Breast cancer survivors in there 30s & 40s

nerdy_geek_girl
nerdy_geek_girl Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello all :) I was hoping to find others who have similar struggles with weight gain after breast cancer. I was diagnosed and operated on(double mastectomy ) at 39. Also, how they deal with menopausal type symptoms. On September 11 it will be 1 year since the surgery but I've only been on meds for 6 or 7 months, but I need to be on them for at least 5 years. If anyone out there has the same stuff going on... let me know. :)

Replies

  • LubieluNM
    LubieluNM Posts: 1 Member
    Hi! I am in the same boat as you, pretty much. In my early 40s and was diagnosed with oestrogen-positive grade 3 IDC in January. I'm finding that it's more difficult to lose the weight than before cancer treatment for sure - not helped by the side-effects from the Tamoxifen that seem designed to make it harder to exercise! Like you, I have at least 5 years of the meds ahead of me so need to find a long term plan to ensure I keep the excess weight off. MFP is part of that so I can keep an eye on calorie intake. Wishing you all the best with your ongoing recovery :-)
  • iwannabearacehorse
    iwannabearacehorse Posts: 7 Member
    Hi, I struggled with my eating before breast cancer, but was very active (CrossFit) and that kept things in check. I was diagnosed with stage 2 idc er/pr/her2+ in June 2014 at 32. I have a plastic allergy and opted for a lumpectomy. 6 rounds of TCHP before. After, 30 rounds of radiation, 2 rounds of H, then into a clinical trial and 14 rounds of Kadcycla. Last infusion Sept. 2016. Then AI for a while, then tamoxifen. I lost 15 pounds during chemo, but my docs freaked and way upped the dexamethasone (super steroid). My appetite went through the roof. And, I was so devastated with my loss of identity as a strong, healthy person, I could not emotionally bear doing workouts I did before, with weights that were even less than warmup weights I would have used before. I ate (and drank) to deal, since my coping mechanism at the gym then made me feel worse, like being betrayed by an old friend. I now weigh 80 pounds more than my chemo weight and 65 pounds more than my pre cancer weight. I am finally in a place of (getting closer to) accepting what cancer took from me (in so many ways) and working on taking back the rest of my life. I wish I wasn't where I am right now, but I am alive, and I deserve to be happy. Being this weight does not make me happy, and I am working to recover that part of my identity, even though things will never be the same as they were before. Losing weight after the hormonal f-uppery that I've been through is not easy. It's much harder than it was before. 1 pound feels like what 10 pounds did before. But here I am, and I accept that if this is what I want, I have to also accept that it is hard, harder than it was before, maybe slower than what it was before, but not impossible. So, I am just working on what I can do to move more, eat less, and be consistent. Would love to stay in touch.
  • Chocolatefly
    Chocolatefly Posts: 2 Member
    edited October 2018
    I am in your same boat! A week after starting anestrozole for hormone supression therapy, I was ten pounds up. My Oncologist's current plan is for me to be on this for ten years.
    I'm in the middle of reconstruction, so not able to exercise as much as usual. I'm going on walks while keeping my arms from moving. I just started back yesterday doing the elliptical with no arms as well.
    I was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer, DCIS and IDC in both breasts, in June 2017. A double masectomy, a follow up surgery to remove more skin, and 7 months of chemo later, I started hormone supression therapy. I'm now in reconstruction, recovering from my 4th surgery. I'll find out when my 5th surgery will be to swap out my expanders for implants on 11/8. In the meantime, I'm using MyFitnessPal to hone in on what I'm eating.
  • JDiMascola
    JDiMascola Posts: 48 Member
    Right at the height of my weight loss/fitness journey I was diagnosed with DCIS in one breast at 41 years old. I had a lumpectomy in December, and just finished radiation treatments on February 15th. I am on Tamoxifen for five years as well. So far, I have been able to maintain my weight loss. I had to slow down my exercise a bit, but I am hopeful I can get back to it soon. I am worried about the weight gain and such that I keep reading about with Tamoxifen, but just trying to keep moving forward one day at a time. Feel free to add me as a friend. Cancer Sucks!
  • Bellavita32
    Bellavita32 Posts: 868 Member
    Going on 5 years here.. I am on Tamoxifen as well.. I lost 40 pound's within 6 months and havent looked back.. neuropathy in my feet but gotta keep pushing..

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