Australian Sisters
Comments
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Jenn - I wouldn't touch a generic - the generic aromasin they offered me one month was made in India - no thanks - too risky given what the drug is for.
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I didn't realise there was a generic aromasin Sue - thanks for the heads up, I won't touch a generic either. I had a conversation with a pharmasist a while ago and we were talking about generic scripts. She said that when a generic brand came onto the market the pharmacy charged the government more for the original brand and charged around the PBS rate for the generic. I didn't see what benefit it was to me, the consumer, I would only be paying a dollar or two less for the generic, and the pharmacy would be making much higher profits. My GP doesn't like the generic brands at all, she's told me to always get the real deal - the drug companies invest millions (and more) in developing the drugs and only just start making some profit before the generics are allowed in. She worries that some of the drug companies will stop research if that keeps on.
Jenn - I didn't realise you could get 60 Tammis per script! That's not fair - I've been taking an AI for over three years now and only getting 30 at a time!
Kylie - I know it's hard, and you have a lot more pressures in your life than I have. Kids, health issues with your hubby and more financial stress than I've had. Hang in there kid - it will get better. It's really the last twelve months or so that I've mellowed out a lot when it comes to bc. I think it takes each of us "our own time frame" to get over the PTSD - and yes we have all had that. It's hard to focus on anything else but the bc and what it's done to us for a long time.
But once you accept things for what they are, and realise that there's no way you are going to change things, so there's no point in banging your head against a brick wall and just make the most of what you have, then things get a lot easier.
We are all different though. I've always managed stress really well. I think those of us who don't handle stress well, either at work or in our personal lives, don't handle the whole bc thing well either ... well none of us handles the whole bc well - who would! But I'm talking about after everything has settled down, and life starts to head to a new normal.
Someone once said to me, you'll never have everything you want, but you'll always have everything you need. I've found that to be very true. I think, for me anyway, I've had to deal with not being able to have children when I was in my 20s and 30s. That was something I wanted very, very badly and I went through a very traumatic 10 years or so, with fertility testing and operations and so many disappointments one after the other (once a month!) that I had to learn to cope with stress and disappointment or else I'd go mad.
Maybe that helped me cope with this, who knows. I just know that sometimes you have to vent and get things out of your system, and then just carry on. I change the things I have in my control, and learn to live with the things that are out of my control. I don't want to waste my time trying to push water uphill, when I can live a life that's happier by focusing on what is important in my life.
Sorry - have become a bit too philosophical for this early in the morning lol.
I hope everyone has a great day!
Trish
xoxo
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Trish - I get Pfizer brand. Don't know why the chemist got the generic in - my aromasin is on order there. I did take it home and when I saw the box and the made in India label I totally freaked and took it back. I do use generic anti inflamataries though.
Feeling nervous - breast screening tomorrow seeing I had to have that biopsy in October.
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Good luck Sue - will be thinking of you tomorrow.
Kylie - thinking of you too with your biopsy xoxo
Trish
xoxo
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Can i in all my ignorance, ask what the generic is or what it is compared by, i may need this info, when i am considering my options for a new drug,or what ever they do for me. and at least i may be abit more on to it instead of looking dumb and accepting what ever they say esp on the pill issues. . hugs
Good luck girls on the biopsy's. Sue and Kylie.
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Annette, generic is when it's not a "brand name" and made by manufacturers other than the one that developed the drug.
I'm not sure if you have the same thing in NZ, but (for instance) here in Australia, in the supermarket you can buy, let's say Nescafe coffee - which is manufactured and packaged by Nescafe. Or you can by the "no-name" or "generic" coffee, which doesn't have a manufacturer's name on it, and you don't always know where it's manufactured or packed - these generic brands are usually cheaper. Some of our supermarkets use "no-name" or "Black and Gold". Do you have anything like that in NZ?
Does that make sense?
Trishxoxo
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Hi Annette, as Trish says they are made by another company, sometimes I believe they are made by the same manufacturer, but sold in different packaging for a lesser price. It is also my understanding that generic drugs can only be made by another company, after the original patent has run out. They are supposed to be identical to the original, but there have been some scandals over some drugs made in India that had poisonous ingredients in them.
