MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
-
Its wonderful news Meece.
I learned one thing that scheduling your appointments the beginning of the week gives the results before the weekend. I have my 4 month oncology follow up this Monday.
Hi Ladies!
Sheila
0 -
Meece - wanted to let you know that both of our children were adopted. Our son was 6 years old when he became ours and our daughter was 8 months old. I am sooooooooooo grateful to have had them in my life. Our son passed away almost 7 years ago at the age of 24 and I am so very thankful to have had those years with him. I don't know what I would be doing right now with all this chemo if it weren't for the help and support of my DD. It was very difficult when we first found out we couldn't have our own biological children, but the children we were given took all that pain and made it for naught!
Yeah about those scans!!!!
0 -
I know that adoption is a great gift. And I have no bias against it. I hope that the kids are able to do this. I actually have no cousins who were not adopted on both sides of my family. I never thought of them as anything but my cousins. I only worry for my DS and DIL because my brother and his wife went through an open adoption and just when things were to be finalized, the family took the little one back. It was heart-wrenching. Thank you for your inspiration, Grace.0
-
Meece,
I can't imagine that happening. I worried about it until the adoption was final for our granddaughter, because they have an open adoption also. When she went into labor, they called my DS and they went and got to participate in the birthing process. The hospital was so nice that they gave them a room next to the birth mother's and they could get the baby anytime. They let her keep the baby overnight and lots during the day. I was so worried that she would not be able to give the baby up, but in the end, she signed the papers and walked out. She has come to see her once and I think she only wanted to make sure she had made the right decision. They asked her if she would be back and she said she didn't know. It was very hard on her.
When a birth mother does it for the right reasons there is never a question, but the guilt can get to them. This mother took good care of herself during the pregnancy and didn't drink or take drugs. She made the decision early into the pregnancy and tried her best.
I hope your DS and DIL all the luck in the world and hope they have a really good adoption experience.
Juannelle
0 -
Thank you so much, Juanelle. I will pass your well wishes on to them.
0 -
Glad to hear Meece!
I've never joined a support group, but the gals here have been here for me through thick and thin, and even completly bald. LOL I crashed the Young Survivors Conference last night. I got a chance to meet Nik Nak from my chemo. topic. I tried to find a couple others but did meet about 90 of the sweetest ladies. I've signed up for next year and look forward to going.
0 -
Thanks all of you, for Info & post.You are a great support group.
Who need a support group when I have you all to vent with & share with & talk about comfort food.Speaking of Comfort food, My Cousin who live in WA. sent me a package from "Georgetown Cup Cakes "& they shipped them to my House in Indiana. These were the best Cup Cakes I ever had doz of variety, all delicious! You guys need to go to their web site & check them out.
My drain is not behaving it self. still 45cc today , it been a little over 4 weeks post-op. I am going for a record! Ha I was Hopping to get my tube under 25 cc this week.( I just know it going happen this week) & Was hopping to finally get my 1st fill to the expander & Guess what The Nurse call me ysterday & gave me appt for March 8th, Because my Surgeon on Vac this week! Bummer! Ugh!
Been on Taxomifen for 2 weeks now! Still having a daily headache(for 6 days now )start around 11am & go to afternoon & then eases off . I take My Tamoxifen at 9pm , was wondering if that why I am getting the headaches at that time of the day?? I was thinking if I took the T at night ,I have less SE durning the day? any ideals?
I Hope you all are having a great weekend!
HUGS TO ALL !
Thanks again for being here for me! Thanks for being my support group!
Gina
0 -
ReginaR, It wouldn't hurt to try taking the Tamox. in the a.m., just to see if your headache pattern goes away. I am on Tamox. also, but I take 10mg. in the morning and another 10mg. at night, but lots of women take 20mg. just once a day. I didn't get headaches from it myself.0
-
Meece, so happy that your scans got an all clear! I wish I could send you a whiskey milkshake and somebody to help you with the laundry (I am not stingy I would share Gerard for special occasions).0
-
regina--it would be worth taking the tamoxifen in the morning for a week or so and see if the headache pattern changes. Or you could talk to your doc about splitting the dose and taking it twice a day. Personally, I'd use the headaches as an excused to get a massage! Seriously, I hope your headaches go away very soon.
0 -
So, OmahaGirl, that's where Gerard has been. No wonder you are smiling so big in your picture.
I am not sure if DH read my post Friday evening or what, but he must have some in 5-6 times apologizing for not being as happy about my scans and telling me how happy he actually was. He either read them or realized by my reaction what he had done.
0 -
Or he got our mental vibes!!!
