Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
I am an "older" woman with breast cancer (I was diagnosed at 65 and am now 66). I notice that most of the posts seem to be from people younger than I am (often by quite a bit...). I'd love to "talk" with others my age, exchange info about their diagnoses, effects on their lives, etc. I see that there is a forum for young women.
Someone suggested that maybe it's that older people aren't so computer-savvy or aren't used to being in online discussion groups. However, for those who are, it would be great.
Comments
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So far I have no side effects whatsoever from my Arimidex.....I know that some people say they dont come along until you have been on it for several months, but, I have a couple of friends who are much further down the Arimidex road than I am and are practically side effect free except for some joint pains. My tumor was 98% Estrogen positive and 87% Progesterone Positive so I am thinking the Arimidex is the best insurance policy I can get my hands on.
One of my biggest concerns right now, esp in this economy, is keeping my job and my benefits, we Baby Boomers who are not yet 65 fall into that terrible category for getting any kind of health insurance in the years prior to Medicare without working for a fairly large company and now of course we have the *black stamp* of bc next to our names.....my file from bills for this surgery and treatment is HUGE, never having a health issue before , even as a nurse I didnt realize what even a *non complicated* bc costs. I actually wrote letters to the President and my own congressmen about my opinion on the health care stimulus objectives because they dont do anything to help me or other people in my situation, even though most of us have contributed to the system our entire lives.....*oooops, stepping off my soapbox*
Have a great Sunday everyone !
jan
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I had heard recently about Arimidex going generic...not sure the source. My onco did mention an assistant to help pay for Arimidex but after hearing about all the SEs I opted for Tamoxifen.
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I am glad you started this thread. I had my 63rd birthday in January, have been widowed almost 6 years, and have made a lot of changes in the past couple of years. Sold "our" house after being there for 36 years and moving to be closer to my one and only son. I was dx 3 weeks before my son's wedding.
The insurance issue is one I can get on a roof top to spout off about. I quit work when my husband became ill and never went back. Because of my "resources" I do not qualify for anything free. Even with what I thought was a full medical coverage policy, I was denied MAJOR expenses. I then found a new policy, which is expensive, but cheap in comparison to what I would have to pay for one treatment, scan, or lab work.
I am ER/PR negative and Her2 positive. Anyone else out there in the "older" section with the same? Nancy
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Hi Nancy,
Im so sorry for the loss of your husband.....I too have just one son, my story is a little different from yours but similar, my husband fell off a roof at work in 2001 and had multiple serious injuries, I went back to work full time out of necessity and we sold our house of 32 years , moved to a Townhouse to be closer to my son who had been married a little over a year and was expecting his first child. I am still and always will be the breadwinner and benefit carrier.....so it scares me to death to even think of being *sick* for any length of time. I would be interested in knowing what kind of policy you got and how
I think there is a woman on our Illinois chat board who is our age and ER/PR negative and Her2 positive , I will check on the board to see if Im right and then I will ask her to put in a post over here , unless of course Im wrong
Smiling at the word *resources* and nothing being free.....and completely understanding. I am very much a *do something about it* person and if I knew what to do about correcting the health care situation I would.....I orchestrated all my surgery and radiation treatments in record time but when you are up against a brick wall it really doesnt budge.
We now have 3 little grandsons.....who I very much intend to see grow up....the baby is 2 today so we are off for birthday cake and party....
jan
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I am also a "young older" (age 55) and I think it would be great to have a forum for those of us 50 and older. Kathleen, I noticed you are from Ashburn, Va and so am I. We moved here in July 2008. Would love to get together if you are interested. I love the testicle remark!!
Patty 0 -
jan: I used an insurance broker who has the ability to hook you up depending on various factors, including where you live. I am at a major disadvantage being "single" and cannot hook onto a spouses policy, which I am told would be significantly cheaper. And I think this plan is no longer available to new people since the first of the year.
I am in Alexandria, VA. Anyone like a trip to Old Town for the farmers market and stroll around the town? I think they start the first Saturday of April, but they close up shop around 10 am -- start at 6 am -- an EARLY event or way to start the day.
