Letrozole - Year 2
I'm six weeks into my second year of Letrozole. The good news is my hands have remained better since I took a one month break after six months. They still hurt, both bone and joint pain, especially with the cold weather, but they've never returned to the earlier level of pain. My ankles have bone ache 24/7. This pain is now spreading up my calves. It's also spreading into my wrists forearms. My elbows remain sore and the inside soft tissue very tender. I've given acupuncture a red hot go. It seemed to help my hands initially but not so much now. It gives me pain relief for my ankles while I'm there, but none when I'm gone. It's had no effect on the hot flushes. All in all I think I'm going to pull the pin on it shortly. It's expensive and I don't think the results justify the cost. So I've moved on to try osteopathy. Many of you here have raved about it, and I've joined your ranks! It just makes my body feel better. The effect lasts for a few days, it's cheaper than acupuncture, and I get some money back from the health insurance. I've accepted that the five to ten years on Letrozole are going to be painful. There's no getting away from it, so now it's about doing what I can to help me cope. For example, the best thing about acupuncture is the heat lamp. It really soothes my ankles, so I'm going to save up and get myself one. The mental health aspect remains challenging. I discussed it with my oncologist. Cancer or menopause or Letrozole or a combination of some or all? So she has asked me to take a two month break, keeping a side effects diary for two months before, and during the break. That way we'll know what is the Letrozole and therefore if we can tweak the AI in some way. I'm going to do that in the summer so I can really enjoy the break. My oncologist was very sympathetic. She said it's often difficult managing the estrogen drop in women like me, who haven't gone through menopause before BC and then go onto an AI. She had some interesting thoughts about estrogen sensitivity. That in her experience the women who develop ER+ BC are very estrogen sensitive and therefore have a hard time on AIs. She said AIs had been tested on women with ER- BC and they don't suffer the side effects anywhere near as much to zero. She said I'm in the 10% risk range so there's no doubt about it, I have to be on it. I'd very much like not to be the woman who cries on the phone when she's talking to her dietician (who she's met face to face six times) and finds out that said dietician is leaving forever to live in London (a romance)... However it seems as if that's who I am now. Hopefully a 'side effect' that stops when I stop taking the little brown pills. Ridiculous! Oh and my oncologist also confirmed that the joint pain is arthralgia, and won't turn into arthritis when I've finished taking Letrozole. This was one of the questions that I put to the webinar doctors that wasn't answered. There was more but I of course can't remember. My right toe joint is very very sore tonight me so I'm going to take a pain killer and go to bed and try to sleep. BS tomorrow for my next check up. Nothing to worry about but I can't help but feel a bit nervous. I think the worst bit is the flashbacks to diagnosis and all the bad news I received in that office. Nothing for it though, has to be done.
7 months post chemo and eyelashes falling out!
I’ve made it to my 1 year anniversary. Survived 3 surgeries, chemo and radiation, now making my way through the delights of tamoxifen! I was so pleased with how my hair has grown back and eyebrows and eyelashes until my eyelashes started falling out recently and breaking off. Has anyone had this happen? Not sure if it’s the fallout from chemo still or the tamoxifen?
SBS tonight 8.30pm .. Cannabis - miracle medicine or drug? Knowledge is power
I do not know how objective this documentary will be tonight - but if they have a balanced view on the use of Cannabis Oil as an effective treatment for MANY illnesses - it will be worth while watching. Remember - it is only governments that have labelled it a drug! It is, essentially, a herb. I'll be watching it, with interest! As of January 31st, Canberra residents will be legally allowed to grown 2 cannabis plants each (a maximum of 4 plants per household) and I am sure there will be many cancer patients there - now growing their own, to make into Medicinal Cannabis Oil. There is a small machine called an Ardent - that will do the transformation from plant to oil ....... if I was in Canberra, I know I would be doing it! Surely it is just a matter of time before all Australians will be able to do this, without fear of being arrested.
Hot flush and nausea
I have done the search thing here with no result. Surely I am not the only one. Every time I get a hot flush I feel nauseous. Not enough to puke, just churningstomach and feel feverish (but I don’t have a high temp). I also feel like this anytime my body feels overheated. I certainly didn’t feel like this pre BC. I am not on hormone tablets. Herceptin finished four months ago. By logical thinking I should be improving. My doctor just says hmmmm. Anybody else or am I just weird? Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that last question!
2 years 3 to go
Hi Ladies, hope you are all travelling well. apart from tamoxifen side effects and occasional breast nerve pain, I’ve been ok. its a journey isn’t it, and we just have to stay positive and live our life best we can . next month I have my yearly ultrasound and mammogram. It’s 2 years tomorrow that I was diagnosed. Thankyou Giovanna for the birthday wishes. Take care everyone xxx