MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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This weekend I was anguishing over tax preparation related thoughts and spent a lot of time reading publications on the IRS website. Then, I realized that at least it was a change from fretting over medical troubles and treatment decisions and Googling my fingers to the bone about that stuff, and that felt pretty good. Then, I knew I had moved yet another step beyond cancer to have had that last thought. Then, I knew that cancer had made me a little crazy that I was making the comparison in the first place. Then, I had some hot chocolate.
There's my weekend. How was yours?
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Eli- I received "the letter" about my "dense" breast (the one that remains with breast tissue inside!) after my mammo last year. At first I was a bit taken back, worried that the words, "because you have dense breasts, we recommend another biopsy" or something of the sort would appear in the last paragraph. But I was given the all clear. I think you mentioned before that you have Kaiser insurance, as do I, so you can probably expect that letter following your next mammo.
Great minds think alike; last week I organized paperwork and receipts in preparation for doing taxes. But I'm still getting various investment forms and the like in, so I will wait until well into Feb. Turbo Tax is great!
Saturday was all about putzing around and then DH and I went to see American Hustle (enjoyed it). Sunday I moved furniture out of our bedroom and into our spare bedroom (DD vacated a year ago, and since confirmed she has a new apartment to move into, so she won't land on our doorstep). Doing that provided opportunities to suck up years of dust behind heavy furniture, and my DH, the "collector," actually spent hours dusting all of his possessions before putting them back on display. I am a minimalist when it comes to decorating, and hate clutter. But I am surrounded by it. I told my DH years ago that if he was going to keep and display all his stuff, HE was going to have to keep it clean. That proclamation didn't really work, but I learned years ago not to sweat the small stuff, and in the scheme of things, dust is very small stuff. So yes, you can tell, my mind is not consumed by BC anymore either.
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mac, I find your son's comment kind of sad. WE know you weren't trying to "regain your youth" by losing weight!!! Losing weight was for your general health. How did he not get that???
Our next door neighbour years ago had a VERY big head! He was a big guy. Well, one winter to the next he lost so much weight that I didn't even recognize him as I talked to him in his own driveway!!!! I was wondering who the guy was standing in Bill's driveway and he started chatting with me and it took me about 15 minutes until I realized it was HIM!!!!! Seriously!!! He used to have like a Fred Flintstone head and ended up with more of a Dino head. (Do recall that Dino has a small head on a big body.) I've seen people lose a lot of weight before, but that was the first time they looked so dramatically like someone/thing else!! Still gives me goosebumps....
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staynsane, My youth was filled with unrealistic dreams of cleanliness also. Silly bygone days.
mac, Have you retaliated to the comment by cougaring his friend yet?
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ha ha, eli, that would show him. I think the comment was made half joking, but he probably did not like thinking of me as "hip and cool" How the friend described me. I think the kid (close to 30) was just really surprised by how much I had changed, it had been a few years. But I like the cougar idea in theory but not relalityy. ha ha
I am working real hard on letting go of perfection so that I can enjoy how things are right now. I have such a glitch in my brain. But I just have to laugh at my silly mistakes.
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Eli - Yes, there were no clear conclusions but I think the upshot is - ta da! - the Mediterranean diet is good for you!
I think (maybe) that the stuff about eating fats applied to premenopausal women as carrying around a little extra fat is protective for them but bad for postmenopausal women.
Oops, misread what you wrote. Geez, I have boob fat and dense breasts. If I can alter the density by changing my diet, it's worth a try. Losing the boob fat would be a bonus. Just not quite sure what they're recommending. You would think after 40 years of the "war" on cancer, they could at least suggest a fairly comprehensive diet for the different types of breast cancer.
I had a fleeting thought about my taxes today, but thankfully it's gone now.
mac - Awesome job losing weight!
Barbe - so funny you didn't recognize your neighbor! I call my yard man Fred Flintstone because he looks just like him when he's riding around on his riding mower. I expect to see his feet pedaling. I don't even have any grass - he just likes riding around on it.
I was telling a 40 year-old male friend of mine that if I went back to college I would be too old to be a cougar by the time I finished. He said, "That's okay, college guys like jaguars, too." Meow! Well, as long as he's an older college student, like early 40's, haha!
