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Flint
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since
22-08-2013
86
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25-05-2017
08:31
I can't answer about a double mastectomy but from my experience of a single one (no recon) I know I would not have coped with the pain and arm/shoulder movement problems on both sides at once.
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09-05-2017
08:55
You stop suddenly when they tell you to. I notice I fall asleep much more easily again since stopping taking it and that only took about a week or so to happen. From then on you will go back to routine 3 yearly mammograms and to your GP instead of your BC team if you have any queries or worries.
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21-04-2017
11:22
Please ask your GP to be referred to a dermatologist specialising in hair.
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04-04-2017
09:09
Hello Claire I didn't want all the exgtra surgery/recovery time so am flat one side.I wear a prosthesis. I don't find it a problem.
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10-03-2017
08:09
It was about two years before I could lie for any time on the affected side. I slept with a pillow under my arm for a long time and the itching went on for ages. Sensation takes a while to come back after the nerves have healed. I'm sure this is not what you want to hear but every day will bring slight improvements until one day you realise you are more or less normal again. I can't say I am completely normal on that side becaue I am not, but almost. Best wishes.
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28-02-2017
01:25
Dosage depends which type of Adcal you are on there are different ones eg the large white ones you have to chew and the caplets you don't - caplets have half the calcium/D3 of the chewable ones so it's four a day of those. I balance my calcium tablets depending on what calcium I have had from food that day to keep within 2000mg overall.Too much calcium can be harmful I have no knowledge of Calcichew but the dosage should be on the container My calcium levels have never been checked Hope this is useful
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26-02-2017
05:56
@Helzie wrote: Hi Helzie Regarding parabens -they have been found in some breast cancers. However there are long and short chain parabens and I don't know which sort have been found in tumours so I discontinued all products with any parabens in them at all. Apparently they are widely used (as preservatives?) in cosmetics. Regarding diet perhaps we should be avoiding phytoestrogens such as soya, flax etc, but again this seems something the medics don't go into - perhaps because letrozole neutralises the effects? I have avoided these two but not oats. I think the main thing is to look after your bones and get lots of calcium because both letrozole and chemo can affect them. Have you had a baseline Dexa scan? I would have another chat with your team. All the best for your coming chemo.
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26-02-2017
05:52
Hi Helzie Regarding parabens -they have been found in some breast cancers. However there are long and short chain parabens and I don't know which sort have been found in tumours so I discontinued all products with any parabens in them at all. Apparently they are widely used as preservatives in cosmetics. Regarding diet perhaps we should be avoiding phytoestrogens such as soya, flax etc, but again this seems something the medics don't go into - perhaps because letrozole neutralises the effects? I have avoided these two but not oats. I think the main thing is to look after your bones and get lots of calcium because both letrozole and chemo can affect them. Have you had a baseline Dexa scan? I would have another chat with your team. All the best for your coming chemo.
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21-02-2017
08:33
It does feel a bit like being hit with a sledgehammer at first.Lots of warmth and support on here though and we all know how you feel. Radiotherapy is usually given over a course of three weeks. Most people I know have been fine on it but a bit tired. Have been given a named breast nurse?They will be able to help you more because they have access to your record and are familiar with all the different types of breast cancer and treatments. Please do try not to worry, it sounds like you are in very good hands. It is difficult for consultants to know how much to say at first until all tests are done because the results often dictate the treatment and not all patients want to have too much information at once. I did, and took a notebook to write it all down. I am sure you will get a lot more information after your scan.The waiting is horrid. Like you, although I thought of other nasty possibilities based on family history, breast cancer was certainly not on my radar. I don't smoke or drink and have always cooked meals from scratch, all this healthy living doesn't seem to have done me much good. Best wishes
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19-02-2017
08:43
Yes you should but speak with your GP about it, You should also have had a baseline Dexa scan. Beware that calcium supplements can interfere with other meds so you need to checkwhen best to take them . it doesn't interfere with letrozole.
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15-02-2017
07:59
i'ver never seen an oncologist at all. My BC nurse will pass info back and forth though so that might be your best route.
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15-02-2017
06:50
I have been taking Adcal for about 5 years and have often wondered if it is responsible for my acid reflux. I understand that calcium is best absorbed in amounts of a 500mg per shot which is probably why the makers advise night and morning, Calcium can interfere with other meds. and should not be taken within 4 hours of some . I take mine with breakfast and then with my evening meal in the hope that helps the absorption. My GP and pharmacist have been very helpful in helping sort out when to take which meds. Another thing I have learned is that it is better to eat full fat organic yoghurt (if you like yoghurt) because dairy products that come from grass fed cows contain a viatmin( I thinks its K2) that helps to off-set clogging up of the arteries. there have been some worries that calcium may contribute to clogging arteries. Apparently low fat dairy does not contain this important vitamin. If you are on an aromatase inhibitor I think you should ask your oncologist if you should also have a bisphosonate. I was told that Adcal on it's own is unlikely to be enough to stop further bone loss and it might just get you back into the 'normal' range of bone density. I do not know now if it is the calcium alone that has upset my stomach or if the bisphosphonate has sensitised it!
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03-02-2017
08:34
My consultant did not arrange anything other than the letrozole prescription and vaguely mention a bone scan might be requested by my GP. It would not have been. I demanded a bone scan from my GP which disclosed established osteoporosis. It was my GP who then prescribed calcium vitamin D and bisphonates. This is a few years ago but I hope the situation has changed for the better in the meantime. I have never seen an oncologist although I can request via my BC nurse that something is discussed with the onc. and results relayed to me. I get repeat dexa scans every two years. I have to ask to get a liver test done and have not had a full blood count or vitamin count as far as I am aware. I am going to mention these things though when I next speak to my GP so thank you very much Sue for posting this information. My GP is usually very good and very thorough so please do not read the above as a complaint - it's just what happened. Best wishes to everyone.
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20-01-2017
05:59
There are different types Adcal, for example the chewable ones are not vegetarian but the caplets are. Do an internet search on ingredients, there might be a type of adcal without soya
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08-01-2017
09:20
I should have added that if you already have low bone density then calcium +vitamin D tablets will not be enough, you will need more than that.
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08-01-2017
09:16
Yes plus calcium tablets (with vitamin D) four years plus. I and lots of others I know who take it are all OK. All the people I know prescribed alendronic acid are prescribed calcium + vitamin D tablets as well by the way. I do not know anyone who has reported side effects from AA but if you experience any there are other medications that prescribed ( at least that is what my GP told me at the outset). Please don't worry.
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07-12-2016
06:01
I still have one breast so am possibly not the right person to speak except that i didn't want recon either - just to get back to normal in the shortest possible time.I wear a prosthesis and don't even think about it. One thing to think about, from what I read from women who have gone flat: It is hard to buy clothes - mens shirts would be OK of course and stetchy type tops no problem either. Dresses will be very difficult. There is a website Flat Friends for women who have chosen to live without breasts. You may find it helpful. Finally, you are certainly not alone in thinking losing a breast(s) is nothing like losing an arm or a leg. Good luck with your op and recovery.
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07-12-2016
05:42
Glad to hear you are feeling chipper. Like you I wanted to look as soon as possible and when the dressings came off I looked straight away too. Best wishes for your recovery.
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