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Old 04-15-2012, 04:46 PM   #36
AlaskaAngel
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Alaska
Posts: 2,018
Re: trends that weight management is going to be important in treating HER2-positive

Thanks, MTN girl - I added metformin to my signature.

I think those of us who are 50 or older are just glad to get thru treatment when it is over, and still believe we can do what we always did before to shed the weight, but... no can do. Nobody explains how greatly our metabolism has slowed down, or even seems to "get it" that it actually does.

It is so important to introduce our medical providers to thinking about including a metabolic specialist in the discussions about us at the time of diagnosis, so that the planning doesn't end with completion of toxic therapies.

Eating is a "background", daily part of life and when conscientious diet and exercise don't do the trick after we have gone through a long period of treatment, we are stuck in a loop of slow weight gain.

Even harder is the whole picture for those like my older sister, who was quite overweight to begin with. I figure if it is hard for me (when I was able to maintain my weight clear up to age 51 and how hard it has become for me after treatment), I can see why it seems to hopelessly absurd to her to seriously try to address it.

The small daily metformin has stopped the weight gain for me as long as I do continue the daily diet and exercise.
__________________
Dx 2002 age 51
bc for granny, aunt, cousin, sister, mother.
ER+/PR+/HER2+++, grade 3
IDC 1.9 cm, some DCIS, Stage 1, Grade 3
Lumpectomy, CAFx6 (no blood boosters), IMRT rads, 1 3/4 yr tamoxifen
Rads necrosis
BRCA 1 & 2 negative
Trials: Early detection OVCA; 2004 low-dose testosterone for bc survivors
Diet: Primarily vegetarian organic; metformin (no diabetes), vitamin D3
Exercise: 7 days a week, 1 hr/day
No trastuzumab, no taxane, no AI
NED
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