Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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I am waiting for the BRCA test to come back before starting radiation. My MO started me on Arimedex because he thinks with my weight Tamoxifin (sp?) is not the right choice. He ordered Lupron shots to shut down my ovaries until I get around to a hysterectomy.
Has anyone tried glucosamine to lessen the joint pain? He said joint pain occurs mostly in patients with some arthritis, which I know I have mild arthritis. What other supplements help you manage the se for Arimedex?
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ejmann - my MO put me on 1500 mg of glucosamine, in addition to calcium and vitamin d when she started me on Arimidex. My pharmacist told me it's glucosamine sulfate, specifically, that I want to be on. I've had mildy stiff hands here and there, but no other joint issues thus far, but it's still early days, so we'll see. I've been on Arimidex for about 2.5 months now.
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ejmann, the only supplements I am currently taking are Biotin, calcium, magnesium, zinc and D3. There is a great thread for Arimidex in the Hormone forum
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ejmann44 - I have taken glucosamine for creaky knees up until chemo and I am convinced it worked. I can't remember the kind I used, but don't get the grocery store generic brand, I feel like that wasn't as effective.
Moondust - Funny you should ask - I had a lumpectomy with poor margins and node involvement in Dec. '15. My first opinion oncologist wasn't sure about Perjeta being covered either because I already had surgery, but technically needed more surgery as a result of the cancer being a lot more extensive than originally projected. So as a result, it wasn't clear to me if I was receiving neo-adjuvant or adjuvant treatment. When I got my second opinion at Dana-Farber (where I go now) they recommended a different treatment, but still including Perjeta. I asked if it would be covered, and my oncologist said not to worry about that. It was indeed covered. It may be because of the node involvement.
Have a great weekend everyone!0 -
5/21 rads done. Glad to have weekend off. Trying to rest tonight. DH & I are riding motorcycles to see in-laws tomorrow. About a 2 hr drive. I have Sportster that I drive. Then going to see my family Sunday, about an hour away.
Happy Friday! Hope everyone has a relaxing weekend
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Alice - so glad you are feeling better! Can't believe you plan to hike this weekend...Wishing you perfect weather!
Fighter girl - so glad you got a clear path report...Woohoo!!
LG - congrats on your weight loss plan. Hoping you get that ok to head back to the gym soon.
Tbalding - glad the rads are good so far. I just finished 12/20 and fortunately have had very minimal se's so far. I have increasing redness, but no wholesale itchybumpy spots yet. Three more full breast treatments before 5 boosts. Hoping my luck holds.
Molly - thanks so much for posting those recent articles...
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Headed out in a bit to pick up my youngest from his caregivers. We are taking him up to the north Georgia mountains for a nice little vacation with the whole family this fathers day. The two older kids are going to help us with all the walking and swimming that Christian requires. Its supposed to be in the upper 70s this weekend. Perfect summer mountain weather.
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Poodles, enjoy your family time
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Dear Sandy: Congratulations on clean margins and nothing to worry about with your re-excision.
Dear Fightergirl: I am so happy for your great pathology report. Yay!
Dear Molly: You looked beautiful in your picture. Congratulations on your son graduating with his BS in EE cum laude! Wonderful.
Dear Peggy: Good luck with your move and with the closing on your house. You will be in Spokane soon - that is if your pets cooperate.
Dear Muh: I had ILC on my left side too. The radiation technicians used the "breath hold" technique with me too, so that my heart and lungs would be safe. I trust my RO. I am glad that I had radiation because I wanted to do everything that I could do to insure that I will not have a recurrence. Good luck, prayers, and hugs to you. I hope that you will be fine.
Dear Balding and Katzplay: Good luck with rads.
Dear LG: Sorry about your unsupportive family. That stinks. I am glad that you are so strong. I am also proud of you for exercising. I was medically induced into menopause and I was not perimenopausal at the time that I was diagnosed with bc. My MO gave me Zoladex shots to suppress my ovaries so that I would be medically induced into menopause. After 3 shots/months, I had an oophorectomy. I did not want to continue to take an extra medication so I had my ovaries removed. I had no problems from the medically induced menopause. I feel fine aside from minor hot flashes. The crappy part for me is weight gain. Since I started Arimidex/Anastrazole on the same day that I had the Zoladex shot (medically induced menopause), I do not know whether the hot flashes and the weight gain are from menopause or from Arimidex/Anastrazole. The weight gain SUCKS but the hot flashes are tolerable. Good luck, good health, prayers and hugs.
