Thank you, Ali. I appreciate it.

Ortho, Ali -SKYPE it.


Sent by thought transference

I dont have skype. I suppose i could get it though.

Ali, the basic package is free. With that you can video call anyone lose who has skype wherever they are.


Sent by thought transference

Ortho - I'm sorry I missed this thread. I share the same feelings of being broken and beyond repair. I have your back

Thank you, Sarge. I hope you're not feeling quite that bad right now. If you are, let me know. I also have your back.

An interesting thing ... I delved into the medical literature on Arimidex and tamoxifen, looked up the numbers that don't show up on the generic list of adverse effects, and it appears that depression, mood swings, and emotional lability are quite common with both of these meds. It's about 10%; most of us wouldn't feel too comfortable consenting to a surgical procedure that had a 10% mortality rate, I imagine. Since being on these meds (tamoxifen for 7 months, Arimidex/anastrozole for 3), I've had some scary issues. Not for patients, as I've outlined here and in other threads, but alone at night. And an ongoing general depression.

The last instance was enough that I've decided to stop the Arimidex, take a 'holiday' of several weeks, and see what happens. Recently I've developed left foot pain so severe that every step hurts, as well. I know I don't have a metatarsal fracture but it hurts that much. So goodbye to Arimidex and I'll maybe try eating 14 g of soy protein daily. Some Chinese studies have shown that that level of soy intake confers as much benefit regarding recurrence as tamoxifen does.

If I can't walk, it's no sort of life. If I think about offing myself every third night, it's also no sort of life. So I'll give this a try.

My best friend is a (The, if you ask me) leading breast ca doc in eastern PA. I can ask her any questions you would like answers on. Her approach is more holistic than most.

studies have shown that tequila makes your worries go away and sometimes your clothes, too.

Tequila definitely makes your clothes go away, which is why I stick to Scotch. ;)

Thank you, wolf. I'll pm you.

Not if the short-term mortality rate without the procedure was 100%

Thanks for the sarcasm, but it's misplaced. The short-term risk without the 'procedure' is about 20%, not anywhere near 100%. That can be altered by a number of lifestyle choices. Nevertheless, stats only give predictions for populations. Individuals are another matter.

If the 'procedure' means I can't walk or think straight, who else but the person experiencing these things is qualified to decide whether the side effects are worth it? I realize that others may have a different take on this. I haven't come to this decision lightly. For me, it's right.

May I suggest that you tag this thread and any others in which you post thoughts pertinent to your decisions in this matter. If in the future, 1year, 5 years, 10 years from now you should ever have reason to second guess yourself, it may be helpful to review documentation of your state of mind at this time rather than trying to recall it from memory. Tagging would make it easy to get all the information in one place, at one time, and in chronological order for you and perhaps important others to review. A simple tag like “orthohx” would do. Memory aids can be wonderful things.

Thank you, sexobon, that's an excellent idea. Once I figure out how to tag a thread, I'll do it. I agree; having access to the reasons I made certain decisions will be useful in future.

Not sarcasm. Mathematics. And exaggeration to make the point/give a little perspective. 10% is not all that bad when facing life-saving surgery. You can't make a judgment or make a valid point if you only give the chance of mortality for one of the two options because it implies zero for the other option.