So, here we are - 2 weeks and 3 days after the tumour alert. I got through those days in varying degrees of panic, from being totally melted to -----well, the whole gamut - denial, anger - yes, pissed at my dad for having such old genes - at 60 after his hey-day. One point in his favour is that his initial ones would have been of survival quality.
And talking of my dad, there may be some work to do here with his memory, as from the emotional angle, the left breast deals with parents and children. I was holding this left baby the other day when it suddenly came into my head that I cannot remember ever having a conversation with my father apart from at the dining table. And beyond the age of 5 - before that I would cuddle up on his lap and he would tell me a story - beyond that, I cannot recall any moment when we exchanged a hug - the only affection being my dutiful kiss on his forehead before I went to bed. When I see the amazing relating that occurs between fathers and children in my neighbourhood I start to wonder what issues lurk there for release in my breast. Let's see what the emotional healers do with that!
And here my blog purpose - to record this second dance around with breast cancer. In the second breast. My thinking it is well related to hormones. Everything has been tickety-boo until now - and it is a year and a half since I stopped taking Arimidex to decrease my estrogen production. Is there a connection?
This following from the website:
womenshealth.gov Home
Hormone receptors — About two-thirds of all breast cancers contain significant levels of estrogen receptors, which means the tumors are estrogen receptor positive (ER+). ER+ tumors tend to grow less aggressively and may respond favorably to treatment with hormones.
Hormone therapy is used for breast cancers that are estrogen receptor-positive. This means that the female hormone estrogen stimulates this type of breast cancer to grow. Hormone therapy stops cancer cells from growing by reducing the production of hormones or blocking their action. Hormone therapy is not indicated if breast cancer is estrogen receptor-negative. Hormone therapy includes:
Tamoxifen (tuh-MOK-suh-fen) — A drug that blocks estrogen’s action. Tamoxifen slightly increases the risk of blood clots and uterine cancer in women who have a uterus. It is usually taken for 5 years.
Aromatase (uh-ROH-muh-tayz) inhibitors — Drugs that decrease the production of estrogen. It is given to some postmenopausal women who have hormone-dependent breast cancer. This is breast cancer that needs estrogen to grow. Aromatase inhibitors are taken for 5 years. Women who take tamoxifen often take an aromatase inhibitor after the tamoxifen treatment is done.
Ovarian ablation (oh-VAIR-ee-uhn uh-BLAY-shuhn) — Surgery, radiation, or drugs stop the ovaries from making estrogen in premenopausal women.
So there you have it - the purpose of the blog - to see, once we have taken out tumour and maybe even radiated. we are left with the huge black hole can of worms hot potato hormones. I will fight to not do Arimidex again, or try Tamoxifen or Ralooxifene or any other unnatural or unbiologial substance. I will do my own clinical trial study on natural ways to balance my hormones. And if it doesn't work, well then we reconsider the above.
All for now, Su-An the Fractal
1/9/10
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