Any 40-ish survivors?
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Hi everyone, I was diagnosed 2 years ago at 39, just 2 months shy of my 40th birthday. I had bilateral mastectomy and tissue expanders, which recently were removed for a MRI scan of my head. I am "au natural" for the time being until we decide on what to do next. My son, 3 years, and my daughter, 6 years, keep me busy.
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Hi Bethie and Hoolianama, this is a great thread, welcome to you both!
Bethie, we will be thinking of you, let us know how your recon goes.
Hoolianama, Hope your scan went well? I didn't know you had to have TEs removed for MRI.
Hope everyone is having a great week, DH birthday today, so ate way too much all day.
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Hi Bethie and Hoolianama - hope everything goes well for you both.
Hoolianama: Why did they not do a CT of the head instead of MRI? I know you can't do an MRI with the magnets but that seems rough to have TEs removed. Good luck with the results. My DH has a birthday on July 3rd so we will be doing the same thing.
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How did I miss this thread earlier? I definitely qualify on the age. I am 41, with 3 small children at home, ages 8, 5, and 3. I worked fulltime for a large software company until about 5 months ago when I got laid off. I'm currently staying at home with the kids, looking for a job (half-heartedly during the summer, as I find it hard to interview and be professional with all kids underfoot), and enjoying life these days.
I had DCIS, lumpectomy and 6.5 weeks of rads in the early part of 2010. I've spent the past 1 1/2 year trying to build up my immune system, energy levels, and nutrition. It's almost a full time job in itself, and I feel like I am popping a vitamin every hour of the day!!!
As for me, I love beer, but had to give it up when I finally figured out that I had gluten intolerance, about 6 months after my BC diagnosis. These immune diseases seem to group up like that, don't they? Working on the gluten thing as well, and it's hard to get enough good calories without wheat in my life!
I love to ride my bicycle, so I ride with my good girlfriends every morning (when weather is good), and I attempted my first triathlon this year. I've got a few stretch goals in front of me as incentive to keep fit after dealing with this beast called Breast Cancer.
Look forward to getting to know you ladies!!
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Welcome Bethie, Hoolianama and MariannaHB - this is a great thread and look forward to chatting with you all!
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Welcome to you 3 gals! Glad you found us! Lovely group of ladies here.
No, the tortoise's shell will not grow back. As for the actual hole, the vet said she can "seal" it if the wound looks better by next week. We'll see. He's eating well, and I tried to get him to drink a bit of water. I can't actually put a dish down because he might get his bandage wet. And he hasn't pooped. Hmmm.
We're going to have a BBQ on the 4th-probably about 12 people-and set off fireworks in the backyard. Baby fireworks. The big ones are just too expensive.
Babysitting today-did my arm workout by lifting his 15 pounds over my head a bunch...until he spit up on me. Whoops!
106 yesterday-I think the monsoons are rolling in, so maybe we'll get some rain in the next week or so and cool down. Hopefully!
I hope everyone has a terrific rest of your day!
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Hi Everyone. I was looking at the 40-60ish thread and I really don't fit there. I was diagnosed at 40, month and half short of my 41st. I had BMX with tissue expander's. Had 6 rounds of A/C/taxatere. Finished March 25th. Had my exchange surgery last week. I have 3 kids, 11y girl, 9yr boy, 6yr girl. I am a full time homeschooling mom. New to this whole forum thing, but tired of not having anyone that can relate that is my age with kids. It is nice to read that I am not alone and that what I have been feeling has been felt before.
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Hi mamachick, sounds like you will fit right in with this crowd. How are you doing post exchange, do you like your final results? I have my exchange in 2 weeks, I am only taking 1.5 weeks off work, I hope this is enough.
Kim, glad to hear the turtle is doing better. Sorry, but your escapades with the turtle make me laugh, guess that's because I am not paying the vet bill.
Happy July to all!
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Good Morning~ Hi to the new girls.
Momachick- I am new too. I didn't know what I was doing at all (still not sure sometimes) it is nice to talk to others who may have the same experiences. That is wonderful that you get to home school,I used to have a friend that taught her children. I just had my exchange surgery too. I hope your surgery went well and you are happy with your results.
Kimn- was thinking about you YOU ARE DONE RIGHT???? You may not feel like celebrating yet but I wanted to say Yea for you!!! Hope this one was easy for you and you can move on.
MariannaHB - I bet you are a busy mom!! I am working on building my immunity back up too. After chemo my white blood cell counts have been very low. I also try hard to walk everyday and eat well. You will have to let me know what kind of vitamins I should look into if you don't mind.
HoolianamaO- I am stage 3a also. I also hope your tests will be clear and no problem.
