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tzalley (tzalley)


May 30, 2008


Everett, Washington


February 1959


Breast Cancer


IDC & DCIS


July 2004


Stage 1


Grade 2


Positive


Positive


Yes


No


Lymph Node Removal, Re-excision Surgery, Lumpectomy


Tamoxifen


Cancer Survivor


The little voice way in the back of your mind that says what if its back?


I need to learn to live in the moment.........I'm still learning


Listen, and just 'be' with me


None, found on routine mammogram


Lumpectomy,with sentinal node biopsey followed by re-excession to obtain clear margins. Lymph node excession was the most painful.


5 days a week for 7 weeks. Severe radiation burns, unable to wear undergarments for at least a month.


Tamoxifen for 18 months then switched to Arimidex for 18 months, I can’t tolerate the joint pain, muscle pain and fatigue anymore so now I am back on Toxifen as of last week. Vaginal dryness, now on e-string.




tzalley's Cancer Blog

June 25, 2008

June 25, 2008Views: 193

I’t been one month since I stopped taking the Arimidex and I am feeling SO>>>>>>>>>>MUCH>>>>>>>>>BETTER>>>>>>>> The fatigue is much better, the aches are pretty much gone as is the pain in my hips and lower back. Even the pain in my feet is almost all gone. Thank goodness I changed Dr’s and am back on the tried and true Tamoxifen.

Dear Tzally; So glad you decided to return to Blog for a Cure. Not too many people here have experienced Arimidex but I am! You are completely right about the side effects, but I always thought it was just me going through this and that it was the Cancer that was causing all the joint pain. I am trying my best to work through it and my Oncologist and Surgeon want me on this rather than Tamoxofin. I believe at some point there is going to be a moratorium on Tam and everyone will be counselled on the benefits of Arimidex over Tamoxofin. Ha what a joke. However I guess there are supporting statistics that breast cancer survivors do much better at warding off a recurrence of Cancer by taking these hormonal ejaculators. My poor husband reaps the wonderful benefits of my mood swings, while I placate his menopausal outbursts. Isn’t life grand? Keep us aprised of your side effects since switching drugs. Atleast I will be waiting to hear. Thanks. Weezie

Hi There,

I think you are my soulmate in the breast cancer world. I would love to speak with you. I was diangosed with stage 1 on February 14th. No lymph nodes, er+, pr+ and Her2+. I am just going through radiation. I had an invasive and the dcis. Did you have chemo? Herceptin? Did they offer it to you?? I just got my perscription for tamoxifin. I am hesitating to fill it.

Kathleen

Kathleen, I’ll respond to you here as I can’t figure out how to respond to you directly. Due to the size of my idc tumor (0.5 cm), all three medical oncologists that I spoke with and my radiation oncologist felt that chemotherapy was unnecessary including herceptin. They all agreeded that some form of hormonal treatment was in order. Again due to the small size of my tumor and the degree of the side effects of arimidex my current oncologist and I felt that the added benefit in my case did not outweight the cost in quality of life to me. So I’m back on tamoxifen and using the estring. First time I’ve been able to have sex in 18 months! My oncologist did say that if my tumor had been larger or if I had node involvement she would like me to tough if out on the Arimidex, but when the urogenital atrophy is so bad that it feels like a bladder infection every time you pee…......It may have been a hard sell. Once you have been on the tamoxifen a while the hot flashes do get better, that has been the only issue for me, no ovaries here to muddy the waters. Let me know how to contact you. Tami




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