Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Morning everyone...Did any of you hear this news?
http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/152242/37/Roswell-Park-Makes-Major-Announcement-on-Cancer-Vaccine
You probably have, but this is the BEST news I have heard in a long time! Sounds like it might be another 5-10 years before this serum can be mass produced, but hopefully it will make a huge impact on cancer patients all around the world! It has been approved by the FDA, and will start with about 20 patients, who have had cancer...like all of us!
Carole, so glad to hear from you! Yes, you and Jackie sound like you are doing well on Arimidex! It's got to feel great, thinking that you are doing everything you can to keep from getting cancer again!
Hopefully all the dang supplements/vitamins I take will be enough..... I've been making smoothies with bananas, orange juice, Aloe Vera, and any other frozen berries, and a little flavored cream! It really tastes good! My Daughter just whips up ice, 7-up & flavored syrup..but good Lord, they are sooooo COLD!!! And I don't know how THAT could be any good for you! Talk about "Brain Freeze"!
Carole, I'm glad you shared about your bmx.... Barbiecorn is going in Feb.1st! Just 3 days away. Don't know about construction or anything about that yet....
But sounds like you came through it all just great! Sorry about your DH... Glad he came out of that as good as he did...
I hadn't heard of that proceure... Amazing about how far the medical profession has come! And my DH is almost back to normal....He has this "condidion" where his hands just kind of "pull" themselves together.... It's called Dupytryn's Syndrome...Where your fingers "draw' or pull into your palm, and it's because of "cords" or tendons that become hard and stiff...so they don't bend very well, and he can't grip things like he used to. Wakes him up in the middle of the night... But all they can do is go in and cut the cording, or inject something in there to try and break up the hardened areas.... But these procedures are usually only temporary....So until it gets much worse, he is just living with it.
His hands were always so big and strong, like my Dad's...and I love them! It just makes you sad to see this happening...how he can't use them like he used to. But I know it could be a lot worse.
Okay gals...thinking of you Barbicorn....Take good care, and God bless..... xooxox
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Chevy: Great news...thanks for posting. Interesting to note that this vaccine helps the body's immune system fight cancer. We've known that for years, yet, why aren't doctors encouraging healthy diet and lifestyle changes to their patients? The immune system can fight off disease if it is given a fighting chance with a good diet and proper supplementation. That said, I am hopeful that this vaccine is all that it is heralded to be, and available soon for all. It could save so many more lives!
Carole: Good hearing from you again. Glad your DH is ok. You were brave with the reconstruction. Not sure I would go through that, but you never know until you're faced with it. I am amazed at what can be done with plastic surgery these days. A friend of mine just had a huge skin cancer taken off her face and they did all the stitches from the inside...you can't even see a scar!
It was wonderful to wake up today and realize I had NO doctor appt's this week! Well, just one to get a vitamin infusion, but I call that a health app't. We went to our gym for a workout and ran into Dara Torres, the olympic swimmer. Didn't know she belonged to our gym. Wow..what a specimen of lean body mass! Not an ounce of fat on that lady and she's in her 40's.
I'm going to make a big pot of vegetable soup now so we can lunch on it for a few days. Tonight we're having a dinner for my DGD who is going to Hawaii to work on an organic farm and build tree houses...don't ask! As long as she's happy, I'm happy!
Have a special day everyone!
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Here is something I just found in my email box. I don't have a Kindle, but I know a lot of you do:
For those who have Kindles and might be interested.
BREAST CANCER Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatments, Stages Of
Breast Cancer - Revised Edition - Illustrated by S. Smith
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=BREAST+CANCER+Causes&x=14&y=240 -
Hope this is not something you already have....this too came into my email box today:
http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/
There is a link to University of Alabama at Birmingham, "A world-
renowned research university and medical center - a first choice for
education and healthcare" related to their funding of Triple Negative
BC, which is interesting, as well.
http://www.uab.edu/news/latest/item/1053-uab-launches-drug-trial-aimed-
at-triple-negative-breast-cancers0 -
Dear Carolehalston,
So sorry to hear about your husbands heart issues. He sounds like he is doing well. Good for you both. This year my husband went through 2 ablations to stop his a-fib issues. I think, "crossing everything I can" that they finally got it.
