Anxiety and depression

Hi Finita Hope the results of your husbands test are not bad. It must be difficult for you both. I hope that things improve for you. Ruth, thanks for your kind words, & Finita. Today is my first counselling appointment for my depression. Ive woken up this morning thing " what am I going to say to him/her-where will I start? So much negative stuff going round in my head at the moment! Still, this is their job, hopefully offering strategies. Great they we can share on here Love to you all Kathleen xxoo

Hi Ruth,

thank you so much for asking about my husband. Today we saw the doctor and he recommended a FNA biopsy . I will be making the appointment tomorrow .

I have in the  past suffered fron depression and anxiety  and both are terrible , so much so that for a very long time I could not even drive .    I started taking Lovan  mainly for moodswings and irritability and so far it is working.  I will just have to get used to not moving so fast and stop and think before I make a move .  You are all correct about the Arimidex ... still , we must be grateful , and that I am everyday.

So happy that you have become a Social Butterfly , it sounds wonderful and I am truly happy for you .  But I am sorry about the anxiety attacks because they are horrible and can almost cripple you as well as for you daughter and her depression .  Good luck at the doctors tomorrow !

take good care and sending all my love down your way

Finita xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello Ladies,

I hope you are soon feeling better, Bella and I hope that your Husband's results are okay, Finita.  I go to see the Surgeon Tomorrow and everything seems to be going well.  I have become a social Butterfly since I have been feeling better plus I have been organising a Party for next Week-end.  Depression and anxiety are terrible.  I don't suffer from depression so much but I do have anxiety attacks.  My Daughter suffers badly with depression and I have seen what she goes through.  I think it is part of the "Cancer" journey" and being on Arimidex and the loss of hormones as Kathleen mentioned. It is good that we can disceuss our feelings and know what the other are going through.  Love to you all xxx Ruth

Hello Ladies,

I hope you are soon feeling better, Bella and I hope that your Husband's results are okay, Finita.  I go to see the Surgeon Tomorrow and everything seems to be going well.  I have become a social Butterfly since I have been feeling better plus I have been organising a Party for next Week-end.  Depression and anxiety are terrible.  I don't suffer from depression so much but I do have anxiety attacks.  My Daughter suffers badly with depression and I have seen what she goes through.  I think it is part of the "Cancer" journey" and being on Arimidex and the loss of hormones as Kathleen mentioned. It is good that we can disceuss our feelings and know what the other are going through.  Love to you all xxx Ruth

Hello Ladies,

I hope you are soon feeling better, Bella and I hope that your Husband's results are okay, Finita.  I go to see the Surgeon Tomorrow and everything seems to be going well.  I have become a social Butterfly since I have been feeling better plus I have been organising a Party for next Week-end.  Depression and anxiety are terrible.  I don't suffer from depression so much but I do have anxiety attacks.  My Daughter suffers badly with depression and I have seen what she goes through.  I think it is part of the "Cancer" journey" and being on Arimidex and the loss of hormones as Kathleen mentioned. It is good that we can disceuss our feelings and know what the other are going through.  Love to you all xxx Ruth

Hi Bella,

I hope that your flu like cold will not be too bad, and that you will be just fine for your holidays.  How lucky are you to be going to USA . I do wish you have a wonderful time . 

I have the dentist tomorrow and the doctor on Wednesday so that will keep me busy.  Funny enough I was actually feeling better last night after reading your comments, it is really amazing the power of understanding in being in the same boat.

Last Friday my husband had an ultrasound of his breasts because the left nipple was quite tender and had a lump under it .  He has always had problems with it and used to pinch it in order to get the milky like discharge out and then he would feel much better.  Recently I told him not to do it, and to wait and get it checked by the doctor. so he has been ok for months but always feeling the need to pinch it so as to relive it . Anyway, last Monday night he was in a little pain as he could not even touch his nipple.  I hope that it will only be a cyst but one just never knows. Wednesday he will be getting the U/S results , so I will be keeping  in touch with all my bcna sisters. I have not yet told the family because it is best to wait .

