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FEMARA

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 1,801

    Oh, Momine - you are Wonder Woman! My BMX w/ recon was four hours long, and had been delayed until 3 in the afternoon. I don't remember Recovery at all. I got to my room at 8 pm. (Of course, I'd missed every meal that day, since I got to the hospital at 9 am.) 

    I do remember waking up to DH giving me ice chips, then I sent him home. I just wanted to sleep. But as soon as a nurse came into my room, I got very chatty. Then I'd snooze, for what seemed like hours. But it was only five minutes. I never got my pain under control, as I have issues with morphine, and that's what was in my PCA. 

    Thanks to the catheter, I didn't have to get in and out of bed to use the bathroom for the first night. But the next morning they took it out (no discomfort at all for me) and sent me home. I kind of wanted to take the catheter with me...

    peacestrength - wishing you a speedy recovery! That gas they use for laparoscopies... I wish you could just let one giant fart and get it out, but it doesn't work that way..... Yay for getting on the Femara train.... we'll all ride it together!

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 2,845

    Blessings, I had no recon done, which probably made recovery quite a bit easier.

    By the way, the other night I woke up because of TMJ pain. So I shuffled to the kitchen and got an ibuprofen, since that is the only thing that helps. When I woke up in the morning, I had no pain anywhere. It was a little freaky, because I have gotten so used to the first 10 minutes of the day being creaky and painful.

  • flat13good
    flat13good Member Posts: 74


    Yes that is what I take I have Letrozole  same thing.

  • GrandmaV
    GrandmaV Member Posts: 1,045

    peacestrength, yes, I take that dosage 2.5mg.  I have heard that some women can't tolerate that much so they take half or take it every other day. 

  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 885

    Hello everyone.   Where are you...

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438

    Hi Micheleboots still here, for the moment anyway......lol.......get to see the doc tomorrow and finally, hopefully, get some answers as to what this lump in my neck is and with a bit more luck get told that it's nada and I can stay on the Femara............maybe that's wishful thinking but here's hoping.  Femara has been so good to me both treatment wise and SE wise.

    Hoping all are managing their SE well.

    Love n hugs.    Chrissy

  • MsPharoah
    MsPharoah Member Posts: 224

    ChrissyB, we are all thinking about you and praying for the best outcome.    Femara has been a good friend and we don't won't you breaking up with him!

    Love, MsP

  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 1,801

    Helloooo Femara Sisters!

    Hope everyone in the nasty weather zone is keeping warm and safe.

    The good news: I just had Xrays for my new, strange, recurrent back pain that keeps me from doing my "gentle" stretching and strengthening exercises. There are NO "suspicious" areas... i.e., mets.

    The bad news: I have anterolisthesis at L3/L4, meaning a disk has tipped forward into my spinal cord and is impinging on something. Don't think I can blame this one on the drug!!! (LOL) I've had degenerative changes in my spine for the past ten years. 

    Awaiting further instructions from the PCP. See the Acupuncturist on Wednesday.

    At least this is taking my mind off all those MINOR SEs!!!! Winking

    Stay safe, everyone!

  • BayouBabe
    BayouBabe Member Posts: 1,467

    Yay!  No mets!  Do we have a dancing smiley?SillyHeart  Back issues, not so good, but doable, have been suffering through mine for years.  Silly, we can still be happy over bad news, because it's not the worst news!

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 2,845

    Blessings, YAY! Your spine is a train wreck, how great is that? ;) 

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 236

    Blessings- so glad for you.

    Chrissy- thinking of you.

    I'm 6 days out from ooph and healing pretty well.  Had to run in to the doctor quickly today since IV vein area puffed up after putting hand lotion on.  Apparently, when I was applying lotion, the rubbing caused the IV area to open up under the skin and bleed - not fun but ice has helped.

    I saw the Gynecologist nurse prac. for this and she didn't know that I had just went through bc treatment.  She said to me, "you're too young to have went through bc."  I started to cry right there - I'm 43 and I hate the fact that this has happened to me and my family.  I wanted to scream at her, "No Sh@$! and damn mammograms failed me and my dense breasts."

    Thanks for letting me vent.

    On my 6th day of taking Femara :)


  • BayouBabe
    BayouBabe Member Posts: 1,467

    Sending you hugs Peacestrength.  I was 44.  I had a nurse tell me when I had to give my birthdate, "Why you are just a baby!"  Took all I could do not to raise a scene at her expense right then and there.  BC is an undiscriminating beast.

  • kim40
    kim40 Member Posts: 125

    Hello ladies   its been a while since I have posted on here but I do have a question .  My 5 years with Femata will be coming up this summer.  Is anyone staying ln this for a longer period of time or switching to something else?  Thank yoj


  • MsPharoah
    MsPharoah Member Posts: 224

    Peacestrength.  {{{{Hugs}}}}}

    It's weird what makes us cry, right?  You are entitled to be angry and sad that you have this disease and have to deal with this crap as a young woman.   I'm an old lady and I don't deserve to have breast cancer but it makes more sense to me than beautiful young women having it.   It pi$$es me off, really.