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Hello. I, too, am in the 'older' category. I would love chatting with other bc ladies. I think it's sad, but I think my family is tired of hearing about bc. When I was diagnosed, everyone was so wonderful. They called, showed concern, dropped by....the whole works. Now, the only person who calls in my daughter in another state. My sister who was supposed to be my rock, may call once ever 2 weeks. Hubby, when he heard me telling a friend on the phone that I was thinking about the rest of a hysterectomy (had ovaries out in Dec '08 but not cervix or uterus), yelled "why don't you just take off your arms and legs too.....they could get cancer too". He has no idea how that hurt. I've decided not to talk to him about it anymore. If he wants to know anything, he will have to ask. THEY JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
BTW, I am 56, I'm in West Va. Wondering if I have any close neighbors??
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Hello Mikita
What a horrible thing for your hubby to say to you...gee now I know why I'm not married anymore. When were you dx? And how is your tx going? Sorry you're not getting the support you need. This BC board is here for your support...great people.
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Add me to the ranks of moldy oldie!! I'm still teaching kindergarten, but getting so ready to retire. Darned economy.
Lefty - If you hadn't posted here, I'd never have known that we were boomers, although, you're older...na na nanana! I'll be 63 in Nov.
Mikita - I know what you mean about not wanting to talk cancer with the family...or friends, for that matter. And, as rude and thoughtless as your husband's remark was, it made me laugh - just a typical male response.
It doesn't seem possible that we youngsters could be this old! How did it happen?
My daughter tells me that I'm lucky that I got cancer at this age, because now it's "old lady" cancer. Meaning, of course, that it is generally easier to treat and less aggressive. As a women;s health practioner, I hope she's a bit more sympathetic with her own patients!!
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Hi,
I'd love to talk to other BC survivors in my age group. I turned 61 today. Hope that all of us "elders" are well. Talk to you all later.
Karoline
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Sameday nurse: Keep up that stance on your soapbox all you want
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Karol60 - Happy Birthday! Contact me anytime you want to talk.
Mikita- I know exactly what you mean. Boy do people run out of patience fast! They may have heard everything before but they don't live with it every second of every day.
Patty: I sent you a PM.
Lefty: I am up for a trip to Old Town in April. We can finalize plans when it gets closer to Spring.
Insurance: Errrrrrr! I was laid off and on COBRA. My old employer did not get some contracts they were counting on and were going to cancer all employee insurance. Thank God they got enough revenue in to avoid cancelling the insurance. But you are right, there is nothing out there if you are not 65 and not already insured.
Good night ladies. Stay strong!
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I too am a seasoned woman. The package is 61 years old, but the contents are ageless! As the saying goes.. that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
The subject of insurance is a very frustrating point for hubby & me. He was retired in 2001 after over 30 years with the assurance there was an "annuity" that would cover all of his BCBS insurance until he reached 65 and I would have the same coverage for a very modest monthly payment less than $300 mo. It was one of the reasons he stayed with the company and put up with a lot of stress and frustration. Well, after a couple of years, the company realized this was costing them too much (several had been "retired") and they phased down the amount they paid. When hubby asked about the "annuity" that had been in the neighborhood of $45K, he was told the company originally used the wrong word and it was no longer there. We are permitted to continued to get the coverage at a rate of $1555 for both of us monthly.
Even though the payments take his monthly SS chk plus some, it was a blessing when the BC was found last year. So far, the total amount billed to the insurance company is over $220K, by the time they did their magic with write offs and all, we were only expected to pay a total out of pocket of $4K. We did end up paying about a thousand over that because of confusion about co pays, but should be getting most of that back.
So, it's been a good news, bad news kind of thing. Writing the monthly check reminds us how the company basically misrepresented the situation but I'm so thankful we had it when we needed it. And can only hope and pray the "let us" continue to keep it until each of us reach 65.
