New to club... with questions

Hi Annie. I'm glad you found
Hi Annie. I'm glad you found us, but I'm sorry you needed to. This is a wonderful group, very helpful and supportive. The 'pinks' won't let you down!

I was dx in 2010, age 43, with IDC, ER/PR+ Her2+. My tumor was 1 cm, felt no lumps, was found in routine mammo. I had lumpectomy with good margins, had sentinel node biopsy, and that was clear. I did not have chemo, as my Oncotype score was 12. I did have radiation 2x/day for 5 days. I have been on Tamoxifen since Aug 2010. I still have periods. My side effects have been, hot flashes (global warming), joint pain, bone pain, fatigue, eczema, foot and leg cramps, and uterine polyps. I have an endometrial biopsy every six months so the gyn can keep an eye on the uterine lining. I am on Effexor (75 mg, not ER) and Clonidine for the hot flashes. The Clonidine has made a HUGE difference in the hot flashes. I actually get cold for the first time in two years. I also take a Claritin and a 5,000 iu of Vit D every day. They both help bone pain, and I have felt a big difference with that as well. I do actually have allergies, and my Vit D level has been tested and extremely low for the past couple of years, so I'm not self-medicating with those two. You may have all of these problems, you may have none of these problems, who knows. Each of us metabolizes these meds in our own way. My onco believes Tamoxifen gives the most bang for the buck. He wants me to stay on it as long as I can. When I discussed changing meds, he said there will be side effects with any of these meds, and he really pushed me to stay on it if I could. He did say that if I felt strongly about changing class of meds, he would give me a shot to shut down my ovaries, then I could try the other class of meds. If I could tolerate it, then they would do hysterectomy.

There are days that I feel great and can conquer anything, then there are days that I can't get out of my own way. I'm trying to tip the scale to have more good days. I don't think the cancer anxiety ever really goes away completely. Any time I have an appointment or something else pops up, I worry right away about what's it going to be. It's like we lose our 'innocence' about health issues after this.

I'm sure there will be someone soon to post about the mast questions. I'm sorry I can't answer any of those for you. You are absolutely in the right place for support and answers. Everyone is awesome. And, I must say... I had the Tamoxifen bottle for a week before I got the guts to take the first one. I was scared from the side effects. My onco said to not read the literature on it, because I wouldn't want to take it. He was right. It's like when someone says, "Don't look down" and you look down. LOL

Take care, and please let us know how you are doing!
Julie

Welcome!
Hi pink sister! And welcome! So sorry you had to join this club, but you will get a lot of support here. Everyone is very caring.

I too was dx with invasive ductal carcinoma at 32 (no kids). I did chemo, radiation (with boosters) and lumpectomy. Would have done mastectomy if my mind wasn't soooo crazy and so uneducated. But there is always time to do it later. I think you're in the right path, if this was recommended by your Dr.

I'm on tamoxifen. started last August of 2011. The first few weeks were hard for me, emotionally. I am not the type to feel depressed, but the pill got me sooo down. I was very sad and moody. But now I rock it like a pro! I get vaginal ultrasounds every 6 months. I have ovarian cysts that Drs. are keeping both eyes on. My uterus looks fine, thank GOD! But it is part of the process to check your uterus and ovaries while you are on the pill. Recommendation is every 6 months. At first I was afraid of this pill. But it isn't bad at all, in my experience. I think you will do great.

You are NOT alone. We are here for you.

Prayers always! Hugs to you.

Welcome
Can't help you much on this but wanted to wecome you. There are plenty here who can help.

Menopause is different for
Menopause is different for every one.I had bil Mastectomy no reconstruction i was also 67 at the time,had been on estrogen for years so didn't know what menopause was but when i found the cancer my Onc.took me right off of it and with in a month i was full blown hot flashes some thing terrible so when i went on the Tamoxifen i already had them so the only other thing was weight gain.I never had a hysterectomy so my Dr.checks me every 6 months so far so good.
The Onc has me on Gabapentin witch helps with the hot flashes and lets me sleep at night which is great.So i guess my experience with it is just fine.That anxiety driven free falling feeling i don't think ever go's away we just push to the back of our minds and try not to think of it.Hope this help's keep in touch and lets us know whats going on.
Hugs Frankie