gandl

Hi katiejane,  I had a TAH/BSO in June of this year because of complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia.  I was also close to menopause, and the doctor thought I would have no problems with menopausal symptoms.  wrong. I have had the hot flashes, depression, and trouble sleeping.  I think that the small amount of estrogen that the ovaries were making made a big difference.  I had a bilateral mastectomy in February for ILC in six places with positive estrogen and progesterone receptors.  I wasn't planning on having a hysterectomy/ooph though until my doctor said that my endometrial diagnosis was going to turn into cancer and everything had to come out.  I guess it's good that I have less estrogen now, but I miss it.  My skin texture is changing too and I think I'm starting to look much older quickly.  Neurontin is sometimes given for the hot flashes, it helps me sleep also.  I'm taking more fish oil also, which seems to help.

I suppose we all worry about mets.  I had an MRI of my back recently because of sciatica.  My back did not look bad except for a tarlov cyst, but they found a 9mm hypodense lesion in my liver.  They said that it could be an atypical hemangioma, which is benign, or a metastatic breast cancer lesion.  They also found a tiny 2mm non-calcified lesion in the lower lobe of my lung.  The plan is to wait for 3-4 months, rescan, and see if there are any changes. 

Julie, I'm sorry you're having regrets about your ooph.  It's always kind of a guessing game in all the treatment decisions we make, isn't it.  I try not to second guess myself too much, because there's no going back anyway. By the way, I live near Kansas City, hello over there!

Sending good thoughts your way,  gandl 

Hi Ozzie,  Your ALP, alkaline phosphatase, can be related to bone health also, so that may be the reason it is high.  I do know that ALP is often high in cancer patients.  Your other lab results don't seem too bad, just slightly off.  I work in a lab, so I see patient results every day, but your doctor could give you better advice about their significance. I hope you start feeling better soon. gandl

slonedeb,

I thought I would let you know that a woman in my local breast cancer support group had the lymph nodes on her aorta become involved.  She has been successfully treated and is presently NED.   I think it's much more likely that it is the lymph nodes by your aorta and not the aorta itself that showed up.  I would be very surprised if it wasn't the lymph nodes she commented on.

I think I would have a check-up with my primary care physician if it was me.  Feeling like you have the flu all the time has to be miserable, and even if it's not cancer related, maybe the doctor can give you something to help you feel better.  It may not be something you need to discuss with your onc at all.  I'd get checked sooner rather than later.

I had severe leg pain last year before I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I went to an orthopedist, a pysiatrist, a chiropractor, a neurologist and my PCP.  The chiropractic treatmant of electric trigger point stimulation would help temporarily by confusing my nerves.  It only lasted a few hours though.  I went three times a week for about six weeks.  I tried shoe inserts, nsaids, and stronger pain meds.  The treatment that finally helped was neurontin. It lasted about 6 hours but was prescribed for every 8 hours.  A couple of months later I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  The onc ordered a bone scan which showed nothing in my leg. It did show a couple of places on my sternum and one rib.  I had regular x-rays of the sternum and rib which didn't show any lesions.  I had a repeat bone scan three months later and the only thing that showed up was the rib.  The neurologist did find "minimal evidence for an L5 radiculopathy" From what I understand that is like a pinched nerve in the lower back.  I think sciatic nerve pain is similar.  I know what you mean about worrying about recurrence of BC, but there are lots of other things to go wrong in our bodies also. : )  Anyway, keep looking into it and somebody will find a way to help eventually.  Good luck

I had a therapy at my chiropractor using electrodes on each leg which helped.  Neurontin helped me the most.

Gitane,  I wrote a really long reply yesterday, but I guess it got lost in cyberspace.  I have very good news from the surgery, NO CANCER.  My tubes and ovaries were normal, and my uterus was 3 times normal size with 7 large fibroids, 2 polyps, and a large cyst.  With my ovaries gone, and thus my estrogen supply, I'm  feeling less worried about a recurrence of the breast cancer also.  Obviously I don't need to worry about mets to my uterus, tubes, and ovaries any more.  Thanks for checking on me.   gandl

Hi Gitane,  After the good news from the ultrasound, I received the results of the endometrial biopsy.  I have complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia which the gyn says will turn into cancer and must come out. So on June 6 I will have an exploratory TAH/BSO along with the exchange of my expanders for my permanent breast implants.  I have to do both surgeries at the same time because I am almost out of sick time.  There is a 60% chance that cancer is in the uterus already but just didn't show up on the biopsy.  I also have endometriosis and those cells in my abdominal cavity may be turning into cancer also.  So it looks like I won't need to worry about the ILC metastasizing to my reproductive organs because they will be gone.

I had my repeat bone scan.  The oncologist's nurse called to say the doctor wanted me to know that it was "stable".  I guess that means that the spots that showed up last time are still there but not worse.  I have to go in Tuesday to have my blood drawn, and I will try to get a copy of the report.

The three hormone tests that the gyn did came back in the menopausal        range.  Apparently I am in menopause but didn't know it because I never stopped bleeding. That fact puts a new perspective on all the times I recently told doctor's I was not menopausal.  I was inadvertently lying to them.

Do any of you who have gone through similar abdominal surgery have any tips for me?  How are the rest of you doing?  Gandl 

I had a bone scan in Feb. 08 and it wasn't painful at all. There is an injection involved but the scan itself is painless.  For me anxiety was an entirely different matter.  I didn't know what to expect and that didn't help.  The thing you lie on is narrow and has to move your entire body through the sensing area.  You also need to be still, so they velcro your arms down and rubberband your feet together.  The tech told me that most people are more comfortable if they keep their eyes shut.  I wished I had paid attention to that advice after I opened my eyes. The solid metal area about 4 inches from my face was all that I could see.  I started getting a suffocating feeling and panic attack and almost asked the tech to stop the test.  I got through it by visualizing a shaft of air right above my head.  I knew there was no real reason for me to short of air, it was really open on both ends, but I did have this reaction.  I am having another scan on May 11 and plan to keep my eyes shut.  I hope that helps.