If anyone is wondering, the retired employees couldn't bring any lawsuits because they were required to sign a release to not take any legal action when they were retired (laid off).
One good thing is that the Lord has provided the income we need to make the insurance payments every month!
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Happy Birthday, Karol. Welcome to everyone else. Susan, old lady disease... my onco said since it took me 62 years to get this, I could live to 100. AND, my mom is going to be 96 in April - she is a 47 year BC survivor, had bi lat mast back in 1962.
I fear what will happen with Medicare once I reach 65. BTW, by the way, my last "amount due" was $ 18.60, for over $18 K worth of treatment.
Have you all had surgeries? I had lump and SNB in December, after 16 rounds of chemo. Herceptin is every 3 weeks with my latest tx last Thursday. HUGS, Nancy
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Morning everyone and happy birthday to Carol......
So far no one has responded to me on the Illinois board about being HER2+ but last night was Oscar night so that could explain it......
I had a lumpectomy and SNB in Dec of 2008 also followed by Mammosite Radiation which turned out to be a blessing so that I could get back to work quicker, one week of being on a crazy and exhausting Merry Go Round but then it was over. I still have the Mammosite created cavity in my breast which takes quite sometime to heal and I wonder how that affects my first Mammogram which comes up in June.
My grandma also had bc.....and died at 96 of a blood clot to the lungs nothing about her bc ever came back.....I have a cousin who is a 15 year survivor and moving forward.....I figure at my age....if I can get a 30 year survival I will be one happy camper.
Taking my husband for a small surgery ( we gage them all as big or small
today......have a happy Monday !jan
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Gosh, it is great to hear about women surviving until their nineties and beating breast cancer. My grandmother had breast cancer when she was 40. I don't remember much about it because I was a little kid but she died from a hospital infection 40 years later which had absolutely nothing to do with her breast cancer.
Mrscrj: I loved your opening line. If you don't mind, I am going to use it!
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I don't remember getting hot flashes where I was really bothered by them even when I went thru natural menopause at age 50...
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No Jo my onco wanted me to take Arimidex but because of expense we went for Tamoxifen instead. I can't imagine now getting hot flashes more than 20 years past natural menopause.
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No hot flashes here in a LONG time - maybe 10 years ago. I did not have Arimidex. I like the term "seasoned", gonna use it instead of "senior citizen".
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Glad I found this thread. I was almost 62 when diagnosed, and have believed I have different issues than younger women who are diagnosed with BC. I was diagnosed 12/12/08. After getting a second opinion I had a mast 2/11/09 with SNB and immediate reconstruction with silicone implant and alloderm sling. I am healing slowly, feel pretty good, am looking forward to getting my second and last drain removed tomorrow, and wondering when I will be able to return to work. I feel like I gotta keep working due to insurance coverage (I am so glad I have it) but would love to retire. My husband has been wonderful, supportive and caring throughout. I know I am very blessed, but still occasionally whine. Are there any "older" ladies out there with similar experiences?
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This is so very good.......I feel so in touch with each of you !
Paula, you and I had our surgeries on the same day.....12/12/08....wondering why they suggested a mastectomy for you....location ? and JO how comes they did a full axillary node dissection ? You know, we try not to second guess ourselves , and I was very confident in all my decisions but you do wonder what formed other peoples decisions.....
I too would love to retire and play with my three little grandsons more but the health insurance is like a huge neon sign in my head flashing 24/7
My husband has been amazing throughout all of this.....totally my rock maybe our *seasoned* marriages have a hand in making that happen .....he changed disgusting dressings and cried with me and for me and really never left my side throughout the worst parts of this journey. Now that the worst is over things are more *normal* whatever that means, but we have a new closeness that will never change. He and I went to High school together......
I am on Arimidex and so far am experiencing NO side effects at all....I didnt have many hot flashes when I went through menopause, in my line of work, I meet a lot of women my age who are on Arimidex and most of us who are post menopause seem to have more of the joint and bone pain than the hot flashes....Im prepared for that and Im religiously taking the supplements that were suggested to me by my Drs.
