MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
-
0 -
Loral! If that is true, then you have just added a boatload of WTH? moments to my life!!! No wait, YOU crossed my path just so you could post that and perplex me further, am I right? Mwahahaha! What about when I skidded on some ice and broadsided 3 ladies in a car? I'm pretty sure I met them by accident. A bigger MWAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!! Sorry, this is just me rested up after a holiday weekend. Mwa-ha-ha-HA!
0 -
I'll tell ya what kind of mood I am in now. The kind of mood where I am seriously considering changing my avatar pic into a stick figure.
Why? Because between BC, other C, treatment for both my C's, menopause, AND middle age, I am really beginning to look like that. I have a normal body, with the prerequisite middle-aged belly fat, but my limbs are looking like twigs more and more. I've wasted away. I walk, I have some hand weights, but all that is not having any effect. I don't know if my parathyroid is any part of that or not. (BTW, I will do that surgery in Aug. and rumor has it that immediately following that, my bones will start to build their density back up. Maybe the muscles will bulk up a bit along with the bones, I hope.)
Guess I'll leave my avatar as it is, but if I ever come across a little pink doggie stick figure...watch out!
0 -
Let me add that if any of you more "robust" ladies think, "oh, poo, poo, poo, elimar you skinny little poo, why don't you shut it?" I want to add that I used to have some actual strength and that just evaporated during the cancer saga. Apparently my new normal is to have the stamina of a rice noodle.
0 -
I hate to hear that for your sake, el, and mine. Did you EVER get all or most of your strength and stamina after all the bc crap? Because I am seriously bemoaning my life and strength before all this crap. When I say I swing that hammer, it's not all day like I used to do. Just random tapping, choked up so far on the handle, and not a full arm swing from the bottom using my WHOLE SELF!!! I try I try, I am a little better, but. I think I will never be the same, flexible, and I always got so much pleasure from what I could do with my hard body. The docs say, well you ARE getting older. Well, I would like to slap them, because you know, it wasn't supposed to happen ALL AT ONCE!!! I mourn the me I was, angrily.
0 -
Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here. I just found this discussion board and I spent last night reading so many comments from so many different forums. I was diagnosed at 58 in Nov. of 2014 with what I called an interference in my life. After the initial surgery, radiation, hormone therapy and now on the 6 month waiting list of wait and see I still don't use the C word much. I really don't know why but one thing I am sure of, with God's help my life will go on and maybe there will be changes in me like non stop hot flashes, weight gain, sleepless nights and waking up to post or pray but I will go on. Hoping all of you strength to face whatever comes your way. Take care.
0 -
Welcome, ARCats! the "new normal" we get to (that term irritates me to no end) can take a lot of getting used to. A LOT. But it can be gotten through. Glad to meet you, wish we didn't have to meet this way.
0 -
Elimar...I don't know the reason....they just happen???
Oh, and the stick figure...how about loss of height, thin flabby arms, and pot belly, oh and no ass.
The new us.....LOVELY!!!
0 -
ARCats, welcome! I also don't like the "new normal" we get left with but to stick with our old normal cancer bodies is not acceptable either. We are all just moving forward, one way or another.
Thank you once again for making me feel not alone, my fellow weaklings. It is hard to separate it all out. I think all the factors just converged on us in this age group and we have reached the age where we do not bounce back "like kids" anymore. But the chemo part definitely caused muscle wasting and I guess I lack the estrogen to build it back up. I hear ya on the FLAB, Loral!
So many things occur where I have to think, is this because of cancer or just aging? Like, I could always twist off jar lids just with my own brute strength. Now, I use this thingy which I had given to my mom but have since inherited back.
It's amazing how with just a few devices, you almost don't need a husband. Mwahahaha again!
0 -
I just accidentally stumbled across this thread - what a great group, and so funny! Laughed right out loud at the "... with a few devices you almost don't need a husband". And yes, I've started to use that jar lid opening thingy lately as well - my 92 year mother gave it back to me because she says she doesn't need it. She truly cut me off at the knees with that remark
0 -
Hi, Grazy! So, they did the Oncotyping on you, and you fell into a kind of grey area. Were your ER+/PR+ percentages really high? I guess what I am asking is what prompted you to say no to chemo? My Onco score was 18 and more risk than benefit with chemo so it took me about 2 seconds to pass on it as well.
p.s. Does your screen name rhyme with crazy, snazzy or hotsie?
