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Nan's avatar
Nan
Member
11 years ago

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Hi! to everyone out there dealng with the same issues with.BC. Have been accessing the site for some weeks and as I have a long family history of BC and ovariang cancer decided to jon in.

I have no idea how some of you ladies and lasses and the occasional lad manage some  of your outcomes and am the first to admit I would be hard pressed to cope.

Firstly I must admit to being 80 yrs.old relatively "with it" according to family, but restricted to exercise by way of arthritis and I live on a property in a rural area so support is very limited. 

Cancer has been playing cat and mouse with me for some time. Pap and Biopsy ++ so hystorectomy,fast forward - coughing blood -Lung lobe removed but neg.f.f again- Inverted bleeding nipple mammogram-biopsy etc. INCONCLUSIVE how I hate that word. Finally after weeks of waiting for appointments etc.-some a round trip of 5 hrs.( You must all know what I mean- nails bitten down to elbows) it was decided to remove a "cyst" from just behind the nipple.again result inconclusive. Last Oct. after an ECG I was busy trying to remove the sticky that seems to be everywhere when I found  a lump. Well I said to myself it is only another cyst no worries will mention to GP next visit. Made appointment - which can be up to 3 weeks out- well from there on life was a blur appts. everywhere  some a 5 hour round trip.  The specialist I saw felt that given age and some current medical conditions a mastectomy was the way to go so mid Dec.theatre,recovery and home with drains the day before Christmas Eve. A few hiccups with drains but all in all thanks mostly to a geat anaesthetist the most painfree ops.I have ever experienced .

Now I have a problem -given age and the possibilty of slow return if any- do I continue with Amrimidex with its flushes,tiredness and breathing probs. or try and opt for a proactive second mastectomy so my twilight years can be spent with life as it was before.   What say you??

 

2 Replies

  • Nan's avatar
    Nan
    Member
    11 years ago

    Thanks for that info Robyn, an uncle(mother's brother) had BC that moved to his brain after his mastectomy so I will certainly keep trying at least until my next specialist visit in April.

  • Robyn_W's avatar
    Robyn_W
    Member
    11 years ago
    Wow!!! The Arimidex,is not to stop the Cancer from the other Breast,but to prevent secondary breast cancer,which would be in places like bones,liver,etc.If Cancer were to appear in your remaining Breast,it would HAVE to be a new primary Cancer,and NOT related to the one you have had.It is RARE to get a new cancer in the other breast.I am 60, and I am on Tamoxifen.I have been on it for about a year now.In the beginning,the hot flushes were relentless,but in the last 3 or 4 months things are settling down.Perhaps stick with it a bit longer and see if things subside a little?Cheers Robyn