Best Of
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Eric, What a good friend to send off your guests with a delicious homemade snack for the road.
Carole, I hope your DH’s sciatica improves with PT. Enjoy your outing. You might not need to cook dinner tonight if you find something along the way.
Nance, I enjoy puzzles but my hands can’t handle the pieces now. I’ve done some online puzzles but they’re not quite the same. I hope you can get the wood fired pizza.
Dinner tonight was Tuscan garlic shrimp on cavatappi.
maggie15
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
lifewell2, welcome to this forum which doesn't quite meet the age parameters you mentioned, since we average older. Are you looking to start another group for 50-55 agers? We do not discriminate based on age and are here to support anyone who wanders into this forum offering support, care and just general "how are you today" news. Some of us post more than others and some are just "lurkers" who read along, but don't generally post. So it's sort of like a menu, you get to pick what suits you best. Let us know what you need.
betrayal
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.
betrayal
Re: Starting Chemo in February 2016?
reflect- I've done therapy and if it's only one person working at it, it doesn't work. My sibling relationship with my dh started before my dx too. We r 48 and 52 but look n act and feel much younger. I just feel that I've been stripped of all dignity and womanhood with this. I've been so strong for everyone. I tell my dh that I'm still human and need to feel loved and wanted. I don't think that I should have to keep reminding him of that. This dx makes us feel kind of isolated as it is. My dh is doing laundry and emptying the dishwasher... But it would be nice to have more every once in a while! I'll take cuddling on the couch at this point.That's enough out of me on this!!!
Congrats on your last AC reflect! It's a huge accomplishment. Im still a bit fuzzy two weeks out of my last AC and the nausea lingers and can get triggered by the slightest and strangest things. But better than the first one for sure!!
MLP3
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Addition to previous post, egg mcmuffin was good, ate the two hashbrowns, put other two in fridge. I can eat those later today OR finish up the garlic bread and part of a tomato and beef macaroni dinner, I will see what I wish to do. I have the stuff to do egg mcmuffins but I just wanted to order it.
I also found a massive haul of laundry detergent under my bed. I used to go crazy on buying the stuff and used entirely too much. Now I barely use any but it all get clean. Love the lysol laundry disinfection after the first cycle. Got some laundry going on for myself.
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Darn. Just lost a post. At least it wasn't very long.
Lifewell2, as Betrayal said, the women participating in this forum are mostly older than 50's. I will be 83 in March and have been a part of the Oldies thread since 2009. I'm not a techie, but am comfortable using a computer. I pay almost all our bills online, subscribe to newspapers, look up recipes, work puzzles, etc. In short I spend/waste a lot of time on my laptop or phone. You're welcome to join us.
As I was laying out pieces of the 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle I'm starting, I remembered that Connie, our bird watcher who passed last year was a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast. She posted pictures of puzzles she'd put together. I miss her and also continue to miss Jackie, Illinois Lady. I hope Jackie's dh, daughter and SIL are doing well as they go on without her.
It's 28 degrees here this morning and sunny. Thank goodness, the blustery wind has died down. I'll go out and hang my chimes that I took down yesterday. Something odd happened last night. This is a quiet neighborhood, the houses spaced far apart. Someone was playing loud music. I could hear the bass. It went on until past 1 am. When I got up to go to the bathroom, I saw that lights in a neighboring house that is currently uninhabited were on. DH wasn't bothered since his hearing is bad and he doesn't wear hearing aids in bed.
I'd better post before I hit a wrong key and this post disappears. LOL. Happy Sunday to all.
Re: Letrozole and Tendonitis?
Hi Jill, I’m sorry you are having such a tough time on anastrozole. Many of your side effects could be caused by lowered estrogen levels from the AI. Estrogen blockers can cause hypercalcemia which can mimic hyperparathyroidism or aggravate it if the HPT has another cause. Going from 14 years on HRT to estrogen deficit is probably making things harder on your body.
The lack of estrogen can destroy cartilage which can’t be cured by orthopedic surgeons. Surgery can relieve the pain of trigger finger or carpal tunnel but it won’t remove the root cause. Exercise, NSAIDS and other drugs can help with SEs but are not effective for everyone. Have you had an endocrinologist (as opposed to a thyroid surgeon) evaluate your HPT to figure out whether it is primary or secondary? If estrogen deprivation is driving the HPT surgery might not solve your problems.
While AIs reduce the risk of cancer recurrence by 50% sometimes the severity of the SEs may not be worth the benefit. Have you asked your MO about your statistical risk of recurrence with and without taking AIs? It is ultimately your choice about what you are comfortable with. Also, taking AIs does not guarantee that you won’t have a recurrence since the statistical data applies to large populations rather than individuals.
Tamoxifen works in a different way and while it has its own set of side effects and is slightly less effective (40% reduction in risk of recurrence) it might be a better option. Some people have fewer SEs taking a different AI. Oncologists promote estrogen blockers since preventing cancer recurrence is their job. I turned down AIs with the backing of my endo, gastro and ortho doctors because of the high risk of making my other medical issues worse. My risk of recurrence has been doubled but I can live with that. Other people might decide differently. If I did have a recurrence I would take AIs since the situation would be changed.
There are some current clinical trials investigating whether other SERDs or different dosing regimens would cause fewer SEs for those with early stage bc but there are no results yet. You need to decide whether your side effects outweigh the benefit of estrogen blockers and whether you would regret the decision to stop them if the cancer came back as mets. All the best.
maggie15
Re: TN grade 3 newly diagnosed and needing hope
I was not TN, but just wanted to say hang in there. The initial days are scary and very, very emotional.
meeting with my care team and getting those next steps greatly helped me with coping and all the uncertainty. It told me what to expect moving forward and it made me feel better having a plan.
hearing you have breast cancer is scary and emotional. It takes time to process those emotions.
This board is an amazing source of information and support. I’m glad you found it.
I’m sure some people diagnosed with TN will respond with some helpful information.
ann5631
Re: Thinking About Skipping Radiation – Anyone Else?
The last time I checked, radiation reduced the chances of cancer coming back by about 30%, which is a huge effect, as these things go…
Re: BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Hi there Whippetmom (and all!)
I'm scheduled to have my exchange surgery on Friday, and I'm feeling a bit nervous about whether or not I've thought enough about the implant size and projection.
I'm 35 years old, bilateral mastectomy in March. I'm 5'4 and 150lbs. My rib circumference is 32in. Current expanders are allergan 133SV-T; 350cc fill; I think 12.5 diameter.
I used to be about a 34F or 36E (in the european brands) and at time of mastectomy (after chemo) they took about 500 cc of tissue from each side. I'm a size 8-10 in most dresses (sometimes 12 in pants).
My surgeon prefers to use Natrelle Inspira, and has suggested SRF-450 or SRF-485 (to be decided in the OR). I asked about SRX (more projection) and he said it would potentially be too 'Newport Beach'....
I just don't want my implants to feel flat, especially since I'm a little curvy. Do you think the SRF will be okay?
Thank you so much in advance for your help. After everything, I just want to feel at home in my body again.
xo
Dawn
Dawn1982