I was very interested in your email, your reconstruction also. I had delayed reconstruction - 18 months after right mast. I am happy with the results, silicone implant - I went with the implant due to my age. I thought 59 was too old to go through an 8 hour operation. Anyway, I wanted to ask you about golfing. Did you have any issues getting back into it? Its been 3 years and I am finally feeling strong enought to want to start golfing again. Was it difficult for you? I must admit that I am alittle afraid that something would happen to my implant. Were you worried also? Please let me know how you got passed the fears. Stay well
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Carole, I too found your description of your reconstruction moving for some reason. Not to make it sound that others are somehow less as we all come to this in whatever way SEEMS right for us at the time and under the circumstances we are living with already. You just sounded as though you were totally unwilling to be a 'prisoner' of this diagnosis any longer than you had too....and that as well.....your comfort zone ( normalcy ) definitely was in restoring what had to be taken away.
Chevy/Jeannette....yes, it is great to have the "pill" to take -- and it does become ( if you tolerate it all right ) a bit of a security blanket....but since we don't know who may get a recurrence if they do and why...it is just something extra. I think the older you are when you are diagnosed, the better things "generally" are......so we have that in our favor and you DID have your marmosite rads. I think there are still ongoing studies or possibly some that have finished that point to your doing better if you do Tamoxifen for a couple of years and then switch to Arimidex..........so there are no absolutes. At my 'gut' level I just felt that the best time to strike was at the beginning and I didn't want to be a pioneer so chose to do everything I could to ensure ( that meant the proven methods so far ) that I would get through and live well afterwards --- no second-guessing -- no what if's.......of course, my diagnosis did change.....from a small indolent cancer which at the time was all there was, to my surgeon finding a second and much larger aggressive tumor in the same breast -- just proved at that point that playing odds for me wasn't even a possibility. I think someone here...or maybe on the other cancer sites I am on said --- maybe it was you Chevy, that dealing with se's is going to be easier than the alternative. So far, for the most part the se's are not even noticeable and I do think a lot of women can say that. Weather changes kick up a little soreness and mild stiffness. That is not too much to pay for my security.
Desny --- I hope things continue to go well for you. I see you came in a little ahead of me. I hope you can get back to your golf game with comfort.
See you all later.
Hugs, Jackie
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Determination is the wake-up call to the human will.
Anthony Robbins0 -
Good morning everyone! Chevy posted a great article on a new vaccine for cancer, and since reading it I have done a lot more research. There several of these types of vaccines currently being developed and some are already in clinical trials. Israel is developing one that could be out in as early as three years. If you google cancer vaccine/Israel, you will get the article and a great video that explains how it works. They are showing great promise because the vaccine is targeting the immune system and boosting the killer T cells responsible for killing off cancer cells without damaging the good healthy cells.
It will be important for us all to keep our immune system in optimal condition, because some of the articles state that the healthier the patient's immune system is at the time of vaccination, the better opportunity the drug has to work. Here's hoping that we will see this on the market soon and it will save many more lives!
That's my contribution for today ladies...hope you all are well and happy!
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Good Morning Ladies,
Carole, I hope your DH is doing well, Kaara, I am glad that things are working out good for you.
I started the new medication Exemestane which is the generic for Aromasin on Jan. 17th. After taking it 14 days the joint and muscle pain has again got bad. I had been taking it in the morning and taking 2 aleve also. I get through the day pretty good. By around 6 or 7 in the evening the pain is the worst and I have a burning pain in my right shoulder blade area that is almost intolerable. I spoke with my ONC nurse yesterday. The Dr. wants me to take the med at night and see if that makes a difference. Will start night dose tonight, and then am to call the nurse in a couple days and let her know how I am doing. The first med when I took it at night kept me awake . We shall see. I am not depressed like I was on the first medication.
Drought is still in full force here in West Texas. Fire season is upon us. Have been having nothing but vehicle problems, about ready to bite the bullet and buy a new one.
Anyway hope all are well.
