74 and newly diagnosed
Well here I am just turned 74 and diagnosed a week ago with invasive lobular carcinoma. Waiting to see oncology specialists and surgeons and find out what the treatment will be. From what the breast s...
Forum Discussion
Hi @Beb46
Good to hear you are travelling well. I’ve been on hormone blockers (Letrozole) for eight years. The two side effects I get (no aches or joint pain at all) are vaginal atrophy and bone thinning. As both can naturally occur as one gets older, it’s worth a) getting a bone scan before you start so you know what you are dealing with and monitoring any decline - I get a yearly scan (so far so good, but my bone density was very good to start with at 68, so I can afford to lose a bit) and b) don’t let anyone tell you that vaginal dryness occurring suddenly is normal! It may be accentuated by ageing but mine started because of Letrozole! Good news is that oestrogen cream can help - it took me a long time to accept, as it sounds completely nuts, but tiny doses, particularly when your natural oestrogen is declining anyway, can improve things significantly and safely. I’ll be delighted to stop Letrozole but happy that I have done everything I can to not have cancer again. Otherwise, I live perfectly normally and actively (finally retired at 75). Best wishes.
Good to hear you are travelling well. I’ve been on hormone blockers (Letrozole) for eight years. The two side effects I get (no aches or joint pain at all) are vaginal atrophy and bone thinning. As both can naturally occur as one gets older, it’s worth a) getting a bone scan before you start so you know what you are dealing with and monitoring any decline - I get a yearly scan (so far so good, but my bone density was very good to start with at 68, so I can afford to lose a bit) and b) don’t let anyone tell you that vaginal dryness occurring suddenly is normal! It may be accentuated by ageing but mine started because of Letrozole! Good news is that oestrogen cream can help - it took me a long time to accept, as it sounds completely nuts, but tiny doses, particularly when your natural oestrogen is declining anyway, can improve things significantly and safely. I’ll be delighted to stop Letrozole but happy that I have done everything I can to not have cancer again. Otherwise, I live perfectly normally and actively (finally retired at 75). Best wishes.