MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Cindy1 - You're ER/PR+, so I do NOT think you are supposed to take Estroven. Please talk to your MO first! I think that the menopausal products work by either increasing estrogen availability or mimicking estrogen - which we don't want. Plus, it could counteract the tamoxifen, so talk to MO!!! The jury is still out on soy and hormone positive cancer, what my MO told me is that it was ok to have soy products occasionally, but NO supplements containing soy.
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Linda - that's what I was afraid of. Well it was a nice thought.
(those aren't tears that's sweat)I've got an appointment with the MO at the end of the month (6 months on Tamoxifien woohoo!) and I'll ask what he suggests. I've been patient, and I don't have as many aches and pains as a lot of ladies complain of, just my feet and ankles really, but I'm just about at the end of my rope with the not sleeping more that 2 hours straight and waking up just soaked and then being so cold I need to change into dry pj's.
My period has always been heavy and miserable, and I've been wishing it would just go away for years. So now, I haven't had a period since June but every month I bloat up, get a back ache, gain weight... Jokes over. Cut it out.
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Cindy - my PCP prescribed Effexor for me, it's an anti-depressant, but has shown to be effective in reducing hot flashes and neuropathy pain. I think that I have only about 1/4-1/3 as many hot flashes, and less neuro pain than I had before taking it. They've found a few drugs that don't effect our hormones work for controlling these side effects. A lot women stop having hot flashes altogether on this.
I thought I had gone through menopause, but the aromatase inhibitor makes me feel like I'm going through menopause on steroids!
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I believe MO offered me something back in May, but I was all "don't need no stinking pills..." I've come to feel that may have been a mistake.
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I used to be that way - no drugs for me - now "if it makes me feel better, let's give it a try"
Happiness through pharmaceuticals
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Yeah. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated.
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Cindy Estroven is definitely a no no. I was taking it pre bc and my doctors told me to throw it away. I take tamoxifen and the hot flashes finally got so bad I could not stand them any longer. I finally gave in and took my MO up on the effexor. It has really reduced the hot flashes and always has helped my arthritis I have in my neck.
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Thanks Sherry. I knew you ladies would save me from a lot of googling. I guess I'm gonna have to give in and ask for some help. I've always kind of toughed it out but I'm about done for, if I don't figure out how to get a few good nights sleep I may hurt myself or someone else...
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Sending good thoughts your way tomorrow Elimar.
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At home this afternoon prepping for my c-scope tomorrow. (ick) Called to confirm my arrival time and was asked if I had breaky this morning. I said "no - the directions say to start with the liquid diet on the morning before the procedure." She then said I could go and grab something quick (this was at about 12:30) So I was all excited to have my daily toast/pbutter.
Until she asked if I had taken any of the drink yet. I said yes and she then said maybe I shouldn't eat anything - 
I should have known better - same sort of thing happened with the upper endoscopy a couple of months ago - GRRRRRR. Procedure not till 1:30 tomorrow.On a positive note - I can still have my coffee in the morning!!!
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Barsco - don't you hate that. Back when I had my hysterectomy, I was hurrying to get it done before the end of the year so that I didn't have to meet another deductible, so scheduled surgery for the last week of December. Got there at 6 am, my Doc had me do all the prep like you do for a colonscopy, he said you recovered faster, ...... anyway, they got me in to surger, got the IV started (which was pretty unpleasant), next thing I know I'm waking up - the Anesthesiologist had called off the surgery because of a funny little wave in my EKG, I had talked about it with the Anesth that did the Pre-op, and he said not to worry, it was a normal abnormality, however he wasn't the one that was doing the surgery, that guy errs on the side of caution, so they wheeled me out and rescheduled after a stress test, which was fine. Sooooooo annoying and had to pay the second deductible, but felt more assured that I was making the right decision in having the surgery, and the surgeon was no longer a preferred provider (YIKES) he did bill last though so he was paid after I met deductible and out of pocket.
Pretty sure this all happened for a reason though. 1st time around the surgery was getting started late and it was the docs anniversary, 2nd time -- my surgery ended up lasting 6 hours, there were tons of adhesions, I tried to bleed out, just about anything that could go wrong did, but I was first surgery of the day and no wife waiting to go out for an anniversary dinner - So though I hated the waiting, going through the prep and stress again, I think I won out on that.
