Best Of
Re: Premenopausal and Starting Tamoxifen -- Looking for an Ongoing Chat
Hi wekeepgoing (great user name - it's all any of us can do!)
I have had next to no side effects on tamoxifen touch wood. The odd hot flush here and there (supposed to be lower chance of recurrence if you get the hot flushes on it apparently) and guts a bit sluggish. I put these down to being menopausal after my chemo rather than the tamoxofen per se though who knows.
I work, take daily exercise, raise my family and live my life in much the same manner as before my diagnosis.
My friend is on it and is doing fine also.
I have been on it for 4 years. The original plan was to switch me over to an AI at 5 years but now my oncologist thinks maybe just continue on the tamoxifen since everything is good so far.
My plan? Stay on it forever if I can convince anyone to prescribe it...
I must admit I struggle to see why it wouldn't be worth a go for anyone eligible to take it. If there is a significant reduction in QOL then that is a different conversation of course.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Re: flax seed oil & cottage cheese
Anecdotal evidence? That is not accepted as "evidence" by any scientist or researcher.
Genuine research has to eliminate any knowledge-based bias. Knowing the product you are using is supposed to produce some purported benefit is bias. Knowing you are giving someone a product that should produce a benefit is bias. People taking placebo, who believe it is benefitting them, report that their medication works wonders. All of these kinds of bias must be eliminated or the data is useless.
Any moron could make a fortune on ANYTHING that cured cancer. Flax seed, cottage cheese, or pure Dihydrogen monoxide. There are millions of people who get cancer every year. Curing them once of their disease doesn't prevent recurrence. People make fortunes selling bottled water when it's free from the tap, for gawd's sake.
No one is stopping you from exploring your alternatives.
Re: flax seed oil & cottage cheese
Leia, i believe what you are saying, some have discouraged me as well but i try to think positive and believe that there are those out there who are going to encourage me so don't give up....something you may say could help someone...it is a pity that some come on the alternative thread and try to discourage others.
my sister had bc in her lymph nodes....refused tamoxifen, used flaxoil, coq10 and other natural treatments...9 years later is ned....she did do chemo and rads....she told me if she had a recurrence she wasn't sure that she would follow the traditional route.
I had surg and rads....tried traditional tamox for 3 months....now am a natural girl.....some ways i regret doing rads.....i struggle with pain and minimal swelling around my snb site and breast and affected arm and shoulder.....and the rads was to the left side...my heart rate goes up on minimal exertion...and my ankles and feet and hands swell...I thought tamox was causing the swelling...but now I wonder if the rads affected my heart sinced it was left breast....but there are great supplements to help......
for those who may struggle with the left breast being radiated, COQ10 helps the heart and Dandelion is a natural diuretic among other benefits.....last night my hand and ankles were tight with swelling, I took a dandelion root capsule and got up twice in the night to urinate....and this morning the swelling is less....my sister has severe lymphadema,,,,and the dandelion has helped with this issue too.
flaxseed is a beneficial in so much of our health.....healthy gums....antiinflamm.....neutralizes estrogens with urinary excretion....
I do appreciate any comments from those who have been affected positively with natural alternatives....who wouldn't!!!!!
Leia, you don't get deleted from my book
God Bless you real good...
In Jesus
Amber
amberyba
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Eric, You can get away without an immersion blender if you pour the contents of a pan into a regular blender. I only have a small smoothie blender. The immersion blender works fine for soups and sauces so I don't spill things. My mother who was not a very good cook had her pressure cooker explode on her more times than I can count. I guess that's why I never got one even though they are great time savers. Enjoy the duck.
m0mmy, I think I would prefer bread crumbs on a hashbrown casserole, too.
Nance, Your white wine gravy inspired me to make red wine lamb gravy since my split leg piece had only a small amount of fat. I hope your stress test goes well. You can celebrate with a chocolate bunny afterward.
Roslyn, When my mom was in memory care the chef made pureed pasta which tasted good. The pasta was overcooked beyond al dente and put in a food processor with margarine or butter. The sauce was added later. If it had meat in it the sauce was blended separately. The chef had run an award winning restaurant but eventually took the position at the assisted living facility so that he could be home by 7:00 pm to spend time with his family. All the medical diets there were tasty.
