Post Cancer Treatment obstacles? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

PainterWoman · 03-02-2007, 09:19 PM

If there is already a thread on this topic, please send me a PM!!
I had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation for breast cancer beginning in 2005.
I am now taking Arimidex-- with plenty of side effects. I consoled myself for the first year with food... and gained 30 pounds. Now I weight 2x what I should.

But the Arimidex makes me depressed AND contributes to weight gain.
Any suggestions? Or support?
Oh, and now I have additional fears cropping up about recurrence.
Thanks.

twisted sister · 04-28-2007, 10:01 PM

Hi Painter Woman,
I also finished chemo a while back for ovarian cancer, and also had a preventative mastectomy and reconstruction because of having the BRC gene. I also have soothed myself with food, and have gained weight. I wish that I knew more about the medication that you mentioned, but my meds were different. However, I definately understand about how hard it is to manage weight post-chemo. I also struggle with depression,and worries about the cancer, and I still feel fatigued from the cancer treatment, so when I exercise, I feel tired the rest of the day. Walking outside has helped some with both the depression and with managing weight. I wish that I had more suggestions, but I have plenty of support to share!

Twisted Sister

dollargirl · 08-15-2007, 11:06 AM

Glad to hear Im not the only one having problems losing weight after chemo and radiation and herception for Breast cancer, taking tomoxifan now, I did find that working out with weight helps, but like you I tire out easy, glad im healthy, but would like to wear my old clothes again. Any suggestions on what type of diet to follow, the treatments put me into early menopause so I dont think I have any more metabolism, please send suggestions

settie · 08-15-2007, 11:25 AM

Hi there,

I had uterine cancer 10 years ago and I'm still on meds - ahhh!! I hear you, I also struggle with depression and weight gain. For me, it has been a slow proccess. I am still losing my weight gain - although I gained about 100 lbs when I started taking the steroid. I think any diet that you can follow for life is a good one - be sure to eat lots of good food, veggies, fruit, lean protien,... I am doing WW but that's only one of many. Excercise - start from where you are and work up from that. Weight training is a very good way of boosting metabolism. It's a hard road - keep your spirits up the best you can. Post anytime, even if just for hugs.

KittyBrownEyes · 08-23-2007, 02:05 PM

Hi all! I'm new. I just saw this thread and thought I'd give some support.

I had non-hodgkin's lymphoma a few years ago. I went through extensive and GRUELING treatments ranging from chemo, radiation, and straight on to a stem-cell transplant. I was 22 when all that was done to me. I'm not familiar with the kind of meds you-- the OP-- are taking, but my oncologist had me put on a HIGH dosage of decadron. It made me angry, it made me want to fight, it made my face very puffy, but worst of all, it made me gain 20 lbs. in just under 2 weeks. And the weight gain didn't stop there. I went from my comfortable 120 lbs. all the way up to 150 all in the span of a month. If the cancer didn't kill me, I was pretty certain the decadron would... But, funny enough, it actually helped me breathe. So, even if I'd relinquished my hold on that pill bottle, I would have had other complications to suffer through. ...

I'm very sorry for what all you ladies have been through. Very. There's nothing like experiencing it to REALLY understand what the fight is like.

After I was given a clean bill of health, I immediately realized how difficult it would be to lose weight. It really was a battle. I did lose quite a bit, btw, in a short time. I went from the 150s to 137 in about a month and a half or so. But then something ELSE got in the way of my weight loss. Guess who was pregnant? :-p ...

So, ever since giving birth to my baby, I've had an AWFUL hard time getting the weight off! To top it off, during the pregnancy, they found that my thyroid had been driven all out of wack, courtesy of the radiation treatments. So, now I'm on synthroid every day for the rest of my life. Regardless of the pill, I'm still climbing up and up and up on the scale. It's like my body is now resistant to losing weight. I diet and my body hates me. The second I wrap my lips around a sugary snack, my body takes that as a tremendous opportunity to put on another gazillion pounds...

I haven't any advice for you, except to keep up the hope. I get majorly depressed some days... I can't fit into anything by this point.

But I'm going to continue striving to lose the weight... ... no matter how many kitkats I have to pass up. :'( :-p

Hang in there.

~DJ

dollargirl · 09-17-2007, 07:25 PM

Congratulations on your new baby> I hear ya about your body not wanting to lose weight. I gues if we had to choose betrween weight and illness we would all choose the weight, But Im going to keep on trying, Im glad you are all doing good, We have each won some major wars with our health, so this battle wil take time like the last.