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Barsco, Do you have the drink that tastes like MOTHBALLS? They gave me some flavor packs, so I could have cherry mothballs or lemon-lime mothballs if I wanted to, but I thought the flavor packs made it even more gaggy.
Other kinds of prep many vary but for anyone who gets the mothball flavor drink, here is my tip:
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How to chug the Mothball flavor c-scope prep drink using the elimar method...
1) Tells you to drink 8 oz. every 10 minutes. I say use only about 6 oz. of prep drink at a time.
2) Toss that back in one giant swallow.
3) BEFORE you inhale, pinch your nose shut and only breathe in thru' your mouth.
4) Have 2-4 oz. of Perrier, Evian, or for best effect plain old tap water standing by. Use that as a rinse/chaser.
5) Breathe normally only after the chaser.
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I tried a juice chaser, but the juice/mothball flavor combo was actually not as good as just plain water. It is still on the unpleasant side, but cuts the mothball vapor backlash by about 65%. (I had better find a few tricks for this. I have a couple more gallons of the stuff looming in my near future.)
p.s. Cindyl, I watched my share of Star Trek TNG too.
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Valjean, I know exactly what you re talking about. I have always been a person that usually does not hold grudges, that tries to see both sides of a coin. Unfortunately about 4 yrs. ago we had some kind of misunderstanding with my husbands's sister and we all stopped talking to one another.
To make a story short, after my DX I reached out to her because I felt that life is too short to splt hairs about who is right and who is wrong. We made up and been very close since then.
Another thing is that, since my DX I seem to be even more tollerant of people, give them more benefit of a doubt, always see the cup half full, never half empty! Yes, I definitely see a change in me and if I say so myself, I LIKE WHAT I SEE!!!!
MENA
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MENA ~ I understand just what you meant when you said you like what you see in yourself now after reaching out & moving forward. I have felt good about myself since I have been in touch with my 'family member/former close friend' again, I was truly disappointed in myself - I came to see that. It's strange to look inside oneself, isn't it, and maybe not like what you see at some point in your life? I like what elimar said, we have control over the direction we take in the changes/choices we make.
Thanks for all the comments, you guys, about my post. It's digging a bit deep to realize that about oneself & I truly think age has something to do with it as well as life's circumstances, i.e. BC.
E ~~ ICK!! YUK!!
Wish they had the emoticon available that is the green-sick-face that's for use on yahoo; I'd definitely insert that here so just imagine it!!0 -
Linda - glad everything turned out ok for you. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.
Eli - I don't find it tastes like mothballs - has an orange taste to it. The first one (at noon) was ok. The second one (3pm) was tolerable leaning towards gaggy by the time I finished it. I have one more to go at 7pm - might have to try the "elimar method" to get that one down. I think I'm going to have a mint tea (my fav) and get rid of the lingering taste.
Valjean - I agree that age, along with circumstance, is also a big player in the discovery of ourselves. We do tend to reflect a bit more as we grow older, don't we?
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Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream--it's what's for dessert! Yummy!
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Pumpking pie ice cream? Haven't tried that one yet. I do like pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake so might have to try the ice cream. Sounds like it might be a favorite of yours Joni?
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PPie Ice cream? Yes please. Hi Ladies. I am having a little internal tantrum this morning. I hate bc!! There, whew, that's better. I am having my ovaries out in Dec also to save myself from having to meet another deductible. I have not received presurgery instructions, not sure if I will be under all the way or a twilight but I expect I won't be able to eat or drink anything and the surgery is at 1:30. Yikes! That is a long time go without food or drink. Anyway, I just wanted to pop on here since I am going to enter my 42nd year of being here, was dx couple months after my 40th bday, yeah. My first ever mammogram, nice. Ok, hope everyone has a nice day!!
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Greetings, CherylinOhio! We are happy to pass the time leading up to your surgery with you. I know that once a date is scheduled, it just doesn't seem to get here fast enough. B/C realy tests our patience along with everything else. The not eating or drinking won't be so bad once you get the glucose IV started in pre-op. Sorry this all came about from your first mammo. That definitely adds some shock value. What I would like to know is do you have a family history?
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They don't do pre-op IV's up here anymore!!! You sit and STARVE. With my mast surgery, I was at the hospital at 6 am due to having wire insertion at the mercy of the imaging department. My surgery ended up being after 3 pm!!! I was FURIOUS!! They couldn't start an IV in the OR - no surprise!!! and had to put me out to do it. I can imagine the pushing around they had to do as the bruise lasted as long as my steri-strips did!!!
