Well I have still been busy living life and loving it so I have not posted much. I am doing OK but as the title says, I need more surgery. I need to have my ovaries out....joy hu? There is a cyst that just won't go away and my doctors want to be very thorough with things given my history with breast cancer so out comes the ovary. Since I am having one ovary out and estrogen is not my friend, I decided to have both ovaries out to further reduce any estrogen in my body.
What's funny is having surgery doesn't even scare me. I guess you put it all in perspective with what I have already been through, and this means a laproscopic oophrectomy seems like nothing. My surgery is next month and the recovery should be pretty easy from what I am told.
So I got excited that I would have less estrogen in my body since my breast cancer was fueled by hormones but then my medical oncologist took the wind out of my sails. He ordered a DEXA scan to get a baseline on my bone density. The results indicated I have osteopenia which is a precursor for osteoporosis. I am only 47 years old! That was a huge shock. I already exercise, maintain a low body weight, eat healthy, don't smoke, avoid processed foods, take calcium, etc.....how the heck did I get osteopenia? I guess this will be another question I will never know the answer to.
Now that I have osteopenia, I will most likely not be able to switch to an aromatase inhibitor (which is what post menopausal breast cancer patients take if their tumor was estrogen dependent) which offers the best protection from recurrence. The aromatase inhibitors can directly affect bone density and since I am at risk already, this is probably not the best choice for me. I guess I may stay on tamoxifen which does not effect bone density but is a little less effective in post menopausal women. This is so frustrating.
I am off to see an endocrinologist to discuss my bone density issues and see what they recommend. Looks like I will be put on some type of medication to help with my bone density. I feel like an old lady! I take pills daily and go to the doctor all the time. So now I have a whole list of doctors: medical oncologist, plastic surgeon, internist, gynecologist and endocrinologist. I also have an orthopedic sports medicine doctor and am doing some physical therapy for a hip injury a few times a week. Crazy! Isn't this what old ladies do??? LOL!
Oh well. Either way, I am thankful for the overall health and life I have now. I will continue to do what I can to stay healthy and hopefully live a long life. Each day is a gift and can be filled with joy if you let it.
Hi! I am 41 and I will finish my fourth round of Taxotere Cytoxin this week. Our breast cancer diagnosis was similar. I was stage I ER/PR positve and HER2 negative in December. I had a bilateral mastectomy and have done well with my treatments so far, however, the third treatment has been a litle exhausting. I dread the fourth, however, I am thrilled to put this behind me. Because I have the BRCA gene, I am having a hysterectomy at NYU in early May. It is a good move to both prevent ovarian cancer and to reduce my reoccurance risk. I agree with your comments and have read your blog. You are very strong, and your site has been a great resource for me. Let's be strong together!
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