0 -
Well, Meece, that bring us to the issue of how many inquisitive husband eyes actually look in on our thread from time to time. We might not even be aware (but if unsolicited bags of Cheetos start showing up around the house, or he starts doing the laundry naked, call it an inkling.) If any given husband does take an interest to delve into the unfathomable Mid-Age B/C female mind, I say bravo, may your efforts be well rewarded.
0 -
Maybe if he starts speaing with a european accent...
0 -
...or dips himself in chocolate...
0 -
Quick question for anyone regarding the hot flashes side effect from some chemo therapies.
If one has already completed menopause, will hot flashes reoccur on some regimes?
I'm curious because I have only one ovary and the little trooper pooped out sometime in my early to mid-40s. I remember the hot flash period quite well!
Will those hot flashes kick in if (or more likely when) I take the estrogen suppressor after my chemo and radiation therapies end? Or even kick in during my chemo (taxotere and cytoxan)?
0 -
Well then here's a dumb question...if you don't have anything actively producting estrogen, do you need to take a suppressor? 0
-
After the ovaries poop out there's this pesky little enzyme called aromatase that floats around until it finds a fat cell, then it barges in and coverts the fat (cholesterol) to estrogen. It's not a very efficient enzyme, and there isn't a whole lot of it floating around, but it makes enough estrogen for ER+ beasty cells to use to make baby beasty cells. That's why post menopausal women are put on one of the aromatase inhibitor (arimidex, femara, can't think of the others). Probably won't trigger hot flashes if you're already post menopausal but it may if the pesky aromatase has been working overtime since the ovaries gave up the ghost.
0 -
I believe it is because the breast tissue itself (or fatty tissue in breast) produces some amounts of estrogen too.
p.s. I see NM has responded in more detail. What she said.
0 -
Excellent explanation NM, the best one I've heard!! I hope you don't mind if I use that? (you sound like an excellent nurse ; )
0 -
Be my guest, and thank you!
0 -
About the hot flashes. I have been post menaopause for 18 years and I got the flashes with the chemo still. Also, my dr in Okinawa Started me on aromasin until I was ready for chemo. Had the hot flashes with that also. Not right away, but soon enough.
0 -
Excellent news meece on your check-up and may you have many more excellent scans.
You ladies are correct, fat does produce small amounts of estrogen, I guess this little tub of lard better start losing weight!
0 -
OMG, that is what my body is doing, building estrogen producers, since I have gained about 20 lbs since all this has started. My body has got the jump on me now. It is preparing for the famine. Now what am I suppose to do, eat more cheetos? I had some for lunch, but maybe I better get to the store and buy another bag. Comfort food, yea that is what I need.
0 -
Yes-hot flashes happen with AIs! I had my post menopausal hot flashes 6 or 7 years ago and then again when I started the Femara. After 3 months they seem to have settled down to just one or 2 per day & fortunately, none at nightso far! 0
-
Ovaries are not the only place in the body that estrogen is produced....that and along with NM explanation is the reason ER/PR+ women are told to take either AI's or tamox post menopausal....I have been on AI's for 3 1/2 years and had an ooph about that long ago and still have hot flashes and night sweats....along with all the other side effects!!!! I didn't have hot flashes during chemo (or atleast I don't remember having hot flashes on chemo)!!!
0 -
hi all...I will report what I learned.
but the number one interesting thing was about after treatment care plans..
it was fun, it was busy, it was EXHAUSTING
There were a lot of young women who are getting very intense treatment. I felt like a bit of a slacker.
I was sadly, shocked how most people had never heard of oncotype testing.
The dancing was fun. There were a lot of cool little organizations.
BTW if you were DX'ed under 45, you can go even if you are over 45.
There was a sex toy party. There was a really really good seminar for stage 4.
Oh,,,and my roomate was hungry for cookies the whole time and I was not!!! WTF?
I told her my cookie demon escaped my body and slipped into her's.
0 -
Cookie! I thought of you as the crowds rang COWBELLS when we won the gold at hockey!
0 -
I was told to increase Vit. E for hot flashes. Pre-menopause before Chemo. Chemo. sent me into menopause, but on the plus side it also got rid of a pesky toe nail fungus! Kinda radical treatment for fungus but always looking for that silver lining.
0 -
Cookie, tell about the after treatment care plans that was your highlight.
I thought that Oncotype was moving toward becoming the standard of care for for the early, node neg., hormone pos. B/Cs...guess there are only pockets of information out there and it's not that widespread yet. Just getting that type of info.--that's a benefit of these forums. The conference sounds fun and tiring both.
Barbe1958, How 'bout the Men's Curling Gold? I'm gonna miss all that action of men shouting "clean, clean, clean" at each other.
0