A good friend of ours just lost his wife to her bc.....but the fight and the story are good....she was diagnosed in 1977 had her mastectomy and her chemo and her rads and had no reoccurence whatsoever for 26 years....her reoccurence was treated successfully for another 5 years and that all started back in the days when there was one surgery and one chemo and everyone got it no matter what. I believe we live in the age of good things......and this thread, will be a very good thing
DH did well with his surgery this AM......back to work for me tomorrowjan
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Hello All,
I like the idea of having a forum for "older" people, however, I am concerned about setting this up for a number of reasons:
1. many people on the boards are "older". That is, how to define "older"?
2. We have soooo many forums as it is, that we aren't too keen on the idea of adding to the long menu.
3. We want people to find others who are in a similar situation (breast cancer diagnosis, age, background, where they live), but worry about having simply too many categories.
Your ideas/feedback are welcome.
Thanks,
Melissa
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I think......that the response to this thread in a mere 24 hour period shows there is a definite need and want for a forum of this nature and there are more than just a few interested, and I feel even more will join in as it becomes more well known. As far as what the *age* limit for old should be.....anyone who wants to consider themself *old* or interested in the things we are discussing certainly can.....I tried looking through the other forums to see if one or another isnt used but all have some following and therefore are important to someone.....I hope the Administrators will give this one some thought and come up with an idea that makes everyone happy, even if it means we just have to continue on this thread
jan
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Thanks for the explanation Jo.....it all made a great deal of sense , when I had my surgery, my surgeon told me that if my sentinel *nodes* showed any carcinoma of any kind that she would proceed with a complete axillary dissection right then and there and that it would add another hour to my surgery.....as it was my family waited 45minutes for the sentinel reports to be finalized.....I too had a good sized area of tissue removed in hoping for clean margins first time around and also got them, you also need a certain sized cavity for the Mammosite insertion to be *good* I would think the amount of fluid you had collect post op did have something to do with that number of nodes.
How long I can take Arimidex is on the top of my list of questions when I see the Oncologist next month....I am 98% Estrogen positive and I would like to continue on it for as long as its safe and for as long as it works, although I say that now while I am SE free , I do however know people who have sailed through 3-4 years already with minimal SE and Im hoping that will be me. Have you made any dietary changes or eliminations in an effort to reduce and estrogen increase ??? Do you do specific supplements ?
Its all this big circle of events that you have to try to stay in control of but sometimes you wonder....get well....fight every day to stay well....sooooooooo that you can work and keep your health insurance and not find the whole thing so stressful that it ultimately affects your health again *whew*
I didnt even know that people were allowed to stay on Arimidex beyond 5 years.....thats very interesting to me.....
I dont usually have this kind of time to devote to posting.....but Im enjoying it today
jan
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My BS said similar...if any nodes turned out positve then the surgery would be more involved and take longer. Also would need drains. Thank heavens for me that wasn't the case. She removed 2 nodes, both negative along with tumor and clean margins. I consider myself very fortunate. Surgery was easy and I healed quick. And the breast looks the same as the other one..scar underneath that you can't notice. SNB scar is also very faint now.
Is Arimidex now the gold standard for post menopausal women? My onco didn't have a concern prescribing Tamoxifen for me when I mentioned the expense of Arimidex. It really wasn't the fact I couldn't afford the drug but concerned mainly with the SE that went along with it. My bones are good so far and would like them to remain that way.
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Bump
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Hi Ladies, Thanks for the replies. I still have one drain but it should be removed tomorrow. I know I will feel much better getting that out. Jo, thank you for the nice words about the photo. I was showing off my Steelers scrub top (whoops - I see you are from OH - a Brown's fan maybe?) Samedaynurse - are you a nurse? I am a school nurse but admittedly not a very bright RN when it comes to breast cancer. I chose the mastectomy route due to having one area of IDC and a second area indicating atypical LH. I would have had to have two lumpectomies (with questionable cosmetic results) for those areas so chose the mast (2/11/09) hoping to avoid the rads also.