Rhonda, Glad your DH is home from surgery. Roast chicken, pasta and carrots sounds like a good meal for everyone.
Wally, You always seem to be able to come up with a dish from what you have on hand.
Dinner tonight was roast butterflied leg of lamb with red wine gravy, sautéed asparagus and roasted potatoes.
Happy Easter and Chag Pesach Sameach to those who celebrate.
maggie15
Re: Poll: How do you manage hard feelings and moments?
I was diagnosed 3 years ago and thought if I made it through the chemo, bilateral mastectomy and radiation, multiple attempts at reconstruction and finally a DIEP flap, I would be done. I am horrified that my life was forever changed. Radiation damaged my right upper lobe and the entire radiation field. I am disfigured from the radiation fibrosis and lymphedema. I worked full time through the entire treatment and continue to do so but the fatigue is overwhelming. I think daily that I will stop the Verzenio due to side effects, but at least I only have 8 more months of it. I think I have lost 30% of my normal function and wonder how long until I can't continue to work full time. No one warned me, no one has any idea on how to "fix" the radiation damage that is pulling my right shoulder forward and pulling my jaw down. The thought the diagnosis was terrible, but now I think living with the aftermath may be worse. Everyone I work with tells me how good I look and how tough I am. Im not tough, I just haven't given up yet.
Re: Poll: How do you manage hard feelings and moments?
What surprised me the most was the disappearance of people I thought for sure would show up for me. I've been very independent my whole life. I'm 42, never married, no children, and I've always been the person to show up. I travel to people so they don't have to travel to me (since they typically have kids). I'm the one who drives and plans and figures it out. I show up for their birthdays and their kids' events, and their kids' birthdays or graduations or recitals. I was relatively healthy up until being diagnosed. No major health issues beyond hypothyroidism and I've never really needed any help with anything. And then suddenly I needed a major surgery (DMX + DIEP) with major recovery, chemo, radiation, lymphedema therapy, and the two small surgeries to have my port installed/removed. It was hardest thing I'd ever gone through and it was like crickets when I looked around for friends to help. I did ask and my mom's best friend who came to visit, but honestly I asked for that more for my mom (who was my main caretaker during all of it) because I could tell she needed her best friend. My mom (73) is 5'3" and 120lbs and I'm 5'11" and 200lbs, so while my mom was there for me emotionally, she couldn't really be there for me physically. Her friend came and they were both able to help me and it was good for me. But my friends who live a few hours away— nothing. They asked when they could come visit me to buy me a wig. That was nice, and they did come and we enjoyed a weekend, but I was exhausted and sad and on the roller coaster that neither really understood. Chemo treatments were me and my mother packing a lunch and spending the day at the treatment center and then going home and me sleeping off nausea and sickness for a few days. My friends who I've known and shown up for time and time again for 20+ years…..just weren't showing up. And that's the hardest part during. The hardest part after has been everyone just thinking I'm done and so I'm better and 'thank goodness you're past all that' when really I'm not. The emotions are heavy and the medical menopause doesn't help and my body doesn't feel like my own and I'm sad and they don't understand any of it. And I have my phase 2 surgery soon and I'm not looking forward to recovery again and needing help again and having nobody show up or understand….again.
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.
betrayal
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Just a quick chime-in….you can be diabetic and on metformin. A1c, fasting glucose and a random blood level can all point to the dx. Depending on those numbers, they will "call it" pre or actual diabetes.
Alcohol lowers blood sugar even though "they" count it as a carb, so be careful.
It sounds like you have reactive hypoglycemia, which I also have. My blood sugar will spike but when it returns, rather than slow and steady, it plummets. Makes me get all the low-blood-sugar responses. I also carry food with me. My fasting and A1c are still in pre-diabetes territory, so just life-style stuff for now. I know the older i get, the sooner I'll be on something.
wallycat
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Some NOLA folks solved that issue by having the kitchen in in a separate building
