|
03-26-2011, 01:08 AM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Carmichael, California
Posts: 3
|
What should I be doing?
So I was diagnosed with Stage 2A Hers 2 positive, estrogen progesterone positive, (triple positive) breast cancer a year ago. I underwent a double masectomy, had 6 rounds of chemo with herceptin and will finish one year of herceptin in May. In addition, I am on Femara. Is there anything else I should be doing? I want to beat this, and so far so good, but just want to know if there is anything else I should be doing. Thank you!
|
|
|
03-26-2011, 09:08 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
|
Re: What should I be doing?
I am over 6 years out and was also diagnosed at Stage 2A. One thing I do is take vitamin d3. Since you are still going to your cancer center, you should have your onc test your d3 levels in your blood and if you do not have adequate levels (and many of us don't), you should supplement. The normal range is 32-100 (I can't remember the units after the numbers). I take 4000iu per day of vitamin d3 and my reading is only 46 so this was a definite problem for me before. I also take Omega 3 (fish oil capsules) as most people are also low on this too. These 2 things plus eating right and exercising regularly (just walking will do) really can help. And they are good for you anyway.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
|
|
|
03-26-2011, 02:12 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Thornhill Ontario
Canada
Posts: 266
|
Re: What should I be doing?
Hi Cathy i agree with Becky. Eating well and exercise are important. I walk my dog about 1 mile a day but I really need to step it up for the cardio exercise. I do walk at a pretty good pace but I still think I need more cardio. I have joined a gym, do the bike there, some weights etc. Mind you I have so many aches and pains some days it seems to make it a little worse. Oh well aches and pains we can handle that is small potatoes to all the stuff we have been through. I also take Vitamin D 3000IU a day and Calcium 1500 a day (oncologist said to make sure I take the calcium because Femera can cause some bone loss) I do have osteopenia as well. I tried to really remember to eat my veggies (even though I really dont like many )and dont eat too much red meat. I also buy organic milk and read my labels now much more carefully than I did before. I dont eat any soy products and drink green tea which I like anyway. I limit my wine consumption I really love to drink wine and I would say I might have two glasses of that per week or not even that. Anyway I wish you all the best, keep positive, I know it is such a pain in the ass to go through this but we can only go forward. Best wishes Lois.
__________________
August 2008
Lumpectomy left breast
1 tumour 0.9 cm
Her2 negative
lymph nodes negative
venous/lymphatic invasion absent
ER+PR-
Stage I Grade 2
Radiation and Femara
November 2008
Lumpectomy right breast
2 tumours .03 cm and .05 cm and extensive DCIS
.05 tumour Her2+
lymph node negative
venous/lymphatic invasion "indeterminate"
ER+PR low postive
Stage 1 Grade 2
January 2009
bilateral mastectomy
chemotherapy taxotere
Herceptin one year
Femara
|
|
|
03-26-2011, 05:06 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
|
Re: What should I be doing?
Hi Cathy,
I am 6 years out from a IIIA triple positive dx.
Ditto to everything Becky and Lois have said. Bone loss is a significant concern. If you have not had a bone scan, I would recommend, especially for a base line. I take daily calcium with D, but also have been on Zometa annually for several years, and will be switching to bi-annually beginning next month.
Sounds like you are on the right track!
Best wishes,
__________________
Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14YEARS NED!
|
|
|
05-13-2011, 04:19 PM
|
#5
|
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Carmichael, California
Posts: 3
|
Re: What should I be doing?
Thank you so much for your responses! My oncologist tested my Vitamin D levels and they were low! Thank you for the suggestion. I am on Vitamin D and calcium now and am walking even though my joints are sore from either the Femara, Herceptin or both, I'm hoping it's the Herceptin because I only have one more treatment! Yay! So far everything is going well. I did put on a lot of weight from the chemo, so I'm trying to drop that, but it's been difficult. Thanks again!
|
|
|
05-13-2011, 10:05 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
|
Re: What should I be doing?
Cathy, I remember asking my onc this same thing and she replied that I should be getting on with my life. So I am trying to live it to the fullest and with gratitude.
Regarding the joint pain, it could be the Femara. I eventually switched to Aromasin and got relief. The AIs can be switched around if needed.
Keep the faith.
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:03 PM.
|