Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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*laughing here* it took me since 7am on my day off but I do now have a picture posted......for what ever its worth .....still laughing. At least I dont have time to write my usual long post now cause I *frittered* away my morning.....
What I see here....on this forum is an incredible group of women, who are strong, and tough and who are going to weather any and all storms that are thrown at us, because of our life experiences. We are strong and wise enough to help each other and some of the younger women if they need or ask. I read each and every post and find that though all of our concerns and fears are different, they are really all the same. We will support each other....respect decisions and freely give of our own life experiences to help each other....we rock ladies !!!!!
Now I really gotta go and be productive......if going to Target is productive
love to all
jan
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Rebecca,
Yes I was diagnosed at 49 with Stage1 almost 2 breast cancer. They did the senital node biopsy and took 3 and saw they were clear. They felt that the cancer had not spread past the senital nodes. 5 years later however it seems it has. I thought my gall bladder was acting up and was certainly taken off guard when I was told I had severe liver cancer. Both lobes had large tumors and too many to count throughout. And then I found out it was also in my bone. Currently there are no signs of the cancer in my bone at this time praise God and the liver areas have shrunk some. Still going after that! Anyhow, this is a journey none of us want to take and it totally stinks. Thoughts to all of you and have a supervilous day! ??
Debbie
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Jan you go girl. Thanks for the uplifting message! Wish I were at Target with you! But I will be tootling to Kansas City for my good ole chemo. Hey....that's okay... at least we have a chance to fight this silly disease.
Debbie
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Mikita and whoever else is interested. I was taking progesterone because I had high estrogen and still wasn't in menopause. I was going to have a hysterectomy because of fibroids and just being fed up. My gyn noticed a slight bulge on my breast. He was super careful and sent me the next day for mammo and ultra (2 months before I was 'due') Then I went for MRI on both breasts. I now know they were suspecting lobular.
I had a SNB and lumpectomy one month later. The margins were not clear and I had one positive node so I had the option of mastectomy or another lumpectomy. After 2nd opinions by 2 surgeons, my gyn and a medical oncologsit and plas surgeon. I went with the mastectomy with no reconstruction.( for a lot of reasons but mostly because I wanted to get going with treatment)
The mastectomy proved to be the right choice. Margins were right up against the chest wall. So I did 3 rounds of AC . I couldn't do the 4th ...immune system was shot and I was hospitalized 3 times with lots of infections. ( I had a great infectious disease doc too). I have some bone marrow issues too. So I took a few weeks off and started Tax and Herceptin. I gave myself neuprogen shots for 4 days after each Tax and managed to keep my white count up.
After that I had 6 weeks of radiation and continued the Heceptin for 1 year. I was on a leave of absence from work for 5 months and went back to work at the end of Tax. I was able to work through radiation.
I was demoted when I returned to work...probably a good thing because it really changed my priorities. I have since been reinstated since my replacement screwed everything up.LOL. Now I leave my job at the office .( I used to work at home to get 'everything done') I guess the work thing hurt my feelings because I thought I'd forgotten about it. The only good thing was that they couldn't lower my salary...I saw a lawyer. My boss thought she'd get rid of me this way but I needed my medical insurance.
Herceptin was approved one month before I began this journey. It has made the difference I believe.
Aromasin makes me feel like I"m 80 some days.
I suggest physical therapy for all of you . I've had two falls and knee surgery and found that having therapy has given me back balance and strength. But I"m still here and I"m looking for the crocus. It will 4 years soon and life is different but it's still fun.
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Jan, is today the one where we are supposed to be productive? eeek, if that is the case, unless making appointment for MUGA, Mammo, and surgical follow up count as productive. Oh, almost forgot, got insurance referral foul up fixed also. Whew, can I add cauliflower ear to my "ailments"... lol.
