Evening, is there anyone else out there who has a ‘few’ glasses of wine daily? (I don’t have a ‘drink problem’, just look forward to it at the end of the day) hic!
I used to drink on a daily basis - can’t stand the taste of wine or cider now. Strawberry Fruli is quite pleasant.
If it tastes okay - go for it. My Onc team said there were no rules, and if you fancied eating or drinking it then go for it.
Obviously - everything in moderation!
terms and conditions apply - always read the small print
my day would not be complete without a few glasses of wine before i go to bed. I dont have more than a bottle, its a personal limit I set some time ago.
I drink more than the recommended limit most nights and starting to accept that I do have a drink problem as I know I should drink less but seem unable to do so. Not sure what I am going to do about it yet but have downloaded a hypnosis tape which I will start listening to at bed time, you never know it might make me sleep better too!
Daisy xx
I’m another one that likes my wine & still have a few glasses while on chemo. Not for about 3 days after chemo though, as tastes like battery acid, lol!!! Chemo nurses said a fe glasses were fine.
Enjoy & cheers!
Dugsy
I’m probably putting myself in the line of fire for posting this here but I feel its important women make informed choices about what they do.
Research published in 2009 found that those women who drank moderately any type of alcohol (at least 3 or 4 drinks a week) had a staggering 30% increased risk of recurrance. The strongest link appeared to be in those who were overweight or post menopausal.
The recommendation was to have less than 3 drinks per week.
Here’s a link to the BBC article:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8406273.stm
Its far from what we want to hear and each of has to make a lifestyle choice and weigh up risk with pleasure etc. Elinda x
i now feel humble. there is a thread started by an alcoholic who has not returned to drink through the diagnosis and treatment. I truly respect that sort of willpower.
I am not an alcholic, I have a bad drink habit. Everynow and again I have an evening without wine just to prove i can. I gave up for two weeks after surgery to prepare myself for rads, but then the oncologist said ‘why on earth are you doing that’ so i started again. Basically my whole family drink in the evening and it feels silly not to when i enjoy a glass of wine. I have tried some quite expensive de-alcoholised stuff, but it tastes aweful. I have stopped taking wine to bed, I thought that was the start of a slippery slope.
My chinese doctor said he wanted me to alternate glasses of wine with water, not to drink less but to dilute the concentration of alcohol in the total liquid I consumed. I must admit i have not been doing that lately— i will start tonight.
I agree with Elinda that it’s important we understand the risk we are taking and I’ve taken the decision to keep on drinking. I fully accept that if my cancer returns I have nobody but myself to blame and I’ll have to live with that if it does. However, I intend to live for a long time yet and the thought of not being able to share a bottle of wine with my husband at dinner on Sundays (our sit down dinner day) is unbearable. I also drink on Friday nights after work and on nights out with friends so, all in, I do drink more than the recommended limits. I tried giving up during my treatment and while I was too sick to socialise I didn’t miss it. I went back to it as soon as I had my first weekend away with OH.
I should say that I don’t have children and I may have made a different choice if I had to worry about leaving them. Then again… maybe not.
Jan x
I’ll wholeheartedly admit to indulging in a few glasses of wine a night most nights over the past few years. Me and OH stopped when I had difficulty conceiving but once I got diagnosis, i thought OH WELL and started again. Didn’t really want anything during chemo and could only drink in week 3 due to chemo mouth.
Not been too bad with rads.
I’m also overweight.
Last week we’ve not had a drink, but last night I had 3 glasses of wine.
I know I probably should now treat my body like a complete temple, but after having years of treating my body like a temple of disrepute I’m struggling with being good!!
But I’m also scared of recurrence. This is completely insane not to lose weight and be angelic, but i feel violated enough as it is at the moment.
I find that even though wine has more calories than water it does not affect my weight, as long as i am good and dont nibble after my evening meal. Beer on the other hand does seem to but a little on if i have too many nights down at the pub in a week.
It would be fine if we did have the ‘informed choice’! advice re this changes almost every week dependent on which report you read. Good for you 1 month-very bad in next months ‘study’.It’s tiresome I think.Speak to any of a breast team-and they will give different answers depending on their own thoughts on the subject. There is no conclusive results anywhere,just ‘slants’.I do have a wine when I fancy it, not much probably 1-2 bottles a week at most,but once once a total non drinker for decades-then found the pleasure.Oh and I smoke. My one saving grace is I’m not fat!! make up your own mind and go with what suits you personally I think.
Yes, but this is the only research I’ve ever seen that looks at recurrance and breast cancer. It is a staggering result.
I feel it would be all too easy to dismiss any research because it doesn’t fit with our chosen lifestyle. I hate the fact that research shows keeping to a healthy weight is important. I’m overweight and know i need to lose weight but struggle with it because food is such a pleasure in my life. At the moment my food is winning out over the health risks.
I think if people opt to drink its the same, that’s a personal choice but it doesn’t make the research wrong. Elinda x
I agree with you Elinda.
