MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Good for you!! I policed Toronto for 8 1/2 years as an auxiliary and often thought about dispatch but it was so hard to get into. How did you get into it at your age? Experience? I'm finding it harder to get jobs as I get older....
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Eph, they look/sound fun. Haha, the Beethovens even had shred their bows by the end. Should be a good time!
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For ongoing parathyroid investigation, I had to have a DEXA scan. Unlike the regular lumbar and hip scans, I also got my forearm done. My lumbar and hip where about the same as 2 years ago (osteopenia, whatever) but that forearm was a -3.0 and that is showing osteoporosis. So, long story short, my bones ARE suffering from my too-high PTH. Endocrinologist had said, "surgery sooner than later" so next a surgical consult, then plan a surgery for sometime this year. I hate surgeries, but I love getting the bad/malfunctioning stuff taken out. I love getting it taken out in a year when I've already met my deductible and out-of-pocket.
I have a whole rant about having to discover this hyperparathyroidism myself, when my MO and PCP looked at the same blood tests and didn't bat an eye, but I'll spare everyone that. If only I could pay myself.
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Elimar, Can you tell me how you found the issue with your parathyroid? I remember reading something about you having high calcium levels. My Calcium level is 10.7 which is high for my age (43). My MO's nurse said she wasn't concerned because my albumin levels were good (not sure what that means!). All other labs are perfect. Thanks.
**Edited to add: I just read that you aren't supposed to take any calcium or Vitamin D before the test. I took my Calcium supplement and had milk before my appointment. Could that have messed with the results?
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Mommato3, I get reports of all my blood work. I had calcium levels in the low 10's for about 3 years, and it made me suspicious enough (like you just get suspicious of everything after cancer, right?) to ask for a PTH test. That first PTH was in the "normal" range---but, in truth, I should not have had even that much PTH given the amt. of calcium in my blood. A few mos. later, at endocrinologist, I again had 10.3 calcium and that time was 30 pts. above normal range on my PTH. Hello!
Since you do not have metastatic disease and since your do not have kidney failure (you are not on dialysis, are you?) I would be suspicious enough of your serum calcium number to ask for a PTH (parathyroid hormone blood draw) test. If your MO will not do the test, go to your PCP. It is prudent to have both the calcium and PTH checked on the same date for the best reference, so that would give you the opportunity to have the calcium redone without any supplementing beforehand. I guess supplements could skew the results, but I am thinking that it is a proper functioning parathyroid gland's job to keep your calcium level within a small range regardless of taking a daily supplement.
As always, I have no medical degree or even medical background, so search out some stuff on hyperparathyroidism and if it raises some flags for you, well then, you certainly will have some talking points with your doc. Please do report back. I would be interested to learn what your PTH number is.
As I pointed out before, there is some kind of link between hyperparathyroidism and breast, colon and prostate cancer...so nobody is going off on an unrelated tangent here. It does not hurt us BC women/men to have some "awareness" of it.
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I have just got to wonder if this thread has gone to hell in a handbasket, when we cannot even get a Newbie named funthing42 to stick around? Too bad. I had thought that with that screen name, it would be a perfect fit.
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Nope - the handbasket is still here, the bike's just going slower. I read every day, just don't post often.
Elimar - calcium issue - I have tipped over into the osteoporosis side of the DEXA scale since chemo. Both my MO and my GYN still want me to be taking large doses of calcium - 1480 mg per day w/the appropriate amount of D-3. I remember the calcium in my blood work usually hanging around 10, but I don't remember having a PTH test. Sounds like I should ask for that with the next blood draw?
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MinusTwo, Don't worry, my latest findings are NOT really a call to action for all Middies to start getting the PTH test.
Supposedly, a serum calcium <10.1 is fine in anybody's book. I say that because I have had reports come from different labs where the upper limit was listed as 10.5, or 10.3, or 10.1. They may be testing a bit differently but still no consensus to be found. I read something that said if you are over age 50, you should not be in the 10's at all, and that the calcium range was based on all ages so it was too broad. When I asked my endocrinologist about that, he poo-pooed the age-adjustment entirely. So, let's just say there seems to be some contention about what that upper limit should be exactly. My response to you was based on being conservative and going with the 10.1 cutoff. Additionally, having one blood draw above that is no big deal. Could be just a random anomaly...but, having two or three above that limit could be an early warning of parathyroid trouble and at that point what's the harm to request a blood draw to check the PTH?
