Breast Cancer

I was 5 days being 1 yr out from bypass and a weight loss of 125pds, when i recieved the news of breast cancer. I had loss both breast on Dec, 9.  I have had reconstructive surgury and have gained 20 pds. what should i do?????????

Did you gain weight from chemo or what did you gain from?  Get back on track and get back to basics on what helped you lose in the beginning.
Most info please so I can help!
Hang in there

My weight had been stable for 1 year when I started 6 months of chemo.  It actually had dipped down about 7 - 8 pounds in the 2 months prior to starting treatment, but that was actually from the cancer.

I gained back those 7 - 8 pounds in the first couple months of chemo & then my weight remained stable throughout the rest of chemo.  I gained 15 pounds in the 2 months after - so 15 pounds higher than my stable weight.  I suspect it was b/c I was so inactive for so long that I lost a lot of muscle & my metabolism had decreased, which was fine during chemo b/c my appetite wasn't all that great from nausea.  Once that was done, my appetite was back to normal, but my metabolism was still crappy from the months of inactivity.  Now that I've gotten active again, I'm slowly losing the extra weight.  I am also watching what I eat - not as well as I could, but I'm okay with the progress.

My "take home message' is maybe your metabolism also decreased due to inactivity & lost muscle, yet your appetite is back  to normal.

My weight was sitting still when I found out about cancer. Now with the pills I have gained 20 pds. I am just sick with my self. I quit the cancer drugs today. The Dr said I am retaining ALOT of water weight. I know I am not eating right but not that much. Thank you for replying. This is all a condition that i don;t need or want to deal with.

thanks,
Diana

are you off of the pills because your doctor took you off of them? I know different people have different courses of treatment for their particular form of breast cancer. I was ER+ PR+ Her2+ with 2 lymph nodes involved., a tumor of 1.7cm and staged at 2a. My course of treatment was 6 rounds of chemo (Taxotere, Carboplatin) and Herceptin every 3 weeks and then Herceptin only every 3 weeks for a year. I am finally done.as of last Thanksgiving. I held my weight and then gained 10 pounds right after Thanksgiving. Now I am back to normal. I think my hormones were out of whack.
I think you need to be patient with yourself, dont be too hard on yourself either. You are going through a lot.

Hi - I am responding to this old post because I too was recently diagnosed with ER+PR+ Her2neu+ breast cancer and started chemo last week.  I wasn't really expecting much in the way of side effects but boy was I wrong.  It has been a week of hell between diarhea, nausea, vomitting, hermorhoids, stomach pains, you name it.  Every GI upset I could imagine.  Today is one week and I feel like I am managing it better with Zofran. Pepto Bismol and flat ginger ale.  Do you think chemo is worse after having gastric bypass surgery?  I had roux-n-y surgery in May 2009 and have  maintained a 120 lb weight loss but I have lost 5 lbs this week because of all of the diarhea and vomitting  Not much of anything stays in me.  Any ideas for coping with this?  Is it going to be worse after future treatments (5 more to go)?  ANy input would be greatly appreciated!

 

Congratulations on your completion of the treatment!  

Fondly,

Patti

Hi Patti,

For me I had no vomiting at all. I didn't feel like eating but I couldn't chalk it up to stomach upset, I just had desire to eat ANYTHING. Towards the end of the three weeks right after my chemo I would slowly gain wait to get back to my normal weight, then BOOM chemo would happen and I'd be down 10 pounds in almost a week.

I think chemo and herceptin is a very individualized thing. What I experienced even with the same sort of regiment is not what you may be feeling when you have it. I volunteer at a local oncology center and I have seen people do much better than me and others who suffered with every side effect in the book.  Be kind to yourself, get plenty of rest and hydration. Remember to get out in the fresh air and WALK everyday if only for a 1/2 mile. That will help you a lot.

The other thing I was going to say is that each and every chemo was different, it wasn't just the same with worse side-effects. Chemo number 1 I was very loopy and groggy. Number 2 it was diarrhea and I couldn't be away from a bathroom long, number two was itching. The weird thing was, after my next chemo whatever side-effects I had from the previous chemo would go away and I'd have a whole new side-effect. Weird I know.

Hang in there, hopefully things will get better XX

Thank you!  I appreciate your kind words.  I hope it gets better and I'm glad to hear that you don't really think it's RNY related!  I'm really not worried about weight gain or loss at this point.  Just have to get through this leg of the journey and then I will confront whatever weight concerns there may be!

 

Please keep in touch - especially if you think of anything else to fill me in on!

Patti

Diana, I am taking anestrazole (for the next 5 years) for breast cancer.  I have gained almost 10 pounds since last July...not very happy!  I have not changed my eating habits.  (RNY - almost 5 years ago).  I am going to watch everything I eat, drink more water, less carbs and more protein.  Let me know how you are doing ...Take care, Stella

I am really interested in knowing how chemo was for you. I have just be found to have atypical breast cancer and the course of treatment is first surgury followed by 4-6 wks. of chemo and then 6-8 wks. of radiation. With gastro bipass surgury was there any problem with our smaller stomaches handliing the chemo?
If you don;t mind me asking were you atypical?
I am not as concerned about weight loss and have lost 81 and hope before chemo to lose anoher 10. Were you so sick that you couldn;t exercise? I guess I feel that I have to cope with the chemo and then worry about losing if I have gained. I am told there are pills for the nausea, did they not work with you?
Anything you could share with me would be a great assistance, and perhaps take down by anxiety.
I am in Toronto and at our biggest cancer hospital and top specialist they knew nothing about gastro and chemo

Thanks so much