I WANT MY MOJO BACK!
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Don't want anyone to think I'm dismissing the association between alcohol and breast cancer,
1: PLoS One. 2009;4(4):e5356. Epub 2009 Apr 24.
Links 
The mitochondrial A10398G polymorphism, interaction with alcohol consumption, and breast cancer risk.
Pezzotti A, Kraft P, Hankinson SE, Hunter DJ, Buring J, Cox DG.Program in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, Epidemiology Department, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Polymorphisms in the mitochondrial genome are hypothesized to be associated with risk of various diseases, including cancer. However, there has been conflicting evidence for associations between a common polymorphism in the mitochondrial genome (A10398G, G10398A in some prior reports) and breast cancer risk. Reactive oxygen species, a by-product of mitochondrial energy production, can lead to oxidative stress and DNA damage in both the mitochondria and their cells. Alcohol consumption, which may also lead to oxidative stress, is associated with breast cancer risk. Therefore, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in the mitochondrial genome interact with alcohol consumption to alter breast cancer risk. We genotyped the A10398G polymorphism in a case-control study nested within the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1,561 cases, 2,209 controls). We observed an interaction between alcohol consumption (yes/no) and A10398G on breast cancer risk (p-int = 0.03). The risk associated with alcohol consumption was limited to carriers of the 10398G allele (Odds Ratio 1.52, 95% Confidence Interval 1.10-2.08 comparing drinkers to non-drinkers). However, we were unable to replicate these findings in the Women's Health Study (WHS, 678 cases, 669 controls), although the power to detect this interaction in the WHS was low (power = 0.57). Further examination of this interaction, such as sufficiently powered epidemiological studies of cancer risk or associations with biomarkers of oxidative stress, may provide further evidence for GxE interactions between the A10398G mitochondrial polymorphism and alcohol consumption on breast cancer risk.
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Ladies,
Go to the Feb 09 research update page on this site to read the article about alcohol and increased risk. This study came out of Oxford and had a very large sample size. I've also read somewhere (trying to research it again) that alcohol increases angiogenesis, the formation of blood vessels, which in turn, can lead to accelerated tumor growth. In some cancers, the cancer cells actually put out signals to attract blood vessels.
So..............I've cut way back on the drinking - to less than 2 a week. I thought I was going to be miserable this summer without my gin and tonics, but found that tonic water with the lime is really a great substitute - it fools my tastebuds. I do miss my red wine though.
I get through this by acknowledging the cards I was dealt, and remembering that there is always an alternative that is worse. It doesn't always work, but my continued prayer is for a grateful heart.
Hugs,
blue
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Oh, I wish I could find that site, as it said 'though a glass of wine a day is often recommended for it's benefits, women with breast cancer should avoid alcohol completely' or words to that effect. Apparently the acohol has something to do with estrogen and the way women process alcohol (different and slower than men). Alchol consumption of even one drink a day was in the top 3 causes for mets! (aggressiveness of cancer, node involvement possibly being the others - I was to shocked at the alcohol to remember!). I do remember thinking that alcohol consumption was at least something we had control of!
I hope that this is just a scare tactic as so many articles are, but your question, just after I read those stats really brought it all home.
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Barbe...Maybe one of these articles is the one that you're thinking of...the first comes out of the recent ASCO meeting: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/20061101/alcohol-breast-cancer-risk but it doesn't really address women who have already had breast cancer. The second one (http://www.womenhealthzone.com/womens-health/breast-cancer/women-who-have-had-breast-cancer-should-avoid-alcohol/) does say that our risk for developing bc in the other breast is increased by 30%. Either way, it doesn't seem like a good idea to drink on a daily basis, although occasionally having a drink doesn't appear to increase our risk. Since I am a recovering alcoholic, this is one thing that I don't have to make a decision about!
In other news, there is a TV show on HBO tonight looking at human orgasm. I plan to check it out!
~Marin
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I think it was a WebMedicine site or something, but I just read one on Medical News today that says women who drink more than 3 drinks a day have a 30% increase in risk for bc. I'm wondering if the other link I'm looking for was from another post.....
Fill us in on the orgasms tomorrow Marin! Have fun watching...
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Hmmm, would rather be having one than watching one. But soon. I got my Estrace today. I'm excited!
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Fimi...who hooooooo!
Barbe...I am definitely going to watch the drinking, one or twice a month at most. DH & I had gone from a daily cocktail hour to a weekly one, and now we're gonna go all the way!!! (All the way to the restaurant anyway before we have our next drink). I came out of treatment with a 28% risk cause of my oncotype score (ER+, PR-), and I don't want to add a thing to that...