I will gloat a bit: 62 degrees, bit breezy, sunny and I have the patio door open -- air out this stale apartment. May all of you have a fantabulous week end. Hugs, nancy
PS, I am off to bingo tonight. Gonna win that jackpot cuz " mamma needs a new pair of shoes " !!!
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Surprise...I can't believe I got one of my impatiens from last summer up. I like them because they are impatient. I'm not sure how I did it but it worked. I'll have to get a cooler picture but hey it's a start.
Maire.
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Oh gosh, I hear ya Maire. Some days I feel older than my Mom and she has serious health issues. I don't know how much longer I can stand taking Arimidex........and then I'm scared not to take it.
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Hi Northstar:
I hope they open the forum
as we all want to participate
Best....
Sierra
)another question for the gals here
Did any take HRT
or the birth control pill??
you can PM.. if desired
re: doing chemo again
can not answer until/if recur
tks
Sierra
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I did take the b.c. pill but did not take hrt. Chemo again? I don't know. I pray I don't have to know.
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I did take hrt, Estratest HS and natural progesterone. Neither of these was implicated in the Women's Health Initiative study, which my gynecologist felt was a very flawed study. She feels that hrt doesn't CAUSE breast cancer, but if the cancer is ER/PR +, then it can certainly FUEL it for years before it's noticed.
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I took HRTs from 1992 to 2002..I stopped when the HRT cancer scare came out in 2002...I think it was cancer or maybe it was heart..heck I don't remember. I just know I stopped. Should never have started in the first place. Took HRTs because I was sexually active with someone I later divorced.
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Hi Gals.....Jan (Samedaynurse) sent me over to this thread and I knew I'd found a place to "park" when I saw your comments on belly fat! LOL Do you have room for another grandma here? I'm 61, soon to be 62.
I was diagnosed in Nov. 2006 with IDC. I had an excisional biopsy which came back with unclear margins and then had a lumpectomy to obtain the clear margins. Those two surgeries sure messed up the holidays that year. I began 6 CMF chemo treatments in Jan. 2007 and had 6 weeks of rads to the surgical area. I have been taking Arimidex for a year and a half now. Hopefully it is working for me as I am not ER + but am PR+. My onc thinks it's worth the chance so I plug along. At first I had the aching feet and joints, especially the knee. Now I have occasional knee problems but I'm doing better with the rest. The joints in my hands have swollen so that I can not wear my usual rings. My primary care physician says it's Arimidex Induced Arthritis. They don't hurt so I guess I'm not going to worry about it yet.
I will reread all the posts to see what I've missed when I get a little more time. This thread is wonderful!
Rita
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Welcome Rita and to all that I forgot to say hello to....hard to keep up, the board seems to be moving pretty fast.
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*bigsmile* welcome Rita !!!! I knew you would like it here......what's not to like ? We all have ~issues~
I took Prempro.....cause EVERYONE took it.....from about.....1999 to 2001 really not all that long and then all the heart issues came to the forefront and all the docs who said we needed it said nooooooooooooope dont need it anymore.....I would hate to think that a couple of years is what fed my tumor but we all know the world of modern science is a complete mystery.
This is a VERY fast moving board, keeps us all on our toes ! The best bargain I found at Target today was Wolverine sheets for my just turned 3 years old little Superhero freak.....
*giving Nancy THE look* ....as we speak the snowflakes are flying here and its about 21 degrees.....
jan
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Hi, everyone--I finally think I got this picture thing to work (my husband says the other pic was too big--good thing I have in-house IT help). I'm testing to see if my Maine Coon cat's kitten picture comes up. We got him a week before my bilateral mastectomy surgery in Sept. and he was such a wonderful help--lying on my bed and being the sweetest little thing. I will never forget how much he helped me recover, just like all my people did.
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Sierra: yes, I took birth control pills for 5 yrs because they told me it would help not to get ovarian cancer. duh!!
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Ok, if I started menopause 6 yrs ago, my ovaries arent' producing estrogen, right? So, if my cancer was er+,where'd the estrogen come from to fuel the breast cancer?
