DJ007, I very much enjoyed your rant (perhaps because I like your logic so much!) - ever thought of taking up counselling to calm us all down? I’m just about to have a top up while I cook tea. Thank you everybody, you’re all v reassuring and ‘normal’ sounding x
Well to be quite honest that link would not persuade me to change my habits. Especially when you look at the huge number of drinkersnthat did not get a recurrence.
To oldandlumpy, I clean forgot about alternating wine with water !! Must try harder tomorrow.
can’t drink wine but I do enjoy a glass of Baileys. Must admit though can’t drink as much as I did bafore diagnosis and treatment
Hi folks…not quite sure where to start. My friend has never had a drop of drink in her life and was not over weight and yet she has had secondary cancer!!! I really donot think there is any fast and hard rules to this blasted cancer. I have chosen not to drink much or very often now because it makes me feel ill…much to my horror.
If you fancy a drink then go for it…life is to short to feel guilty about a glass of wine or two. I was told it was ok when i was having treatment but choice not to because it tasted fowl and could see no point. Bottoms up ladies and enjoy.
Hi Madkiki
I’m glad you enjoyed my rant! I think that, for obvious reasons, we can’t be totally objective about this and end up picking the research/philosophy/lifestyle that most appeals to each of us individually.
All of us have different attitudes to risk in in different areas of our lives. I recently took a little test (on the BBC Life Lab) and came out as a higher risk taker when it comes to health and safety (my love of thrills), and lower on financial risk taking.
I’ve just finished the most intense bit of treatment (mx, chemo, rads, still got 5 yrs of tamox to go) and, through some of the discussions on here, am starting to realise that it’s never ‘over’. Having been slapped in the face by BC, it’s now always somewhere in your head. However, I want to find a way of facing and dealing with anxiety so that the risk of recurrence/new primaries doesn’t become an ever-present ‘monkey on my shoulder’.
What I hope is that I recognise the risk and anxiety of BC coming back, but that I’m able to mentally put those feelings in a box for most of the time and put it at the furthest dusty reaches of my mind - to be taken out, opened and examined only when I choose to do so. Obviously that is easier said than done, particularly if you know that your risk of recurrence is high.
Maybe I’m odd, but I’ve decided to see if I can think of living my life as a risk sport! I drive almost daily on a dangerous stretch of road, I ride feisty and lively horses, I’ve been known to jump out of planes and abseil down high rise buildings. I intend to carry on eating the things I enjoy and drinking alcohol. Some of the ‘risks’ I take I have a choice in, others I don’t. I take certain precautions to minimise risks, but not every single one. Some I can’t afford, some are impractical and some just take the fun away!
There are many things that could injure/maim/kill me at some point in the future - despite my dx and recent treatment BC is still just one of them.
Whew - that wasn’t a rant, just a massive ramble.
Hi DJ007
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there, it really is all about attitude to risk. I am more of a risk averse kind of person so I will try to do all I can to reduce risk. There’s pros and cons to both attitudes of course and not much we can do about how we feel about risk.
Lupin - this is only about a risk. With drink it’s not a case of cause and effect. It’s also like smoking, we know it increases the risk of lung cancer but not everyone that smokes gets lung cancer. There will possibly be many other factors involved such as genes.
I think with alcohol the link seems to be much stronger with estrogen receptive types. What some research has shown is that drinking alcohol increases circulating oestrogen. As I hate having to take tamoxifen, if I’m going to take tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor then it makes sense to me to do all I can not to increase circulating oestrogen. But that’s me being risk averse…
take care all, Elinda x
Morning, must just add a few more comments. Like you DJ007 I have had the op, TAC, rads and started on Tamox nearly a year ago but last week I had my ovaries out as it’s one less thing to worry about and my mum had ovarian cancer 13 years ago (and is miraculously still with us). Since chemo started I have had MONSTER hot flushes and night sweats and consequently don’t sleep well, very sore/aching joints and not had a period since chemo. Therefore the general consensus was that it would be safer to have them out(didn’t think twice about it)and go onto Arimidex. I’m not overweight am fairly active excercise wise and gave up smoking years ago.
I just think life must carry on with some quality, I find it easier to diet than give up drinking, and I’ve been told by onc and GP weight and exercise are much more important and some of the dire warnings about drinking are because drinkers are ‘usually’ overweight.
Two of my oldest friends have had breast cancer, one, my best friend died from an aggressive form 4 weeks before I was diagnosed and the other is now 6 years clear, no problems, just bloody frightened like most of us. Both had/have young children.
After all this I’ve decided drink will be my chosen risk.
Thank you and good luck to everyone, all I know is cancer is very “popular” these days!! x
PS, when discussing hot flushes with my surgeon he asked if I had tried to identify a ‘trigger’, ie. usual culprits hot drinks, red wine, cheese, etc and I said if it’s the red wine I’ll put up with the flushes and he agreed that quality of life is important, didn’t berate me.
As it’s another beautiful day and good to be alive I’ll probaly be having another earlyish chilled cava! Cheers x
hi ladies, i was intrested to read this thread as i feel i drink to much…but i do enjoy a glass or 5 of wine at night…i have put weight on tho wether that be down to chemo/not working/wine…but i have secondary cancer in my bones…so if having a bit of what i enjoy keeps me smiling then long may it last…
Well Avril5050, I’ll drink to that, just sitting down and pouring a glass of red, you go girl and best of luck x
I love a glass of baileys now and again but can’t drink as much as before all the treatment. A bit of what you fancy will do and make you feel good
I also drink wine - sometimes quite a lot (when its not tasting disgusting!) I was told that the link is in post menopausal women and I am very pre-menopausal and am on my second round in the ring with BC - although I am fat, so maybe thats what caused it! Or maybe its just luck? Who knows - we can spend hours beating ourselves up about it so we might as well have a glass of wine while we do it in my opinion. Life is too short not to take any risks at all.
Ruby.xx
Well said,
Alcohol is one factor but where would we stop? If we analysed everything that increased our risk of cancer then we would not get out of bed.
I’d cut dairy and gone on to soya (being a veggie) and now I’m not meant to blooming have that either!!!
Delighted to see this thread! At times I’ve been feeling horribly guilty thinking that I’ve caused my BC by drinking too much. Then I remind myself that my grandmother and my mother both had BC and they were both more or less teetotal. So what caused the BC? I’ll probably never know.
I’ll drink to that!
Dx
Indeed - I’m sitting here at my computer with a glass of red wine to hand!
I know the Daily Male is much maligned on here but there is a brilliant piece in it today regarding research for a pill that lets you drink but stay sober. I have just read it (sitting outside drinking a glass of wine!) and it has given me a good chuckle. Its on page 14
Daisy xx
hi Daisygirl, i saw the keeping you sober pill on telly today…if i wanted to satay sober i would not drink alchool lol…no idea what purpurse the pill will be used for…Hic
I have just finished my treatment today and I’m celebrating with a bottle of rose wine! Cheers!