0 -
Just checking in to say HI
0 -
Hi elimar,
"Hotsie", yes, that would be a good one with the heat the AI has returned to my body after already 'menopausing' for five years (and which has awoken me now at 3:30 a.m. to peel off drenched, cold pjs), and now I'm here posting before I, hopefully, go back to sleep for a couple more hours; Snazzy - I am, occasionally, hahaa; but Grazy rhymes with Crazy - yep, that's the truth! Play on my maiden name.
In answer to your question, my MO recommended the Oncotype test - I had expected around a 15 (not sure why, exactly) and was surprised to roll in at 21. I had the number 25 in my head as a cue to do chemo, but 21 worried my husband and me a little bit so I consulted several oncologists who all felt the risks weren't worth the benefit. One said I could do chemo if I wanted for peace of mind, but he didn't feel it was necessary, all the other said they wouldn't recommend it. (My husband works in the oncology world so his connections finally came in handy.) My own MO also did not want to recommend chemo and consulted with two of her colleagues who concurred. I felt pretty good about my decision to pass on chemo - the med oncs all feel I'm getting great protection with rads, the AI and (upcoming) Zometa.
My ER+/PR+ percentages were, 98 and 60, respectively. My MO felt the 98% ER+ would be a good match for the AI.
I see you were diagnosed back in 2009. I started Arimidex two weeks before rads, which I'm happy to say are all done tomorrow, and I've had a very easy go of it!
0 -
Well, Grazy, congrats on sailing right thru' your rads and glad you got off easy. It sounds like you went in for more that the 3-wk "Canadian protocol" then, but still got a shorter sentence than the ~33 visits that most of U.S. women get. How many total blasts did you end up getting?
Hi, Sheila! I'm glad you popped in to brighten up the place with your flower.
0 -
Hi elimar - I got the 3 weeks of whole breast treatments (so the typical [Canadian] 16 trmts) plus 5 boosts, which I'm doing this week, so ended up with four weeks total. It went so fast. I'm just now this week showing some mild skin effects - lucky that I get to finish up tomorrow!
0 -
Do you have post-BC fear or fatigue? Do you have $200?
0 -
Grazy, I'm glad for you that your done with radiation. I didn't do so bad besides a little fatigue and a suntan. All I had to do was go skinny dipping and I would've had a beautiful matching pair. But I'm to much of a prude to do that so I just waited for it to fade on its own.
You ladies are to much with all the new figures that we are blessed with. I'm more of the big stomach, knee knocking, losing sleep and no butt, but I still have my hearing, and sometimes my eyesight. All I want to do is to be able to zumba again; if nothing else I can dream about it, and I guess in the long run it's easier on the knees.
Happy thoughts.
0 -
Grazy, I'm in Southwestern Ontario. Where are you? I got my rads in Windsor and burned so bad I was bleeding. I have olive skin and never sunburn so it was a bit of a shock, but they warned me. I got 9,500 grays and the "normal" is 5-6,000 so they expected it, but I didn't.
I work in Tilbury (recently Chatham) but live in Ridgetown.
0 -
barbe, I'm in KW. What a terrible experience you had with rads, I'm so sorry you went through that. Experiences run the gamut on here, I have sure learned while visiting various boards...
0 -
AS SEEN ON T.V.!
Well, I just did a search and no one seems to be mentioning this...
I had the t.v. on and saw a law firm ad trying to drum up business for a class action suit for people who had permanent hair loss from using Taxotere. I wonder how many that is? I never had to take any of that, but I know a LOT of BC women have been on it. My mom took it for almost a year but her hair seemed to come back to regular thin old lady hair. I do NOT know how I feel about the permanent hair loss complaint. Of course it is terrible, but I think the hair loss side effect is pretty well known, as so many cancer-bald ladies are out there. Maybe the Taxotere manufacturers and docs are downplaying the possibility of the permanent hair loss as compared to the temporary? I'm not quite sure what makes it lawsuit worthy?
