Life on aromasin
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I have chipped my teeth many times, he,he,he!!!0 -
I don't have enough to use LOL
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can you hear me chuckling? Thank you for the chuckle first thing in the morning!!0 -
I have no molars on the bottom; despite going to the dentist on a regular basis my whole life! So use my front teeth to chew. (picture an elderly squirrel!)
Because of this over-use of the front and corner teeth, they chip---which then causes decay. Every six months I have one or two cavities. - it is so irritating. But I love the dentist and the staff - so that helps a lot!0 -
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Galsal I live right down the road hahaha
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LMAO!!! I'll send you a PM for you to tell him who referred you if you ever go there. HA
I've known him since I was about 12 yrs old and am 54 this month. While he was in Vietnam, when the phone rang in the middle of the night we always knew it was him calling. He was in those last groups of Marines to leave since he worked on a helicopter ship. I remember watching him go through all the college schools to get where he is today. His brother lives over on College Avenue, near the station, in the house their father owned before his death. The third brother, is from Wheaton too but I've no clue where he lives.0 -
Hello everyone!I am still hanging in there on Aromasin, but after 6 long months, it is still not much better for me and in some areas, it is worse (the brain fog) and the pain in the joints has not died down at all. My hands hurt, my wrists, knees, hips, ankles etc. The only SE I did not get was the 'can't sleep" cause I take an ativan before bed and it zonks me right out. But, I am always tired even if I do get sleep. I nap now! I NEVER napped in my life but I do now. When I get home from work, I turn on Barefoot Contessa on the food channel and I am snoring inside of 20 mins until hubby wakes me up at around 5 to check my cat's blood sugar and make dinner. He does all the housework these days, but we don't let him cook (the hubby, not the cat
) or we would be eating frozen pot-pies daily HA! So, I am thinking that soon I am going to need a couple of weeks off from this drug cause I am truly done with feeling like chit all of the time. Since I work full time, I really need to be able to think clearly (I am an Employment Specialist and work with people who are trying to get back to work and send them to trainings etc) and lately I have been unable to remember to even write case notes half of the time. I used to always write my notes at the end of the day for all of the clients I saw during the course of my day but now, fuggedaboudit! I can't remember squat!
So, do you think if I took a break when I went back on, it would be better? My onc won't put me on any of the other AI's (I had DCIS and she thinks they are not appropriate for this) only tamoxifen and with my family history of strokes and blood clots, not a good idea for me. Sooo, I REALLY want to be off aromasin for the holidays so I can get some stuff done for a change since I am such a slug on this and I am going to stop taking it for two weeks. Should I even tell my onc about that?
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April don't listen to me cuz I don't listen to Drs. much but--at one point I did go off of the med and my Onc said OK , I did tell her, but u really have to be off it for a while to feel the difference maybe 1,2 weeks, I didn't feel any different so I went back on, but I've been on it longer than u and damage has already been done to my bones and back and anything else. So I think go for it--but cll u'r Onc and tell her what u are experiencing too. Good luck
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April, do you really need a hormonal if you don't have invasive cancer? You did have radiation.
Ask the onc what percentage of benefit you are getting. If you feel this horrible and it is affecting your job I would think long and hard about continuing.
In case I get bashed by the ones who are having no or little SES,. trust me guys, SE's can be truly debilitating and I worry about long-term damage to bones, muscles, etc.0 -
Dogs, I don't really understand why those without invasive cancer take it. But now I'm reading posts from those who are just considered high risk, not even with DCIS, being prescribed anti-hormonals.0 -
I take the dang pill and I am DCIS. I never really questioned it when told to take it so.,,,
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Yes, I've read those posts too Yorkiemom---maybe one day every female will be told to take hormonals when they reach puberty. Who knows? But if they know for sure that they prevent cancer it would of course be worth it. I just wish we knew more about the long-term effects and wish the dosages could be given according to your weight and/or age.0 -
Well, if you don't have bad SEs Proud it wouldn't matter. I have learned to question everything because the docs can't know everything and each patient is different and deserves the doc's time and expertise. But these days it is like an assembly line at a doctor's office. My internist actually told me he couldn't spend more than 10 minutes per patient.0 -
well I was in shock at the start so just followed orders~~~
I am not sure some days on the SEs, I know I have arthritis in my feet and legs, so who knows if it will fade a bit after I end the dang PILL
doc says Jan 14 but I think it should be Dec 13....counting days
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I hope it does Proud---0 -
Hi everyone. It's been a while since I've posted, but I am always keeping up with the posts. My onc has never said to me that anti hormonal meds would prevent cancer. She said it would lower my risk of a recurrence. I saw her today and she repeated the same thing. I took that to mean that if you have invasive cancer, that there is a chance that the cancer cells could have spread to other parts of the body and if the cancer is ER+ then the anti hormonal meds would lower the estrogen in your body so the cancer cells wouldn't have any "food" to help it grow. She said there was no guarantee that the cancer would not return, it just lowers the risk. If I had not had invasive cancer I would not have taken this dang pill. I'm like April, I am so tired and drained all the time. Joints hurt all the time.
