Tamoxifen

Hello Lori,
My hardrive crashed and I'm on a laptop and not used to it. Took a while to reload all the programs on other computer and still working on connecting the internet. To answer you Tamoxifen questions... I am not thrilled with it either but have been on it one year since 2/14/02. For the first few years, if you are ER+ it fills the estrogen receptor sites and doesn't allow the estrogen to establish which could feed the type of cancer dcis you said you were dx with. The Indole 3 Carbinol is a cruciferous supplement from broccoli,brussel sprouts etc but since it is in capsule form concentrated. Usually the dosage is two capsules daily. It enhances what Tamoxifen is suppose to be doing. It is also suppose to be 90% effective whereas the Tamoxifen is 60% effective. Look up www.lef.org this is a non-profit organization that can give you the research info your doc will want to see. I joinned since the $75 is a tax write off and you can purchase supplements that are consistent in there contents, plus with multiple purchases they discount. Eg. four bottles are less than just one bottle, and ten are even better. You still need to comparison shop. They have a wealth of information to offer.
To get back to topic. Tamoxifen has its side effects and it took a long time before my body settled down ...less mood swings, controlling hot flashes that were making me sopping wet 17 - 20 times daily, couldn't sleep, mild down moods (considering what could be). This is suppose to give me another 5 to 7% protection against microscopic cancerous cells from taking hold. I'll continue with Tamoxifen for two years, but then switch to the Indole 3 Carbinol which has a better effectiveness rating and costs $27 a bottle for the month as opposed to $150 to $175 for Tamoxifen. If I bought ten IC3 bottles the cost goes down to $17 a bottle. Everyone is different, and you have to check this out for you. I didn't have any lymph node involvement, all my margins were clear, right side had invasive lobular, ductal and left they found a ductal carcinoma. None of this showed on mamms or ultrasounds. I chose bilateral and they found the ductal cancers upon pathology. Total wt was 2.4 so I did four sessions chemo and did not require radiation. So far I am clean, my energy has returned and I am building back my clientele base for massage therapies. While this is happening, I am instructing a Potters wheel class for two hrs on Fri for 5th graders in an afternoon program. I paint, write, designing logo for a wellness center that is just being created, and sculpt. I've been reconstructed and "the Girls" are looking great and very natural. I've opted for saline implants, used my own skin in the area for nipples and just had the color done via tattooing which matches the tones of my lips which are deep in color (I'm a brunette). I have full use of both arms and am flexible. I found the seated yoga or gentle yoga was most helpful in relieving some of the pain from my expanders and gave me back a sense of wellness.
Hope this helps you. Sorry for the delay.
Hugs, light, love
Iris