Should I notify my GP?

Going through breast cancer treatment Top tips and practical support
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Hi Everyone,
In a bid to shift a few pounds of weight, I’ve joined Slimming World and wondered if I need to notify my GP (I was thinking of a short letter).
I’m currently on Letrozole and taking ADCAL and aware of the concerns about bone thinning relating to the former.
My aim is only a pound a week and will try to ensure I get enough dairy in my daily diet.
Any advice on this issue would be appreciated.
I don’t want to bother my doctor unless it’s necessary.
Thanks in advance.
Have a lovely weekend all of you.
Best wishes,
Flowers and Bees

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Dear Flowers and bees,

Well done for getting so far with your treatment and managing your weight. Wishing you success.

As regards notifying your GP it doesn’t hurt to let them know what’s going on and they can add it to your records. You could always send a note in if you feel you don’t want to bother them.

Hugs Tili :rainbow::pray::rainbow::pray:

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Thank you for getting back to me Tili and for your encouragement, it means a lot. I’ve put time and effort into getting healthy again following last year’s surgery and treatment. I’m working out and swimming regularly to get fit, and thought I might give Slimming World a go as well.

I think you’re right, it wouldn’t hurt to drop my GP a note, just to be on the safe side.

Hope you have a good weekend,
Best wishes
Flowers and Bees

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If you drop you GP a letter it will be scanned and added to your patient record. It easy to share any information that way that really does not need a response. Good luck on your fitness journey, it is not easy, so well done for being so proactive. Best wishes.

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Hi Flowers and bees,

I reached the point were i wanted to shift the weight id gained through treatment.
Think i just wanted to be normal again.

Im mentioned it to my doctor and he suggested slimming world.

So yes let them know, and yes enjoy SW it works, and you feel good too.

Good luck

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Hi Flowers and Bees. Slimming World is about health eating so you should be ok. Good advice from everyone as usual, this is a brilliant forum. Also suggest Macmillan help line if you want to speak to someone quickly, very supportive and helpful.
All best wishes

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Thanks, that’s useful to know. I don’t want to add to my doctor’s workload, but better to let him know, just in case.
All the best.

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I know what you mean about wanting to feel normal again, and wanting to get on top of it as well. It’s reassuring to know that your doctor suggested Slimming World to you. There’s an emphasis on healthy eating which appeals to me. Their app is pretty good for recipes and planning, which again, is beneficial. I think slow and steady will be the order the day.
All the best.

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I hadn’t thought of contacting the Macmillan help line, thank you. And you’re right, what I’ve seen so far with Slimming World is very healthy.
All the best.

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I went the opposite during my chemo and lost 3 stone now I’m eating normally it’s slowly going back on and want to stop, I ate a lot pre cancer but mostly cos I was a pig not cos I was hungry…now I’m hungry all the time…I thought about slimming world…I wish you luck…it’s easy to loose weight if you put your mind to it and have the will power (which I struggle with) but so easy to put it back on.

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I know what you mean about how difficult it is to maintain weight loss, that’s why I’m focusing on slow but steady with a realistic goal that is achievable. Small changes that I can stick to. With 2xgym and a swim a week, I’m crossing my fingers that I can get to and stay at the weight I want to be, for my health. I don’t have bags of willpower, but for some reason exercise keeps me in the motivated mindset, and that’s where I started after I’d recovered from radiotherapy. I began with swimming and aqua fit and joined a gym a month later, and seemed to get my mojo back by then. Good luck to you as well.
All the best.
Flowers and Bees

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I struggle with exercise because I also have scoliosis which restricts my movements.and swimming is difficult as I can’t do cold, I do do a few weeks in a hydro pool at my hospital and I have a hot tub which I use often when I ache a lot, …so I struggle with my weight…I was taking gabapentin which makes you gain weight but stopped them now, it’s so difficult to know what to do for the best …mind and body…but I’ll keep plodding along.
Good luck on your journey.x

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Thanks, and you.
All the best
Flower and Bees.

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Please ask your GP to do a DEXA as an if you have not had one. I had one before starting Letrazole.

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I had a DEXA scan last September. Not sure if they’re an annual thing or not.
Best wishes
Flowers and Bees

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Hi, all this stuff can give you such a head ache, so sorry if this post causes more of it, but to err on the side of caution I would suggest you try to get most of your calcium from leafy greens - see Can Drinking Too Much Milk Make Your Bones More Brittle?

There are several studies on the issue, and personally I like to reduce risks :blush:. I am on tamoxifen and what I have done was increase my protein intake and so far weight has maintained. I should mention I’m vegan, so all my protein is plant based. Not sure if that makes a difference.

Maybe also worth noting that before I was vegan, I was diagnosed with osteopenia and my bones normalized when I became vegan (that was not the reason) and my calcium sources became veg. I’m not a study so that could have just been coincidence or time.
Good luck!!! Stay well :two_hearts:

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Hi, interesting article. Looks like I could do with more exposure to sunshine as well, not easy in this country, as not a lot of it at the moment.
Much of what I eat is plant-based, I’ve been vegetarian since the mid-80s and usually have fortified soya yoghurt and unsweetened soya drink (I think they call it) in my tea, and eat a fair amount of the green stuff. As I’m sensitive to dairy (have coughing and sneezing fits when I eat them) I try not to eat too much anyhow, same with milk, I have some but not tons.
I agree it’s another thing to think about the headache of everything you have to consider - the mental load that comes with cancer is pretty big. Bone health being one of them. I’m on Letrozole and going through a second menopause, so osteopenia it’s something to be aware of. It was interesting to read that you bones normalised when you became vegan. I need to remind myself of all the other food sources for calcium.

All the best,
Flowers and Bees

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