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Sigh, from fat for starters.
Whoopsi, not to say you are fat!!! Just that it's stored in fat.
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Wow it took me forever to get a post in - I had to read all these first!!
My story: I am 62, dx in August, during a hospital stay where I had a total hysterectomy (a mass was there but not cancerous) and gallbladder removed (stones full) and a bowel obstruction straightened out (NO cutting) and had pancreatitis....Then the Doctor (who found a lump in my breast we thought was scar tissue from the breast lift 2 years ago) said- You have breast cancer. Anything else I asked, No that's all - was the answer. The doctor is one who has treated me for years, and I knew him well.
Needless to say, I recovered from all that surgery, was put on Arimedex thru my sons wedding which was a month away. Then started chemo.I had 4 A/C then 12 Taxol ( I just completed number 10. Then I will have a Bilat Mast. I don't want to have to worry about the other breast, and I want my breasts to be even. I named the girls "Rise and Shine" after the lift, and these will be named the "Pointer Sisters!" LOL
Would I have chemo again? YES. I had no SE's other then losing the hair on my head (I never lost my lashes or brows or other hair) And, I have gone to the med onc for many years,(I had something else that only he could monitor) and I trust them. If he says I need it, I would listen to him.
Does it bother me to have my picture on the internet? NO. It is not a porno site. My picture is on my website, and it's never been a problem. Cancer bothers me, not my picture on a website. Besides how can we see who we're talking to if we have no picture? On this site, I had my picture for a while, but I chaged it to SuperSquirrel because I think he represents me better. If you like I'll put it back for a while.
What I've learned.
1) Listen to the doctor who is in htat specialty. The PS for wound care and issues of surgical import. Do not listen to heim on issues of gen onc, or on radiation, they do not count as a second opinion..
2) The rad onc for issues dealing with radiation. She's studied it, knows it. And I'vd found that a woman cares about the cosmetic outcome as well, and will take that into account..
3).The med onc for issues dealing with the cancer itself.
4) Speak up. It's your body and your SE's and it deserves to be treated with respect and kindness.
I think of myself as a Conqueror not a Survivor.
The Jabberwocky poem is on my desk and I, like the beamish boy will have its head..on a platter!.
Sorry for the long post. This is a great forum, we sisters here for each other. I don't often post, but I love reading the posts. Great info here, and a great group of women that I am so glad I found! JUDY0 -
ER+ cancer means it is Receptive to estrogen, not that estrogen is feeding it now.
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So glad I found this....just added it to my favorite topics! I didn't even know you could do that~LOL~that's how computer savvy I am at 61 years old!
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I thought the adrenals were continuing to provide estrogen, but I didn't say because I wasn't sure...so does anyone know how much they produce compared to the ovaries? But ER+ does mean that it WAS fed by estrogen, or does it mean that it IS fed by estrogen or both? Does starving it of estrogen make it go away, or does starving it of estrogen make it less "happy'?
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I changed my picture. On the other hand, I would not put my birth date on here, it is used for verification in too many places. JUDY
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Hey guys,
I was dx at 56, am now 58 so guess I qualify. Although I think anyone who wants to join should be able. Reading all these post for us "older" girls is so helpful; but I also read a lot of the other forums and find them helpful too. But anyway I'm sure you all realize that you HAVE set up a forum for older folks. We have more topics and "hits" than a lot of the established forums. And if the mods don't want to set up a separate one...we can can continue here. Thanks to all of you keeping this thread alive. I guess I must be computer savy... I figured out how to put a pic on right away... the rest of the stuff? I'm still learning. Thanks for sharing-- it really helps. Phyllis
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Jo,
Your picture is there!... and what a great shot..and
a great smile. Me... I still think the Hawaiian sunset looks better than me! We'll figure all this computer stuff out... sooner or later. Take care. Phyllis (woops...I figured out the smilies )0 -
Northstar what a beautiful kittie you have - what's his name? We have two cats in our house - Skippy is 14 years old and slowing down - Bucky is just 2 years old. He acts more like a dog than a cat - follows me EVERYWHERE!