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HnS, the boob fat (along with other body fat) is supposedly no good because it can produce its own estrogen; conversely, it is good because it is less dense and doesn't hide cancer as well on the imaging. Mixed message. No way to do a side by side comparison tho', is there? Ahahaha!
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All this talk of cougaring and jaquaring brought a smile to my lips! Shhhhh! We married ladies don't have to tell anyone. Being very frank though, God forbid anything happen to my DH, but if it was just me and I was interested in igniting new flames, I'd definitely give cougaring a go! Even though I'M the one who had cancer, I have more pep in my step than my DH (and no other medical issues) and since he's seven years older than I am, I figure going at least seven years younger would be doable. And that's a 14 year swing! Yeah baby!
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Just came from seeing my BS. I asked about fat grafting and she says that she doesnt recommend it with my DCIS as there is reason to believe that it could FEED any remaining cancer cells not eliminated by my radiation. Also she feels a mastectomy would be difficult with my having had radiation...not that it couldnt be done but may be pretty difficult. SHe suggest I try a small implant to fill in my "dent" instead. SO I have appt in about 10 days to see a PS. In the meantime if anyone else has heard about fat grafting possibly feeding a cancer i would like to hear about that and/or if anyone knows about any studies i could read on it. Thanks
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blue, All this time and I had not heard that mentioned, but it does make sense since (as I had even posted recently) we are told that our body fat makes some estrogen. I never put that together with the fat grafting before! I don't know how much credence to give it and might like to read more about that. I do know there are a quite a few of ER+s around here that have mentioned getting a graft. In almost 900 pages, I can tell you that it is the first time we came around to that topic on this thread. That it would "feed" the cancer I mean. Interesting.
p.s. Check this (and you might find out more from the PS): http://ps-rc.org/meeting/abstracts/2014/128.cgi
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I also just found out about how important it is to have an MRI from reading this :
http://mammogramsanddcis.blogspot.com/
I had NO CLUE that DCIS would have been able to be found by MRI before my first mammogram found the calcifications. I had no clue how the calcifications were even formed until I read this. This article was very eye opening. I was preparing to have a fat graft based solely on my prior DCIS and mammography. Now im freaking wondering what else do i have in there that i dont know about and mammo missed??!! I plan on getting and MRI now before i do surgery of any kind.
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Blue: I had a ULS follow-up to a mammo & then a ULS biopsy in 2011 w/a temporary diagnosis of DCIS. The ULS doc left tiny markers in my breast at the sites he biopsied. Before surgery, my MO made sure I had a PET/CT - which lights up for any cancer spots - and a breast MRI as an additional guide for the surgeon. The results are what made me decide to have a bilateral mastectomy. No regrets since I saw all the tests ahead of time!!
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Is a PET similar to an MRI? do you go in one of those long tubes? I am claustrophobic so whenever i get MRI i have to go to an open air one.
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Blue: A PET/CT is a nuclear med test combined with a CT and it is an "open" donut. Still, I take a Xanax when I get there. I only take them for this test and the breast MRI - just in case - mainly because I can NOT sit still. You get injected with the nuclear tracers (mine go through my port) and lie absolutely still for an hour while they circulate through your body. You can have nothing by mouth ahead of time since the media is picking up "sugars". The tests I've had go from mid skull down to knees & will pick up any trace of what might be cancer - new or recurrence. There's lots of info on the web if you google PET/CT.
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MinusTwo: thanks for the description:)
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Finally caught up on the Middie thread ...... any comments I can remember I will try to get to tomorrow. Busy couple of days ahead.E~ But while I'm thinking of it right now, really like your choice of new dragons for Reesie & red heart cookies for Marybe. They are missed.. and Lisa.. very much...........
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Just talked to my insurance and they will cover my mamo even though it hasnt been a full year yet. Also they will cover an MRI if the doctor orders it. Talked to the nurse and she seemed a bit annoyed that I was requesting one. Said she would talk to my doctor and see what she says. If she refuses to ordert it then Im changing doctors asap.
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Bluewillowskys, stick to your guns. You are entitled to that MRI!