Have a good day everyone and HAppy Fourth Of JuLY !
Kim
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Hi Bethie1- I'm sorry I forgot to say how nice it is to read you are three years out!! I hope you are very happy with reconstruction. My surgery went very well and I was back at it very quickly. It was much easier than BMX.
Lisa- I also forgot to say....I am so happy to hear the redness was not a bigger issue. Hope the fluid can be easily fixed??
Have a great day,
Kim
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Hi Kim-
Nice to meet you here. I can totally understand building up the immune system again after chemo. Hope you are feeling well after the surgery as well.
I work with a nutritionist and a doctor, so my program is geared at feeding the body with nutrient dense foods, and using supplements until I get to point of health where I no longer need a huge amount of supplements. The end goal: To get to a diet where I take all my nutrients from food, and then just use a multi-vitamin.
Until I get there, this is the plan I follow:
Vegetables. Usually organic. I have to have a serving of vegetables with every meal of the day. This one is hard for me in the morning,but on mornings when I am being really, really good, I will have an omelette with bell peppers, broccoli, onions, etc. Usually, I start out with a gluten free waffle with almond butter and 1 small cup of black coffee.
Now, it's a bit easier to add veggies to your lunch and dinner, but here's the rule. Aim for 3 colors on each plate, and make sure one of your servings is raw. You see, raw vegetables incur different enzymatic processes within your digestive system than cooked one, so it's very important to have this serving at lunch and dinner (or for snacks as well). So, remember the rule: 3 colors -- and aim for the "rich" colors, red, yellow, orange, deep purple, etc. Every couple of days, I pop 2 yams or sweet potatoes in the oven and I eat those for good carbohydrates. I also have a serving of leafy greens on at least one meal a day, so I make up a big salad at lunch time.
One trick I have now implemented is that I buy a party tray of veggies at the store (non-organic, usually, since I cannot afford the other), and I bring it out at every meal for my kids to eat one raw thing. I will end up snacking on these as well. Sometimes I splurge and I buy a fruit party tray as well, and we end up really getting the right amount of fruits and veggies on those days!
I also have a small serving of protein with each meal, and eat a good variety of chicken, fish, beef and turkey. I struggle with having enough protein, especially since I exercise quite a bit and I don't get wheat in my diet. I get my grains through buckwheat and wild rice. I cannot tolerate quinoa, as it makes my tummy hurt!!! So always on the lookout for good grains that are GF.
Just remember the rule: 3 deep colors on each plate!
As for supplements, here's a rundown of my latest schedule:
- 1 Multi Vitamin (Whole Foods brand)-- I alternate between buying with and without Iron added
- Molybdenum- because I showed high levels of copper, an imbalance we are working on getting straight
- Biotin- 1000 IU for skin, hair, nail growth
- Iodine from Kelp
- Magnesium- love this one, as it's a natural anti-depressant for me- 2X daily 300 IU each
- Calcium
- Vitamin C (powder form) 2X a day, 1000 IU
- Zinc
- Vitamin D drops 2000 IU (1 dropper daily)
At a seperate time of day, I take (not together):
- Co Q10 with Vitamin E
- Turmeric
Every few weeks, I supplement with Water Miscible Vitamin A. It seems to help with my eyes, skin and hair. I only take it for a week, as it's a fat soluable vitamin. I wish I could take it all the time, because it makes an immediately noticeable difference in my skin-- 10 years taken off for a week!!
If you have any questions about the supplements, let me know. I am so happy with the way I feel nowadays, after years of feeling sluggish and having a very sudden weight gain (just prior to BC Dx), I feel like I have energy! It's a good feeling, since I was basically malnourished after suffering from "IBS, i.e, gluten intolerance" for 5 years solid. I had lost all my minerals and was aging rapidly when my doctor caught the gluten allergy. Now, we are undoing the damage, and it's helping with everything.
My next thing is that I want to try Lugol's iodine. I have problems with Plantar Fascitis, and I am starting to think it's tied to my thyroid. I'm going to give it a try soon....
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Marianna - I didn't know you could take Vit D in a dropper! I just has to start take Vit D supplements, but I take:
- 1,000 iu of D3 supplement
- 400 iu of D3 as part of Calcium supplement
- 400 iu D? as part of multivitamin
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From what I've read, Vitamin D3 is more readily absorbed by the body in an oily form, thus the drops. I add 1-2 drops to my coffee in the morning. I use D-drops by Carlson. They cost $22 a bottle, but the bottle lasts for close to one year. My multi also has 400IU Vitamin D, but I increased my levels from 29 to almost 80 ng in my bloodstream using the Vitamin D drops.