My new oncologist who I respect enormously had no problems at all with estrace, but she practically got on her knees to get me to give up drinking. This is what is coming out of the latest research.
Wish pot were legal! Maybe we should make a case for it!! Breast cancer women for pot! Cause it's hot (and alcohol's NOT)...0 -
Mizsissy, you are too funny about the pot. Maybe we should don our sandwich boards and march at our respective capitals. Maybe we could get some for medical purposes
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Fimi, that's no joke. I know women with mets who'd be better off!!! Especially with all that nausea from chemo! Also on the pain meds, I've heard over and over that morphine doesn't touch it...
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I was kidding about the sandwich board signs but not about medical MJ. Here in Denver, I know a lot of people carry cards for medical use and there are medical growers. I don't think it's that difficult to get a card if your doc will go to bat for you. But they all get hassled with state laws. Like a little pot will hurt you more than the other stuff they give people to make them better? Really, sometimes we're able to treat our animals better than human beings when it comes to making them comfortable.
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And of course, pot is legal in Canada here for medicinal purposes. But of course the government pot isn't nearly as good as BC Gold (British Columbia, not breast cancer!). When my Dad was dying of lung cancer we tried to get him stoned and he kept saying 'When am I going to feel hungry?'. He was too nauseaous to eat all the time and we were hoping it'd help....
Firni, when I logged on and saw your post this morning, I was hoping it was a result of your package arriving yesterday...
then saw you posted 12 hours ago. Hope you're still in bed...0 -
No Barbe, not still in bed. Just got the Estrace yesterday. Hurt to even put the applicator in so I guess we'll be waiting a few days yet anyway. At least we're on our way.
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Firni: estrace is Vagifem, right? From what I gather, 2-3 weeks before you'll be able to tell for sure if it's working?
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Firni, so happy you finally got the estrace, hope it works for you
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I think Marin might still be in bed going over her homework from last night's show! 0
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Texas, Vagifem is the vaginal tablets. Very expensive with my insurance. Estrace is the vaginal cream. Messier, but cheaper. Both are Estradiol. Gyn says 2 weeks before it starts to work. Other people on the boards say it can work as quickly as a few days. We'll see. I sure hope it works. DH is waiting for the miracle too!
Barbe, could be. I doubt she's up early writing a paper on it.
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Good luck Firni!
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Just checkin in girls. Great discussion about alcohol and pot..that was scary about the alcohol..last time I was following that topic awhile back it seemed that a bit less than one drink per day was OK, but with 1 or more drinks per day the risk went up..but are you saying that now they have found out that even that is too much?? sigh, maybe it is time to look into medical MJ...dealing with all the post BC stress on top of just regular old stress...need something. Still taking Lexapro at night, it helps with anxiety.
The new younger BF??? Well oddly he doesn't ejaculate when we have sex (vaginal and oral)!!..everything seems fine except for that..I don't get it and don't want to make an issue out of it..so can anyone shed any light on that?
also, what do you gals do when guys want the lights on? that freaks me out...and it totally rules out morning sex, which he says is what he needs to ejaculate, but to me morning sex is the worst!!! bad breath, broad daylight, stone cold sober..No. Way. although with my last BF who I truly truly loved I did it for him because he couldn't always get very hard at night..but with the new guy I just don't feel like it!!
hmmm ...maybe better sex= less stress= less need to drink alcohol
and after reading about Mr Hitachi for so long, I am finally breaking down and ordering one..I have a bunch of other vibes, vibrating c*ck rings etc...but I want to see if Mr Hitachi is all you say it is. FWIW one of the best vibes I have tried for use with a partner are the little magic bullet things with the cord that attaches to the control.. you put the little bullet thing in the right place and just carry on as usual and it works really really well
jeez, sex post BC and after 50...seems like work sometimes!!
but please, any advice about the lack of ejaculation and the morning sex problem would be appreciated
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Hi ladies!
I THINK I am beginning to experience vaginal atrophy... oh the fun!! anyway, I am considering using vaginal estriol.... I found a bunch of info on it, maybe this has been covered on this thread, so I apologise if it has...
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Hi fariy, thanks for the article on estriol. I had done a bunch of research on it too. But everything I'd seen said you need to use it with a progesterone cream. Are you finding that? I just started using an estradiol vaginal cream which isn't supposed to cross the vaginal walls. But the estriol is about 1/2 the price. I may consider switching for maintenance once my symptoms are cleared. Let me know what else you find out about it and if you get it, does it work?