On a positive note, I have been walking 1 hour or more every day and walking more than 10,000 steps for exactly 3 weeks now aside from missing 1 day. I plan to keep this up because I desperately need to lose weight and stay healthy.
Dear Ejmann: Good luck.
Dear Moondust: You are amazing. You are mowing the lawn and hiking after having chemo. Wow. I hope that you continue to feel well and that you are able to reach your desired weight. Good luck, good health, prayers, and hugs.
Dear HH: I love the humor with the "crazy ass doll babies". Very funny. Seeing Raggedy Anne brought back memories of my doll.
I am sorry for missing many of you. However, I enjoyed reading the posts.
Happy Father's Day.
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Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!
Katz, thanks. I can't wait to start going back to the gym in a few weeks. It will be rough starting back!
614, I'm definitely having hot flashes 10 days post hysterectomy with ovaries out, but they aren't severe, just happening multiple times day and night. I get real cold - then 15 minutes later I'm real hot. of course were having the hottest weather in 20 years here with temps at 108 and 110, so not real sure how that plays into it with going in and out during the day. I will see how bad they are and compare with after I start tamoxifen the end of this month. I have not had pain in my breast in some weeks (the one that had the cancer), but now I am, just hoping it's the hormones causing it. Gynecologist thinks the tamoxifen will HELP the hot flashes, I don't know about that lol!!
Hugs to all!
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Peggy, I am hoping your move across country is going smoothly. I never really had hot flashes until I started exemestane.
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Hmm, I thought I posted last night but the post has vanished! So here I go again. I hope that Peggy is enjoying an uneventful trip across the country to her new home.
Poodles, may you enjoy every minute of your family mountain vacation!
Sue, my hikes have been scaled down but I will still try to do one every week. It's the only way I'll be able to keep my legs in shape. Yesterday I hiked about 7.5 miles on a nice forest service road. The weather was nice and I saw a beautiful creek and meadow. I'm quite slow up the hills now, compared to the speed I normally am. On the drive home I got very sleepy so pulled over for a short nap.
Sherri, it's great to hear that you are walking every day! I think you will be pleasantly surprised about your weight soon, as long as you don't start eating more
LG, until you get to the gym, maybe you can start walking too! Simple walking is such a great exercise!
Trish, I remember how nice it was to have every weekend off from rads. Enjoy!
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Dear LG: I am sorry that you are having pain in your breast. I hope that it is nothing. Every symptom is so scary. I hope that the pain goes away soon. I also hope that your hot flashes diminish. Make sure that you heal from your hysterectomy before you return to the gym. Get medically cleared from your doctor before working out. However, as Moondust said, walking should be fine. Good luck and I am wishing you a speedy recovery.
Dear Molly: I guess that you know for sure that your hot flashes are caused by the exemestane and not from menopause. Mine weight gain could be caused by the Anastrazole, the Menopause, or Both???? Same thing with my minor hot flashes. The hot flashes are not bad so I am lucky and I can live with it.
Dear Moondust: Thanks so much for the support. I know that over time, that the walking will help. I am making this my new lifestyle and "habit" so I should see results in a few months. I don't expect miracles. Gradual weight loss is the healthiest way. I am committed to walking 1 hour or more per day and 10,000 steps or more. I am also drinking more water and attempting to eat smaller portions. This is so hard though because since the medically induced menopause and the Anastrazole, I have been hungrier. I must somehow find the will power not to eat. I am proud of myself for walking. I am so impressed with you. 7.5 miles when you are on chemo. Wow. At least you are hiking in a beautiful area. Feel well.
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LG, MO may be correct. Oddly my hot flashes were stronger the month or so that I was off Tamoxifen to have the hysterectomy. Don't know if it was the Tamoxifen that helped moderate the hot flashes or my body just adjusted. At the time, I did think that the Tamoxifen helped. MJS
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I’m really nervous about Tuesday--bilat dx mammo and BS NP visit. I’ve been having little pangs in both breasts. I was told to expect them in the R one for up to a year as nerves regenerate, but the L is a mystery (and shortly after my ultrasound last year, pre-biopsy, I was feeling some momentary pangs. After my rads, I sometimes felt a mild crawly sensation in it, sort of like milk coming down (if I can even remember back that far) but milder. I am viewing Tuesday as the possible break in time, the new chasm between “okay” and “sick again.” And this time, if it’s the R, we’re talking mx--with the choice being reconstruction or flat. If flat, no way I could get a prosthesis to match the L--they just don’t make them, or the bras, that big. So then I’ll have to decide between L reduction oncoplasty (and if there’s tumor in there, lx+rads or a bmx--with or without reconstruction). And there’s always the specter this time of chemo. If so, I want to put my foot down and insist on Taxol rather than Taxotere. I don’t want the added fear of permanent hair loss--which risk rises on an AI concurrently with or preceding it.
