Deanne
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Joined 12 years ago
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Re: Happy birthday @deanne
Thank you for the birthday wishes! I am keeping well and enjoying life. This May will be 11years since diagnosis! So much has happened but it has gone so quickly too. As someone who was diagnosed at Stage 3, with spread to a number of lymph nodes, I hope my continued cancer free status is a help for those looking for positives right now. Diagnosed at 47, I am happy and grateful to be turning a healthy 58! Sending hugs to anyone who needs one right now! Take care. Deanne xxxRe: 10 Years Today
Hi @Michelle_R So wonderful to hear from you and to hear that you are still cancer-free too! I was so fortunate to find BCNA early in my treatment and learned a lot from yourself and many, many others. There was so much encouragement and support. The best thing was never feeling alone! Love and best wishes to you too! Take care. Deanne xxxRe: 10 Years Today
Thanks @FLClover. I felt I had a great oncologist who saw me as an individual. When she made the decision that I should stop the anti hormone therapy, she took great care to make sure I left feeling that I had done everything I sensibly could to help prevent a recurrence. I wish all doctors were so good at hearing and seeing! xxxRe: 10 Years Today
Thank-you everyone. I had a lovely, long lunch with family yesterday and just enjoyed feeling well! @arpie I had a lot of joint, particularly hand pain and stiffness on them. Femara also caused bone density issues, cholesterol issues and vaginal atrophy. In the end, my oncologist felt that the negatives outweighed the positives for me. The aim had been to stay on them as long as possible, that turned out to be 7 years and 3 months for me. When I stopped Femara for a month break at the 5 year mark. The hand and joint pain and stiffness went pretty much immediately. My oncologist then switched me back to tamoxifen but the joint issues returned to a lesser degree. It fixed my cholesterol very quickly though! It’s very hard to say what effects are possibly still from having taken the tablets and what is now just deterioration due to getting older. My joint pain and stiffness is much reduced but other effects continue. I was fortunate to have an oncologist who considered quality of life as well as reduced recurrence benefits and drew a line using her professional judgement. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there! xxx10 Years Today
10 years ago I received the confirmation that I did indeed have breast cancer and that I would need a mastectomy and chemotherapy. As it turned out, I was extremely lucky to have discovered a dent in my breast and then to have made an appointment with my GP. After surgery I was told that the cancer was growing right up to the chest wall and that it was in 5 lymph nodes, 3 of them extensively. That meant after chemo I would also need radiation. If I had not noticed the dent, if I had waited until 50 to have my first mammogram…. I was 47, no family history and did not have many of the known risk factors. My first visit to the oncologist we asked for statistics for my situation. That was a shock (chance of getting to 10 years disease free was about 33% without further treatment) but useful to understand the importance of each part of my treatment. So, straight into chemo, then radiation and then Tamoxifen. At 49 it was decided that I would have my ovaries removed after my periods returned. Then I changed to Femara which I found much harder than Tamoxifen. All up I managed 7 years and 3 months of anti hormone therapy before my oncologist said enough. She told me to walk out that day believing that I had every reason to think that I would continue to remain cancer free. Today I will have a quiet celebration that I am still cancer free and I have had 10 years of living well since diagnosis. Discovering that dent and the medical treatment I then received has given me the opportunity to enjoy my life, spend time with those I love and have some incredible adventures. I am so grateful to the doctors and many medical personnel, my family and my friends who have helped me along the way. Hugs to those who might be just starting their treatment or somewhere along in the process. Take care. Deanne xxxRe: Birthday wishes to @Deanne
Thanks @gumnut, @arpie and @jennyss. This birthday is the 10th birthday since diagnosis. That feels significant given that the statistics my oncologist gave me were all about 10 year chance of recurrence. I’m happy to be celebrating another cancer free birthday! And I’m about to have a lovely holiday in Tassie! All good! Thanks for the birthday wishes! Take care. 😊xxxRe: I made it to the 5 year mark. Please help me avoid my period!
@"Summer Prevails", yes my cancer was ER+ and PR+, hence the need to be on Tamoxifen and then Letrozole. Every situation is different and as I said, there are other health implications of removing your ovaries, one of which is bone health. Your doctors are the best source of information on what your choices are and what implications there may be for you. Best wishes with finding the best solution for you. Deanne xRe: I made it to the 5 year mark. Please help me avoid my period!
Hi @"Summer Prevails", My situation was that my periods returned 18months into taking Tamoxifen. My oncologist had thought that chemo would have put me into permanent menopause because I was 47 at diagnosis. So at 49 I had my ovaries and tubes removed. This then put me into permanent menopause and allowed me to change from Tamoxifen to Letrozole also. Is this an option you could check with your doctors about for stopping those periods once and for all?There are other health implications of early menopause so this may impact your situation but at 49 it was thought to be the best solution for me. It will be 10 years since diagnosis for me in May this year. Best wishes in finding the right path forward for you. Deanne xRe: Bone density
I started on letrozole after 2 years on Tamoxifen. I was 49 at the time and had my ovaries removed just prior to starting on Letrozole. I had some osteopenia and in just 6 months or so on Letrozole this deteriorated rapidly to osteoporosis level in lower back. The recommendation was to start on Prolia but I stumbled upon a facility that treated bone density issues with both diet and weight bearing exercise. I saw their dietician who examined my diet in detail. Calcium (through food sources) is important but so are a number of other things, such as getting enough protein to build and maintain muscle (which in turns promotes bone strengthening). I also saw their exercise physiologist who evaluated my ability to commence an exercise program including weight lifting, core strengthening and balance exercises. For me this was preferable to another medication (prolia) with potential side effects. There are choices about how to deal with bone density, and diet and exercise are important, even if on medication as well. I think this is an area of treatment that doctors could improve their knowledge and recommendations on. For some people medication is the best choice but for others maybe they just need a little assistance with diet and exercise choices. We are all individuals and should be given all the information to make the best choice for ourselves. I’m glad that I found the right thing for me but my doctors were not helpful in this unfortunately.
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Choosing breast reconstruction
PRIVATE GROUP. Choosing breast reconstruction after single or double mastectomy can feel overwhelming, and deeply personal. This group is here to connect you through others' stories and images. Please respect everyone’s privacy—do not copy or share content outside this space. Information is based on personal experience and is not medical advice; always consult your healthcare team for guidance. ⚠️CONTENT WARNING⚠️ Members may share photos of breast surgeries. These images or discussions may be distressing or triggering for some. If you need support, please contact the BCNA Helpline - we are here for you.Flat Chat - no breast reconstruction
PRIVATE GROUP. This group is a safe space for those considering, actively choosing or not have had a choice to stay flat after a mastectomy. Whether personal decision or one shaped by circumstance, you're invited to connect and share your experience and images with others on a similar path. Information shared is based on personal experience and not intended as medical advice; always consult your healthcare team for guidance. ⚠️CONTENT WARNING⚠️Posts may include images of surgical outcomes, which some may find distressing. If you need support, please contact the BCNA Helpline—we’re here for you.