Also, MinusTwo and Mommato3, do not forget that (courtesy of my cancer CTs) I did know that I had some unidentified nodules in my thyroid area, so that was also in my mind as I pursued my own high serum calcium situation. It was a second clue.
The two big hallmarks of a parathyroid gone mad are kidney stones or fall-down-and-break-a-hip osteoporosis. I am considered "asymptomatic" or having the vaguer symptoms on the big long list (and that list can be Googled for any of you not fully booked up with cancer reading or for hypochondriacs...you know who you are.*)
[*Oh, and before anyone becomes disgruntled by thinking I'm calling someone a hypochondriac, let me just preemptively say you're wrong! I was actually referencing my one son who will read symptoms of ailments and Dx himself on the spot. He's seen one too many House M.D. episodes. I, on the other hand, have seen just the right amount of episodes (especially since now they are sometimes on t.v. at 3:00 a.m.!!!!!)]
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elimar! You can call me a hypochondiac any time you want, as long as you CALL ME!!! I used to love HouseMD. I only got it right twice. Yeah, there was even a blog this doc wrote, I think it was called "Respectful Insolence", where a bunch of pre- meds, docs, nurses and other hypochondiacs discussed each episode like right after viewing it! It was really fun....
Did I ever tell you about the time I diagnosed myself with rabies?
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Thanks for the info elimar. I don't have kidney disease and hopefully not metastatic. This is the first time my calcium level has been high. Like MinusTwo, I also take extra calcium supplements to help keep my bones strong after my ooph last September at 43. I read through the side effects. Unfortunately a lot of them seem to be the same as being thrown into menopause and taking Arimidex. My initial concern was cancer related. I swear this crap never ends
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RIP....
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unbelievable the amount of artists so far this year!
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Yea, and I am really afraid that Patti Smith will be next....
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Have you read the latest milestone...ninety three genes...predominantly 10 of those...12 types of mutation...new targeted therapies a decade away.
Breast cancer: Scientists hail 'milestone' genetic find
Will our children have better odds? Will our grandchildren? We can only hope.
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Thanks Eli. BBC always had good coverage. Love the new header. I like to think of woman capturing or taming the storm.
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Don't know if I have a decade to wait.....
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Yes, Barbe, those kind of headlines catch our BC-sensitive eyes but then it all seems to be on a timetable that is not quick enough for those of us highly interested in it RIGHT NOW. BTW, it looks like you must have just recently finished your radiation. Don't think you mentioned if it was 3 week or six weeks long, but how did it go? How did your skin hold up?
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I am on my second anti-biotic cream since last Tuesday when I finished. I have raw, bleeding and pus-y areas and have to see the RO in a month (saw him today). He's concerned about my surgical site from January as it has pus. Normally you get 5-6,000 grays and I got 9,500 with a bolus, so I'm pretty bad. Crusty chest. Not a happy camper.
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Barbe, That sounds nasty and painful. I guess anyone would have major skin breakdown getting that much extra radiation. Why the extra amt.? How are your tumor markers doing?
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I don't get tumour markers. The amount was for two different areas front and back. Some areas overlapped...and the bolus made it so much worse in the front. I even have burns up my neck. It's been interesting at work lately....
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{{{{{barbe}}}}}
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Does anyone know what happened to the info we used to have re: our diagnoses, etc. It doesnt appear that the narrative transferred over, or has that been gone for a long time and I just didn't notice? Never mind I found it.
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Hello, Mothers and Sisters! Try not to let BC take all the niceness away. Happy Mothers Day, to all Moms and anyone who has/had one.
(I just used this pic because this past week I got a new deck.)0 -
Back atcha E!
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Will the last one out please turn off the light.
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Oh oh, we've been neglecting this thread. And it's been such a mainstay. I hope I'm not the only one to jump back in. Elimar - truly not disappearing. Just getting caught up in the day to day stuff.
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....and I have been swinging a hammer! So there! But I am always keeping an eye out for you, el. AND your header. That hammer happens to be pink, but it's handmade, and was a gift from the man who's concubine I am.
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Oh yes, I am well familiar with that etiquette of gifting. Pink hammers go to the concubines. Lavender pliers go to the jezebels, magenta wood rasps go to the floozies, and teal Allen wrenches go to the harlots. That's from the Homo Habilis Guide, the "Tool Gifting to Females Going by Funny, Antiquated Terms," isn't it?
I am thoroughly messing with you, Tomboy.
Just know that I'm both happy & forlorn when I look in and see that everyone's off doing better, non-BC stuff now. Me too.
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I'm still here...all alone...was sitting in the dark till you guys came back...
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