I never buy generics because I have had personal experiences with different SE's from generic brands. My husband is a quadriplegic and has always taken Valium as a muscle relaxant for spasms, but if he takes the generic brand, the spasms either worsen, or remain the same. I have no idea why, and the Pharmacists will argue that these drugs are exactly the same, but I don't think so.
Just to add another aspect to the mix, I have heard of women who get better results with the generic Al's, I guess you just have to try them, and go with your own experience. M
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Hi there. girls. Thanks for that info,yes i am familiar with what you are saying. I think they did that with my thyroid and infact there was an out cry about it. some people did not respond well to the new gold sheild brand, you have to take them on an empty tummy, they are a cheaper brand, but are financed by the pharmac, but they are not the same as we used to get, the same with losec pills for heart burn. the generic brand was so somac, did not work and i had to go back to losec, they were a cheap replacement. thanks heaps,
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Jenn, I changed to Femara last August and haven't looked back.....I was on Tamoxifen and at first I had mood swings and really bad sweats but I've been really good on Femara. Minor things from time to time but all doable :-)
Funny about your script story...I took a new one with 6 repeats to the local chemist last week and the assistant asked me if I wanted all the repeats made up!!! I would've had to remortgage the unit!
....and talking about post traumatic stress, I've been in a bad mood for a couple of weeks, not sure why, and then I completely lost it on the weekend, tears and everything, worried about getting sick again, imagining myself unwell....DH was lovely about it all and I feel much better now but I'm going to need to keep an eye on it...we really need to be nice to ourselves!
Trish, glad to read that you have found your happy place.....just as life should be......
Kylie, you sound like Wonder Woman to me with work and family and all the health checks.....good luck with the tests....
Annette, it is a shame you didn't get a photo of the cheeky sow....but you did paint a great word picture....
Racy, hi.....
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.....oops, missed a page here....
Ariom, that India drug story sounds scary, I always ask for the original brand now as I want consistency. Before, every time I got the script made up, it was a different generic.....
Sue, thinking of you tomorrow...
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I filled the script on my way home this afternoon and took my first tablet just before dinner. Went for a walk with hubby and the dog an hour ago and along the way my knee started paining me pretty badly - can it happen THAT quickly?
Also joined the gym this evening. It's round the corner - so close I can walk there in about 4 mins. Planning on going tomorrow evening when my daughter goes for her personal training session.
Jenn
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Jenn - did you check if you should take it with food - you have to take Aromasin after food - I doubt it had such an immediate impact - stop worrying
Getting stressed about the mammo and US tomorrow - don't want to go.
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Sue, good luck with your scans. It is likely the Aromasin is keeping bc at bay.
Jenn, good on you getting back to the gym.
Hi back to you, Tammy.
Despite being in a similar place to where Trish is emotionally, I will never get over how bc has changed my life.......
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Sue, No wonder you don't want to go. One step at a time... Just imagine us all sitting in your handbag going with you.
Jenn
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I'm worried because they had to do a biopsy last time, which is why I'm going back after only 6 months. Can't wait until it's over.
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suzie, we are all with you, holding your hand and thinking good thoughts for you, as jenn says we are on your handbag, keep that focus.
jenn, i am really sure the gym has helped me. my upper body strength is alot better, i finish there as my six months are over, it is a medical gym though, for diabetes and heart patients, injuries etc, people with medical issues funded by the goverment and i must say it has helped. i will find another one, the pool one and i can use the pool at any time.
Tammy, i get like that too, really snakey, things just get beyond me at times. and the tears well up and i let rip. it makes me feel better. after awhile. lets alot of aggresion out as sometimes i could quite easily loose and end up punching some one, BIL does not know how close he has been to wearing a knuckle sandwich.
Anyway better go. catch you later.
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Home again - no mammo only ultrasound which was good - the area they found last time is still there and didn't think it was worth doing another biopsy - so we'll see in 6 months time or we'll see what the bs says next week. The best words on the report are no evidence of recurrent disease
Major stress as I tried to drive out of my driveway this morning - this idiot had parked a big long truck over our entrance - boy did they get a blasting - I was in a hurry and already stressed - didn't make the trip to the breast clinic a calm one - I'm still swearing.
