1. < Breast Cancer

Breast cancer-free anniversaries

Posted by callalloo @callalloo, Oct 3, 2022

There are many Mayo Connect members who continue to survive breast cancer and have remained remission free for years. I thought a thread celebrating those deserves its own topic as reading about them encourages all of us.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

callalloo | @callalloo | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @windyshores "@lisajoann curious why you are continuing meds after 10 years of hormonal treatment. I would love..." + (show)
@windyshores

@lisajoann curious why you are continuing meds after 10 years of hormonal treatment. I would love to know!

I am 8 years out, as I wrote before, and have not given up sugar. All carbs turn into sugar so maybe low carb is helpful-? I have a kid with type 1 diabetes so am well aware that bagels, white rice, bananas and some other fast acting foods have the same effect as what we consider "sweets." In fact chocolate and cake icing and cookies are slower acting carbs due to the fat content.

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An endocrinologist, and now this breast cancer surgeon, are adamant about the sugar/insulin/estrogen connection. My biochemistry background is non-existent but I've also seen studies on Google Scholar linking breast cancer and sugar or high-glycemic index diets, though some is theoretical.

I assumed it was the usual 'overweight' causes higher cancer risk yaddayadda stuff but one oncologist described fat as 'an estrogen machine.' I don't know if that's even precisely true and might depend upon other non-sugary foods in the diet causing the fat storage. But the endocrinologist I saw specifically cited sugar and it's effect on insulin production as triggering increases in estrogen. Any resulting fat storage just adds another estrogen-production issue.

I half-dismissed it sugar is currently under attack in general for just about every health evil and I suspect that excess weight caused by a diet of fried foods would likely also be estrogenic. But I've read more about the insulin and estrogen connection and am persuaded that sugar should be a no-go for me at least.

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callalloo | @callalloo | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @lisajoann "Because it’s working for me! I want to keep all the estrogen I can out of..." + (show)
@lisajoann

Because it’s working for me! I want to keep all the estrogen I can out of my body…evista works to help bone density and at the same time keeps estrogen at bay!

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For those who are unfamiliar with it, Evista is a SERM, rather than an aromatase inhibitor. [Tamoxifen is a SERM. I believe it was the first SERM for treatment of some breast cancer cases.]

An aromatase inhibitor blocks the production of estrogen while a SERM makes estrogen bio-unavailable for breast cancer cell receptors.

Because SERMS don't deplete the body of estrogen, patients on them do not have the bone density issues that patients on the aromatase inhibitors can face. Different drugs with differing mechanisms for 'starving' estrogen-sensitive cancers.

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2 replies
callalloo | @callalloo | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @chrisoula "Thank you girls, hope all of us are cancer free through time! You know, I might..." + (show)
@chrisoula

Thank you girls, hope all of us are cancer free through time!
You know, I might be more courageous now but I was horrified at first and didn't even realise it and I did many funny stuff! Now it's time that I make you laugh, ,,,, a lot! It took 2 weeks to realise that I had breast cancer because the first cytological examination refered to the situation as adenocarcinoma. My brain refused to understand and thought it was something similar to cancer but not it!!! 🤣🤣🤣 When I went for the first time in the oncologist I ask nothing, no question at all! And let me tell you what I did when I visited for the first time the mammologist! After he saw my examinations and took a sample of the tumor and the first lympho node, I asked him: "it could be inflammation, couldn't it?" 🤣🤣🤣 The poor guy was looking at me trying to think what to say! His assistant was looking at the floor and me was very mad at him for hesitating to answer and allow me to have hallucinations! It seemed like my brain couldn't or refused to comprehend what was happening! After a long time I realised that the situation was serious and I had to fight with all my heart and brain too. I desided that no matter what I would be a positive case ( not a survivor I don't like it), because I'm still young (55) and I have a lot of things to do andd see (my children marry, grandchildren, new work and of course a partner in my life)! Of course I've been fighting with stress, fear (especially in the 3 months tests), depression and insomnia! And of course there are good stuff too: I lost the weight I wanted for more than 10 years, I cut my hair very short and they're excellent (make me younger) and realised that I have important people in my life that really love me (family & friends) 😍
Sorry for the really long text, hope I made you laugh! 💖

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You made ME laugh, lol. I've had a few moments when my brain took a quick nanosecond vacation on some tropical isle when it was both un- and dis-interested in making sense of Bad News.

My Bad News Biopsy was after a long history of mammograms seeing 'something' that was later found to be nothing. The radiologist was a tad curious about my blithe dismissal of (yet another) 'possibly suspicious area' in a breast. I finally understood that, this time, there was an area needing a biopsy and, when I explained my mammo history, she understood my seemingly breezy reaction. I think I might have seemed spacey to her for a few minutes though...

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1 reply
callalloo | @callalloo | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @pbnew "Sugar and dairy." + (show)
@pbnew

Sugar and dairy.

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I need a breakfast smoothie substitute for yoghurt that also has as much calcium. My diet improvement is a work-in-progress, and gradual, as I have finicky GI tract that rebels easily. Though we've never figured out the exact triggers. There are times when spicy foods are the only thing that calm down acid reflux, which makes zero sense though true.

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2 replies
windyshores | @windyshores | Oct 22, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "For those who are unfamiliar with it, Evista is a SERM, rather than an aromatase inhibitor...." + (show)
@callalloo

For those who are unfamiliar with it, Evista is a SERM, rather than an aromatase inhibitor. [Tamoxifen is a SERM. I believe it was the first SERM for treatment of some breast cancer cases.]

An aromatase inhibitor blocks the production of estrogen while a SERM makes estrogen bio-unavailable for breast cancer cell receptors.