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mommarch: So sorry you are having trouble with you new med. Maybe starting with a lower dose..cutting the pill in half would help. I've heard some on the site say it worked for them and then they were able to move up to the full dose once their body adjusted. I would think half a pill might be better than none. I'm going to be looking into the hormones as well but sure don't want the SE's that go with it. I've been dragging my feet, but need to get on it soon. Hopefully you will find relief for that drought soon...I have relatives in Dallas/Denton and they finally got some rain I think.
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Marcha....hopefully you will have lesser side effects as time goes on? I know when I took Tamoxifen, it wasn't very bad....Mostly I think because you still produce estrogen, just that the estrogen is blocked by the Tamoxifen from feeding any stray cancer cells.
And since you still produce estrogen, even when we are older, from your breasts, liver, and adrenal glands, that helps us with our bone health...
My side effects weren't all that bad...just sleep issues, leg cramps and warm waves, but it really felt doable...until I lost my hearing, then I wasn't going to take any more. I WISH I COULD TAKE ONE OF THOSE MEDS, but I'm just too afraid now.
About that new vaccine they are developing.... It's just my opinion, but I would imagine that a LOT of tests would be conducted, including women of ALL ages.... It just makes sense that the younger women would be the first to be able to get this vaccine! And they should be.
There are so many questions to ask...like since we are done with active treatment, other than the Als, would those women react the same as the older women? And what about the HR & PR positive, or the other types? And what effect would chemo have on the "cell" research? How long does that stay in the system?
I'll bet this new research somehow was developed through the stem-cell research that has been going on!
We ALL want to be as healthy as we can, and we will do almost anything credible to get there..
Maybe all of our prayers are helping? I know they will come up with something...hopefully within my life-time, but this new research will help our kids and our Grand-kids!
Jackie....I can't download those books, because I have a Nook, not a Kindle....I tried to get them through B&N, but they aren't offered.....I'll see what I can do....thanks!
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And HAPPY BIRTHDAY Barbie! The big day is tomorrow...We'll be thinking about you....Just relax, and let everyone take care of you... Let us know how the surgery went whenever you can....
No wait! Take a lap-top to the Hospital, and send us notes & tell us what they are doing!
We'll let you know if we think it is alright...Ha! Take good care kiddo! xoxo0 -
Mommarch, I take exemestane also. I take it after dinner. Be sure you have a good meal before you take it. I took it with just a light snack one night and awoke with terrible chest and shoulder pains. I do awake some night with various aches and pains but it is not too bad during the day. Age and weather play a big part too. Good luck.
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Desny, the only caution from my plastic surgeon was to avoid the butterfly exercise in the gym. That's the exercise where you press your arms together again resistance. He said he had some patients who were real gym rats who came in with their implants under their arms. No doubt he was exaggerating. At any rate, I took him seriously and have not done that exercise since my reconstruction.
I started playing golf again as soon as I was recovered. At first it felt a little strange because my "new" boobs were slightly larger, a small B rather than small A. But the golf swing didn't hurt and it hasn't affected the placement of my implants. Unfortunately, my golf game has gone downhill, but I'm hanging in there. I would urge you to give golf a try. Maybe go out on the range and hit some balls. You could start out just playing 9 holes or fewer than 9.
About a week after my surgery, I started walking out on the street. First just a block. As I felt sronger, I walked farther. I think it's very important to keep moving and exercising.
Sometime I worry a little that I tolerate the arimidex so well. My BC dr. tells me that some of her patients suffer so much pain that they have to stop taking the med. Before I was dx'ed with bc, I took glucosamine/chondroitin daily and also fish oil. I walked 3 mi. about 4 days a week and played golf. Maybe being physically active helped with my recovery and helped me tolerate arimidex. However, I do not feel as good as I did during those years when I took HRT. I would probably still be on HRT if I hadn't been dx'ed with bc. I felt much younger than my age.
Isn't this a weird January? Our temp. was back up into the 70's today.
I appreciate the concern for my DH. He went to his PCP yesterday and got an antibiotic for his sinus infection. I will be VERY happy for him to feel good again, for him and for me! He is not a happy patient.