April I have heard where some people took a month or two off the meds and when they started back they didn't have as SEs as bad as the first time. I've only been on AIs since July so I haven't taken a break from them yet.0 -
There must be some rationale for giving anti-hormonals to people only at high risk, but dang if I know what it is.0 -
Me either, Yorkie.0 -
We all know by now I know nothing I just kind of--yes kind of follow orders and since my cancer is not threatening me now I don't know, but SE are horrendous. Oh it's not constant, just when I move. I don't move a lot --now I'm laughing. But when u go to the Onc. don't u notice all u have to say is I get headaches and u'r getting a test, or my side hurt another scan I say nothin' anymore Geeze I don't need a nite light in my room.
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Camille, you always make me smile!
I have a neighbor who is in her late 60s. She says she really likes her doctor, but every time she goes to see her for her high BP or cholesterol (not sure what her issues are and don't want to ask) the doctor has a new test or scan she wants to do to her. She thinks the doctor, who is fairly young, is scared she will miss something and get sued.She says the doc is always saying "Well, now that you are a senior we need to do such and such test." She is beginning to question the necessity, but was afraid to do so in the beginning.0 -
Dogs oh maybe it's my age, I forget I'm that age too. Well Ilook in the mirror and OMG it looks like I live in Halloween land, but I don't think I'm that age in my brain and my voices tell me I'm not.
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cami,
So right! The mirror doesn't lie, but our minds deceive. I've finally started dating, online. I've met a couple of guys and been shocked how old they look and how much they remind me of men a generation older. Well I'm now that generation and these guys are probably looking and thinking the same about me!0 -
Doxie that's so funny, cuz my cousin said oh around late 60's she thought maybe she's start dating nd when she opened her self up to dating it was to her all old men around 70 and she said I don't want to go out with these old men--Excuse me but how old do u think u are---so she never did dte. hahaha But Doxie there might be a great guy for u so keep on searching, cuz u could have some big enjoyment.
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Dogs, I felt the same way since my diagnosis was DCIS but the MO said that if I do have a recurrence (which the AI is supposed to help prevent) more than half the time it is invasive cancer and the studies I have read support that theory. DCIS is BC that has not broken out of the duct yet BUT, the surgeons and doctors can NEVER be sure that a few stray cells had not escaped elsewhere but were not detected, thus the rads and the AI. I was >95% ER positive which is why my MO is adamant I try to take the AI or tamoxifen (which is what she really wanted to give me) but since I was a former smoker, still have my uterus and have a family history of strokes and blood clots she relented and gave me aromasin which is the only AI she thinks appropriate for DCIS through clinical trials.
I am truly thinking of going off the evil pill, but I am also smart enough to know that it works as studies have shown over and over again so I am kind of afraid to stop taking it and leaving it to chance.
Often people think of DCIS as a pre-cancer but it is not that at all. It is BC and if a recurrence happens, the odds are this time it will be invasive. A lot of controversy swirling around DCIS and the treatment protocols. I have done my fair share of reading and prefer to err on the side of caution, but these SE's are pretty intense. I am damned if I do and maybe damned if I don't I guess...sigh
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April, I'm like you. It would practically take a near death experience, lol, for me to quit my little white pill. But I did have invasive cancer, plus 2 nodes, so I am absolutely in need of that insurance. And since I have very tolerable SEs, it's a no-brainer decision.0 -
My dr. retired a few months ago; he said due to obamacare. A bright young dr. from India took his place. Her favorite words to me now seem to be, "Because of your history..." I have Achilles bursitis with a noticeably swollen bursa so she ordered an ultrasound to make sure it wasn't a blood clot. Then there was another test, "because of your history." I tell myself to have an attitude of gratitude, grateful that I have the insurance, grateful that I don't have very far to go for testing, grateful that I have a dr. who's so attentive. Otherwise I would be saying "grrr' all the time.0 -
corky. I have heard the dang words...you know with your history......then they give me a script for some dang test! I think the docs are afraid they will miss something even if they have nothing to do with my cancer treatment. Sometimes I do their testing and sometimes I just do not!
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No scans have been ordered from day one other than the initial Breast MRI. Have lots of aches and pains due to RA well before the BC journey. I take that back. This week the Rheumy ordered an MRI of my hands/wrists. She was debating a body scan although we're concerned the RA and OA would show lots of hot spots, which would freak me out, knowing that more and more tests would be ordered. So we're going for the lesser test first.0 -
I brought this up on another thread but it should really be mentioned here too. If you are having extraordinary SEs from the generic Aromasin (exemestane) then try the Exemestane made by Greenstone. It has identical ingredients to the name brand but being a generic should cost considerably less. Greenstone is the authorized maker of generic exemestane. People say it can make a difference. I am lucky in that so far my mail-order pharmacy has been sending the Greenstone manufactured product without my MO having to specify.0
