Re: weight gain

February 12, 2003

gods2miracles:

I too felt like I was gaining weight and wondered why. My diet was not

changing but I thought maybe I was pre-menopausal. Then I discovered I had

fibroids and put on a few more lbs. It was frustrating because I could not

lose the weight. I had a UAE in nov. and thought I might lose a couple of

lbs, but no such luck. Well, as long as the fibroid symptoms are going away,

the weight will wait.

February 12, 2003

In a message dated 2/12/03 7:21:23 AM Pacific Standard Time,

MLic975220@... writes:

> . Well, as long as the fibroid symptoms are going away,

,

Thanks I have had the Mayo a couple of years ago. I feel the symptoms are

coming back. I now have a constant pain in my ribs. That is bothering me. I

go back for a check up in April. Hopefully it want be nothing.

Thanks so much

Reva

February 12, 2003

I, too, have gained a lot of weight from this huge fibroid and look

and feel pregnant. My heart goes out to you. My abdominal

myomectomy is scheduled for March 12. I can't wait to feel normal

again. God Bless!

Susie

> I have had fibroids for about 8 yrs now. Before I had them I weight

> 98lbs. I am so tired of peaple asking me when is the baby due? I do

> look 7 t 8 months along. I have no idea how to loose the weight. I

am

> about ready to have a hyster. There is a constan pain under my

right

> breast on my rib cage. I am so tired of all of it.

February 12, 2003

Serena, What surgery did you have? I've heard so many people say that they lost

about 20 pounds after a myomectomy, but am fearful of actually GAINING weight if

I have my uterus removed. I've heard of that happening too. I started running

and doing Tae Bo about 3 weeks ago to try to boost my metabolism and can't lose

an ounce! My stomach muscles do seem more firm, but still the pooch AND my

fibroids have been hurting a LOT more. I wonder if, when the muscles are more

toned and tight, if the uterus doesn't have as much " room " in there and less

" give " could mean more pressure. What lead me to believe this is when I was on

a long drive and doing the muscle tightening exercises once, including

tightening my abs - a LOT - off and on for 7 hours! That night, my fibroids

started to hurt something FIERCE. Do you think that getting those muscles in

shape, might make our pain worse?

Deb

February 12, 2003

I started exercising and got quite fit before my surgery. My weight, even

before surgery, was right for me and I had exercised my abs nearly into a

lovely little six-pack... except for where my belly pooched out due to the

fibroids. I didn't feel increased pain or pressure from my fibroids due to

my ab work, but those were never my symptoms. Now that I've had a

hysterectomy (partial, ovaries, etc. were left), I've lost a couple more

pounds and my weight is holding steady.

One last note: I tried to lose weight through exercise alone for about six

months and nothing happened. When I also changed my diet, the pounds just

fell off. In my case, the fibroids didn't have much to do with it, except

the inability to work out or move at times when the symptoms were bad.

Jen

At 07:58 AM 2/12/2003, jan kaulins wrote:

>Serena, What surgery did you have? I've heard so many people say that

>they lost about 20 pounds after a myomectomy, but am fearful of actually

>GAINING weight if I have my uterus removed. I've heard of that happening

>too. I started running and doing Tae Bo about 3 weeks ago to try to boost

>my metabolism and can't lose an ounce! My stomach muscles do seem more

>firm, but still the pooch AND my fibroids have been hurting a LOT more. I

>wonder if, when the muscles are more toned and tight, if the

>uterus doesn't have as much " room " in there and less " give " could mean

>more pressure. What lead me to believe this is when I was on a long

>drive and doing the muscle tightening exercises once, including tightening

>my abs - a LOT - off and on for 7 hours! That night, my fibroids started

>to hurt something FIERCE. Do you think that getting those muscles in

>shape, might make our pain worse?

>

>Deb

February 12, 2003

Jen, Thanks for your response. Like everything it seems, we all have a bit

different experience. I'm worried about having my uterus removed. Would you

mind telling me how it went for you? I'd very much appreciate it. How are you

feeling now? I keep thinking that getting rid of these fibroids will be the

answer to all of my problems, but just want to feel secure about doing it.