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Oh Sue I'm so glad that you got a good report! Big sigh of relief!! I can imagine the tongue lashing that bloke in the truck got.......lol.......good for you!
I'm back home again after two days in the city. Yay! I look like a woman again instead of a wooly goat.....lol......got my hair cut again and it looks soooo much better! Had another acupressure treatment and I'm sore again but not as bad as last time so I'm guessing that's a good thing and the seem to be working as I'm not getting nearly as muck arm and neck pain and for that I'm very grateful!
Had our next door neighbour in just a little while ago checking where the new combustion fire is going to go........he is installing it for us. Looks like it will be done next week Teusday! I am so excited as I know it is going to make I huge difference to keeping the house warm through the winter.
Hope you are all doing well.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Thanks Chrissy - still have to see what Dr says - she wanted to do an excisional biopsy 6mths ago.
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Suzie, some truck drivers are arogant, i am glad you gave them a hammering.
But very glad your results are good. yay. that would of made the trip nicer going home, even tho you were still fuming from the truck incident.
glad you home chrissy. nothing like home aye.
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Good news Sue :-)
Jenn
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I'm still mad - Chrissy is right, she imagined it exactly. They were there to build a fence for the house 2 doors down - WTF???? our driveway wasn't the only place they could park. Steve was pleased as, he would probably have reversed right into them - he left a short while after I did and he said he never looks.
Annie sent me a delivery from Coles Online - yummy cheeses, pate, crackers, flowers etc as a care package. Very lovely thought. The weird thing was we got a dozen eggs too and they weren't even on the order.
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Sue......bonus!.......lol. That care package sounds perfect! Your Annie is a lovely girl that's for sure. Maybe if Steve had hit the truck and the owners had to pay for repairs just maybe they would cease parking across others driveways.
I need to find some energy between now and Easter so I can clean my dumpster of a house.......lol......I'm even contemplating getting someone in but that is easier said than done in the country.
Love n hugs all! Chrissy
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Hi all
Like you Chrissy I need some energy, I've just started my garden makeover. I've sprayed some poison on some plants that I want to get rid of, one is a hedge that is very hard to kill. I'm determined to get heaps done in the garden now that the weather is cooler and a good time to plant.
I've also been cleaning up inside and throwing heaps out. I'd still like to paint inside as I haven't done anything to this place since I've moved in.
Carol
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Carol I'm hoping that the accupreasure treatments I'm having will take away the pain which will give me the impetus to get going and get a few things done before the beginning of June when I go for the knee replacement. I have been sorting a few thing and getting rid of a lot but there is so much stuff here that ha just been having a bit of a party while my back was turned.........lol........it seems to have multiplied while I wasn't looking. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is getting my house clean and sorted........lol.
I just have to keep telling myself, one step at a time and all will get done.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Sue, hugs.
I take my femara at bedtime.
Chrissy, a new fire sounds lovely. I love the wooly goat comment. My chin has actually got the billy goat look since hormone therapy started. I really, really hate it
Tammy, it's great you got good support, mood swings, cancer and hormone therapy seem to go hand in hand x
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Kylie, I take my Femara at bedtime too.
I'm in a much better headspace this week.....looking forward to a restful weekend!
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Hi all,
At this moment, it is fatigue and hot flushes that are a problem. Just had my 8th of 17 Herceptin today. Dealing with stress is another big issue. Can't seem to think or do things the way I used to.
Thinking of you all! Karen, especially you...
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Hi all
I'm sorry but I'm going to complain. I HATE MY JOB. We have a new Manager who for the past few weeks has changed just about all staff's hours. Today I was told I have to do 4 days on checkout instead of 3. If I new that I would have to do just 1 day on checkout I would never have transferred to this store. Coles are celebrating their 100th Birthday next Wednesday, where meant to take a cake in but they can stuff their cake, I've got nothing to celebrate. For a company that's been around for 100 years they sure haven't learnt how to treat their staff with respect.
I feel better now, thanks for reading.
I hope you all have a good weekend.
Carol
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Carol sending big hugs. Hating jobs is so soul destroying. Had one teaching position where I cried all the way to school each day. It was toxic I can tell you.
Hope everyone has had a good weekend.
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