Too many questions for one title!!

***sigh*** Where to begin?? First of all, I am a 4 years & 3 months breast cancer survivor - I have had a bilateral mast, with a TRAM reconstruction of both breasts. (I always tell people " I got new boobs and a tummy tuck all in one day!" - gotta look at the positive!!) I recently had a total hyst, abdominal because BC runs rampant in my family, the type i have/had is HER 2 +, and I am 37, truly blessed with a bunch of rug rats and decided with everything I have done so far (chemo, surgery, DIDN'T tolerate Tamoxifen well at all, but dealt with it) that getting the hyst was the final step to all that i can do to try to prevent the devil coming back.
Sooo, on July 8th 2007 I took the leap and had it all taken out.
the first few hours in the hosp were a blast (dripping with sarcasm there...)
I haven't experienced too much pain since I got home (3 weeks out) but to be honest I have dealt with chronic back pain over the past 2 years that seems to have been fixed (which in my book makes my doctor a miracle worker because i have suffered miserably over the past 2 years with "mystery" back pain which seemed to have no source and at one point was even accused of seeking drugs... gotta love clueless doctors... long story tho) but after my gyn doc got in there and discovered the mesh from my tram holding my stomach muscles together had shifted, and that my bowels were herniated, my uterous was twice the size it should be he told me "NO d*** wonder you were in so much pain, your inards were a mes!" (gotta know my gyn doc, very upfront and outspoken, i luv him!!!) he is not happy at all with my military docs right at the moment, said I have been thru heck and back for no reason other than my doctor's (mil doc) lazyness and inabililty to see his nose in front of his face (did I mention my gyn doc is outspoken??)
So with the back pain gone, the "front" pain (which is less) kinda replaced it so I'm not doing too bad.
BUT, and here is my dillema, I AM MISERABLE!!! I am having hot flashes, cold flashes, mood swings (I CRIED BUCKETS at the fireworks display last night.... (I'm a vet so I do get choked up for obvious reasons, but I was blubbering last night) and most of all, I am exhausted because it seems like if the hot flashes don't wake me up every 1/2 hour, the weird dreams which are so realistic they scare me, wake me up. I am getting about 4 hours of sleep, interupted every half hour or so. I have also woken up once a night absolutely starving.... (and the way I rationalize the huge bowls of icecream are "well they'll cure the hot flashes"... I have been on effexor for 6 months, but even they don't seem to help (I hate to think how bad it would be if I wasn't on em!!!!)
****sigh**** I am not ussually one to complain this much, I guess I've just hit my limit and 1) need to vent (thank you so very much by the way) and 2) ask for advice. I'm sorry if I restarted a thread that may already be going, and if I have been too impatient to scan thru other postings to see if others have been dealing with this i also apologise - my "Patience organ" seems to have also been one of the things my doc removed during the surgery

Dear BRACsurvivor, my patience too was amputated with the surgery, and with far less apparent cause than you have! do they have you on replacement hormones or have they skipped because of the breast cancer? Maybe you could get some ambien to help with the sleep? I was two days after you to the castle, and had an impossible time sleeping the first week and a half -- was going to ask for a scrip but then it suddenly got better -- here's hoping that happens for you as well! prayers for you with everything you have been going through! I think you are doing great, just to be here! be kind to yourself you deserve it!

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Originally Posted by BRACsurvivor ***sigh*** Where to begin?? First of all, I am a 4 years & 3 months breast cancer survivor - I have had a bilateral mast, with a TRAM reconstruction of both breasts. (I always tell people " I got new boobs and a tummy tuck all in one day!" - gotta look at the positive!!) I recently had a total hyst, abdominal because BC runs rampant in my family, the type i have/had is HER 2 +, and I am 37, truly blessed with a bunch of rug rats and decided with everything I have done so far (chemo, surgery, DIDN'T tolerate Tamoxifen well at all, but dealt with it) that getting the hyst was the final step to all that i can do to try to prevent the devil coming back. Sooo, on July 8th 2007 I took the leap and had it all taken out. the first few hours in the hosp were a blast (dripping with sarcasm there...) I haven't experienced too much pain since I got home (3 weeks out) but to be honest I have dealt with chronic back pain over the past 2 years that seems to have been fixed (which in my book makes my doctor a miracle worker because i have suffered miserably over the past 2 years with "mystery" back pain which seemed to have no source and at one point was even accused of seeking drugs... gotta love clueless doctors... long story tho) but after my gyn doc got in there and discovered the mesh from my tram holding my stomach muscles together had shifted, and that my bowels were herniated, my uterous was twice the size it should be he told me "NO d*** wonder you were in so much pain, your inards were a mes!" (gotta know my gyn doc, very upfront and outspoken, i luv him!!!) he is not happy at all with my military docs right at the moment, said I have been thru heck and back for no reason other than my doctor's (mil doc) lazyness and inabililty to see his nose in front of his face (did I mention my gyn doc is outspoken??) So with the back pain gone, the "front" pain (which is less) kinda replaced it so I'm not doing too bad. BUT, and here is my dillema, I AM MISERABLE!!! I am having hot flashes, cold flashes, mood swings (I CRIED BUCKETS at the fireworks display last night.... (I'm a vet so I do get choked up for obvious reasons, but I was blubbering last night) and most of all, I am exhausted because it seems like if the hot flashes don't wake me up every 1/2 hour, the weird dreams which are so realistic they scare me, wake me up. I am getting about 4 hours of sleep, interupted every half hour or so. I have also woken up once a night absolutely starving.... (and the way I rationalize the huge bowls of icecream are "well they'll cure the hot flashes"... I have been on effexor for 6 months, but even they don't seem to help (I hate to think how bad it would be if I wasn't on em!!!!) ****sigh**** I am not ussually one to complain this much, I guess I've just hit my limit and 1) need to vent (thank you so very much by the way) and 2) ask for advice. I'm sorry if I restarted a thread that may already be going, and if I have been too impatient to scan thru other postings to see if others have been dealing with this i also apologise - my "Patience organ" seems to have also been one of the things my doc removed during the surgery

First let me say YEAH! CONGRATS ON 4 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS OF BEING BC FREE!!!!!!!!!

On the other, I am where you are now. I had my ovaries out because I was erpr+. I cannot have hormones and must stay away from foods such as soy to decrease the risk of it coming back. Some foods can also trigger hot flashes and you might speak to your dr about that. If you are still feeling so bad on effexor, perhaps your doctor might be able to give you something else that might work better also. It never hurts to ask! There might just be something else to try. My best advice is to always talk to you dr. I am so sorry you are suffering, it is not easy I know. Stay strong and keep us updated! Jenn

Thank you both!

no hormones as of yet b/c of the bc, but my doc said that if things got too bad he could prescribe a low dose - nervous about that, but if this continues for more than a couple months i may have to take the chance, if only for a short time to give my body a break so that I don't lose it! It truley amazes me as to what we have to go thru sometimes! But such is lifes, and it surely helps us to look at the little things that most people pass by and don't appriciate!