Thanks! Deb

February 12, 2003

Serena, thanks for your reply. How do you feel now? Can you work and do

everything you did before surgery? By the way, my name's Deb, our e-mail

address is in my husband's name, Jan - pronounced Y-A-H-N. Thanks. Deb

February 12, 2003

Hi Deb:

I feel great. I think it may be the new norm. After about a week, I was walking

around with no difficulty and felt almost 100%- with the exception of not being

able to workout. I truly had a very quick recovery I returned to the gym at 4

weeks post and am completely back up to speed. My only limitation is lifting

over 20 pounds, and that is no longer a limitation after 6 weeks.

I've been back at work since week 2- and am an outside insurance adjuster so I'm

very active in a days work. No problems to report. Trust me, I was freaked out

about having abdominal surgery. I truly thought I would be home in bed for 3

weeks, and then barely back up to speed at 6. By day 4, I walked a mile (allbeit

at a snail's pace), and suffered no consequences. Take it slow and listen to

your body.

I am a huge advocate of the myo. It has literally changed my life. Take care

and feel free to ask anything. I posted quite a bit just after (look in the

archives about 01-11 dates or so).

Cheers, Serena

jan kaulins wrote:Serena, thanks for your reply. How do

you feel now? Can you work and do everything you did before surgery? By the

way, my name's Deb, our e-mail address is in my husband's name, Jan - pronounced

Y-A-H-N. Thanks. Deb

February 12, 2003

You can read all about my surgery on the website, message number

27602. It's been 2 months, today, since my surgery and I feel absolutely

great. At this point, aside from the incision scar, I don't feel that I've

ever had surgery at all. My energy level is back to normal and so is my

life. I'm quite content, really. My only regret is that I waited so long

to get treatment. I hope you will soon feel as good as I do!

Jen

At 10:13 AM 2/12/2003, jan kaulins wrote:

>Jen, Thanks for your response. Like everything it seems, we all have a

>bit different experience. I'm worried about having my uterus

>removed. Would you mind telling me how it went for you? I'd very much

>appreciate it. How are you feeling now? I keep thinking that getting rid

>of these fibroids will be the answer to all of my problems, but just want

>to feel secure about doing it.

>

>Thanks! Deb

February 12, 2003

At 2/11/03 05:09 PM, gods2miracles2001 wrote:

>I have had fibroids for about 8 yrs now. Before I had them I weight

>98lbs. I am so tired of peaple asking me when is the baby due? I do

>look 7 t 8 months along. I have no idea how to loose the weight. I am

>about ready to have a hyster. There is a constan pain under my right

>breast on my rib cage. I am so tired of all of it.

I, too, look similar. I am also experiencing severe heartburn from either

the fibroid or anemia caused by the heavy bleeding. I also feel pressure

on my rib cage now.

February 12, 2003

I had awful heartburn too, for a long time, but now it's mysteriously gone! I

found that staying away from orange juice, lemonade, limeade and other acidiy

foods and drink, helped. Keeping your head up a bit higher can help too - use 2

pillows. AXID-AR did the trick usually (2 of them), but when those stopped

working, I'd chew up several generic brand (Meijer) Extra Strength Calcium

antacids - kept them next to my bed. I'm convinced that the fibroids causing

stomach acids to back up into my esophagus. Hope this helps. Deb

February 13, 2003

This thread -- heartburn, exercise, weight -- is amazingly in synch

with some of the stuff I've been learning about lately, so I thought

I'd contribute some tidbits from my Nutrition and Holistic Health

classes.

In Nutrition, we talked about gastrointestinal tract disorders,

including heartburn. I was amazed to learn that obesity can

contribute to heartburn because of the fat pushing down on the

internal organs. Never heard that before. I imagine the same is

true of fibroids creating less space internally. We also learned

that exercise can really help with nearly all GI disorders --

heartburn, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome -- because exercise

actually helps improve GI muscle function, that is, it helps tone the

muscles that contract along the digestive tract.

Coincidentally, in Holistic Health, we talked a bit about Chinese

medicine and amazingly, muscle, spleen and stomach function are all

aligned within the same element (earth). So, for example,

practioners of Chinese medicine might suggest that someone who is

having stomach problems work to correct this inbalance by improving

overall muscle tone.

What does this have to do with fibroids? Well, I know some of us on

have been debating whether exercise actually contributes to fibroid

growth. But if both Western and Eastern medicine suggest that you

can improve internal organ function through exercise, I have a hard

time believing that exercise can actually be *bad* for the uterus --

ie, exacerbate fibroid growth.