It’s important to make an informed decision about what’s right for you and your lifestyle.
I probably have 30% increased risk of serious head injury/paralysis compared to many - I ride horses. I don’t intend to give that up either!
Dx
Hi ladies, all good points.
I am not ‘habitually drinking’ as I used to before being dx. I will. however not deny myself a small glass if I really want it and on my OH birthday we were drinking cocktails, fab.
It’s good advice, everything in moderation. It does not say not to drink at all.
I’d rather have quarter a pint of decent beer than 4 alcohol free that taste like swamp. If anyone knows of a good alc free beer please let me know!
Carolyn x
Afternoon, thank you so much for your various replies. I guess I just feel re-assured to know there are other women who are enjoying their drink (in spite of the dire warnings). To me quality of life and getting back to a ‘normal’ way of life are important so I will ‘take a chance’. I particularly like DJ007’s common sense logic and like JanB I don’t have children. I shall try oldandlumpy’s advice about alternating with (sips!) of water. You’ve all been so helpful. However, it’s been a beautiful sunny day and I think an early chilled Cava is on the cards!!
Yeah,I have to admit to being a “If I don’t like what I hear then I choose to pretend it’s wrong” kind of person 
It’s so unfair that we have to not enjoy things we want without feeling guilty about it!!! I love my food and drink. Hence being hugely overweight.
Yes, wine is not as calorific as some alchohol, but if you drink a bottle of it, that’s usually about 600 calories.
Is the link in all cases of breast cancer though as i have TNBC so hormones ect apparently dont count with that one !!! I would really be interested to know how alchohol affects this type of cancer .
I used to drink half a bottle of wine most nights as i used to sit and share a bottle of wine with my hubby to relax on a night.I have questioned myself as to wether or not i had a drink problem but the minute i was diagnosed and the cancer had been taken away i gave up drinking totally till my silver wedding a month later and my hubby ordered us a bottle of wine!!!
My onc said 5 units a week ,my breastcare nurse said 14 units a week ,my doc said eat a healthy diet excercise but drinking was fine(think he likes a drink himself lol)my chemo nurses say they enjoy wine vodka ect regularly and not to beat myself up over the odd drink .One of them had breast cancer 20 years ago.
I also mentioned dairy only to be told one of the chemo nurses mother in laws had bc years ago and her favourite tipple is a glass of hot milk of which she has loads daily!!
Confused i am.With me being a big drinker why didnt i get oestrogen related cancer as i believe it is all to do with hormones and being fat.
But i also saw a study that said it doesnt matter what you drink now as even if you were only a moderate drinker before you got BC you were more likely to have a recurrance.
After everything ive read on here ive been having about 7 units a week but not any at all in chemo week .
I dont enjoy it as i feel guilty . I also feel guilty if i have cake ,cream ,milk ,sweets ,red meat ect the list goes on ,hence i dont enjoy food or drink anymore and spend my whole life feeling guilty !!!
Take care all in whatever you decide .Love Sharon xx
Everyone - STOP FEELING GUILTY!!!
It’s your body, your life, and you are free to put in it what you like. (OK, heroin and crack cocaine are defo not good ideas, but you get my drift.)
You are also free to take up bungy jumping, cycling along busy main roads or dating dodgy men - all are potentially bad for your health.
It (whatever ‘it’ is) might increase your risk of recurrance. Remember it is a ‘risk’ not an absolute. Also if something increases the risk by 30%, but the original risk was 10%, then your actual risk goes up by 3% to 13%.
Sorry - mini rant over.
Dx
I actually a little guilt is a good thing if it changes behaviour. A lot of guilt = a bad thing though!
To me getting cancer was a huge wake up call about my health. I do try to be more careful about what I eat and drink. The way I look at it is if I’m good say 90% of the time, then I’m going to have my treats guilt free.
We can’t avoid all risk in life. We can though decide if we want to reduce risks which are in our control.
I think it’s always good to be cautious about stats and weigh everything up. I found this article which makes the research findings a lot clearer. Postmenopausal women who drink moderately hada 51% increased risk. Overweight or obese women had a 60% increased risk.
lbbc.org/Understanding-Breast-Cancer/Breast-Cancer-News/Alcohol-may-influence-breast-cancer-recurrence
Some may like more evidence but to me, if I’ve gone through all that surgery, rads and chemo then it’s not worth taking the chance.
Everyone is different though and while we are all free to put in our bodies what we want, there may be consequences and it’s not always easy to accept that. I know that by being overweight I’m at increased risk of recurrance as well as other things like diabetes. Will that be enough to make me lose weight - honestly I’m not sure. Elinda x
Hmmm I love my vino but tonight I’m sat her with a cold Becks reading your posts waiting for jacket spud to cook upon, which i’ll put some cheese and then beef curry ooer! I have made some changes but my tipple is still here when I feel up to it! I have however given up smoking so feel quite angelic about that xxx