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blue, Will the findings of an MRI make a difference to you? What I mean is if everything looks clear on MRI, will you be o.k. with having had your lumpectomy + rads and continued monitoring; or will you want (prophylactic) BMX even if all is clear?
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elimar: im not sure....i havent thought about that yet. If the MRI is clear then i would probably lean more towards the small implant with continued monitoring rather than a BMX.
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blue, Seems to be essential and I would not want to come to a decision without that info. either. Don't know why the nurse would give you attitude. What difference is it to her anyway? If this doc won't order it, I feel sure you could find another that would.
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Val, (An earlier post that didn't show up said...) You don't miss a trick! The other day I looked at the top and those two icons were gone! Couldn't find the exact same ones, but I tried for suitable replacements for the sisters we miss and remember (PauldingMom, reesie and Marybe.)
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Hello Everyone!! It's that time of year again! Am crawling outta the shadows to say "HEY"!! Have not been on the boards for a while and just last week started reading again. This thread sucked me back in!!!
Glad to hear that most are carrying on and enjoying everyday as best you can! ((Hugs)) to anyone who needs one!
Sorry to see the new posters..... this is a great thread for info and to kick back too!!
Things have been quite busy (actually more normal!). I have had my annual tests and a bone density this year and really had NO scanxiety about them.... Maybe things are finally getting to be more 'normal'?? All results were normal! We are down to DD3 in the house as DD2 is in her 2nd year of college and DD1 moved out a few years ago! This is the year I turn 50, but really don't feel that age at all!! We are now looking at saving any extra we can to travel more often!! Love your last minute cruise, Elimar!! Maybe one day WE will do that as well!
Have to say that I loved your 'pay it forward' story, Marlegal! During the month of December there was a lot of that going around here (in a smaller way!). Many people while picking up their orders (at many of our Tim Hortons drive thru's), find that their order was paid by the car in front of them!! I loved the idea!! Nice to see random kindness!!
Am hoping to keep up with this thread again........ Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
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fmakj is referring to Groundhog's Day, of course. It is that time of year when I invite the past and occasional posters to poke their heads up, say hello and/or fill us in on how life has been going. If you then go back into your den of normal life, at least we know all is well and that you are missing us a little just like we miss you. (Are you still out there cmharris?) Good time for lurkers to pop in as well. (Queenlurker?)
Believe it or not, some of us still have brains not too severely compromised by chemo that we remember so many, even if they have not posted in a while.
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Congrats, fmakj, on making it through the annual barrage of scans and coming out clean. Further congrats on the launching of two daughters. One more and you will be fully into what I like to call "middle-aged me-time," which calls for indulgences, travel, friendships...anything that might have had to take the back seat during the intensive family years (and the time spent on all the cancer business.) It's where you get a little breather before the full-blown grandparenting years. Enjoy!
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HI all you lovely ladies,
It has been quite some time since I have posted on this thread. I am doing well and looking forward to the Super Bowl. I have skipped the last 20 pages, so not really sure how everyone is doing.
I hope all are well, and praying for those who have test and scans coming up.
Hugs, Cheryl
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elimar- is that punxsutawney phil by chance?
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I'm shocked that three of the ladies on the new header don't have on gloves!!!
Maybe they were serving the "pot luck"?
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Our local prognosticator "Wiarton Willie" has indicated that there will be 6 more weeks of winter. I am not sure but there may now be a price on his hide. Groundhog gloves anyone? There is also a new hog in town - apparently a female named "Dundas Donna" in the Toronto area will give her forecast this afternoon. Not thinking that her story will be much different.
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Groundhog gloves sound a lot more fashionable than compression gloves.
It's party sunny here so it could go either way. I think our prognosticator is a clam.
I am so excited someone is coming from NYC to fix all my big shoe repair machines today. It doesn't take much to make me happy.
Another thing I have learned how to make pancakes out of my meal replacement shake ingredients. Yummy well at least it feels like eating real food.
So really? Breaking news on the side bar ? Exercise helps relieve joint pain from AIs!! Breaking? Today I am not sure if I'll ever be thin enough or able to exercise enough to please "THEM".
Anyhoo, hello to all groundhog day posters.
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