Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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JO-what a great smile! and hair! swimangel nice to meet you too. Hard to keep track of everyone here.
but hello everyone!! JUDY 0 -
Hey, never knew about the fat! Maybe that's why..I had a gastric bypass 10 years ago and lost 100 lbs! Must have increased my risk quite a bit. But I do have it in family-- mother, both maternal aunts, father with esophagel cancer, I was doomed from the start...
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oooooooooooooooo JO.....your picture is wonderful just like you ! I knew you could do it.....you look exactly as I expected....*bigsmile* backatcha.....
I wish I could be the voice of knowledge about all the estrogen answers here but like all of us Im still learning. I am planning on going to an Education and Enrichment Class on hormone therapy which is supposed to answer all the questions about our meds and what they do and also about the NEW MEDS that are on the horizon for us ( I didnt even know there were any.....) soooooooo after I go to this (I will take notes) maybe I will have some good stuff for us......I also just found out about a Mindfulness Clinical Study that I may be eligible for sometime this year I wish some of you lived here so we could go together...Im not sure I want to go back to being a bc something or other but I just read a great Anticancer Lifestyle article in the new AARP (grin) magazine and what does it talk about but Mindfulness and how good it is for us and for our long term survival so if I decide to do it I'll share that information too.
Welcome to any of the ladies from the Illinois board who find their way here....you will love these women , they are awesome !!!!
jan
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I just love this thread-- thank you Northstar! And I love everyone's photos!! You all are a great group of ladies!
This is me after my first post-chemo haircut, taken about two weeks ago. I already need another trim. I may go with a spikier look next time-- what do you all think? Hugs to all!
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Hi everyone here. Same Day Nurse Jan was on the Illinois thread I post on all the time. I am 63 and feel like I could come here often ( probably daily like I do my 'home' thread ) to see what is new. My diagnosis is below in my signature. I had Papillary cancer --- one of the truly lazy cancers --- one almost wonders that it grows at all --- but lo and behold in the same breast not far away was a big bruise and hiding under the bruise during the lumpectomy for the Papillary cancer my surgeon ( a Professor from Southern Illinois University ) found a second much larger cancer, Ductal Carcinoma. What a major surprise but she saved my life. I think some surgeons would have lifted out the bruise and pretty much went on....Dr. Ryan kept checking to assure herself that all was fine. All was obviously not fine. That changed my after treatment to 6 mos. of chemotherapy and 7 weeks of radiation. Can't believe it....my hair came in darker than it was. Oh well.
I'm on Arimides for the next five years and doing well with it. The worst thing I've noticed is a strange pins and needles reaction ( similar to a quick hot flash since the pins and needles doesn't last long ) and I tend to clomp around in the morning when I first get up.....almost like my feet are asleep or something, but that goes way after a short while. Not much of anything else.....a few warm moments now and then but nothing that is truly bothersome....more surprising.
Although I am 63 I don't feel even close to that age.....though during chemo I often felt much, much older. In a strange way.....the older I do get the younger I seem to feel. It is just a number and gets the importance we give it and guess I look at it as mainly positive ( give me my darn discount, please ) and I just refuse to be less than I have to be or want to be just because of a number.
I need to work on some weight issues though I did ( certainly the wrong way ) lose 38 pounds during chemo. Tried to be in charge but it just did not work out well --- often the thought of food was so repulsive that I couldn't get much down. Going to mainly go back to South Beach style eating and hope to start walking a lot again. Not only is it a fantastic exercise but I think there is something that can happen to walkers --- like the runner's high. An energetic feeling that in turn is so serene and making you feel you can handle anything that comes along. I miss my walking. We live out in the country so it is quite easy to take off and do a couple of miles easy.
Hope this thread is able to stay here. I have inserted it in my favorites with that hope. The BC org. was what kept me going through my journey so far and for that reason I would not like for anyone to be denied, but I do think sometimes there might be differences of perspectives for those who have attained a little more numbers than others.
I'm sure I'll b checking back here later.
Jackie
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bluewillow....I think Mason is adorable and I think you look positively great....I sort of like your hair just the way it is but for what you've been through if you want to try an edgier look then I say go for it....as we all know....its JUST hair, it goes and it comes and it comes and it goes
jan
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Wow !!!! I was on PremPro for almost three years and then after total hysterectomy Dr. put me on Premarin. At one point I ask the Dr. if I could get off the hormones ( I had been hearing negative things ) and he poo-pooed the idea. Then I had a stroke......and a few months after I had started recovering well, Dr. asked me ---- as though we had never had the original conversation before....if I was ready to go off hormones. Made me think the test/criteria was.....if nothing bad happens they are OK for YOU. Then later on I get cancer. Of course, I could have gotten either of these problems for other reasons too......even though no family history on the cancer or stroke, but I have to think if nothing else it was a major contributor.
