PSK07

Well, I got the scrip for Effexor generic. Will start by taking part of one pill in the morning and work my way up to 1 in the morning and 1 at night.  The Effexor XR is on my formulary, but it would be at least $30/month. If push comes to shove, I will do that, but we decided to go with the lower-cost option first. I have to taper down from the Zoloft first. That could take 3 weeks, then taper up to effective dose of Effexor, then start Tamoxifen. Looks like January. Happy new year?

The doc told me that Tamox does not put us into menopause...some of the SEs are menopause-like, but it doesn't affect fertility. Don't get complacent, she said.  Complacent is no longer in my vocabulary.

It's easy to be scared.  

I was put on an alternating schedule of mammograms and MRIs after my DCIS dx last year, I was told this would be the case for 3 years.  My MRI in August (first one since surgery, mammo was ok in March) found enhancement in a spot biopsied and found b9 last year. Found to be "only" LCIS and ALH, but enough to be on the same alternating 6 month schedule for some years to come.

Each one can pick up different things, especially in dense breasts, and it my case it was a good test to have. Try to time the MRI to days 5-10 of your cycle to reduce false positives.  It's all part of the joys of BC and its precursors. 

take care. Odds are good that it will be a big non event.

Introduce your 15 yo son to my 15 yo daughter. They could obviously rule the world.  She was master of the eye roll by the time she was 8. Something about the age...My 17 yo doesn't want to check books out from the library because "I've read all the good ones."  Yes, and they haven't published anything new in years. 

We can talk to them until we're blue in the face, leave messages written in sharpie on the counter, and the garbage doesn't get taken out, the dishwasher doesn't get emptied, and their laundry is still (clean) in their hampers, until we get home and STAND IN FRONT OF THEM until they do it.

I've spent parent-teacher conferences since they were in pre-school wondering who this angel is of whom they speak.  

Bleh.

My husband's aunt always knitted slippers for the men, women, and girls. We loved 'em. She also crocheted dish scrubbies with heavy cotton yarn - about 6x4" rectangles. Add a cute retro style apron - about $5 worth of fabric, max.

My mom made guitar straps back in the 70's...probably not what you're looking for, though.

Two years ago she knitted felted purses.  Last year we all got scarves knitted with tweedy yarns. She found a huge bag in her closet...thought it was papers for shredding. Turned out to be knitting projects, mostly from when she was going through chemo. She'd start one, get 3/4 of the way through and put it aside. There must be 8 almost complete sweaters...most with the needles still in them. Chemo brain....

I can't believe your nephew wouldn't want flannel pjs, but what do I know, I only have girls.  Maybe a fleece blanket for curling up in front of the TV? (Nice masculine print...)  Oh - just thought of something - those knitted hats with the ear flaps...all of the girls' friends wear them.

For dogs (we don't do cats) - we have two pugs. The older one is about 16 and can't easily get down the one step from the kitchen to the family room. We have a pillow (like a seat cushion) for him to use as an intermediate step. He will also curl up and sleep on it.  There are a few pillows that I made under a corner table for them to lie on as well...they love a cubbie/semi-enclosed space. I've made lightly padded mats - double layer of fleece - to use on hardwood floors or when camping.

A huge that sux to all.

LuAnn - I don't know, sleeping through a treatment sounds kind of nice. Great news hearing from your son. Hope he stays safe.

Bonnie - hope they're just bone cysts

Wish - you can't win with that boss of your husband's, can you?

I wish we could go back a page, but then I'd lose everything. If I were as good as Traci, I'd be taking notes.

Kathi - first mammo was weird. I didn't know how much it bothered me til it was over and there was a big "whooooooosh and aaaahhhhhh".  Rads didn't firm up my breast much and it didn't hurt as much as anticipated.

Felicia - good job on the kid!  Do you ever hear 'joy to have in class' and wonder just whose kid they're talking about?

Not much going on here. Will be seeing my internist today to get a prescription for Effexor to replace the Zoloft I've been on forever. Once I get the level right, out comes the tamoxifen.

My IOS - the brother of a good family friend died last week of throat cancer. This is the third out of 5 brothers who has died of cancer. A 4th died in a dock accident. All we do is pray that Mike stays healthy. I do not like funerals for 48 year old people!

I'm headed to my internist today to change from Zoloft to ... something else. Probably Effexor, if there's a generic.

I don't know how my cycles could get any worse than what they are today. The oncologist said they'd probably get lighter. Maybe she just said that to make me feel better??

Barry - where in the NW are you?  You may want to talk to a radiation oncologist about Mammosite before you have surgery - not all women are candidates and not all rad oncs will use it. Mine, for instance, will not use it unless it is conjunction with a study and then only for women post menopause and a certain age ...he and his colleagues are not convinced as yet. 

Since this has been such a rocky road for you, getting all the opinions in place before they start to cut would probably help a lot.  It would not be good to get all the way and find that another option is lost or that you have to find a different doctor.

wishing you the best.

Pam

For both of mine I took several days off. I had general both times, used a few Darvocet, and rested.  I second the sports bra for after the compression bandage comes off (my doc likes the 40-ft long ace bandage) - I kept it on 24 hrs/day til the day I went back to work.  Because I have relatively-low BP and anesthesia seems to make it worse, I held off work until I felt ok driving. That, and I'm a wuss with a lot of sick leave saved up.

I was able to shower within 48 hours the first time and 24 hours the second. Steri-strips stayed on for about 10 days.  No heavy lifting for a bit, but walking was highly encouraged. Take it easy and you should be fine.

My PCP ordered a check of my Vit D levels with my normal annual bloodwork. While Vitamin D deficiency may or may not have anything to do with BC, my levels were very low. I had 50,000 IU of Vit D to take weekly for 8 weeks, and since then have been on 1000 IU/day, and will have my levels checked again this week. Taking too much is dangerous - it is not water soluble.

I don't know about big pharma, but the big vitamin industry doesn't seem to have any problem with charging high prices for vitamins.

I have had numerous discussions my PCP and recent discussion with new oncologist on what supplements I'm taking and how they interact with prescription meds I'm on.