My thoughts also turned to wondering if I would see a legal ad for permanent neuropathy from the platinum chemos? That's another thing so under-reported that many, including myself, are left with. That SE was mentioned to me in a sentence with the word temporary, but I have weird numb feet three years PFC. I am getting a tiny bit better all the time tho', so maybe in six or seven more years I won't have it. Oh, yay! For people left with CIPN, the hair thing seems a bit frivolous. For that matter, if anyone got heart or lung SEs from rads, the whole hair thing just pales in comparison. So the Taxotere thing I saw is a little baffling.
General thoughts? Any got the permanent hair loss? Any plaintiffs out there care to comment?
0 -
Elimar - I was warned that I would lose my hair with Taxotere, but never told that it might be permanent. Thank heavens it wasn't. I do know a member who has permanent hair loss so I'll forward that there appears to be a suit.
I'm with you about the neuropathy. I was never told that could be permanent either, and here I am 2-1/2 years PFC and my feet are still like blocks of ice.
And while we're at it - I was never warned about lymphadema either. And that got me also. Sigh.
But I'm not litigatious. And a law suit wouldn't make anything better anyway.
I'm angry that I wasn't warned about all these things, but that's mainly because I'm a control freak and always want to know everything about what might happen. Before round 5 when I had "just a little numbness" my MO did give me the choice to go ahead or quit. I didn't have a lot of choices with ER/PR negative and even then, the chemo didn't destroy the tumor.
0 -
Elimar..i had 4 rounds of taxotere every 3 weeks with my second diagnosis....
My last dose was February 1..my hair is growing fine salt and pepper actually i like it...
hugs
sheila
0 -
MTwo, yes, I almost expect a CIPN lawsuit or (as you reminded) a lymphedema lawsuit to pop up because I don't think women are getting the full story on those up front before all the chemo and, of the three, I have to say permanent hair loss seems the least bothersome.
Sheila, You got lucky with the regrowth; but if you have any follicly-challenged BC buddies, you might tell them to look out for that t.v. ad. It won't bring the hair back but maybe they could buy a wig or two with the settlement. (Of course, the case has to be won--or settled--first.)
0 -
Here in Michigan the ad runs around the clock...Call Mike if you have permanent hair loss from Taxotere...
I didn't have chemo and really don't know what to think about the suit...I take Tamoxifen and it causes cancer...
0 -
I take Arimidex and it causes hair thinning, but if I don't take it, it causes death. Hmmm, what to do?
0 -
Yep...By the way you look beautiful....Great pic.
0 -
Haven't been here in a long time. Was trying to do as much living as possible. Staying in denial and actually feeling good. Well we all know how one dam trip to our MO can change that😩. Over the past year my ca 27-29 went up to 41. The 15 was fine. Six months later the same. Last week 68 and 70. I have no symptoms. Having a PET scan next week. Not sure what they will find as my cancer never showed on the scan when my breast was full of cancer. I know benign breast issues can cause a rise in markers but I don't have any breasts. When I find any posts about tumor markers they seem to be several years old. If the scan finds something how to they determine if it's mets or a new cancer? Any input would be appreciated. Hope everyone is enjoying summer🌞
0 -
Dianarose, that is a bummer that the markers are on the rise. It sounds like you are only getting them checked every six mos. then. (My Stage IV BFF has hers done about every month or two. Recently she had gone up from 41 to 58, but then went back down to 52.) Maybe because yours was a bit more of a jump they want to check with a scan. The scans are much more precise than the marker numbers anyway, so may as well find out for sure and not just guess about those numbers, right?
The PET scan will show any areas of concern and I am sure you have several older ones that it can be compared to so you will know if there are new areas of involvement or not. You have been on Aromasin for a few years now. This may be a signal that it is time to switch to something else if it is not being effective anymore.. Or, the PET scan may show there is nothing significant going on and that is what I am hoping for you. Please let us know what you find out from the PET, cause we are going to be sitting around worrying about you.
0 -
From the Tell Us Something We Don't Know Dept.:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-conversation-us/are-you-getting-the-best_b_10410392.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
0 -
Look, it's a bar of ugly new pictures at the top. Guess people were not searching out the topics that BCO has to offer, so it's a new in your face approach. You just know someone got a big congrats for that suggestion. Tweak, tweak, tweak.
0