It is good to hear that others have supportive husbands. Mine is cooking dinner now. I am getting quite spoiled. I am sure thankful for him!
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Jo and Jan: I agree completely! We post-meno ladies do have some different concerns, chief among them (I think) would be what the lack of estrogen is doing to us, now and in the long run. Osteoporosis, high cholesterol, bp and diabetes concerns for example. I sure don't want bc to return, but I also worry about the long-term effects of AI's; my onc says that, for the forseeable future, I should remain on Femara. I do want to hear what the rest of you are doing, and how you're handling everything.
Let's either keep this thread going, or else start a new forum for Post-Menopausal BC.
Cheers,
Linda
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...if any nodes turned out positive then the surgery would be more involved and take longer. Also would need drains. When having a mammo, do you only get drains if the nodes are positive??0
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I had cold flashes. I don't know if that was post meno stuff or low thyroid.
My grandmother was diagnosed at 70 and would not let them operate. She had a boyfriend and didn't want to lose a breast for him. So she did nothing. Refusing treatment may have been more common in her generation when mastectomies were automatic.
In later years, I visited her in the nursing home where she developed dementia and died of a stroke at 86. We can only guess that the the tumor was slow-growing or no growing. I don't know if us older ones are less likely to have aggressive disease.
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Melissa and Moderators, as you can see, I have made many posts on many threads, but THIS one is at the top of my "concerns" -- age or "older" person things. I was a host on a grief recovery website and we had 3 distinct groups for widows - Over age 50, Under age 50, and general widowed.
It may not be necessary to set a specific age for "older" and no one is going to ask for ID if a person appears to be "young". There are those who may have a mother, aunt, grandma, or wife who falls into the older group.
I had a very interesting conversation recently with a woman in her 30's. She said her life expectancy is 40 + years, where mine is 20+ years. Kind of puts thing into perspective when one plans for the future. Just a few thoughts on making this a separate topic.
Nancy
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I so agree about the many other forums! I bet we'll have a plethora of seasoned women joining us.
I'm looking thru the forums wondering if there are any young, single, African-American, gay men, with LCIS, who have just had surgery and are waiting for results.
Hmmm, guess I'll just say good night!0 -
My aunt was diagnosed in the UK at age 91. Because of her age the medical system did nothing at all. She is now 100. (and yes, she did have a wonderful birthday and received a card form the Queen).
I am an "older" person and some of my concerns such as already high cholesterol may not be the concerns of our younger "sisters". There probably is a need for this forum but I wouldn't close it to anyone....you never know what we might learn from anyone. I think "Older"breast cancer patients would suffice as a name.
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Hi, all,
Enjoying this new thread, and hope it'll turn into a "place of our own". I was diagnosed and treated in 2001, then five years on Arimidex. My oncologist then switched me to Femara. I did okay on the Arimidex, but the Femara really did me in, with major joint aches and depressing hair loss, etc. So we had a talk, and since my percentage of ER positive was low (17%) we decided to quit it. There really are no studies showing what the ideal time to stay on them is yet. And of course while they feel like a safety net there's no guarantee they'll keep you cancer free. Also, he told me that if I kept my weight down that would help reduce estrogen production also. Sooo...working on keeping my weight down. Which is actually somewhat easier now than when I was on the AIs (it kept creeping up despite all my efforts -- very frustrating!)
Anomdenet, I love your story about your grandmother. Good for her!
Paula, I too chose mastectomy hoping to avoid rads, but the tumor was too close to the chest wall so I had to do it anyway -- very hard adjustment for me, as rads scared me more than chemo. Well, heck, the whole thing's plain scary!
Anybody else dealing with lymphedema?
Be well, all!
Bonnie0 -
No lymphedema here...so thankful for that!
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Evening to everyone.....what a great response this thread is getting !!!!!
