My surgery will be delayed for a couple of weeks due to a positive test for covid that I received today. Completely asymptomatic and at home tests were negative but they’re going to delay me anyway. I’m panicking badly but am trying to figure out a way to maybe fight my tumor in the meantime naturally. It’s highly estrogen/progesterone positive (allred score 7 for estrogen and 8 for progesterone). Anybody have any experience with a particular diet that has lowered your estrogen levels or an exercise regime? I’m eating plant based right now with fish and a little chicken for protein. No sugar or alcohol. Brisk walking for about 30 minutes a day. What else can I do???
Hello @Kay0987
Sorry to hear your surgery has been delayed due to Covid it hasn’t gone away has it? I had COVID last year just before my diagnosis. Can I ask what surgery you are having? I ask because at the time I had my op the advice was not to give patients a general anaesthetic within 7 weeks of having Covid, I was 5 weeks clear and cancer ops are considered urgent so this rule can be broken: I’d had very mild symptoms and my operation was very short (a lumpectomy and SNB) so I was only under for an hour so opted to go ahead at that point. I don’t know if the rule is still being applied but you may want to ask the question rather than being told this as you are about to go into theatre
It is understandable that you are asking “what can I do?” having received a cancer diagnosis out of the blue, amongst a lot of different emotions and thoughts the diagnosis means you have relinquished control of a lot of your every day life and controlling what you eat and how you exercise is something you can control.
Unfortunately there is no scientific evidence of any foods helping to cure or control cancer (despite what some might want you to believe!) however reducing sugar and alcohol and regular exercise (don’t underestimate how good walking is!) is beneficial to everybody . If you are on Instagram I would recommend following Dr Liz O’Riordan (a former breast cancer surgeon who has had breast cancer twice) she posts lots of really helpful sensible no nonsense posts about breast cancer amongst other things.
I anticipate that you are going to have hormone therapy at some point? When there was a possibility of my surgery being delayed my BCN said I could start that part earlier: this is the only effective way to suppress oestrogen to slow the cancer/hopefully prevent a recurrence, so you may wish to ask about this possibility? As I understand it most breast cancers are relatively slow growing compared to others and short delays in surgery don’t usually impact outcomes.
Wishing you well on your cancer journey one that no-one wants to go on, personally it is almost 12 months since I got on that boat: I had surgery and radiotherapy so my treatment was done in October and I am now back at work and at full fitness.
lots of love AM 
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Hi
I have just had a mastectomy for her2 positive bc on 20-4-22 I feel exactly the same as you do I’m that I want to do all that I can to control the disease. I haven’t had an alcoholic drink during treatment at all. Now that I’m at the end and taking Tamoxifen I will allow myself a drink but I will not go back to drinking every night of the weekend. I have changed my diet - no soy based foods and no red meat. I am eating more cruciferous veg ( these are supposed to slow down oestrogen , sorry I don’t know the scientific ins and outs!) and berries for breakfast every morning. I was told to still allow myself things I enjoy but within moderation. I think what you are doing sounds great. I have been walking and have ordered a little treadmill.
I’m really sorry your surgery has been put back but you will feel a lot better after you have had it. It is a relief. I hope you get your date soon xx
Hi,
I also had surgery delayed due to a positive Covid test, and it’s very scary.
Stress is also known to play havoc with hormones, which is not ideal as the delay in surgery will add to this.
Exercise, sensible diet reducing highs and lows created by eating sugar rich food which makes oestrogen peak and reducing alcohol and reducing stress are all good things to do. My only tweak is to get back on the protein. It is very important for strength and provides essential amino acids and iron. You’ll need to be strong for the surgery, this is what I was advised by a professional nutritionist who helped me recover and helped me through all my treatment.
Wishing you all the best with you’re surgery. Having a 7 week delay to mine, it was then nearly cancelled on the day due to staff shortages. Not remotely stressful! But I got there in the end, and doing well now.
Take care xxx