Hello Everybody!!

I'm new to this site and was wondering if there are any breast cancer survivors out their? I was overweight, had high blood and high cholesrtol. You think that would have been enough to get my butt in gear and lose weight. But NOOOOO!! But after I was diagnosed with the ultimate c word, I was scared. I'm very fortunate I found it early but it didn't spare me from a mastectomy and chemo. One day I looked in the mirror at my bald head, lopsided boobs and a hugh body and I said enough is enough. Through bad things good thing come. I can say now I'm happier in life than I every been and the only person standing in my way of a healthy life is me.

At 54 for being overweight I felt pretty good. But now at 55 and have been through treatment I feel OLD and TIRED!!! I certainly hope after weight loss that energy I used to have will be back.

Just interested in your experences or challenges. Oh Yeah, I was cancer free at surgery 18 months ago and it's been 14 months since my last treatment. WooHoo!!!!

Congratulations! its great to be cancer free.

I'm a rectal cancer survivor, been clear 2 years now, since my surgery. Yeah, life doesnt get much lower than looking in the mirror at your ravaged cancer body, does it? For me, diagnosis came long after I'd reached a BMI of 23, so I was staring back at a scrawny, hollow eyed desperate person with a bag of poo hanging off her belly, ribs showing all through my back etc. Chemoradiation was tough. Having an ileostomy was tough.

But a year after finishing chemo, I'm getting there. I've learned that nutrition and being gentle on your body is very important - I learned the hard way. I breezed through surgery and chemo and kept running every day, kept positive, only to crash when it all finished - exhaused, malnourished etc and with very irritible bowls once the ileostomy was reversed. Now I've just found out that I have extensive intestinal damage - hello gluten free, lactose free, low fodmap diet! Sigh, guess I wont have much trouble keeping the weight off.

But we're alive!

With regard to the band - mine was OK during the experience but had to be unfilled. I think you're coming to this at a good time with your health stabilised and treatment behind you. Its time to do something for yourself and affirm your commitment to living a long and healthy life!

I am a 12 yr breast cancer survivor. I'm only 43! It wasnt found early and was very aggressive. (I later learned that Im BrCa1 + and so is my sister and several couains.)

But, after chemo-radiation--surgery, I'm healthy! Kinda..... Overweight, pre-diabetic, high cholesterol..... But been in remission all 12 years. Considering lap band but not sure. I've been through so very many surgeries...... But, need to do something.....Wish it were easier.

Congrats on being a survivor!!!!

Wow Jachut what an ordeal!! I have to tell ya I lol about your mirror story. Bless your heart. what a terrible thing to go through. I think I have an idea how you felt. My daughter was diagnoised with crones like ulceritive colitious. I was so severe that she had to remove her colon removed and went through the iliostomy, skin and bones. They made a j-pouch out of her small intestines and it eventually got reversed. 14 years later she is a mother of 3 and getting doing pretty good.

By the way I'm getting banded July 20th. So my journey is getting ready to begin. Any advise?

Stephanie

Krolso, CONGRADULATIONS!!! 12 years cancer free I'm incouraged. I think we all fear it coming back. I'm kinda going through that now.

In my opinion Do It. Heck with everything weve been through, this might not be that bad if we do as we are told.

10 years last month!! It has been on my mind so much lately that I can't focus on much of anything else. I am now 54, and I must say that I do have more energy with the lost weight. Years of my doc telling me to lose weight really didn't sink in, one day he casually said "You know that one of the side effects of obesity is cancer?". That was all I needed to start seriously looking at WLS. It's been 3 years and I only wish I had done it earlier. Right now I am not following the rules and paying the price. Scale is going in the wrong direction, I am one who really doesn't have true restriction so I have to stay on top of things. I don't get hungry so my problem is usually due to liquid overflow (coffee creamer). I wasn't hungry befor surgery, I was a mindless eater and now a mindless drinker. I was listing surgeries the other day and was shocked by how many I've had. The breast reconstruction was 12 hours and I am so glad it was an option. No I'm not even, and the scars are unreal; I even managed to burn my fake nipple off with a heating pad. Oh well. I am reasonably healthy, very much happier and I dang sure look better

I was diagnosed w/ breast cancer in 2004. Had a lumpectomy and radiation. I was banded in Nov 2010 and have lost about 85 lb to date. In March, I found a lump on my collarbone and learned my cancer was back. I just finished 6 rounds of chemo and will have a mastectomy in Sept. Not sure if I will have a double or single yet. I didn't unfill my band and actually did pretty well the entire time. Chemo killed my appetite for a few days following each treatment, but no nausea or vomiting. My band dr said it was up to me to see if I needed to unfill it at all. I don't know what will happen regarding the\ surgery for the mastectomy yet. I have a 10cc band and have it filled 3.4cc. It has been at this level since March 2011 and the weight loss has been slow and steady. During chemo, the oncologist didn't want me to lose any weight and I think I lost 3 lb since the beginning. My excercise was reduced due to lower energy levels, but I kept at it as best I could. We will see what happens in the next month or so.

I know for a fact the treatment was better because my weight was so much less. The chemo is based on your weight. Imagine how much more I would have been given for the extra 85 pounds!!!

Good luck to you in whatever happens!! And congrats to all the other survivors out there!!!!