Because SERMS don't deplete the body of estrogen, patients on them do not have the bone density issues that patients on the aromatase inhibitors can face. Different drugs with differing mechanisms for 'starving' estrogen-sensitive cancers.

Jump to this post

@callalloo I have spent 28 years dealing with glucose and insulin. My point was that demonizing "sugar" is more complicated. White rice is worse than ice cream, for instance, in terms of how fast acting the sugar is. And all carbs create glucose.

Fat is the other place post-menopausal estrogen can be found, apparently. I am too thin. I get calories where I can.

@lisajoann my docs would not allow more treatment. Glad you have flexible docs. I would consider a SERM for bones after Tymlos except I already have a clot risk.

REPLY
1 reply
callalloo | @callalloo | Oct 22, 2022
In reply to @windyshores "@callalloo I have spent 28 years dealing with glucose and insulin. My point was that demonizing..." + (show)
@windyshores

@callalloo I have spent 28 years dealing with glucose and insulin. My point was that demonizing "sugar" is more complicated. White rice is worse than ice cream, for instance, in terms of how fast acting the sugar is. And all carbs create glucose.

Fat is the other place post-menopausal estrogen can be found, apparently. I am too thin. I get calories where I can.

@lisajoann my docs would not allow more treatment. Glad you have flexible docs. I would consider a SERM for bones after Tymlos except I already have a clot risk.

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I do know about other foods that break down into sugar and create insulin spikes, etc. I was just trying to keep it simple. Luckily, I don't have anything complicated that necessitates a deeper understanding of metabolic biochemistry. If I eliminate all refined sugar from my diet (no mean feat but do-able), that's a huge improvement.

REPLY
lisajoann | @lisajoann | Oct 22, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "For those who are unfamiliar with it, Evista is a SERM, rather than an aromatase inhibitor...." + (show)
@callalloo

For those who are unfamiliar with it, Evista is a SERM, rather than an aromatase inhibitor. [Tamoxifen is a SERM. I believe it was the first SERM for treatment of some breast cancer cases.]

An aromatase inhibitor blocks the production of estrogen while a SERM makes estrogen bio-unavailable for breast cancer cell receptors.

Because SERMS don't deplete the body of estrogen, patients on them do not have the bone density issues that patients on the aromatase inhibitors can face. Different drugs with differing mechanisms for 'starving' estrogen-sensitive cancers.

Jump to this post

♥️

REPLY
anjalima | @anjalima | Oct 22, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "I need a breakfast smoothie substitute for yoghurt that also has as much calcium. My diet..." + (show)
@callalloo

I need a breakfast smoothie substitute for yoghurt that also has as much calcium. My diet improvement is a work-in-progress, and gradual, as I have finicky GI tract that rebels easily. Though we've never figured out the exact triggers. There are times when spicy foods are the only thing that calm down acid reflux, which makes zero sense though true.

Jump to this post

I also need a calcium rich sub for smoothies and other times. Eliminating dairy and needing high calcium is tricky on the go.

REPLY
lauraho | @lauraho | Oct 23, 2022
In reply to @chrisoula "Thank you girls, hope all of us are cancer free through time! You know, I might..." + (show)
@chrisoula

Thank you girls, hope all of us are cancer free through time!
You know, I might be more courageous now but I was horrified at first and didn't even realise it and I did many funny stuff! Now it's time that I make you laugh, ,,,, a lot! It took 2 weeks to realise that I had breast cancer because the first cytological examination refered to the situation as adenocarcinoma. My brain refused to understand and thought it was something similar to cancer but not it!!! 🤣🤣🤣 When I went for the first time in the oncologist I ask nothing, no question at all! And let me tell you what I did when I visited for the first time the mammologist! After he saw my examinations and took a sample of the tumor and the first lympho node, I asked him: "it could be inflammation, couldn't it?" 🤣🤣🤣 The poor guy was looking at me trying to think what to say! His assistant was looking at the floor and me was very mad at him for hesitating to answer and allow me to have hallucinations! It seemed like my brain couldn't or refused to comprehend what was happening! After a long time I realised that the situation was serious and I had to fight with all my heart and brain too. I desided that no matter what I would be a positive case ( not a survivor I don't like it), because I'm still young (55) and I have a lot of things to do andd see (my children marry, grandchildren, new work and of course a partner in my life)! Of course I've been fighting with stress, fear (especially in the 3 months tests), depression and insomnia! And of course there are good stuff too: I lost the weight I wanted for more than 10 years, I cut my hair very short and they're excellent (make me younger) and realised that I have important people in my life that really love me (family & friends) 😍
Sorry for the really long text, hope I made you laugh! 💖

Jump to this post

It has been less than 1 week since I have been diagnosed. Similar emotions! Trying to reframe my brain response as this is a bump in the road and I will come out a better person and really enjoy all the little moments going forward. I am a single Mom of a 19 year old boy who is not ready to be on his own! LOL courage, strength and grace is my new motto

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ncgal | @ncgal | Oct 23, 2022

Don't know if this is the right place to post but thought I'd try. I am now going into my 4th year breast cancer free, (I had a lumpectomy). Since my hair grew back from the chemo it has become so lifeless and thin that I have been using gel and hair spray to thicken it. I hate the chemicals that are in those products and was wondering if anyone has a chemical free or natural alternative. I remember my mother (who had a beauty salon) sometimes used beer to rinse my hair, but I certainly don't want to go around smelling like a brewery. Any suggestions? I tried the Rogain products to no avail. I also have PMR and am on long term Prednisone which probably doesn't help.

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