Starting chemo January 2018
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Murfy sending positive vibes and prayers your way.
Okkate glad your results were clear.
We are at the of 2020. Stay safe
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Fingers crossed that the thyroid ultrasound was clear!
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Thanks, Okkate! Have non-cancerous adenoma in thyroid. Slow growing, but will eventually have to come out. Will make decisions after see MO in April.
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I love phone call appts with my MO. Means my annual blood tests/markers came back clear and they did. Going to reduce AI to half-dose/day this year and see if clears up brain fog and the aches & pains. YAY!
Have been off all thyroid meds for 3 months and see family doc next week to discuss thyroid hormone blood tests. To be honest, I feel BETTER off my synthroid. Maybe the dose needed some adjustment and is why thyroid was acting up? Stay tuned...
Hope everyone else's 3rd year chemoversary is as uneventful as mine!
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That's great news Murfy! I'm glad everything is looking good. Which AI are you on?
I've been doing well. Just found out that I am now post-menopausal and they are going to switch me from Tamoxifen to Anastrazole. I'm pretty nervous about making the switch. I've heard a lot about joint pain and stiffness and osteoporosis. They are going to do a dexa scan in 6 months - I wish they'd just do it now to have a baseline....I may call and ask about that. I really don't want to have to live with joint pain every day....
I had my last big reconstruction surgery last July. I felt horrible afterwards and never really bounced back. At my 6 month checkup with MO in September, my bloodwork showed I was iron-deficient. I had 2 iron infusions in October 2020 and felt better. Had my blood work checked in November and all was good. Had it checked again a few weeks ago, and still looks good, but now he's telling me he wants me to see a gastrointerologist to have an EGD test done. I asked him why and he said sometimes iron-deficiency comes from bleeding in the digestive tract. I had a colonoscopy done last summer, but he wants to rule out any stomach issues. I talked to my husband's cousin who is an oncologist, and he doesn't think I need to do the test because my bloodwork has been good. I really don't want to do the test, but now my doctor's words are in my head and I'm not sure what to do. I really feel like it was from that surgery.....
In two weeks, I will be going to Maryland to get my nipple tattoos and my reconstruction will be 100% complete! I can't wait. We (my husband and kids) are going to make a weekend out of it and go to Ocean City. It feels so good that I will finally be done after all this time and we can celebrate at the beach!
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Great news, ladies. Looks like you are doing well. I also switched from Tamoxifen to Letrazole as blood work showed I was menopausal. So far so good. I was told about the risk of osteoporosis and will ask at my upcoming phone appointment with my MO how they monitor for this. It's the brain fog that's killing me but I had that with Tamoxifen too.
Otherwise, I have to say the after Cancer care here in Canada doesn't make any sense for me. The BS does a breast exam. I guess even with the double mastectomy there is a risk of local recurrence. I'm supposed to meet with the plastic surgeon too, but that was done over the phone and was absolutely useless. I didn't even book a follow up for next year. MO appointments, now over the phone. Other than that - nothing. I think they do scans but not for my type of cancer. No blood work, other than what they did to see if I'm menopausal, either. I asked and they told me that if it recurs and it's metastatic, it's counterintuitive, but the "treatment" is the same whether it's a small recurrence or not so scans are not really useful. At that point, they do what they can to manage the symptoms and prolong life, but It can't be treated. I don't know... Fingers crossed it stays away.
On Tuesday I have a phone appointment with my MO. After that, they are switching me to an after-cancer care clinic. I'll have semi-annual appointments and won't be seeing my MO and BS, but their own doctorIn a few years if all goes well you get released to the family doctor.
Hope everyone else is doing well, staying safe and enjoying the beautiful weather!
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Hello, dear beasties!
I am approaching my 4th Canceversary, and I realized that it's been ages since I visited this forum! Wow, time flies! My kid is now in SK....
The year of 2020 just fell out of life-we did online JK-so it was busy. ...
I've been working as a supply ECE/EA at the a couple of school boards, which allowes me flexibility when maintenace treatment happens, or when I feel not the greatest.
My regiment for now: daily Tamoxifen 20mg, daily Effexor 0.75mg -to combat the hot flashes + antidepressant, every 3 month-Lupron shot: to keep ovaries in dormant state wich additionally blocks production of estrogen, every 6 months - Zometa ( zolendronic acid) infusion: to prevent osteoporosis and metastasis into bones.
I started again taking melatonin 10mg- to help with sleep and as additional protective measures.
Every 6 months I alternate chest MRI with a mammogram. So far -all clear.... saw my surgeon on Aug.30 first time in a year and a half. All good.
At my 38 years old o feel like an old lady though: with joint pain, insomnia, hot flashes, need for naps, ,weight gain, and fatigue.....it's draining. And it's really hard sometimes to keep up with my 5y.o.....
