MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
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smithlme, have a good time with that grand-baby. There is nothing sweeter than a grand-baby. Be careful on your trip.
faith, I love the t-shirt. You be careful on your trip also. I know you will have a good time, I think it is just in your nature. Maybe it will take your mind off of everything that is facing you next week.
Juannelle
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Whew, I was thinking you had quite a day ahead of you.
Be safe on your trip, Faith.
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smithime--LOVE the team name! Go for it!
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smithlme, how long does that walk take? That's way more than a day for me.0
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elimar, It's 60 miles over 3 days. I swear I could have walked another 60 when we were through. I was so jazzed to be alive and able to walk. There was a dance party the night of the second day and my husband, myself and my oldest daughter danced until they threw us out. Incredible energy!
We're getting packed and going over last minute lists before leaving. If we drove it would be about 13 hours. We'd waste too much precious Grandma time driving. We got one of those Southwest deals a few months ago for $25.00 each way. As excited as I am to see my grand-daughter, I swear I could fly there myself!!!
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Wow - a 20 hour lull in this thread! That's new!
Read something about sex and menopausal symptoms that annoyed me in an article about making a New Year's Resolution to have more sex. Women who have sex more often, according to the article, allegedly have fewer menopausal symptoms. Really? Sounds like they have the cause and effect backwards. Menopausal symptoms lead to less sex, from my point of view. Reminded me of another study I saw that said that they found that mothers who were depressed were more likely to have colicky babies. The way I see it, having a colicky baby would be VERY depressing, and they have the relationship backwards!
Next thing you know, we'll see a report saying that women who have biopsies are more likely to have breast cancer than those who don't.
Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!
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Nice try, guy who wrote article. Next thing you know, a BJ will be able to shrink breast tumors.
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What?! That doesn't work?! Hey! My husband has been trying to sign me up for "treatments" forever...
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Wow! I was diagnosed with BC last year at age 56 and today Iam 57 since I just had my b'day a few days ago.
I thank God that all my kids are grown and my baby who is 16 will be leaving for college this fall. Apart from nausea and some dizziness, I didn't have any bad side effects during my radiation therapy. It was the mammosite that gave me hell but I am alright now and finished the therapy on December 16th this past year. I'm now on medication, tamoxifen and waiting to feel any side effects.
Is anyone out there been on tamoxifen longer? How do you feel? Any major side effects.
Pls. help.
Have a good day!!!!!!!!!
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nanasewah: Welcome to our group. I've been on tamoxifen since mid October. I haven't had any trouble to speak of--a few hot flashes during the night but that's about it. There is a great thread on here called "Bottle of tamoxifen." I would suggest checking it out--lots of great info there and people on there have been on it for varying lengths of time with varying side effects.
TCK
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nanaseweh, greetings and Happy Belated Birthday! I've only been on Tamox. since November myself. Besides minor hot flashes, what I have been noticing in the past month or so is that I get upset easier. A lot easier. I don't mean boo-hoo, I mean I find myself getting mad and blowing up over little things more. I read that this IS a side effect of the Tamox., but if I have to be like this for five years, I'm gonna have to sign up for an anger management program!
Can anyone responding to nanaseweh also please comment on whether this side effect tones down after some months, like I've heard the hot flashes do? Thanks!
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Okay, I'll try to be on the study panel now. Maybe I didn't hav enough sex in my younger years.
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heheheheheee
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Kleenex I have to agree that those studies are all ass backwards LOL
Just found out today that my MRI enhanced in the Lt. breast again only in a new spot, so scheduled for a MRI guided biopsy in a week. This will be my 3rd MRI biopsy since June, plus 2 lumpectomies. So, I hope women who have biopsies don't get BC more (: or I am SOL.
Please don't anyone tell my husband about the BJ studies, because he believes it is against the law for married people to do that!