Jackie
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Jo, I agree with you on the photos. One never knows..... although it would be pretty funny to see my face pop up as someone's picture in facebook...on a much younger body
I had some residual neuropathy( pins, needles, numbness) from the taxotere I think.... but it ended after about a year. I'm fine now.
I was one of those patients who never asked to many questions when I was given progesterone. I just wanted relief from "unopposed estrogen" and fibroids and 14 day periods. I got that but then the beast showed up.
Here's a question for some of you 'mature' ladies. How has this affected your memory? Is it chemobrain when it's from AI's? I had a wonderful memory for facts, names etc. It's all gone.
Now I feel that a lot of my long term memories are gone. I really can't remember big events from the past. I used to think it was stress but it's 3 years now???
I'm glad I found this topic. It breaks my heart to read about the young mom's and women on the other sites. I feel silly sometimes complaining, after all my children are all raised. I would like to see grandchildren grow up but how do these amazing young mother's stand it? They are so brave.
Maire
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I agree, Maire, about the younger ones. I find my memory is not the same. Some words are lost back in their somewhere. Lady who sits next to me at bingo --over 2 years - I could NOT remember her name. I started thru the alphabet, A - alice, anita,ann, agatha, B - barb, betty, C - carol, connie. Could NOT remember. Her name is Vickie !!
I play bridge at least once a week, sometimes 3 times. It is a concentrated effort - very little talking and I do pretty good at it. But NO master points games or "hold a grudge" allowed. We play for fun and when the game is over, it is over. So far no one had rolled their eyes when they get me as a partner !!!
If someone likes my picture and puts it out there, I say go for it. They say your mail carrier knows more about you than you do. I do not look much like my avatar, which I just figured out how to post. I have hair now !!!
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I didn't have chemo either but I blame my memory lapses more on getting older than anything else.
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Hi Ladies:
what a beautiful group of sisters here?
Northstar: Are you in Maine? by the way
one of my favorite states... just love it
have not been for a while though
so, a few of us on the HRt. odd thing is I stopped it
then started up with it again, but my breasts
were always terribly sore, you could not even
touch.. or it hurt..
Well, I am so happy we are all here
and hope to continue on a good path
Have a great week-end all!
I dont have a picture here
but if anyone wants to see me
write me private
))Hugs, Sierra
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Hi, Sierra,
I'm in Massachusetts, but it's close to Maine
. Our Maine Coon cat was born in Massachusetts, too, but he tells me every now and then he'd like to visit Maine just to see what it's like (maybe in spring...). I was supposed to get another fill in my expanders Friday afternoon and forgot all about it. Took a lovely, restful nap instead. I would blame it on chemo-brain, but I didn't get chemo, so I have no excuse. Luckily, they said I could come in Monday.
Moderators, I think we would have even more participants in an "Older" forum if people could find it. Right now they just stumble across it, and we still have a lot of people participating. Can we try a real forum for awhile and see how it goes? We can always eliminate it if there isn't much interest.
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Yes, Northstar........I think you are absolutely right. Please moderators........may we have our own forum? We're oldies but goodies and deserve to be found more easily.
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JO that was an excellent experiement with Google - of course your photo appeared if you were still logged into bc.org. To any casual internet surfers who aren't registered and signed in to bc.org they wouldn't be able to see your photo - not even your Raggedy Ann doll (which is adorable!) Kids today are all OVER the internet - I warn my college-age daughters and the kids in the middle school where I work to be careful what they post (especially under-age drinking photos).........especially on Facebook.........even if they immediately remove them, someone could have copied them and then they no longer belong to them. Still - the internet is morphing as we speak - the way kids' brains are morphing, sometimes in unexpected ways (good and bad).
Moderators - where ARE you?
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It might be interesting to try sorting out the forum by decade, for example, 50 to 59, 60 to 69. 70 and over. People tend to be dealing with somewhat different issues during those periods. Just a thought, and not meaning to exclude anyone--just make it easier to find...
