other breast cancer survivors?

I'm in the same boat! I was dx March 2015 and have since gone thru chemo, mx, rads, and reconstruction. I'm on Tamoxifen now which is notorious for causing weight gain. I'm just trying to get into a more healthy lifestyle & hoping MFP will help.

Hi, I am an 8 year breast cancer survivor. I had IBC in the right breast. I had chemo, surgery, and radiation. I have loss and gained weight and have used MFP on and off for years. Just trying to stay healthy, live long, and enjoy life.

Hi all! I'm a new survivor. DX Jan '16. Done with chemo, rads and surgery. I'll be on Herceptin till next March and AIs for 5 years. It was really rough going, as you all know, but I'm determined to get back in shape. I was doing great until I got side-lined with this stupid disease. The biggest change since my DX, I've cut out sugar and refined stuff. I have no idea if it matters in the long run but it makes me feel better to do it.
I'm aiming for 30 mins on the treadmill 3-5 days a week. Not pushing it but it's nice to have a goal. MFP has always been a great way to stay accountable so looking forward to getting back on track.

Diagnosed June 2016, Lumpectomy July, Was spared chemo, had 33 radiation treatments, will start on Femoral Next month. I am really fearful of the side effects. Trying to get some weight off and exercise on a regular basis. Trying to get those good habits going.

Stage III ......left it behind 16 years ago ... long road to feel whole again, strong again etc but a joyful time too!

I am currently receiving chemo from Invasive Ductal BC; surgery in Aug, started AC in Sept & now on Taxol until Feb. Is it worth trying to get my cardio back or just wait until the chemo & radiation tx is complete? I have height & weight standards at my job, plus a physical fitness test, so I want to be ready to go post-treatment. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer end of Jan 2016. I just posted my story, if you will, on my page. To be brief, I had a double mastectomy 3/2016. I started on trelstar & tamoxifen in June. Reconstruction in July. I am still on trelstar but onc switched me to (AI) Exemestane in late Nov 2016- because it's supposed to be more effective. Gained 15 lbs in the month after starting Exemestane. Now my BP is high so now I have to take BP meds. I am 45 and had weight to lose before- it's so frustrating. I am contemplating going back on Tamoxifen (I did not gain weight on Tamoxifen- but I was only on it for 5 months). I too, am thankful to be alive (My Mom died from Breast Cancer when I was 20 yrs old). I also want to feel well (& feel comfortable with how I look). I read a couple of the posts on this group and they sounded just like me! Members of this group, please add me as a friend. Let's get healthy together!

Hi guys, I'm just going to jump right into my weight gain misery:

I was diagnosed with breast cancer on the right side in April 2016 when I was 47. Did the lumpectomy, chemo, radiation all while going to school full time. Wasn't sure I was going to make it through but thanks to my family, classmates and instructors I did.

Oh, did I forget to mention I was also diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes that same week? Fabulous!

Fast forward to 2017. I'm still on Herceptin infusions every three weeks but no more chemo, etc.

And now, my friends, the fun friggin' begins.

In January I started my clinicals, which had been postponed due to treatment and I was around 30 lbs down from where I started. I started taking Tamoxifen and while at my outpatient clinicals I started noticing my pants were getting snug but I wasn't eating any more then usual. Seven weeks later I start my inpatient clinicals where I am on my feet walking all over the facility and physically assisting patients through physical therapy sessions nine hours a day. I still ate pretty good when I had the time. My pants kept getting tighter as I was gaining all this weight in my stomach and it was so frustrating.

Now it's June and I have probably gained over 30 lbs. At my last infusion I had gained six pounds and at a doctor's appointment today I found that I had gained another six pounds so that means I put on 12 lbs in 24 days. I told the doctor "gaining 6 lbs in 12 days means that things that fit me 12 days ago don't fit me now."

The kicker? I only eat fruits and vegetables and maybe some tuna. If I eat pasta it is quinoa and in the morning I eat things like 10 grain hot cereal or steel cut oats without sugar and such. I try to steer clear of processed foods and refined sugars...if I do have sugar I make sure it is very little. I do exercise but I'm no Crossfitter, that being said there is no way I ate enough of anything to put 12 lbs on me in less than a month. That means I would have had to have eaten around 42,000 calories. There's no way.

Some have told me that yeah it may be the Tamoxifen making me gain weight but at least that will help prevent a cancer recurrence. What they don't understand is I am diabetic which puts me ahead of the curve for amputations, heart disease, stroke and heart attack. The best way to keep diabetes under control is through weight loss and physical activity. If I can't lose this abdominal weight I may be in a mess. I told my wonderful oncologist that if I stop the Tamoxifen then the cancer can come back. If I can't lose weight then the diabetes can cause me issues.

Thanks for listening to me gripe. Feel free to chime in!

I just went for a visit to the oncologist who announced that it was 10 years ago that I was diagnosed with DCIS. I had lumpectomy, radiation and 4 years of tamoxifen, no chemo. I feel weird posting on here because it was non invasive, but I can respond to @alaska4us. Tamoxifen did not make me gain weight, don't stop taking it!!! Kick the cancer first. I gained a few pounds after I stopped, maybe age, but most likely lifestyle and not caring about my weight. But now I am back on track. Good luck to you.

I was diagnosed with DCIS 3 yrs ago and given my options and asked everybody I knew what to do to no avail. They all said it was my decision.
I did a mastectomy on BOTH breasts with reconstruction 6 months later. I did it drastically cause didn't want to deal with it again!
No chemo or radiation was required just lopped them both off!