Linda
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Hi ladies
I had my surgery last Thursday and everything went OK so now i have to wait for the biopsy of my limp nos to come back. I am fining that the draining tube is making me feel sick and were the tub gone in very sore is this what usually happens
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Omahagirl, you mean your husband would actually withhold treatment for you?
(((Hugs))) to cargiver, hope you feel better soon.
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Cargiver: Sorry you are not feeling well. Unfortunately the drains are very uncomfortable but necessary for good healing. For me the first few weeks were rough, but I can tell you, it WILL get better. Sending positive thoughts for a good result from your nodes.
TCK
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Perhaps it IS illegal for a married couple to do that in Nebraska...
I've been on Tamoxifen since December of '08, so just over one year (and just about four to go). I didn't have chemo - just radiation. Initially I had a peak of some annoying symptoms a couple of months out which have since tapered off. My cycles have elongated to about 44 days, with ovarian cysts mid-cycle that go away after about five days. I think perhaps I have short, quick anger episodes, but they really do pass quickly, and it's not over "new" stuff that didn't make me mad before. The hot flashes moderated, although if it's humid (even if COLD and humid) or if I eat like a lumberjack too close to bedtime, I'm tortured all night by a festival of flashes. Some things I've just gotten used to: my eyes tend toward being dry, so I've added eye drops to my life, and my facial skin is different, so I had to change my soap and moisturizer. Certainly, this is all doable if it's keeping The Beast at bay.
I'm thinking the body does a good job of adjusting, so hopefully most bothersome side effects will taper with time, before Elimar gets arrested for assault...
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Glad to hear that your surgery went well cargiver. Are you planning reconstruction, or what's next? I know you said no chemo or radiation...will you have to use the Tamoxifen? I did not have the drain tube. Take a good look at it. I'm thinking that if it looks red and inflamed an infection might be present. When will the doctor be checking you again?
OmahaGirl, so sorry you are facing another procedure. Hope it turns out to be nothing. Please let us know how it goes next week.
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Kleenex, I don't know about assault...but if moodiness and hollering can get me thrown in jail, they better just keep me in there til the S/Es go away.
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Kleenex--Statistics can be so much fun. I read about a study that "proved" that eating mashed potatoes caused car wrecks. I did an informal study at work a while ago and found that having a lint roller or lint brush in your office make you four times more likely to have a pet at home than those who did not have a lint brush in their office. Obviously, buyying a lint brush causes pet adoption. I think I remember another "study" that suggested that getting up every 2-3 hours during the night increased the likelihood that you would have a small baby at home. . .
cargiver: yes, where the drainage tube comes out gets really sore. The best thing you can do is try to make sure the tube doesn't get pulled on or wiggle around very much, especially near where the tube comes out. I found that ice packs on the tube site helped with the soreness, especially at the end of the day or right after being active. I know the tube is hard to deal with, but it will get better. Make sure you take pain medication as you need it--hurting doesn't help the situation. {{{{{hugs}}}}}
nanasewha and hannabearsmom--tamoxifen has known emotional side effects--I've had depression for a long time before bc, it got worse after diagnosis, but it became totally debilitating on tamoxifen. I had no other side effects, in fact, I was convinced I wasn't a metabolizer.Besides depression, tamoxifen is known for causing mood swings and "labile emotional state" which is fancy medical talk for emotions that change very quickly and/or go to extreems. Like from fine one moment to screaming mad a nanosecond later. Or from calm and content one moment to hysterical. I heard one doc describe it as "menopausal mood swings on steroids."
omahagirl--I feel so bad for you, and am amazed at the same time. How do you get through so many biopsies and stay sane? I'd have lost it after the second one! I'm having my right boob taken off next summer because (partly) I can't deal with the mammogram/more views/just checking something routine--I cannot imagine multiple biopsies.
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NativeMainer, I was the one asking about the "mood swings on steroids." That's a good description of it! Did you have that, or mainly depression? I'm ready to get depressed ABOUT the mood swings. I really feel I don't have a grip on them. Did that level off in time?0
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Native, I just said on another thread that I wish the Queen of Hearts would come by and give the edict "Off with her boobs" The surgeons won't tell me to and I can't make myself.
