Stage 2 Sisters Club
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Hello dear Everyone - I am visiting the thread today to just chat a bit and wish everyone the beginning of a good year, especially those in active treatment. I am curious about how staging is done when chemo is done before surgery?
Anyway, I went yesterday for my trimester blood work and took a peek into the infusion area, and was surprised how faded my memories of chemo have become in less than 3 years. I also saw 2 photos of that time and noticed how much I have aged in less than 3 years! I don't like that. It just doesn't match how I feel inside.
Hugs, Nisa0 -
(((Nisa))) Do you think it's the Arimidex? I have definitely aged in the last few years due to loss of my ovaries and now anastrozole. I hope everyone else is doing well. I had my BS follow up this week. She said she wants me to have a mammogram in June. That puts me on the every six months schedule of mammo and MRI alternating. She wants me to talk to the genetic doctor before I make my decision about removing the other breast. She also wants me to wait on recon to really heal from rads and the trauma of two surgeries. I will probably wait until October. It will be just over a year at that point.
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Hi All, I am on vacation in Arizona so am checking in from my phone. Besides being hard to type on, it also does not let me make new paragraphs Anyway, Nisa, do some fun things to get the outside to match the inside; get a facial, have one of the makeup places give you a session and update your look, buy some fun very age inappropriate clothes, try a new hair style and/or color. Molly, I agree with your doctor. Give your body a break. It is hard to heal both physically and mentally when you always have another procedure coming up.
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Ruth! Enjoy your vacation.
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((Nisa)) - I feel I have aged both on the inside and the outside... although my incredible fiancé says I haven't - love him!!! I think it is a combination of the whole experience, treatments and the daily drugs. Within a few months of changing to Anastrazole after my hysto, I felt like I was in my 70"s and am only in my early 40's. It's done a number on my bones and joints, but I have made sure to keep moving every day. It has helped some. It 's the early morning, getting out of bed that seems to be the worst now. Maybe I should start sleep walking around the house LOL.
I agree with Ruth... spoil yourself, because you can!! See if that helps! I have found that planning get aways and having these trips to look forward to, is making me feel better about the inside and out. It reminds me to live each day for today and enjoy every new experience.
Ruth - enjoy Arizona!!!! Hope you got out from up north before the Arctic Blast!!
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I have 9 radiation tx left and will start arimidex after that. I'm concerned about it aging me, more wrinkles, sagging, etc. Is it just inevitable?
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cat - each person responds differently to anti-hormonals. If you read enough on these boards you will see that some have many SEs and others have none. I have been on both Femara and Arimidex and am almost at the five year point, and I had a total hyst/ooph 15 years ago. I will be 60 this year and nobody guesses my age, so I don't feel that either the ovary removal or the AI drugs have prematurely aged me. I do have joint aching and movng more does help with that - but I also adopted an anti-inflammatory diet, which makes a big difference. I do have some insomnia/fatigue - but those problems existed prior to diagnosis also.
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I did 5 years of Arimidex and didn't have bad SES either. (I am 62 and sure don't feel, look, or 'act my age'....I hope not anyway, because that sounds kinda old
) Of course, having the privilege of growing older means you will eventually get some wrinkles and sags, so with an antihormonal, we really need to be doing what everyone should be doing anyway. Exercise religiously to keep toned, always wear sunscreen, dental floss your teeth every day, don't go to bed with your makeup on, use good moisturizers all the time. And the cosmetic things (makeup, hair, dressing young) can make you feel more youthful as well. I think the best anti-aging tip of all is to find things to do that are fun, interesting and worthwhile; then most of the lines that eventually show up on your face will be laugh lines!0 -
Molly - It is hard to say which factor contributed more to what I perceive as accelerated physical aging but I do know that my body did not tolerate chemo well (my treatment ended earlier than initially planned) and did more damage than what most women report.