I remember a pre-scan drink that said to "split it evenly with 3 of my favourite beverages". It should say "3 drinks you'll never want to taste again!"!!!!!
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No family history. When I got my 2nd recon surgery this past September I don't recall getting an IV until I was ready to go into surgery. I was so hungry, I wanted a Big Mac so bad!!!
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I've never really understood why having some water to drink is prohibited. I mean having it up to just a couple hours before a surgery anyway. NativeMainer, what's up with that? Why must we go off the water so far in advance? It just forces average people to break the rules.
"3 drinks you'll never want to taste again!" Right on!
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Well then, CherylinOhio, you are a poster girl for keeping the first mammo screening at age 40. It's been controversial as to whether age 50 would be better to start all the screenings (if no family history.) In some ways, I think that would actually be good and save us from getting a decade of extra radiation BUT there seem to be so many that DO get B/C in their 40's.
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Eli good luck today. I hated the prep for the C-scope. Had to divide mine into three drink times and had to chug so much at a time every 10 minutes. I did not get to choose flavors mine only came in lemon lime. Did not have a mothball effect but I had to chase it with juice to get the after taste out. Water did not quiet do it.
Welcome cherylinohio. I will also be having surgery in December trying get it in under this calendar year. Was suppose to be finished with reconstruction but boobs decided to take a turn south. PS is really sweet and canceling a vaca day to work me in. I feel kinda bad because that means he is giving up a day to spend with his son from a previous marriage that he does not get to see alot because he lives out of state now. Told the Patient Liason girl that I felt really bad about him giving up the time with his son and she said don't worry about it he would not be doing this for you if he did not want to.
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Yeah. I had to go fast then go in at 7 for the snb injections then hang around until a noon check-in for the LX. Still sitting there at 2:30 after check-in. I finally went and told the receptionist I was calling out for pizza if we didn't get this show on the road... didn't do any good, but ...
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@sherryc - my obgyn is "squeezing" me in on the 20th of December. I may take him a fruit plate or something, but IDK because he is diabetic. Maybe take your PS some brownies or something? I do not like my fake ones. One is ok but the one that had the radiation now has the signature football flap from the ld procedure. It never moves and I can't get my natural man-made cleavage to look right. Oh well, I just hope to be here in 10 years to come back here and encourage others, though I hope there is a cure by then.
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I have made about 80 pies between today and yesterday. I don't want to even have it for dessert anymore. I hope no one else orders any. Tomorrow I will be making breads and apple crisp all day. My fingers and toes are burning and hurt. Chemo induced Neuropathy stinks. I am not sure if it ever goes away. Does anyone know?
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Port. PET scan. Chemo. Radiation. All the free Ensure I can drink. Surgery next year and a ROBOT is doing it. (Please conceal your envy about that!) Maybe more chemo afterward, in case I don't feel horrible enough from all the aforementioned.
Ladies, I fall into Stage IIIc for rectal cancer. (From NCI: Cancer has spread through the muscle layer of the rectum wall to the serosa (outermost layer) of the rectum wall or has spread through the serosa but has not spread to nearby organs. Cancer has spread to 7 or more nearby lymph nodes;) It's adenocarcinoma, the garden variety (supposedly the typical slow-growing kind, which does not explain MY case.) Now facing my first PET scan ever due to: Something too tiny to be determined in my liver, something else on liver that is probably a cyst, and (B/C alert!) a nodule on my lung, right lobe, same side as my B/C. I can't worry about that, really, but I hope it turns out to be a big load of nothing. Kind of worried how PET can have false positives on things. Can't take too much more heaped on my plate right now.
Do they really expect me to believe that I grew something this advanced in the space of 21 mos. (since I had last colonoscopy?) Puh-lease!
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Dianarose, Nerve healing does take time and you do have a chance for the neuropathy to improve. Sometimes the neuropathy is permanent though. I already have crazy sensations in my hands and feet from fibromyalgia. Can't wait to find out what chemo is gonna do to them. MMMMM, PIE!!!!!!!!!!! Want it!
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Robotic surgeon-ness! How cool! You really are a high-tech kinda gal E. I am envious! As to the rest of the post-doesn't initiate any kind of a happy dance! I got yer back tho!
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