My family keeps saying: you sailed through your treatment. I did. But this part of getting to a 5 year mark- is a drag....it's daily work.
Lately my stomach has been bothering me. A lot of digestive issues. Not upset-the opposite:) and just discomfort.
I got my both covid vaccines- and very happy to be protected.
I think of all of you a lot. This forum was (and is) an incredible support system.
Keep safe and take care of yourself, ladies. Life moves on-and we are stronger than we think we are:))
Hugs to all and Happy Thanksgiving
Olesya
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How lovely to log on and see an update here in our group! Olesya I can't imagine doing all of this with a 5 yr old in tow. That's amazing. Hugs and Happy Thanksgiving right back to you. (Ours is next month.)
SO much has happened in the last three years. I struggled with tamoxifen, had some side effects, then had to stop it entirely. After a complete hysterectomy (best decision ever and not sure why I waited so long for that), I started Letrozole. This has been better for me, still with side effects but doable so far. However in the meantime my MO moved and the new one (who is great) has put me into the 10 year club for AIs. I am determined to stick with it, so I have a routine of daily Prilosec, Aleve, Calcium chews, and lots of water. New MO says that my recurrence risk is 17% without the Letrozole, so onward I go with all of this. I've bought a treadmill and am walking more.
I will also add that the pathology report from my hysterectomy explained lot of the pain I've had for YEARS. I don't know why so many doctors are reluctant to suggest a hysterectomy when it's appropriate.
My next MO appointment is Monday and I'm hoping I can stay with Letrozole for now. Hope you are all well and managing the new covid normal. I'm happily working from home still.
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Glad to hear that you gals are doing well, all things considered! My hysterectomy for a benign tumor of the fallopian tube was a godsend. Can't believe how well I felt after. But the AI makes me feel like a crippled, fuzzy-brained, old woman. NOTHING the doc says will convince me to extend treatment; I'll just take my chances.
On a different note, hard to believe that this time 4 yrs ago I felt a lump in my breast while living in rural Alaska. Took awhile to finally get down to our home in TX to seek diagnosis/treatment. Currently headed back down to TX from Alaska for all of my November doc appts. BUT, truck broke down in Ft. Nelson, BC! As it is the holiday weekend, everything closed and DH and I stuck in a motel until next week some time.
Any Canadian friends here on BCO from Ft. Nelson and want to get together?!
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Hello again:))
So here is my update on my stomach issues: I jusr finish a 2 week antibiotics treatment for H.pylori infection! Now to restore gut bioma
The next day after my last post I had to take my daughter to ER to get some quick answers to her helth issues , and thought while we here may as well check what us going on with me. Well, the blood test showed almost double the norm or bacterium present!
Let me tell ya, H.Pylori treatment is not a joke. 4 huge pills of antibiotics twice a day+ another pill of proton inhibitor twice a day, and Probiotics in between. And it's in addition to my daily pills. My mom joked:" you don't need breakfast, lunch or dinner with that amount of pills!" .
Yeah.... my mornigs looked like this:30 min before food intake (on empty stomach)-pantoprazole pill.then right before I start eating-4 pills of antibiotics. After breakfast-Tamoxifen and Effexor. Probiotics at lunch. Then repeat HP pack before supper. And either before bed or whenever I wake up at night to go to 5he bathroom-Probiotics.
Acid reflux or rather bile reflux woke me up at night-I was popping Tums like candies for a few days..
Anyway, I have a week of recovery from these pills, and then -Lupron shot on the 5th and then Zometa - the following week on the 12th.
PrincessButtercup I'm happy to hear that hysterectomy worked for you!
Murfy happy for you too-that the tumor was benign.
Hugs to all and Happy Halloween
))Olesya
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That was my daily dose for two weeks.
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And this is my new fridge magnet
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Hello, ladies!
Today I'm going to get my booster vaccine to complete this wonderful year.
I wish you all late Merry Christmas and the most wonderful, happy and,most importantly, healthy New Year!
Love you all!
Olesya
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Olesya, and a happy New Year to you! Hope your booster went okay. I had to pop a few Tylenol over a couple of days to help with the SEs after getting my booster.
Here's to another year of good health and cheer!
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Saw my MO for the annual visit and he says blood tests and bone density continue to be ideal. After 4 years, he says I can go off exemestane and fosamax (he knew I was having lots of AI side effects) and that we can discontinue our annual visits.
Here's hoping all of you are also doing well at the 4-year mark!
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Wonderful news murfy! May I ask what blood tests you had?
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Tumor markers and all the blood tests (liver, kidney, blood counts, etc). Bone density was also normal for age.
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