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Chris_P's avatar
Chris_P
Member
11 years ago

Suck it up princess!

So last week I had my medical oncology appointment, this the first since I had my lumpectomy ( or whatever the new fangled name is for it now....excision?). Dr T was very pleased withe the way the chemo affected the hitchhiker, which made me feel better as I don't think I really understood how well it had worked when I spoke to the surgeon previously ( different ways of explaining things and different perspectives I guess). She has now put me on Tamoxifen which she says I will be on for the next ten years, she then dropped the bombshell....she advised I diet! Apparently fat stores oestrogen, my cancer finds oestrogen rather yummy and nutritious so get rid of the flab and starve the hitchhiker! ( those weren't her exact words but that was my spin on it). I'd read before about how weight loss was important for those with BC but didn't really understand why. My oncologist had been at a recent medical gathering in the US and all the brains now seemed to be agreed and actively promoting this train of thought. Now I admit I have a middle age spread which since I started chemo has become more of a mass invasion of a small European country. I turned in to PAC man....if it wasn't nailed down I ate it, animals and small children weren't safe in my immediate vicinity I'd launch myself face first into the fridge with cries " get in ma belly! " as I chased the bacon. Now I don't smoke, I don't drink very often I can happily go for months without a tipple, but I do love my food. At my heaviest during chemo I was 73 kilos, at my latest weigh in I was down to 71.3 kilos, so I had lost a wee bit of weight since finishing chemo but obviously I need to get to below what I weighed at the start of it and then some! On getting home I rifled through the fridge and cupboards, I decided there was only one way to do this and to avoid temptation I chucked out all the crisps, biscuits, chocolate, bacon and sausages. I was damn sure that if I was going to be miserable so was every other person in my house! I looked online for advice, processed meats such as bacon etc are bad, so too apparently is grapefruit something to do with hormones ( don't know if that is actually true though). Strawberries and raspberries are very good, so too is kale and spinach. As the effects of chemo and my op wear off I have started to have more energy, and I have been able to get more excercise, I've started to walk the dog again and have been going on my wii fit. On weighing myself the other night I've lost the grand total of ... 0.6 kg which makes the depression I feel when I find myself watching Big Bang Theory whilst munching on a carrot so worthwhile! ,,,,,,,,in case you were in any doubt that was sarcasm!
  • I had read that your weight could affect BC. I have been too tired since chemo for the gym or even much walking as I am too tired after work. can' wait to start walking and gym again. my diet has been ok on chemo. we all will have to encourage each other.

    good luck

    Marg xx

  • Im glad I saw your comment about diet, you just encouraged me to take action on my weight:-( I think loosing weight is harder than chemo.

  • Im glad I saw your comment about diet, you just encouraged me to take action on my weight:-( I think loosing weight is harder than chemo.

  • Thanks Karen ! I have no willpower, backbone of a jellyfish when it comes to saying no to food! I figured when having chemo that anything is better than nothing and because my taste buds were affected I would stuff my face with anything that didn't taste disgusting. Usually butter chicken, spaghetti bolognaise and salt and vinegar crisps ( for some reason that was what I could taste properly) bacon sarnies tasted ok too!
  • Oh! So glad you posted about this! I was clueless too and since my diagnosis I have been eating so much chips (sea salt and balsamic vingar YUM) and chocolate. I have put on so much weight and wasnt skinny to begin with.

    You have inspired me to start eating healthy today rather than down the track!  I do have a gym membership which I havent been to as I hurt my writst at xmas so will get back into that as soon as I am allowed.

    I think you are right to throw out the temptation in the house! I am the same. I am really good at not buying it buy my husband has a massive sweet tooth and as soon at the junk food is in the house I loose all will power.

    Good luck with your changes in diet! I have heard that it takes 2 weeks to start a new habit but 7 to break old ones so just go day by day and it will get easier. :)