Paula....I am indeed a nurse, full time in the Recovery Room of a very busy surgical center , and also not particularly brilliant about breast cancer. Up until my own diagnosis, my grandma and my cousin were my main sources of information and that was really very little. Now Im turning into a walking talking bc text book and Im not sure I really like that either....actually , like all of us, I dont really like anything about any of this, to quote my 3 year old grandson " Its stupid....I HATE IT !" and age has nothing to do with that part, does it......That IS a great photo Paula , we are all young at our ages now.....and having bc isnt going to change that, yes ????!!!!!!
I agree that anyone from any thread anywhere anytime should join us and read and ask and talk for anything we can help with just as I would go to other threads if I were looking for something specific......I have read some of the hormone boards about Arimidex but decided to come to my own conclusions.
Here is some of what I know from my own Drs about the Arimidex......if you start your therapy with a strong normal Dexascan you have a much smaller chance of bone loss.....if you start with osteopenia or osteoporosis the concerns and precautions are much greater. I have a normal Dexascan and so I was advised to take Calcium 1200mg, Magnesium 500mg, Vit D-3 1000U plus fish oil and I have added glucosamine. This should offer me enough protection to stay out of bone loss danger.....actuality remains to be seen but I believe it. Fish oil and diet should help cholesterol......and weight, well, I am going to struggle with that forever anyways so I will just work a little harder.
*giggling* a little at mzmiller.......
I got a statement today.....insurance pending for treatments......very healthy six figure number.....enough to raise my stress level LOTS.....going back to the gotta have insurance issue, and now gotta hope it pays. Did any of you have Mammosite ? what makes Femara harder than Arimidex, does anyone know ?????
be happy, be healthy
jan
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My Dexascan in June was better than the previous one a few years before that. I had the D3 test and I scored a 74 so my Vit. D level is very good. I take calcium, fish oil, glucosamine, COQ10, folic acid, B-complex, C and D..I'm sure there is more but that's a start. I also walk my dog every day and go to Curve's 3x/week for a workout...
I guess so far I'm the oldest one on this board...bully for me..heehee
I had 33 radiation tx but no Mammosite..going tomorrow to rad doc for checkup. I had no burning, redness or anything from the radiation.
I feel very blessed to go thru this breast cancer experience without problems. When I read and hear about others especially the young ones it makes me very sad.
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Hugs klp.
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Hi - I love the idea of this forum for women who are naturally post-menopausal. I'm 54, was dx'd last year at 53 and was postmenopausal from the age of 48. My oncologist put me on Arimidex - and so far, no real SEs (since last September).......originally I was very vocal against Tamoxifen because I read it increases your risk for endometrial cancer - and I already had a thickened endometrium. Seems the Arimidex has also solved that problem - which is a GOOD SE! I'll be finishing my Herceptin tx's in April - yay! but still have to go through Stage 2 of my free-tram reconstruction and also opened abdominal surgery in July to repair a very large hernia (the result of the MRSA staph infection I got at the hospital last year.) At that time they'll also be taking out my gall bladder - so while I'm not very worried about a cancer recurrence as of now, I'm extremely worried about getting another MRSA infection during these surgeries! MRSA kills more people in the US than Aids..........and the CDC and hospitals are NOT taking it very seriously! Sorry to get on my soapbox about this everyone.......I'm happy to be part of this forum!
Bonnie I also ended up with Stage 1 lymphedema in my right arm - it started with painful cording which was only relieved when I found a certified LE therapist. She was wonderful - fortunately my insurance paid for everything (but not for my sleeve for some reason.)
My DH has been my rock - and also my comedian! He makes me laugh and that has been the best medicine for me! Also my kids have been so wonderful - without them I'd only be half the person I am now. I have two daughters in college and a 16 -year-old son. He's my "movie-buddy" since my DH isn't fond of the movies (he gets too sleepy). I saw the Dark Knight with my son - and I can see why Heath Ledger got an Oscar - he truly deserved it (may he rest in peace) even if I wasn't crazy about the movie itself - too much plot, too many characters and too much action.
Talk to you all later!
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A Quick note before I retire the computer for tonight.....