Hugs to everyone.
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Marcha.....I sure hope your Oncologist is right and that maybe something like just switching the time you take your Al will make a difference. I guess it is possible to be somewhat sensitive to all of them so I do hope some minor change will make the difference.
Hope too you are able to find another car. I guess they are like everything else now....they just don't last as long as they use too.
I'll see you all in the morning.....I'm out of steam today.
Hugs, Jackie
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Jackie: Love your quotes today! I have always found that when I remain positive, good things happen. My DS always corrects me when I express worry about something..."put a positive spin on it Mom" he always says.
Had a wonderful dinner with my DGD who is leaving for Hawaii. She is going to be gone for five months, learning how to work an organic farm. Can't wait for her to return and show us how it's done! Both my DD and DS have large pieces of land suitable for farming, so it's doable for us.
Had a dinner last night with my boyfriend's two DS's and DIL who I feel like are my kids as well. I always enjoy their company. DIL is from Columbia and is so smart! She is leaving to go down there for three weeks to start some kind of business enterprise.
I'm beginning to feel like I have a normal life again, but I will never forget what a challenging journey I've been on...I learned so much about strength and faith from everyone on this site.
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Life is NOT a dress rehearsal!
Do, or do not. There is no try.- Yoda
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Good sunny morning everyone. I bet their is sunshine in Hawaii.....ah, some place I've always thought I would love, but then I think warm tropical beaches would please almost anyone.....and I sometimes just close my eyes and I'm there.
Normal is good Kaara. That is what we are all looking for....and well, a lot of us call it the new normal.....which to me means that I will be looking over my shoulder a lot, but as time passes the intensity grows less and less. I mean for the most part......we do all we can and then have to begin to just live again. We may have gotten blind-sided the first time around, but yes, with caution you can get to a place where you can go ahead and live fully ( give up those 3 glasses of wine with your dinner every night ) and take part in life without all the menacing shadows that were once there.
Hope you are all going to have another fantastic...nearly Spring-like day. I think some not so nice ( heavy rain ) weather may be coming, but I'm going to take full advantage of another 60 degree day.
Hugs, Jackie
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Jackie...yes....I should have qualified...the "new normal". My life now consists of a strict diet, supplements, exercise, almost no alcohol, lots of rest, and constant monitoring, which means I will have to do more mammograms and thermography than ever before to stay on top of this disease.
As long as I feel good and have energy to do the things I want, I really don't mind the changes that I've had to make. It helps that my boyfriend is making them as well to help his MS. By doing it together, it is doable for both of us.
Next step is to decide on which hormone I will take...tamoxifen or Al. I have several app'ts set up with MO's to go over that, and then more research before I decide.
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I think we will drive ourselves crazy trying to get the better of this disease. I started reading as many of the forums as I could trying to figure out what med, what supplements, what cookware, cosmetics etc. that I should be taking. No one knows for sure and as a very wise poster has said "it's a crap shoot" If we knew what to do it would be a cure. So with that in mind I will do some sensible things, eat better, take afew supplements for these thinning bones, exercise more and just get on with life. I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by it all and think I just need to dial it back. Hope everyone has a great day.
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I know Ptdreamers! It just IS a crap-shoot! I'm out 2 years, and in my case, I am still not battling a disease..... I had it once...but I did everything I thought possible, and now I'm on my own.
Tomorrow is another day....I'll take care of something when the time comes. It's just interesting to see how others are dealing with the possibility of having cancer come back again.
Other women ARE dealing with either the disease OR the lousy side-effects from their treatments! Those are the gals who need our respect and compassion, and don't need to hear from me, or what I think.... I just admire them....and learn a lot by just "listening."
We are in for a "huge storm" they say.... Maybe 10 to 12 inches of snow tonight on into tomorrow night. Rain first, which makes for some icy highways!
Take care gals, or should I say "I'll take care!"
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I agree dreamer, You know I like wine, and I have not had a drink since last June. I think it is about time I had a nice glass of burgandy. It is a crap shoot. I am about ready to give up on these AL med's. At this point I think I would rather have quality then quanity. They did not even let me get over the side effects of chemo before I started the Al.