But whatever turns up Tuesday, I will also be adamant about going forward with the Italy trip. One month can’t make THAT much of a difference, can it? (And I want to do my cataracts and have enough time afterward to recover before we leave, so I can drive on rural foreign roads at night).
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Sandy - wishing you the best with your upcoming MRI..and I don't blame you for wanting to proceed with your trip to Italy. I was worried last month when I left for France and Italy as I didn't have my Oncotype score yet. I just made the decision that worrying about it wasn't going to help one bit and that the experience was too precious to waste. May you get the all-clear. You deserve a great trip
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Sandy- your post is so real and I thank you for that...we all are just trying to deal with BC the best we can and are hoping that is it done with once we have our dx and treatments for that dx- as simply or as complicated as treatments must be and then, it would seem we would be done. However, we all know it just doesn't work that way- please know that I am keeping you close in thoughts and prayers as you go for this next set of tests.
You know, I think we are the only ones who can understand that you have to look ahead if you are getting a mammo and think about how having a mx will affect your scheduled set of events- in case the news is "bad"....right? Hugs to you!
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Moondust, I'm definitely walking, not not outside. It's been 110 degrees here and if I sweat much, much surgical incision hurts like crazy. I am stir crazy though lol!
614, thanks for the well wishes. I will definitely get Dr ok before exercise. I'm still bleeding some 10 days post op, so nothing major any time soon! Isn't it so hard not to eat what you want all the time? Lol! I feel your pain!
Sandy, I will keep you in my prayers for good results. I understand your worry. I finished radiation last month and RO said I would probably have follow up mammogram in January, and now I'm freaking because that is EIGHT months after I finished instead of six and I'm afraid that 2 more months may make a difference if they find a recurrence! I know I shouldn't be worrying, but will definitely talk to bs and mo about it when I meet with them later this month. We find ourselves thinking of what we're going to have to do next if something else is found. I still worry about right breast because I have never stopped having occasional pains even though nothing showed on mri in February. Will keep you in my thoughts! HUGS!
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So, this post moves so fast...that this is probably long forgotten, but Sloan, I wanted to reply to your post with the plum crumble recipe. It sounded great, and I followed it pretty much to the letter, but the plums portion is incredibly tart! Does yours turn out that way, or perhaps I have a different type of plums than you do (mine are Santa Rosas)? Ice cream on top helped but next time I think I will put a little sugar into the fruit portion of the crumble, even though usually I am not a fan of very sweet desserts.
Any clue as to where I went wrong? Or is it supposed to be mouth-puckering tart? (the crumble part came out nicely: not too sweet, not too tart)
xox
Octogir?
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Octogirl, I looked at a few recipes before I made my crumble. Most recipes wanted 1/2 cup sugar for 6 cups sliced plums. I compromised and put 2 tbsp sugar into the fruit. It was still tart, but just right to my tastes. The crumble part was sweet enough to stand up to the tartness!
Sandy, I understand your nervousness. Hopefully everything will be clear. Tuesday probably can't get here soon enough for you.
LG, I totally understand the sweat thing! Just do what you can until you are all healed!
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Katz, it’s not an MRI (yet)--just a bilateral diagnostic mammo. I understand that’s what they call it after a dx, even if the other breast came up normal (“normal scattered fibroglandular densities”) on the screening mammo. I’m hoping no further testing is required, but I’m prepared to be sent down the hall for an ultrasound if need be. Saving grace is that my breasts are fairly fatty rather than dense.
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Octogirl - I don't know which kind of plum I have, but they are pretty sweet. I use the really ripe fruit for the crumble. I kind of like the sweet-tart juxtaposition of the crumble with the plums, so maybe I didn't notice it. I'm up in Mammoth visiting my dad for Father's Day and spending the week here --and I'll miss all out 110 degree heat, yay-- and I made him a plum and berry crumble. I could see how that could have used a little sugar. He's a healthy eater, so he loved it tart. But, I might use a little sugar next time.