Ruth - loved your great suggestions, especially the age "inappropriate" clothes. I should really pay attention to that as I have been told I show a tendency to dress "boring" compared to my social circle. I'm going to experiment with new colors this summer! I hope you are having a great time in AZ.
MaryJane - true that traveling has a way to help you forget the little things. You have an adorable partner; I am afraid to ask mine what he thinks! You are so young, I hope you too find a way to reconcile the inside and the outside. My inside feels younger and I can do the same things I did at 40 but I really don't like my wrinkles!
Cat - Don't worry about Arimidex now. Just get through the end of treatments, relax and start getting your energy back again. You will be so happy at the end of active treatments (not happy-happy but relieved) that if you have a "wrinkle attack" you might even have the energy to dismiss them!
SpecialK - if your photo is recent, you really look 40 and must share your secret! You look fabulous. I hope,you have fully recovered from your last surgery and sure hope that was your LAST one.
Speaking of traveling, I am looking for a travel partner to spend a week in Iceland, anyone interested? ✈️✈️✈️😊
Hugs to All, Nisa0 -
nisa - you are too kind, the photo is relatively recent - definitely several years post chemo, but in all fairness the camera is not that close to me. I am guessing that any ability to withstand the rigors of breast cancer treatment is probably good genes and nothing specific I have done myself, but eating well and exercise can't hurt. Besides those two things, the only I have specifically done is try to release worry and keep my focus on today - don't know if that has helped for the outside of me, but it has for the inside! This most recent surgery was placement of a tissue expander, so I do have more surgery ahead of me, but I appreciate you wishing it was the last one for me!
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Nisa, if my life wasn't so complicated I would jump at the chance to go to Iceland.
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Nisa - I am in!!! Can we wait until it's summer there and maybe nit SO cold lol!!!!
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You Chicago girl afraid of the cold? LoL. I grew up in cold and windy winter and never found a way to enjoy them (no snow, just dead farms around my town) and that is why I now live in San Diego lol.
The thing us I so want to see the aurora boralis and best time is October-March. Check out a great inexpensive Groupon on the northern lights and lets talk some more on the thread - maybe more sisters will jump in? If not, we moved to text/email. Options leave out of Boston or NY and the whole 6-7 day package is about 1K. Weather there today is 41 F. And yes I will need to get boots and a real jacket! Wondering if cold weather helps with wrinkles?! Haha! Love to all. Nisa 🌌0 -
Nisa, Aurora borealis is the reason I want to go to Iceland. I have seen those Groupons. Oh how I wish I could go. A bco sister would understand the need to see something so spectacular more than most people.
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Arizona is great. Here is a composite of pictures from where we went hiking yesterday, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. There are trees, plants, and sculptures from all over the world, great hiking trails for all levels of walkers and spectacular scenery.
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Molly - So wish you could go! But I do remember the brief comment you made about your family situation. If your family member is stable, maybe with a little network support you could go? And so true that the shared experienced with BCO sisters could be immensely meaningful. Please PM me if you think I can help in some way.
Ruth - You are an amazing traveler and nature lover. I want to visit and hike there as well, but after Iceland :-) So when and where is the BCO meeting this summer? Is that plan cooking? I know the conversation takes place mostly in the exercise thread...should I visit and see if anything is cooking? I should post about Iceland, maybe I can "recruit" more sisters :-) The more the merrier!
Hugs to All. Nisa0 -
We are thinking of San Antonio in the fall. I will send out an email to the California girls when I get home....
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Not a good day here my friends. I went for my 3-month follow-up and my biomarkers jumped over 40% in the last 3 months and over 100% in the past year. I knew the numbers were creeping up but now I'm nervous. I will be going for a PET and they did more blood work. Anyone dealt with a sudden jump? There is no treatment unless PET finds location.Not that I trust PET false negatives: a few days before my surgery in April 2013, a PET showed zero cancer in my breasts while biopsies and MRI were saying otherwise. I don't know why I hide cancer well... Wish I could do that with my new wrinkles! 😊. Hugs, Nisa0
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((((((Nisa))))) hugs to you my surgery sister... Try to wait for the results first...easier said than done. Saying an extra prayer for you (and your wrinkles) tonight.