Just venting
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I know Mommarch.... You are more than welcome to just come here and vent! We all understand! Just hang in there kiddo....
I'll have a white zin....just sayin'.....
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I have the most awesome testimony to share with all of you. My boyfriend's DS was diagnosed about six months ago with small cell lung cancer, stage IV. She was told that her condition was terminal and to get her life in order. She had about five chemo treatments, vowing every time that she would never have another one.
She went for her scans to see how she was doing, and today the doctor told her that the cancer was completely gone from her body. He said he has never seen this happen with this kind of cancer. Needless to say, she is overwhelmed with joy. Apparently she was given some kind of new chemo that they have for this type of cancer and for her it has worked. Even the doctor is calling it a miracle, and is going to do further testing on her biopsys to see exactly the makeup of the cancer.
Anyway, just wanted to share this with everyone, because even when you think there is no hope...there is. There were a lot of people praying for her and that, along with the chemo, (which frankly I didn't put a lot of stock in) put her in remission. Now we will pray that she remains there.
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Kaara, My Brother in law had stage 1V lung cancer, which means it had metastasised to his liver, etc. It wasn't small-cell...it was just "lung cancer".... It really is a miracle if she had stage 1V and is completely cured!
For "small-cell", yes, chemo is the standard treatment... but that's if it is not stage 1V.... Stage 1V is diagnosed with any type of cancer when it is discovered... And that usually means mets.
The women on this forum who are stage 1V are fighting breast cancer with mets all of their lives... There are lots of threads on here for just that..... And they will take any med, any chemo, any trial drug, just to get them through the tough part.....
My Niece, who was only 33, started out with breast-cancer, with mets, and fought this for 12 years. Finally with mets to her brain, she kept falling.... but she fought this long enough to see her Son into his teen years..... before she passed away.
Anyone with stage 1V is a tribute to conventional medicine....and how it can prolong life for many years!
We can all thank God, and the medical profession for helping us get to where we are today.....
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Hi, Carole - thank you for the reply. I plan on giving golf another go. We are going to be traveling in the next week - New Orleans next week and later in the month to Disney but when I get back I am going to hit some balls. I really think I have been so afraid that I am holding myself back. Kind of funny, I am so protective of my new breast. I think that the 18 months without one really effected me.
My husband has been weening himself off his heart rythem medication and it is such a slow go. He has spoken to his dr twice now and has had to half the am and pm pill but if he trys to go without - well the palpatations are right back. I think it will take more time.
Again, glad your DH is doing better and thank you for your encouragement.
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Desny: I understand your DH's problem. My naturopath wanted me off mine, and every time I try to cut back, the heart palpitations start up again. The cardiologist said to keep taking them if they work.
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ptdreamers, mommarch, and Chevy ---well said. Yes, it is a crap shoot, and I entirely agree with that. I think I did mention at one point there are those who do everything right -- twice mind you and they still end up with cancer......then you have the opposite side of the scale and they don't get cancer or many other things either.
I applaud your decision Marcha to have some wine. I do as well ( not very often ) with a lady friend about once a month. Not to be morbid for I know we are all very much alive at this point and fully intend to stay that way but I always get such a kick out of that joke about the health food addicts, in nursing homes, dying of nothing.
That being said --- I do feel that you can probably over-do trying to stay well....no two of us ever react the same....though we may do the same therapies etc. Our bodies are just different.....so a great good many of us will not have negative responses to food. Of course you want to be aware.....and I always re-read labels every time I shop.....because they change things on you when your not looking. I do think we should try to "eat well" most of the time, but I'm not above a great dessert, some smooth ice cream, nor a good Margarita. I just don't do it too often...
Kaara, there is a lot of hope to be had. I'm glad the chemo worked. I have so much admiration for Stage IV people. They fight hard to live.....and it is a fight. I so long for the day when there need be no more cancer blogs....
Hope you all have a wonderful night....time for me to find some pj's and settle in for the night.
Hugs, Jackie
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Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.
Helen Keller0