Moondust - How did yours turn out with a little sugar? I picked those last 40 plums after I got home and made those crumbles for my dad. At one point I was wishing Chris had picked them all. Haha. I'll come visit you in the 29th. Want me to bring lunch? I make a mean deli-style veggie sandwich and a tasty turkey. Put your order in!
Sandy - I'm thinking of you. I remember how stressed I was. Hang in there. On another note, we won't be renting a place in Chicago because our son and his family moved into their home this week. I've never heard of anything closing early in the real estate business. So, we'll be staying with them. We'll be in Chicago July 8-13 now. Maybe we can meet for lunch or coffee. We'll be in change of granddaughter #1 so mama and baby #2 can get some things done. Zoo, here we come!
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So, I did a little bit of searching online, and it turns out that Santa Rosa plums are the most tart, especially the skins. Found one website from a grower that said they were better in jam than for baking for that reason....so I suspect the type of plum is the culprit. I love tart jams so might get ambitious and try that....But, if I try the crumble again, will definitely put a bit of sugar in the fruit...I did add a few blueberries, which helped. It is an easy, great recipe, and so I might also try it with peaches...(wish I had a peach tree!).
I wish I only had 40 plums left! There are at least 200 left on the tree!....and a bunch that have already fallen to the ground...
Sandy, in your pocket...
xoxo to all
Octogirl
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Dear Sandy: I wish you the best tomorrow and I will be in your pocket. I can certainly understand your fear and worry. I worry too. I guess that all of us on this site can relate. It is difficult for people who have not had a bc dx to understand. Thank you for the information regarding Taxotere. I will file that for future reference if need be (but hopefully not) since I am taking Arimidex/Anastrazole. FWIW: I would have a bmx for symmetry reasons if I had to have a mastectomy. I had a medically necessary breast reduction and a breast lift and I had no problems with the surgery. (I am currently a size D.) I did not have any drains. My PS was OUTSTANDING and my breasts look phenomenal. Good luck and hugs.
Dear Peggy: I am in your pocket as you move today.
Dear Sloan: The plum pie sounds awesome.
Dear Octogirl: I guess that you will have plenty of plums to experiment with. Enjoy them.
Dear LG: What is the time frame that your Dr. gave for healing from the radical hysterectomy? The "open" surgery is so much harder to heal. I was numb for appoximately 1 year at the incision site/lower abdomen with both of my C-Sections and for my open double inguinal hernia surgery (both hernias on the right side). I hope that you won't experience that. It seems to be a theme for me because I am still numb under my arm and in my left breast from my surgery. It has gotten better but I still do not have full feeling yet almost 2 years later.
Hello to everyone else.
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Sandy, in your pocket for your mammo. I certainly understand your anxiety. I have been having some twinges, and tenderness in my right side even with a clean mammo I am afraid of the pathology after my umx next month. If I had to make the choice all over again, I would have had a bilateral mx. Now I am having my second mx to right the ship so to speak.
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Dear Molly: I am praying that your pathology after your mastectomy will be benign and that you have an easy recovery next month. Good luck and feel well.
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614, the doctor told me 6 weeks. I AM numb at incision site. He pretty much cut my entire bikini line from right to left. Pathology he said came out fine. I'm 11 days out and still having to take routine pain meds. Feel like my insides want to fall out every time I stand up. Have a little bleeding. Otherwise, I guess it's all normal. I've had a hard time not regretting the surgery, but I know in the end it's the best thing for me. Will soon be time to get on the tamoxifen train!
Hugs to all!!
Peggy , hope the move is going well!
Sandy, thinking of you for tomorrow!!!!
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Oh, Sloan, that will work out wonderfully! My entire schedule 7/8-13 is clear. Bob will be working that weekend, but maybe he can get home early enough for dinner. Maybe we can even grill, and we can get some more Rome pointers from you. And I can certainly make some great espresso or cappuccino (dairy-or-non) for you.
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Sandy, in your pocket tomorrow. I know I'll be nervous when I gave to go back in 6 mos for my first mammo.
Peggy, hope move is going well
Back to rads today, 6/21. Breast is tender, especially at nipple. Looks like it may be a little pink. Can't tell if pink is from rads or from working out. It was really hot in exercise room. Will see in the morning.
Hugs to all
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Sandy - In your pocket tomorrow. Sending hugs.
Trish - I just finished 13/21 and I have a little nipple tenderness and a few small red, blotchy spots. No real itching yet. My final full- breast treatment is Wednesday and the rest will be boosts. Hoping I make it across the finish line without and blistering or skin breaks. Feeling like I have a decent chance at this point
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