BC dx.  I took 50,000 i.u. weekly plus 400 per day for three months.  That's right, 50,000. That is the standard for Vit. D defic.  You can take a lot of Vit. D. without toxicity.  It's not like Vit. A where you will turn orange, etc.  This research will be published next week in JCO. First author is P.J. Goodwin  Some of the JCO articles are free, others require a subscription. 

OK, so my risk of recurrence based on Oncotype is estimated to be about 6% with an AI, I guess I have to think mabe 10%, well no tumor grade had an impact in this study and I was Grade 1, so maybe my risk is about 8%.

Really, we can never know these things and we should probably learn to live with not knowing. 

Cheryl, whose Vit. D level is now 71

Cheryl

Hi,

If I didn't have any SEs, I would also worry.  But let me tell you that I am an extensive metabolizer, and my side effects went away after a while.  I think that the research shows that if you have SEs, even if they go away after a while, then you are probably metabolizing.  I had major hot flashes that went away after a few months, and I have 2 wild type alleles.  If I didn't have any SEs, I would find a way to get the test.  I know there's nothing else available, but if I were premenopausal, I might consider ovarian ablation, hysterectomy, etc. if I knew I wasn't metabolizing.  But that's just me.  I personally would be scared, but you are you and I am me.

Best of luck to you.

Cheryl

Ah, what's a girl to do?

Somebody at Harvard M.S. just did a model which suggests that there MAY not be a difference between AIs and Tamox. if CYP2D6 metabolism is taken into account.  So should I go back on Tamox?  Probably not.

Cheryl  aka "wild type"  (2 wild type alleles, extensive metabolizer of tamoxifen)

I had the 5-day twice a day external beam in NASBP-39 and did pretty well.  Just click on my name and you'll read about it.  Good luck!

Cheryl

Sorry. I realized you might not be familiar with the term "half-life."  That's just the amount of time for half of the drug to be absorbed, and it is used as a kind of "rule of thumb" for how long the drug will be hanging out in your bloodstream/ how long it takes to be eliminated.

Cheryl

Sue,

I can't tell you what to do.  But if I had a tumor > 1cm which was Grade 3, I would do everything possible because Grade 3 is an aggressive tumor.  Also, as someone else pointed out, Triple Neg means you have fewer options.  I am surprised they suggested you for a clinical trial.  I would think a trial like that would be for <1cm and all favorable characteristics.  Again, you are you and I am me, but I would get another opinion.  Good luck and hugs!

Cheryl

You know, I'm just thinking that it's kind of common sense that if I have some mild muscle pain on Femara when I'm not sick, then when I'm sick it would get worse because it is like the effect of adding two pains together.  I doubt that I have strep throat because I was actually getting better and better then got acutely sick again.  I don't think I have a weak immune system, because I didn't do chemo and I am generally healthy (other than BC, of course, haha). And I was "kind of" physically active despite being sick, going for long walks that weren't too strenuous. 

 Thanks for your responses.

Cheryl