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Wow Mirianna, welcome, thank you for all the wonderful info. Have you tried juicing for breakfast veggies? I know it's not the ideal way to get all your veggies since the pulp has so much to offer, but I do this for breakfast (like a slimfast shake) a few times a week. I did learn that beets detox the system - I learned that the hard way! I thought I was getting the red devil again!
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MariannaHB- Thank you so much for all of your information. I really love my veggies and grow many of them myself ( no spraying ) That has always been so easy for me, I had no idea what type vitamin to take. Thank you for asking about my surgery - I have done very well. ONC is still concerned about low white counts though. I will see him again late July. He will be checking B12 and Folate with a diagnosis of Neutropenia. My last round of chemo was tough on my bones and muscle. Have always been one to exercise and I am just now getting back to it. So the vitamin information is much appreciated. I do love sweet potatoes and beets and all those good things.
Gina- I made my husband and I a roasted beet and goat cheese salad a few weeks ago. The next morning he was at work and I at home ...each of us had a very similar situation while in the restroom....I thought for sure I was in a bad way with bleeding or something ( forgot about beets) anyway that night he came home telling me his concern about "seeing red" and that he remembered the beets..I was so happy he said that because until then I was sure something really awful was going to happen...Oh gosh the places my mind goes!!!
Thanks again MariannaHB- I will be writing this down. I would love to get my energy back. I also feel as though my face is showing the age too with the drugs etc. THANKS!!!
Kim
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Thanks for the welcome here.
Kmur and Christine47 I wish I could say that I am happy with the results of exchange, but it is not to be so.. I have many, many questions for my PS next week. Comfort wise it was much better than the BMX. Anything is better without drains! I am hoping somethings can be fixed. Or as they have been saying on here that they will "fluff and drop" I didn't expect perfection they weren't perfect to start with, but expected them to look more like breasts not expanders. I will give it time though. I hope you are doing well Kmur with your exchange. Christine depending on what you do for work 1.5 weeks should be fine. I am still sore, but able to most normal functions without thinking about it. Let us know how it goes.
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Hi Mamachick- I do know what you mean about your surgery. Mine did drop some and they are a bit more fluffy it has been since May 3rd. I have very thin skin so I do have some rippling. I go back to the PS in August to lay out the plan to correct this. She has said she will harvest some fat and move it to this area. My real breasts were far from perfect so yes I have more shape now and I am fuller but I am embarrassed to admit what I really wanted was for them to be super great!!
Christine47- I would think you should be in good shape too unless you have any lifting. My PS did tell me she did not want me lifting for several weeks ( I think she said nothing over ten pounds). The implants do feel much better than TE!!
Kim
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I haven't posted in a while. We have been busy all four weeks of our summer vacation so far. We had VBS this week and I helped in the nursery. My LE arm is a little fluffy but I learned something this week. I can do a wee bit more than I thought I could. It did make me exhausted but I did the whole week without a break...and the four month old baby weighed 19 pounds. I have a sore left arm to go along with my fluffy arm. I will get the LE arm back down but it felt good to do something again.
I took my last Femara last night. I am looking forward to my one week break. I am going on Arimidex and I hope my side effects are less. I am taking 600mg. of Motrin currently to help with the pain. Two bottle later and I will say it has finally helping my pain but I am not telling the Dr. that. lol Arimidex is going to be cheaper than what my copay for Femara was.
Welcome to the new ones.
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Yum! How do you make the roasted beet and goat cheese salad? I have tried roasting beets a few times, but have had absolutely no luck with it. I usually end up boiling mine, since I've messed up so many with attempts at roasting!
Would love that recipe, because the description just sent me into full-on craving mode for beets and goat cheese!!
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HI ladies, I AM DONE Yippeeeeee. Had my last round yesterday and other than feeling tired I feel fine I am sooooo excited I never thought I would get here and here I am . Its Canada Day today and celebrating no more chemo what a great day
Hugs Kymn
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I had an ablation in 2006 And although it lightened my periods it did not help with the pain..actually it ended up getting worse..I had a hysterectomy 2 years later..I know people who have had it for heavy bleeding and have had great success.
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MariannaHB - It is really good if you like beets. I will forward the recipe to you.
Kimn- I thought that was it for you.....How great is that to be done with chemo. Once you get through the taste issues you will begin to feel more normal again. SOO happy for you!!
Kittydog- I have a fluffy arm myself. I'm sitting here with my sleeve on right now. The humid weather seems to be a trigger for me. It is so nice of you to volunteer your time for the kids
Kim
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YAY KYMN! I'm so happy for you that you're done. That's a huge weight lifted off your shoulders. I hope your side effects are mild this time. Happy dance :-)
Welcome again to the newcomers! I'm still really glad I made this group. So many of us fit perfectly-it's awesome.