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Hi All
Swimangel mentioned that if you had DDT exposure as a child, you might be more likely to have breast cancer. This is of interest to me because I have bc and my sister died from bc. I am negative for the BRCA gene and outside of my sister and I, no one in the family has or had bc...not mom, grandmom, aunts, cousins, grandmom's identical twin sister. Both my sister and I were exposed to DDT as children. We were actually sprayed with it in fear of polio (remember that disease) because in those days they thought it might come from a mosquito. So if anyone has info about htis, I would be most appreciative you would message me and tell me where I should be reading. Thanks.
Mandy
PS I was actually one of the children in the trials for the Salk Polio Vaccine. I was lucky and got the real vaccine. My friend got the placibo and had to have the 3 shots plus the blood tests. When you are a 7 year old kid, those shots are pretty dramatic. It became available to the public about 2 years after I got it. I remember this because my parents were desperate to get some for my sister.
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"Memory"......iffy now, but I don't know if it was the major thyroid blow-out requiring among other things drinking radiated iodine...3 times, had transitory amnesia during that very long period and then a few years later the stroke which took out a dime-sized portion of my brain stem, and now cancer with all it's chemicals. I try to read ( especially current events ) as much as I can tolerate, work cross-word and find a word puzzles, but in truth I don't know that I ever had a great memory but I do worry sometimes with the Arimidex. If there is no pressure connected I'm ok, but often if asked quick questions I blank out on the answer --- even to the point of not being able to say who is on the phone. I try not to worry too much as it seems pointless.....just try to keep my mind stimulated as much as I can --- typing here and spelling....that has got to be good.
Jackie
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I think the chemo brain is different from normal memory problems. At least mine is. I am convinced that something is true, as opposed to something being forgotten. Like I was CONVINCED it was Sunday night, when it was actually Friday night. And that I had forgotten to call someone with something important, and I CALLED. At 11.15pm at night! But they needed the information for Monday..! Normally, I would just forget to call and that's it. See the difference?
I have a question. I am on Tx 10 of 12 on Taxol, having completed 4 A/C earlier. I am experiencing weakness in my legs. They feel as if they're going to give out on me. I've been experiencing it for two weeks now. Is this another side effect of Taxol? Will it go away after I'm done? Thanks, JUDY.
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Re the memory/chemo brain thing: Do you suppose it's because part of our mind is taken up with the fact that we had/have bc and that, even though we don't think of it every minute, our subconscious does, so we forget stuff that's just happened? I've never had so many arguments with dh as I've had over this past year, about forgetting things
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Peggle - I hope your tests are A-OK. We have enough to worry about without less than normal test results.
Are we worrying about "old-timer's disease"? Boy, I am! I'm forever forgetting friend's names, stuff I should be doing, like paying bills, etc. My daughter says if you can still tell time, it's not Alzheimer's, but I always had trouble telling time, so that doesn't help me. Is there anything more definitive? I hope it's just hormone brain and being 62 , but I do worry!
However, I was only in my thirties when I drove to the market with my four year old, and when we were done, we walked back home, only a block away.
Later that day, I looked out and noticed my car was missing!!! Called the police in a panic and reported it stolen, only to have my daughter point out to me, belatedly, that we had left it in the parking lot of the market! Hmmm, I hope they all had a good chuckle on me when I called to report a NOT stolen car!
That was the same week I put a bunch of spring dresses in the washer to freshen up and after I heard a tremendous clanking coming for the laundry room, realized I hadn't removed the hangers!!
So, maybe, it isn't "old-timer's", it's just me!
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HI Mandy - I sent you a PM - but it's no secret. You can Google "DDT and breast cancer" and find a lot of studies. An article that's easy to read for non-scientists like myself can be found here:
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/30/nation/na-ddt30
Later comments from other researchers dispute these findings.........but I go by my gut instincts as to how I got BC...........and I truly believe it was due to DDT exposure. Doesn't change what happened to me - but it gives me some measure of reassurance that my younger sister and my daughters will be spared since they weren't exposed in the same way. Maybe wishful thinking on my part - but I have always been an optimist.
As for memory problems - I noticed this going through natural menopause at the age of 48.......I need to write notes for myself all the time - they are stuck to my microwave, computer screen, bathroom mirror, and bedroom mirror. I wear an ID photo-badge around my neck at work - oftentimes I'll have a yellow-sticky note pasted to the back of that too! I don't blame it on chemo-brain - but on the fact that I'm always multi-tasking, as women our age are VERY adept at doing out of necessity. So many of us are caregivers - to children - to husbands - to elderly parents.......they call us the "sandwich generation"..........I'm even the caregiver to my daughter's cat - which I didn't appreciate at the time, but now I've come to love Bucky and my daughter is jealous - because when she came home from college after months away, Bucky didn't even recognize her and HISSED at her! Lol!
