[AlaskaAngel]

Hi Jackie,

One reason I think I am a "good example of a breast cancer patient" (but who has done some treatment in the past) is because I have no other chronic conditions of any kind and take no medications (other than the Estring, and occasional testosterone). When I was at one time considering doing a lapatinib trial after having completed my original therapy, my PCP did an echocardiogram on me because of the Adriamycin x 6 I'd had, and my results were completely normal. My BP is nice and low, and all of my labs are completely normal except for one LFT that is just barely over the top end of normal, showing that I do probably have a fatty liver.

So what I mean when I say I am a good example of a breast cancer patient is that I am pretty much a "pure" lab rat, other than having done chemotherapy and some tamoxifen. My situation can't be blamed on other, "man"-made causes. I've never smoked or drank or done illicit drugs, for example. There is no thyroid disease or diabetes involved for me.

One reason I am so concerned about the application of diet and exercise is because if someone like me, who has no complications, has problems making it "work", then how realistic are we being in expecting patients who have other complications like arthritis, etc. to be successful in the application of diet and exercise to avoid recurrence?

My diet is made up primarily of vegetables, fish, some chicken, fruit, and the only starch I eat is very very limited amounts of whole grains or legumes (no sugars, just Stevia).

I am sorry that it is hard for you to maintain a stable weight, and it sounds like you have had some complications over time but it is hard to identify what ones are factors in the weight maintenance. Here is where we desperately need REAL answers through endocrinology, not oncology.

Thanks for asking and mentioning some ideas to consider,

AlaskaAngel