I am a big scaredy cat, because the only thing I would want is a diep and that is one big surgery...
Thanks for the love ladies.
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Kleenex, I am sure the person that wrote the article was a man and his wife doesn't have bc.
Linda, so sorry you have to have another biopsy. I don't know what I would do in that situation, I guess the same as you. I just don't ever want to face it again.
cargive, hope each day is better and better for you. I did have a drain after my lumpectomy, and it was very uncomfortable. Sending a hug your way.
Hope everyone is having a great evening.
Juannelle
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elimar--I was so depressed I couldn't tell if I was having mood swings. Unless crying and not crying count as mood swings. After my PCP doubled my antidepressant and I was still getting worse I made my Med Onc take me off tamoxifen and start me on Lupron for ovarian suppression and then started taking arimidex. So, no, it wasn't leveling off. Of course, I was diagnosed with depression long before bc, then had, as my Med Onc said last week "one hell of a hard couple of years." While I haven't been able to back down on the antidepressant dose, I do enjoy life at times again and am fully functional.
omahagirl--yes, DIEP is a big surgery. But it's a doable one and I'm going to have a right prophy mast, with immediate right/delayed left DIEP recon next June. If I can do it, you can. The docs will almost never recommend mastectomy--the current attitude is for "breast conservation" unless the woman herself pitches a fit. So if you want them off, say so and you and I can go through it together. Me, they didn't give much trouble to, but then I start crying and screaming whenever I see a needle now. . .
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I think the "off with her breasts!" thing has a regional component to it. Here in Texas, where everything is bigger, including surgeries, apparently, I could have opted to do anything from a lumpectomy to a bilateral mastectomy. It was MY choice. With what appeared to be about a 1 cm or less tumor. No one TOLD ME to do ANYTHING specific. It was all presented as totally reasonable. There was a subtle suggestion that perhaps I should "have them off at one go," as my cousin in England said, but no mandate and no real REASON to do that other than I might want to and they'd be happy to do it. I suppose it's harder to hunt down a lump in a breast and make the result look nice than it is to just take off the whole thing and have another doctor replace it. I wonder if I'd have even been presented with that option if I lived on the east coast, where breast conservation is the standard of care...
That said, lumps in breasts don't kill people: spread does. So if you're up to continuing with surveillance and biopsies of suspicious areas, that's just fine OmahaGirl. That's the road I'm thinking I'll be on. Everyone has to pick what feels right for them.
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Thanks for the info. Guess I can play it out for a little while and see if the moods subside. My trouble is it may not be Tamox. at all. It may be strictly menopause emotions making me feel cuckoo. With my impeccable timing to begin both at roughly the same time, it may be hard to sort this one out.
Then there is my third theory...Cheetos deprivation. I've cut way back.
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Kleenex, I live on the east cost and they gave me the choice... which blew my mind. I was so not prepared for that type of choice. I thought that they would just tell me what to do. So I thought it was just my doc, so I went for a second opinion and they said the same thing.
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Mastectomy is what was recommended for me...infact, both surgeons I interviewed suggested bilat which is what I did....from the time of my Dx, I was told that I was not a candidate for breast conservation surgery as the two initial tumors (a 3rd was found as was lymph node involvement after MRI and 2nd biopsy) were two far apart. Bilat was one of my questions for the surgeons, but I never got to ask that as they suggested the bilat after seeing pathology and other factors....
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I was counseled on lump, mx, or bilat mx, and told by both surgeons I consulted with that they felt lumpectomy was sufficient, but it was up to me, they would do what I wanted. Lumpectomy was done & had clear margins, so I stayed with that. Then onco score indicated chemo was recommended, and I've sort of 2nd guessed myself since. I am happy with my decision, but wonder sometimes if I should have done more! Joni
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