ALCOHOL

I was diagnosed in 2010 with lobular BC and was told that alcohol can play a part in this form of BC so I should try to drink as little alcohol as possible.  I was never a heavy drinker, but liked a drink socially as it gave me more confidence.  Because I wanted to live I decided not to drink at all, and haven’t had a drink now for about 4 years.  This time of the year I find quite difficult as many people don’t know of my diagnosis (my choice) and I have to make excuses for why I don’t drink (usually blaming it on medication).  I do think that people tend to think I am boring though, but given the choice I’m sure they would have made the same decision as me!  

 

I have also become very conscious of alcohol being present in many toiletries and try to choose alcohol free options where possible, although there isn’t much choice to be honest.  I have also tried to cut out parabens where possible as I understand these are oestrogens and my BC was er+.  I would love to use all the lovely smelling toiletries people buy me for Christmas and Birthday, but I have got to the stage where I am just too afraid to use them!  Again it makes me feel boring.  

 

Do others feel the same way as me?  Or am I taking this too seriously, as I am sure that no-one can say with any certainty that if you don’t ever have a drink and you cut out products containing alcohol wherever possible then it won’t come back.

 

Other peoples views on this subject would be welcomed.  Thank you - & Happy New Year let’s hope it’s a good one for us all x 

Hi Sunnyday - well done on staying true to yourself. Going off on a little tangent I trekked in Iceland for a charity event & one of the people on that trip had had a problem with alcohol. His way around difficult questions or people trying to convince him to have *just one* for what ever reason, was to say he was allergic to it. Suddenly people are much more understanding & did not press him to take any at all. He even avoided alchol in cooked foods - despite being told it was cooked off.

Hope this may help you around justifications / explanations you are quite rightly unwilling to provide.