Have a great time in the USA

love

finita xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Kathleen and Finita,  I am replying to both posts here, hope you don't mind.  My heart breaks when I read about your struggles with depression, I feel your pain, but I am fortunate that I haven't had those really deep, dark struggles.  It makes my worries and anxiety at times, seem pointless.  Kathleen,  I'm so glad you have your little grandson, and your other hobbies, and relaxation techniques;  you're certainly doing all the right things, and the fact you're aware is half the battle.  And Finita, keep sharing and venting;  we're all here for each other;  and it's just lovely to have people to share with, I certainly appreciate it.  I hope the doctor listens properly when you see him/her, and you get some results.

It's interesting about the weird dreams, that must be very disturbing, and yes, could explain the tiredness.   

I'm sorry I have to keep this short;  I have come down with some head cold/fluey thing;  which I need to shake in a hurry;  on holidays in a couple of days (going to USA) and I just dont need to be in this condition when I fly.

Will try to keep in touch while I'm away;  like you Finita, I look forward to reading how everyone is going.

Yes, it is a sisterhood, and I'm grateful to be included.

Love,  Bella xxx

Hi Bella and kathleen,

thank you so much for your speedy response. Today I visited my mum and I could not wait to get home and open this page so as to read some feeback. This is truly so good ...  and you you are both so good .  I will be telling the doctor about it and maybe I just need more time to adjust. 

As for the Arimidex, I have to take it at night because I have stomach issues and I was told to take it at night. The Lovan I take about 8.30 am.

As for weird dreams, I am getting that too, as a materr of fact my brain somehow wakes me around 3-4 am, right in the middle of a dream, and the weirdest thing is that since I been on the Lovan I either hear the phone, or the mobile or the cat or other things, and it is never any of those things , it is just my brain doing it ...and I then wake up with a jolt , leaving me feeling so terribly sick in the stomach, and then it takes me forever to get back to sleep... that is probably why I am always feeling tired .

Kathleen, I hope that you will be better soon after seen your psycologist and I am  so very happy that you have your grandson .

Bella, I love your comments , so please keep them coming and thanks.

Love you both my bcna sisters,

take care

finita xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Bella

Those are great ideas.  You're right - it does take a while to get the doses of antidepressants right. I think Finita's feelings are all about the "getting accustomed thing"

Mine may need to be tweaked again soon, as I've been in a pretty dark place recently. To a certain extent, the first step is that I'm aware of my feelings, and have a few resources to attempt to help myself. Like relaxation techniques, a really good yoga dvd, and some nice sound therapy tibetan bowls.  I'm thinking, actually, of maybe starting a class with the bowls.  I'll do a bit more research on it before I get into it.

Take care - love chatting on here, with girls who re going through the same stuff as me.  It helps a lot

Love and hugs

Kathleen xxxxooo

Hi Finita

All these are normal feelings.  May I ask, are you taking your arimidex in the morning or at night? My insomnia improved a lot once I changed from taking it in the evening to the morning.  With the antidepressants...not sure.  I'm on Pristiq, which helps quite a lot. Hving said that, I still get the feelings of not quite knowing where i'm at.

And at the moment, I have lots to panic/worry about. I', seeing a counsellor soon, so hopefully I'll get some strategies to deal with all the strange goings on in my brain. I acknowledge that if I didnt have the day looking fter my gorgeous grandson, and my couple of days accompanying a senior school choir, I'd be quite gaga.  I think that having these two things to get up for and be comitted to, helps my coping. Then on the days when I'm home not doing anything, I have crafts to do and self help strategies, including relaxation and self help things.

One thing that has been happening for me recently, is really weird dreams, which I'll also talk about with the psychologist.

Anyway, hang in there, thry swapping the time you take arimidex if youre taking it at night, and know that everything you're experienceing is pretty normal, for all that we've been through. Remember that we've lost some of our hormones, and the arimidex is stopping the production of hormones, because that's what our breast cancer fed off.  We're taking it to hopefully keep off more cancer.

I love this forum. we can vent and talk to each other. Please know that I'm here to talk to any time.

Take care

Love and hugs from

Kathleen xxxxxooooo