I don't know what else to say except xoxoxo
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LOL MJ to you praying for my wrinkles - much appreciated! Yes, waiting is all I can do. Just back from my 5k with a clear head and thankful I have such a busy week ahead. Having still one kid at home is also great help -nothing like a teenager to help you forget about yourself!0
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Thinking of you, Nisa. Keep us in the loop. All I know about biomarkers is that they can jump around for a number of reasons, or no reason, and are a pretty unreliable measure of anything....which hopefully hold true for you. Hugs being sent your way!
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Praying for you, Nisa. I am trusting that God has you in his hands.
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Thank you Ruth and Molly. I hope all of what you said comes through for me. I will keep you posted when I get results. It's going to be a few weeks, I guess. In the meantime, I'm going on a getaway to a charming mountain town called Julian - a gem in winter time and only a couple of hours from home. Thanks and hugs to all. Nisa0
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enjoy your trip. Julian is nice from what I understand.
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Enjoy your getaway Nisa!!!
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Nisa, sending hugs and good wishes!
Octogirl
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Nisa, enjoy your trip! Julian is about 45 minutes from where I live, very nice and quaint town. Be sure to get some Julian pie!
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HI Ladies!
I've posted this in the October chemo thread, but thought I'd post here as well. Any thoughts are appreciated!
I really enjoy reading through these posts and I am in awe at the support we all give each other. Only we know what each of us is dealing with, and some of us are thousands of miles apart. So cool that we can be friends and have never met.
I met with my surgeon today about having a prophylactic mastectomy on my right side. She said we could do it as soon as May, but we are planning a HUGE trip to Italy, so we will have to do it in June. I am shocked I can do this so quickly, it makes me excited to be rid of this worry. She wants me to have a mammogram to just check that all is good, cross our Ts and dot our Is, which I am doing this Friday, but now I am so worried they will find something. Argh! She said my June 2015 mammogram on both sides showed a thickening in a couple places, as well as cysts on both sides. So my question, if any of you have any ideas to answer me - IF there is/was cancer in my right breast and they just didn't catch it last spring, would it actually not be there anymore after chemo? Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!
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Nisa, so sorry to hear of the change in your markers. I know the waiting's awful.
Maybe planning your stay in Iceland will help take your mind off of it? I attended a conference there last Feb. and would happily return. We enjoyed some of the best fish imaginable and the drinking water was amazing. Allow yourself a few hours in the Blue Lagoon - it will do wonders for any wrinkles as well as your spirits. I wouldn't mind being it it right now!
Hugs and prayers.
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Octogirl - thank you. How are you? Delighted to read you are done with active treatment. And you have now joined the Arimidex world. Remember most women don't have any big issues with it. Sending wishes you are one them!
LovingIsLiving - So nice to meet another CA girl. We should organize a picnic for SolCa BCO girls (and boys, if any). How does the idea sound? There is a friendly group of women who meet one Sunday a month in Miramar, in case you wish to visit.
Kimmer - I am well aware that not all cancer shows on mammograms and other imaging exams but most of the time the information generated is quite helpful. If nothing was evident in June, and the heavy duty chemo did its job, what are the chances? I don't know but likely low? My guess and hope is that your treatment did a good job and they find nothing scary next time.
Hopeful - so great to hear that you enjoyed Iceland in February. I actually emailed the university back in November asking for their conference schedule in my field (with the idea of maybe aiming for a working vacation) but I didn't get a response. Good fish and clean water sound fabulous!
Thank for travel wishes, learned today trip isn't this weekend but next. Still looking forward to walking a lot around its charming downtown.
Love to all. Nisa0