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Hi Lorraine, this topic has come up on this forum. Sorry to hear you are now having this problem too! I don't have the dryness or tearing that some people have, tamox gives me plenty of vag discharge, my problems seem to be more related to lack of sensations "down there." I have some of the estrace cream, which is estradiol, didn't know there was a different one called Estriol. Anyway it helped when I did have vag dryness, which was before I started the tamoxifen. Other options are Vagifem, which is a pill inserted vaginally once a day, then tapered off to a couple of times weekly, or Estring, which stays inside the vagina, slowly releasing small amts of estrogen over a few months. These are all estradiols though, so it's interesting that we haven't heard about one made with Estriol, which is supposed to be the safer estrogen.
I actually have been researching testosterone cream, which I've heard is a huge help to women who are having libido and sensation type problems. However, my Gyn didn't want to touch that with a ten foot pole when I asked her about it because of my ER+ status. I don't think she really knew much about it anyway. I want to ask my Med Onc next time I see him. He had no problem with the estrogen cream as long as I used it sparingly.
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Hey chicas! Glad to see that you continue to pursue the estrogen cream issue and that some have experienced success with it. Rock on, I say!
So the TV show on orgasms was a dud and gave me no additional information. Just alotta chatter about how females need and love tons of foreplay. This is news?
Soccermom....about the retarded ejaculator (don't be shocked at the term- that's actually what it's called!). I've had experience, over the years, with a few guys with that problem and the cause seems to fall into one of three categories. The main one is that the guy is on an antidepressant. These guys can almost always have and sustain an erection, but can't seem to reach orgasm. It's my understanding that although they are frustrated and sometimes embarassed, they don't have pain with the issue (no "blue balls"). I suppose that this problem can also happen temporarily if a guy drinks too much alcohol, but it doesn't sound like that's your guy's problem. Then there are the guys who have had vasectomies. Apparently, some of that cutting can lead to issues with decreased sensation as well as a kind of reflux event where he does orgasm, but no ejaculate is, well, expelled, with most of it refluxing back into his...um, whatever. Finally, the good old psychological explanation where the guy has performance anxiety. Sometimes something like that can happen once, and every time afterwards, he freaks out that it'll happen again.
So what to do? I'd say do absolutely nothing. There's not a thing that you can do and the more you try, the more the focus is on that one event and it all becomes a tedious, annoying process...VERY far from what lovemaking should be! Just do your thing and get what you need and maybe the problem will resolve itself and maybe it won't. Who cares, really? It's not like you NEED his little swimmers for anything, right?
And about the morning sex, maybe you can buy room-darkening curtains and get up a little earlier and brush you teeth? Or maybe, since you say you prefer nightime sex, you can alternate or switch it up or have your kind of sex, with him pleasuring you at night and then you can give him a very fine BJ in the morning? If there's ONE thing that EVERY healthy man wants EVERY morning of his life, it's that! Believe me. Really.
And congrats of ordering Mr. Hitachi....You won't regret that purchase for even a millisecond, I assure you!
~Marin
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As usual, thank you so much for the awesome advice, Marin. I feel like I'm not that "good" at BJs, but sounds like its something I need to "work" on ( does anyone have a link??!! lol), maybe a little more practice in the morning would help. btw, The night after I wrote that post, I think he did ejaculate... some at least, which was better than none...but nothing like the volume I'm used to with other guys. I hadn't made an issue out of it, and you were right, that was the best approach..i think it's well on its way to being solved.
It's not a be-all end-all relationship, but the sex is fun!! Can't believe I would ever "use" a guy like that..it's weird, he's way more into me than I am into him..a major switch from my last relationship..it's like a friends with benefits thing for me (the idea of which used to appall me!), but he calls me his "girlfriend"..I miss being in love though, like with the last BF (who turned out to be a cheater..)
life is strange..I think I'm gonna enjoy getting to know Mr Hitachi!!! the heck with the real thing, it's too damn complicated sometimes..esp with all the extra crap from BC, like body image issues, chemopause, dryness, lack of libido/sensation...sigh...
wishing you all great mojo tonight!!
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Oh soccermom, you are so cute! I don't think a guy would say ANY BJ is a bad one! hehehehehe
If he doesn't ejaculate that makes the whole process easy, but when do you know when to stop?
Use lots of suction, lots of tongue, play with his extra bits and he'll love it!