    MsP

  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 885

    Peacestrength.  Big hugs for you.

    Kim, I am a lifer...yah me.

    Blessings, at least it isn't cancer.  one good thing.  Sending hugs your way too.

  • eph3_12
    eph3_12 Member Posts: 2,704

    Kim40, I am done in November!  I've already told my onc that unless she can provide unequivocal proof that I need to stay on it, I'll be saying "Bye-Bye" to the pill on Nov 16!

  • Gracers55
    Gracers55 Member Posts: 23

    Kim 40 and Eph 3 12,

    Congratulations to you both! I just started and can't wait to be off. I've had issues with AI's and would rather not switch to Tamox--which they are often now prescribing for 10 years. I personally don't want to be on any drug longer than I have to. Good to hear from ladies on the other end of this horrid roadtrip! Love and best to you all.

  • flat13good
    flat13good Member Posts: 74

    My doctor also told me that they say 5 years but he said they are looking at keeping us on it for 10 years and I really am not looking forward to that.  Congrats on the 5years I have 4 more to go.  None of this is fair no matter how old we are. BC SUCKS.

  • luvmygoats
    luvmygoats Member Posts: 2,484

    Didn't talk to MO in December about length of time. Will be 2 years in June (just looked thought it was May oh well). I can't get docs to measure cholesterol, BP up I think, due for Dexa scan in April. Guess by looking at results of bone scan done this summer it will not be pretty. Do the Frankenstein walk when getting up from sitting. Did have terrible foot pains for a few months in 2012 but that's better. General aches/pains but I am 61 and never have been "active". All in all not too bad and certainly not enough for me to give it up. I would have difficult time getting Aromasin from insurance and see no need to go try Arimidex. I went thru the osteoporosis drugs again on insurance and it looks like Boniva or Fosamax will have to be it until I "fail" on one of them. I have GERD out the wazoo - need to lose weight. Fear that getting worse more than most other things. I know the Zantac is not helping bones, B12 absorption, iron status. PCP had me switch from Omeprazole to Zantac because I think of effect on bones - memory like a sieve - can't remember squat. Is that effect of Femara???? Unfor. I don't think the Zantac works as well so about midday I'm digging into the Tums.

    Joni - what ER+ % are you? Being 90% ER+ I don't know what I would do if MO says 3 more years. Shuffle off to my recliner??? When my mom was my age she kept our DD for a week (kindergartener). Geesh - no way could I do that. DH had me out pulling wild vines out of fenceline this weekend and I thought I was gonna die.

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 2,845

    Goats, what the heck do you mean that the docs won't measure cholesterol? They HAVE to when you are on femara! I mean, it is not a law or anything, but that sounds irresponsible.

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 236

    Momine - how often do you have your cholesterol checked?


  • luvmygoats
    luvmygoats Member Posts: 2,484

    My PCP says it was good when last checked (Presurgery 2012 - at least that was his line last year) and MO is an a**. I really need to change, I dread going to him. Hopefully I can talk PCP into checking it in March with physical visit. I may need to find a community health fair to have it done. My MO/PCP like to pass responsibility back/forth. My MO says he will call me with abnormal labs - CBC which was on my checkout report and chem. panel (mostly liver func. tests). I said I will call your nurse after the New Year and get a copy sent to the desk. Hah - don't trust him. My PCP doesn't do any lab work since I bring my latest from MO. Maybe this year I will "forget".

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438

    well girls I will be with you for a while longer........all tests came back neg for progression of BC but positive for progression of arthritis.......yay!!!!  Lungs are clear of mets but there is chronic inflammation in the central lobe that needs to be gone into a little more but otherwise okay ........at least that explains why I get short of breath.

    Take care all 

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • MusicLover
    MusicLover Member Posts: 777

    Chrissy,

    That's great news! (I was worried for you, you thought you felt a lump somewhere too.)

    I hope that the arthritis gets better, is it an se of the femara?  xoxoxo

    PS - Do you ever sleep?

  • luvmygoats
    luvmygoats Member Posts: 2,484

    Yay Chrissy Yay. Love arthritis (well versus progression yes).

  • eph3_12
    eph3_12 Member Posts: 2,704

    such a relief my friend

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 2,845

    Chrissy, BRAVA! 

    Peace, I get a full blood panel before each visit with my team, which was 3-4 times a year, now going to 2-3 times. They check cholesterol, liver function, calcium levels, tumor markers etc. The cholesterol is specifically to monitor how I am dealing with femara. As far as I remember, increase in cholesterol is the most common SE of the drug, other than joint pain.

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 236

    Chrissy - so glad for you!

    Momine - thanks for your response.

  • sgreenarch
    sgreenarch Member Posts: 253

    Chrissy, happy for you. I like your posts and was happy to hear. Love that arthritis!

  • MsPharoah
    MsPharoah Member Posts: 224

    Chrissy, our prayers were answered!

    MsP