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Old 03-03-2014, 02:04 PM   #8
linn65
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Attica, IN
Posts: 371
Re: Tamoxifen vs AI clarity....

I have osteopenia and have had it for several years before BC. The AI does not help with that and I would probably fall down and break a bone.

I was truly amazed that "Me" being on an AI and having the Mirena which caused my periods to stop 4.5 years ago made going on an "AI" even much more complex. I recorded our conversation, so I could listen to it and digest all the information she was giving me.

She explained it that Tamox was like an Umbrella for someone like me pre-menapausal when starting treatment. She believed my ovaries were probably in the stuttering phase meaning peri-menapausal. She said if the "Soft" trial comes back and it would be beneficial for someone like me then we will re-visit that idea. She said she doesn't like the ovaries simply because they are tricky little devils!! BUT, she still would wait for "me" to remove my ovaries (which I didn't want to do anyway). We did not discuss any advantages/disadavantages removing my ovaries except we still don't know if for someone like "me" the benefits.

The biggest thing I was "WOW'ed" by was me being on an AI could cause more hormones in my brain to release which in turn would try even harder to wake my ovaries up and we don't want that to happen because we don't want to make any estrogen. She said my ovaries could even be 25% awake, and I wouldn't have a period or know it. I could do all the hormone test's I had done by 1st ONC every week and could get a different result. Basically, all the tests would be convulted. My brain, my liver, and something else all make estrogen and the bloodwork would be different every week or month we did these tests and it was a useless endeavor (In my mind I wanted to smack or plummel the first ONC, a Man )!! For me an AI have all these unanswered questions but tamox is tried and true which I knew but did not understand, why.

No one in my family has had any kind of cancer. I am negative for BRCA #1 and BRCA #2.

Yes, I want to chop my foot off today (just one today)!! But I did drive 8 hours on Thursday and back home 8 hours or longer (I got lost even with my GPS on Iphone I didn't multi-task very well). I watched my son play his last seasonal college game and spent a couple days with him....
__________________
myleftlump.wordpress.com - started blogging my
IDC breast cancer
7/2012 diagnosed with multiple solid lesions
7/20/12 biopsy done. ER+ 30 PR -, HER+++,k167 80% Grade 2
9/2012 biopsy on lymph node - showed malignant

9/2012 Pre-adjunctive TCH chemo.

12/6/12 MRI after Pre-adj.
Results: Modest Decrease in size of left breast malignancy As well as the associated satellite lesions and auxiliary Adenopathy compared to prior study. Doctors hoped for better but good response it didn't grow.

12/18/2012 left masectomy with axillary nodes
Size 3.2 CM, Nottingham score 9/9
Grade 3, no evidence of in situ carcinoma
Areas of angiolymphatic are identified
Carcinoma is 0.5 cm from inked deep
Margin of excision
Attached axillary lymph nodes: metastatic
Carcinoma in 6 of 8 nodes.
Size of largest node 1.5 cm
Extracapsular
ER + 73%, PR+2%, HER2+

2/27/13 6 weeks of IMRT radiation finished

2/2013 Started on Tamoxifan 5 years.

8/2013 will take last Herceptin, 17 treatments total every 3 weeks.

BRCA1 & BRAC2 - Negative

August 28, 2013 DIEP flap on the left breast.
February 2014 Nip & Tuck
March 14, 2014 nipple reconstruction and removed port.
August 14, 2014 lump in lymph nodes under arm and above clavicle. Stage IV
August 28, 2014 herceptin And projeta starting and port put back in.

3/18/15 stopped arimidex.
3/18/15 progression....Tdm1
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