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Well, soccermom, OF COURSE I have links! Though Barbe is correct that most guys will take ANY ole BJ at all (and be grateful!), it makes us, as the giftgivers, feel so much better when the "job" is well done, right? So study hard now and do your homework, remembering that practice makes perfect
! (Maybe you can reward yourself with a little "Me" time w/Mr. Hitachi ?)http://love.ivillage.com/lnssex/sexoral/0,,traceycox_88pqgx19,00.html
http://love.ivillage.com/lnssex/sexoral/0,,traceycox_962kw60r,00.html
http://love.ivillage.com/lnssex/sexoral/0,,hvdm,00.html
Enjoy, chiquita!!!!!
~Marin
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all right girls, thank you all for the BJ pep talk...strangely after all that and actually getting him to come, the next day we had an absolutely awful date ( well I thought it was awful, don't think he did) and I'm "breaking it off"..sounds over dramatic for what wasn't a real relationship anyhow..
but you know what, sex is so so much better when you actually love the person..,, I mean when you're with the one you love, if the sex is great, it's just the icing on the cake, love is all you really need...if the sex is so-so, there's always another day or another way to show your love
I had that kind of relationship ( I thought...love AND great sex) and bc took it away, but I guess if it could be taken away by bc it wouldn't have lasted anyway..
being single post bc ain't no picnic ,,so ladies if you are with the one you love, give him an extra warm and loving kiss and a hug tonight and tell him how much he means to you..
I don't know what the future holds for me in this department..I've just had a string of unsuccessful relationships post BC and I'm getting weary of it
maybe it's time for me and Mr Hitachi to have a fling, lol
seriously, I'm even thinking of stopping coloring my hair and letting my hair go salt/pepper/natural..been covering the gray for so long, maybe it's actually a pretty silvery gray?? I'm curious though ..have wanted to do this for so long, but always trying to keep up appearances for guys, work, etc..feels kinda liberating to think about it..
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Marin the links were amazing..interesting what the first key factors for good BJs are: confidence and showing him that YOU want to do this and Love doing it .but I guess I will have to wait till I get back out there again to practice, sigh..but at least I will know where to find the links..
meanwhile I read back in the thread and liked what someone said about other ways to show love ..I miss being in love..
but I feel I need to take a month or two off from guys (except for Mr. Big, haha) and get back in touch with myself (oops, extremely bad pun) and some other more practical priorities..after that, match.com or eharmony, here I come (again, no pun intended, ouch!). next time I think I'm gonna get it right, enough with the dress rehearsals..ahhh, thats the incurable romantic in me
sorry some of us are having the atrophy issue..I admire you for advocating for yourself and pushing for quality of life..I know a great female onc in San Diego if anyone wants to PM me..I am er/pr negative so I haven't personally had the estrogen issue..so she gave me Vagifem to try for dryness a few years ago... but as a post-menopausal woman, she is very tuned into this area
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soccermom...I totally hear you and took a similar sabbatical from men after trying to grow relationships with several losers post-bc. Looking back, I realize that I had low expectations and just wanted to have fun and re-adjust to being "normal" again (ah, but are we ever normal again?). So I dated around and found the pickings quite slim. It was disappointing and downright depressing, so I took a step back to rest & re-evaluate and it was the best thing I ever did. I saw how much I had changed as a result of bc and I found a new strength and positive sense of myself that I had never had before. So when I stepped back into the dating arena, I did so with the determination that I wasn't going to settle. I planned to date anyone I thought might be intriguing, but wouldn't linger if I knew that I could only hope for a superficial or a troubled relationship. And I was extremely lucky, because it wasn't 6 months before I met P. He is the kindest, most respectful, funniest and "funnest" man I've ever known, not to mention sexy as hell.
So, you go, girl! Date Mr. Big for as long as you want to and worry over nothing. Your plumbing will stay in good working order with regular O's and you'll have time to re-group. Then, when/if you're ready, you can jump back in with your eyes and your heart wide open!
~Marin
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FitChik, when I started here your thread on exercising and running with expanders gave me so much hope for exercising, running etc after my mastectomy and recon. I've used that advice and it really kept me going. I do not remember where that thread was, but we've recently had a few asking that question again, any chance you can find it and bump it up for them? Thanks again. (If I'd listened to the PA in my PS office I'd never have broken a sweat again, I sure used your advice)
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kmmd...I'm not sure which post you mean or even where the recent questions are (which forum), but I'll be happy to respond again. I truly think that if one gets her doctor's okay to resume exercise after healing, she should go for it, whether she wants to run, surf or do aerial dance! And I'm really glad to hear that you stepped out and went for the sweat...there's nuthin' like it!
~Marin
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