I truly hope Administration keeps an eye on this thread.....sees how we have all flocked to it....how positive and welcoming this group is and will be and reconsiders a thread for us under any name they choose to give us.....I was hoping that with the demise of the Political threads there might be room for us now.......if not, we can make ourselves very much at home right here.
What a great group of women.......
SwimAngel.....I so sympathize with your experience with MRSA....its one of the best reasons I have for working where I do and not at the hospital anymore, dont be afraid to speak up as to what you expect from your health care workers we are all expecting to hear it now...and should. My mom got C Diff on her last hospital stay, another hospital friendly infection.
Kathy....Im with you about feeling blessed....totally.....scared still....but blessed for sure.
Nite nite
jan
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Hi Gals:
wow, nice thread and nice to see a few mature sisters
I still get hot flashes at night
and as for the cold.. I live in Canada
and have to wear nearly 3 scarves.. I really feel
the cold a great deal now
best to all wherever you are on the path
Sierra
ps.. Can any of you tell me if you)
are single, divorced or married?
I am on my own
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Sierra - I'm married to my mom!!! She lives with me and when I get home from school, she's got chicken and biscuits on the table and the floors swept!! The best thing is, that I don't have to sleep with her!!
And, I really do like this group of veteran warrior women! I hope we can stay together.
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Ditto on a new forum for post menopausal women!!!!!!!!
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I was 60 yo when i received my br ca dx caught by yearly mammo; no family history. The older we are the greater the risk. Try this chat room; lots of older ladies here.
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Hot flashes? Oh my! I'm 58 and have been in menopause 4-1/2 years. I started flashing 2 years before that. And now I'm on Arimidex and still flashing. Day & night, like clockwork. Today was especially bad. I think our office manager had the heater turned up. I have an active job so I just kept going for walks outside in the rain to cool off. I sure don't like to think of myslef as old, but compared to some of the other women posting we have "more life experience."
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Good morning ladies! This is such a great thread. I went through natural menopause at 49 years old. I did NOT experience hot flashes, night sweats or mood swings (other than the ones I have had all my life). When I would complain about how hot it was people thought those were hot flashes and I would respond "then I have been going through menopause since I was a little kid!" I remember as a small child that I couldn't wait to get out of sight of the house so I could take off the sweater my folks made me put on.
I think this site is great because we do have a lot of experience to fall back on - maybe not with breast cancer but with life. I, too, welcome all who want to participate!
It must be terrible to be young and especially with young children and face this beast. As we age, and I am 62, we have probably already faced our own mortality. I know I did in 2004 and, incidentally, I didn't like it. Perhaps we can offer some perspective or support (which is what this whole site is about).
There are so many really strong women on here. It is humbling.
Have a really great day or at least one without pain. Hugs to all.
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Jo
I have high cholesterol and high b/p...I am controlling the cholesterol with a natural product. I was on a statin for awhile but discontinued due to possible SEs. I was also controlling my b/p with a natural product until I started radiation. The rad doc wanted me to discontinue because they weren't sure if they would interfere with the txs. As of now I'm taking a b/p prescription..I think Tamoxifen raises b/p so I'll probably continue with the b/p prescription rather than going for the natural one again. While discussing Tamoxifen with my onco she said the chances of a blood clot or stroke was about 1% so I'll take my chances. I gained about 5 lbs. that I intend to take off soon. Have to increase my exercise and cut down on my calories..easier said than done.
BTW Jo..Congratulations on your new addition!!!
Hugs to you, Sharon
I have 2 girls and 1 boy, 5 grandchildren and 2 gr-grandchildren...one grandson is in the Army and another in the AF..I live alone with my dog and cat.
Looks like there are quite a lot of interested "older women" coming here...
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Jo,
It is called Cholesterol Complete and I order it online at Seniorhealth.com...I also take fish oil. How much do you take?
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Jo,
The main ingredient is policosanol which blocks the absorption of cholesterol. There are no side effects.
The fish oil I take is from Puritan Pride..I only take 1000 mg(1 capsule)/day..enteric coated, no fishy taste
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