Hi again JO - you really do NOT have to worry about having your photo online here at bc.org............as I said before, only registered users can see your avatar. Any guests who pop in won't see it. So I hope you can upload a photo. By the way - Google your own name and see if anything shows up. I google information about MRSA and breast cancer all the time - and what do you think shows up but my own posts that I've made here at bc.org!
So now I tell myself to be careful about what I write here - the safest philosophy is - don't say anything you wouldn't want to say to someone's face or to hear repeated behind your back. Hi Judy - and welcome! You seem to really have a good handle on your treatment and doctors, which is fantastic. I must say I was SHOCKED when my ob/gyn first told me that it was an over-abundance of estrogen that was fueling the thickening of my endometrial lining (this was a year before I was dx'd with bc.) I was post-menopausal since the age of 48.......so I asked her in all innocence, "where's the estrogen coming from?" and she said, "body fat." I nearly fell off my chair! I had always prided myself on my knowledge of women's reproduction (remember that old book, "Our Bodies, Our Selves").........so I couldn't believe that I never knew this fact. All these years going to doctors including the ob/gyn and NOT ONE OF THEM ever told me there was a relationship between body fat and estrogen! Not that I'm obese - I was actually very much in shape my whole life until menopause struck (at the same time I started sitting more in front of a computer)..........but I felt very ANGRY that my doctors never once advised me to lose weight in order to lower my bc risk. But now I realize - that's only one part of the story. Just like now they're saying that any alcohol consumption increases your risk for bc.........I DON"T DRINK.......yet I got bc. I did drink and party many years ago before I was married and before I had children in my 20's. I have to wonder if THAT didn't put me at an increase risk.........the way they say taking birth control pills before you have your first child is more damaging than AFTER you have a child since your breasts are more "unformed". I believe that researchers will find out this is true.........just the way they have discovered that exposure to DDT before you have breasts can increase your risk of bc.
A secret about me..........I've been in love with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues since I was 17 years old!
Check out this old music video of "I Know You're Out There Somewhere"...........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSyRFLlYnWI&feature=PlayList&p=FD943F0F7CBA4DBA&playnext=1&index=19
Anyone else want to share their favorite musicians/heart-throbs?
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Northstar - what a sweet baby furface!!
Jo- you are gorgeous! What beautiful hair!
I hope we become a forum, too. We have a great group here.
Just think, if we put our life time experiences together, it would probably go back to prehistoric times!
Now that I've thought about what I just wrote, I wonder where the h*ll the thought came from?! Must be this nonstop rain! Or the kindergartener who told me I smelled like fish slobber today! We finally decided that it was my new silk knit sweater!!
However, I couldn't stop sniffing "down there", just in case!!
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Wow JO - great photo! I took soooo long writing my post and finding Justin Hayward's picture that you beat me to the punch! Lol! And Judy I love your new picture too! Phyllis - it's nice to meet you too!
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Hey, swimangel and mzmiller (and anyone else....),
My little love-cat is called "Pippin," since we read our boys The Hobbit when they were little. He is also like a little dog--watches us, follows us, sleeps on our bed, and even plays peek-a-boo and go fetch. When our 19-year-old cat had to be put to sleep last year (whole nother sad story), I thought maybe I wanted a dog, but my husband wisely noted that dogs have to be walked in all kinds of weather a couple of times a day. So, we have a dog-cat! I have heard that stroking an animal increases the serotonin in your brain. I must have a lot, then.
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Pippin is the PERFECT name! Yes, "a dog-cat" that's our Bucky too! Lol! Oh and Susan - I HATE that smell from silk sweaters..........especially those dyed black. I had to wash and wash a brand new sweater to get rid of the smell.........and it only went away when all the dye was nearly gone! Lol!
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