Glad my tortoise stories have provided some entertainment. You'll be happy to know he's now pooped a few times. Yay Mr. T! But he does seem to be oozing some fluid from his bandage. He doesn't appear to be in pain, though. He lets me pick him up and pet his head, and he's eating like a pig. Follow up appointment is Tuesday-early afternoon so I have time to recover from my hangover from the BBQ. Hee hee
OMG, so my 11 year old wants to start shaving her legs! Uhhhh, crap. She does have "hairy" legs, but it's fine and blonde. I explained that it will start growing in thick and brown, but she's dead set on starting before school starts again. My mom never taught me how to shave, so this will be a new experience. She also has fine, blonde armpit hair, so I told her she needs to start shaving it too. She wasn't too thrilled with that idea. I bet my hubby will freak when I tell him-his little girl is growing up!
I've been dieting for a week and I've lost 6 pounds. All I'm eating is vegetables and proteins. No beer (ugh!) and lots of water. My morning meal is usually celery and cream cheese-I wouldn't be able to eat cooked veggies for breakfast. Ugh. Not that my pants are fitting any differently, but I'm happier when I step on the scale. Next comes regular exercise!
I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!
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Oh, and I have to say I thought I would end up with "perfect" boobs too. I thought they would be bigger and rounder, and more up top towards my chin, if that makes sense. They've settled small (small C), and more down. And wide apart. I really don't have any cleavage unless I wear some sort of bra that pushes them together. Sigh.
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Marianna - thanks for posting about your vitamins. I am very keen to read and prepare myself for when I have finished chemo. I'm planning a full on nutrition assault to help recover from chemo, help hair grow back and get back to feeling healthy!
Kymn - yay! Celebrate big time today!!
Kittydog and Kim - the whole arm thing totally sucks! I had all my nodes removed too and constantly feel like it's on the verge of swelling up. I got my arm sleeve the other day and wore it for hours to wear it in. I'm seeing a Physio once a week and that's really helping.
I'm feeling good post my last AC and have another week to go before I start Taxol. I'm making the most of it and getting out and about. I was out until 1am last night at a quiz night, I even had 2 glasses of wine. It was great to be normal and blend into the crowd in my wig.0 -
Welcome to the newbies.....dieting I don't think I will have to Xeloda is kicking the butt, no appetite and naseous most of the day, what will it be like adding the zometa next moth....
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Hey gang!!! Thanks for the welcome. I'm having a DIEP flap with the recon. What's to be expected besides drains and abdomen pain? Also, why do the docs say no ibuprofen or multivitamin 7-10 days before surgery? I understand the no aspirin thing cause that'll thin blood--just curious--thanks sistas!!!!!
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Congrats Kymn on your final chemo! We knew you could do it.
Thanks for all the response on my exchange questions. Sorry to hear that not everyone is thrilled with the results. I will be glad to get rid of the rock hard expanders (although they look pretty good and not wearing a bra has been great). Hopefully if my expectations are not to high, I will be satisfied. My job is not physical and I am only working part time thru the summer at least, good to hear I can get back on schedule, since I have been off so much.
Happy 4th of July to all!
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Kymn: HOORAY!! Hope everything goes well from here on out.
Bethie: My BS said no ibuprofen because it also thins the blood because it is an anti-inflammatory and no multivitamin because Vit E can also thin the blood.
Kim: Glad the turtle is doing better. My DD (15) started shaving her legs in 6th grade. She is a brunette though so the hair was very obvious. Now she says "AHH, I have to shave again.
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Hi Kim- I'm so happy your tortoise pooed. Is it not funny what we do for our animals....we have English Mastiffs that were actually dumped and in very bad shape. Our vet put them back together. We then moved to Ky. and one of our "free" stray dogs had a turned stomach (usually fatal) He had emergency surgery a few days in ICU and I can't really say how much all that cost,but he is sitting at my feet right now loving life in the house!!
KiwiMum- yes it does stink...gosh I really don't like the arm swelling...thought I was all good,but hit me early this summer. I am also seeing an LE specialist.I will see her again in a couple of weeks and she may wrap the arm really well. It is early stage so hoping for the best. Happy to hear you got to have some fun out and about!!
Bethie1- you know I'm not sure why for the vitamins. I'm like you I understand with aspirin etc. I'm afraid I can't really say what to expect with your surgery as mine was a different kind. Sorry I'm not much help,but many ladies on here could prolly help.
Hi Christine47- Just wanted to say I really do like my results. I think you hit the nail. I'm not sure what my expectations were really. I will say they are better than what I had. I would think you will bounce right back after this surgery...
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