Hope you all are having a restful Saturday - nothing is as restful as doing laundry......or should I say "boring", lol!
P.S. Edited to add - Susan that was a VERY funny story about the hangers in the washer! I did things like that too in my younger years...........again, we were multi-tasking while focusing our much-needed attention on the care of our young children - so I never apologize for these funny mistakes - they just make me laugh! Life is full of errors - it's how we look at them that makes all the difference. The glass IS half full!
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It's true JO - everyone used DDT back then - but not everyone was a little girl with undeveloped breasts - and not everyone had other things making them more susceptible to getting BC. Most scientists agree that it's not just ONE thing that causes BC.......but many variables. They have even studied identical twins and cancer outcomes.........one twin will get a certain kind of cancer and the other won't..........because no one lives an identical life with identical environmental influences. It IS all fascinating.........I am obsessed with learning about BC for the sake of my daughters. As for me - whatever - what's done is done - and I have to just get through this. Actually I'm more fearful of dying from another MRSA staph infection.........but heck, I could walk outside and get hit by a car too, that's no way to live the remainder of my life so I refuse to do so! Much more fun to laugh - and live - and love - and go to the movies - and eat the popcorn I crave!
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Yum... I think I'll go make some popcorn.
I think my memory gaps are from too much anesthesia. I am lucky and haven't had any problems with it... in fact I kinda like it. BUt I really think it affects my memory. (Can't be "old" age.) I don't post too much, but always check out this thread. If we keep up the posts it will stay visable...at the bottom maybe, but visable. Enjoy your weekend. Jo, Raggedy is fine but you're much better! Hey, Blue Willow you look perfectly fine with your "new" hair. I think you should grow it longer...then spike it! Phyllis
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Hi, all,
I doubt the mods are going to read through our posts, so I'd suggest sending a private message to Melissa and letting her know you'd like a forum of our own. The more the merrier.
Not sure the decades mean much to me -- I'm enjoying the interface of all of them and would hate to feel "assigned" to my own decade. JMHO
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Thanks Binney.
Good idea.
I sent a message to the mods. They did send a reply to this thread on page 2 or 3.
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I sent another PM to Tami Melissa and asked them to check out this thread... and suggested, again, that maybe us " old" folks needed a forum. Said maybe we could be under the young BC forum...andI realize they can't set one up for everybody, but the number of "hits" on this one is high...more than some established threads. Here's hoping we hear something. If not, I just go to the end of all the lists and find US. Phyllis
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I'm 62 and was just diagnosed this past week. Do I count as being "older"
? Here's my breast story:
Last summer, I had my annual mammogram. The report said that there was an increased number of calcifications in the left breast and stereotactic biopsy was recommended. I went for that procedure on July 30, 2008 and it was determined that the calcifications were in the skin tissue, not in the breast tissue. That sounded good to me. No mass was found. No sample was taken but the doctor recommended another mammogram in six months.
Six months is now and on 2/18 I went for the follow-up mammogram. Now there is a mass in the left breast that was not there six months ago. Long story short ... it's "invasive mammary carcinoma with ductal and lobular features". The marker tests were also done. These are the results:
ER: 99%
PR: 53%
KI-67: 90%
Her-2: 1.2 (no overexpression)I'm scheduled for a lumpectomy on March 26. The surgeon says that lumpectomy + radiation is equivalent to mastectomy.
I had been taking hormon replacement therapy (Premarin) for 15 years. I'm quite sure that's what caused it.
To add to all this, I am physically challenged (Cerebral Palsy) since birth. Because of this, the surgeon said that unless my Oncotype DX is very high, he would not recommend chemo for me because of the neurological side effects. He did put me on Arimidex before surgery. He said that he does that sometimes. Today is day 3 of Arimidex. So far, no side effects -- yet.
I'm scheduled for a CT/PET full body scan this Tuesday. Has everyone had this test? Does it ever come back positive?
I'm sure I'll be back with questions but that's all I can think of at the moment. Thanks for listening.
Carol W.
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Hello, Carol - welcome to our world!! Sorry that you had to be here, tho. I'm also 62, although I don't know how I got this old so fast. ??? I'm no help on the ct scan - only MRIs. Your doctor is being thorough and chances are very good that you'll have negative results.
I also had the partial mast with radiation last summer. Doing fine now.
Check back often. We life warriors are hoping to have our own forum.
Susan
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