> I had awful heartburn too, for a long time, but now it's

mysteriously gone! I'm convinced that the fibroids causing stomach

acids to back up into my esophagus. Hope this helps. Deb

>

February 14, 2003

spinal mis-alignment can also cause heartburn. Check out your

chiropracter

October 30, 2005

I have gained a lot of weight in the past year. Now I am trying to get it off. My whole outlook on life changed so much on what is the minor and the major. My weight was certainly the minor. I was so wrapped up in how I looked and wanted to loose so much weight that I looked like I did in high school. I was about 20 pounds from that (I lost a lot of weight before BC) goal. Now I am overweight again, and I guess now is the time to deal with it and try to get it under control. During chemo you have one thing on your mind and that is following your doctor's orders and getting better.

I am getting my tennis shoes on and going for a 30 minute walk or more. Had a good breakfast and looking at my fitness club membership card wondering when I will actually use it. I hope this week.

I know there are a lot of changes for us all. I remember when I was sitting in chemo thinking that if I get a chance to get back in the gym I would work my butt off, literally. I guess I need to keep my promise to myself.

Everyone make today a great day!

Ren

:-)

October 30, 2005

I have gained a lot of weight in the past year. Now I am trying to get it off. My whole outlook on life changed so much on what is the minor and the major. My weight was certainly the minor. I was so wrapped up in how I looked and wanted to loose so much weight that I looked like I did in high school. I was about 20 pounds from that (I lost a lot of weight before BC) goal. Now I am overweight again, and I guess now is the time to deal with it and try to get it under control. During chemo you have one thing on your mind and that is following your doctor's orders and getting better.

I am getting my tennis shoes on and going for a 30 minute walk or more. Had a good breakfast and looking at my fitness club membership card wondering when I will actually use it. I hope this week.

I know there are a lot of changes for us all. I remember when I was sitting in chemo thinking that if I get a chance to get back in the gym I would work my butt off, literally. I guess I need to keep my promise to myself.

Everyone make today a great day!

Ren

:-)

January 6, 2006

June,

The weight you are talking about is close to my range -- except 157# is *skinny*

on me.

164 is also good. How tall are you? (just curious) -- I am 5' 5 " + a bit.

--

Ogut

The Whole Brain Game -- It's Not What You Think But How You Think It

--------- weight gain

>

> Hi,

>

> I am curious about you also having weigth gain during chemo. Does anybody

> have the same problem ? Is there a reason why ? Is there a solution. I do

> not

> want to gain any more !

>

> Corinne

>

Basically if they have you on anti nausea drip before they inject the chemo on of the meds is a steroid. Steroids cause weight gain. I seem to have maintained my weight with it fluctuating between 6 and 7 pounds. Seems like 5 days after treatment I gain a few, get up to maybe 164, then by the third week I get down to 157. Just try and maintain a healthy diet, get most of the junk out and don't eat at fast food restaurants.

LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

-----Original Message-----From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ]On Behalf Of eenalleeneenSent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 2:00 PMTo: breastcancer2 Subject: weight gainHi,I am curious about you also having weigth gain during chemo. Does anybody have the same problem ? Is there a reason why ? Is there a solution. I do not want to gain any more !Corinne

January 6, 2006

June,

The weight you are talking about is close to my range -- except 157# is *skinny*

on me.

164 is also good. How tall are you? (just curious) -- I am 5' 5 " + a bit.

--

Ogut

The Whole Brain Game -- It's Not What You Think But How You Think It

--------- weight gain

>

> Hi,

>

> I am curious about you also having weigth gain during chemo. Does anybody

> have the same problem ? Is there a reason why ? Is there a solution. I do

> not

> want to gain any more !

>

> Corinne

>

Basically if they have you on anti nausea drip before they inject the chemo on of the meds is a steroid. Steroids cause weight gain. I seem to have maintained my weight with it fluctuating between 6 and 7 pounds. Seems like 5 days after treatment I gain a few, get up to maybe 164, then by the third week I get down to 157. Just try and maintain a healthy diet, get most of the junk out and don't eat at fast food restaurants.

LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

-----Original Message-----From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ]On Behalf Of eenalleeneenSent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 2:00 PMTo: breastcancer2 Subject: weight gainHi,I am curious about you also having weigth gain during chemo. Does anybody have the same problem ? Is there a reason why ? Is there a solution. I do not want to gain any more !Corinne

January 6, 2006

Hello again,

It is interesting people are mentioning the wanting to eat sugary stuff. When I

was a kid, I ate tons of sugar (I commandeered sugar for myself when people

werent watching and spent all my babysitting money on M & Ms -- just about). I

thought my nervousness about my ca was making me resort to what I did when I was

a child growing up. It has been more than 5 years, and *still* I want mainly

sugary stuff.

Maybe wanting sugar is part of the ca process?? Not just my anxiety??

Love to us all,

--

Ogut

The Whole Brain Game -- It's Not What You Think But How You Think It

-------------- Original message ----------------------

>

> 2 mentions of this. Now I know why my appetite is insatiable. YIKES!!! I

> make sure I try and eat plenty of fruits and veggies to fill me up but I've

> been craving white carbs of the worse kind like crazy. I had pretty much

> eradicated white sugar from our diets except my morning coffee and a few

> treats. Went mostly with naturally sweetened cookies and tried to eat just

> fruits for deserts for years. But anyway, long story short, I just want

> sugary foods since starting on this. I have chocolate for breakfast with my

> coffee. Shhhh, don't tell my 12 year old, I eat it while he's still

> sleeping. I go look in the fridge for something to eat and all I see are

> veggies and fruit and I don't want it, it doesn't look satisfying, I want

> sugar. And the worst thing of it is, cancer feeds on sugar. YIKES!!!

>

> So, I'm not struggling really hard with the weight gain (yet!), but I am

> struggling with eating healthy. I do mostly, but I also give in to those

> sugar cravings way too much IMO.

> LICS

> June

> " The best protection any woman can have...is courage. " Cady

> Stanton

> Secular Breast Cancer Support group:

> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

>

> Hi Corrine,

>

> I began this long journey thinking one of the benefits I would get

> out of chemo (and radiation) would be losing a bunch of weight. I

> was told up front " it ain't gonna happen. " I was also told that they

> do not want " us " to lose weight no matter what we weigh.

>

> I have stayed with in 5 pounds either way. I am sure there are

> several reasons why some gain. Activity level is a big one. Another

> reason could be the use of steroids. Decadron has been a pre and

> post med for me. Only for 3 days at a time that goodness. I can say

> from experience that steroids make you eat everything in sight and

> then some. One of my coworkers (a Nurse Practioner) used to be a

> Pediatric Oncology Unit Coordinator. She put it simply.... " Normally

> when 1 Big Mac would be enough, you now want 2-3 and are still

> hungry " .

>

> Let's try not to worry about weight right now. Just maintain. There

> is time for that later. After all, that is why we are going through

> this hell anyway isn't it? So we can have a long life bitchin' about

> it later. LOL

>

> Ingrid in Indy

>

2 mentions of this. Now I know why my appetite is insatiable. YIKES!!! I make sure I try and eat plenty of fruits and veggies to fill me up but I've been craving white carbs of the worse kind like crazy. I had pretty much eradicated white sugar from our diets except my morning coffee and a few treats. Went mostly with naturally sweetened cookies and tried to eat just fruits for deserts for years. But anyway, long story short, I just want sugary foods since starting on this. I have chocolate for breakfast with my coffee. Shhhh, don't tell my 12 year old, I eat it while he's still sleeping. I go look in the fridge for something to eat and all I see are veggies and fruit and I don't want it, it doesn't look satisfying, I want sugar. And the worst thing of it is, cancer feeds on sugar. YIKES!!!

So, I'm not struggling really hard with the weight gain (yet!), but I am struggling with eating healthy. I do mostly, but I also give in to those sugar cravings way too much IMO.

LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

Hi Corrine,I began this long journey thinking one of the benefits I would get out of chemo (and radiation) would be losing a bunch of weight. I was told up front "it ain't gonna happen." I was also told that they do not want "us" to lose weight no matter what we weigh. I have stayed with in 5 pounds either way. I am sure there are several reasons why some gain. Activity level is a big one. Another reason could be the use of steroids. Decadron has been a pre and post med for me. Only for 3 days at a time that goodness. I can say from experience that steroids make you eat everything in sight and then some. One of my coworkers (a Nurse Practioner) used to be a Pediatric Oncology Unit Coordinator. She put it simply...."Normally when 1 Big Mac would be enough, you now want 2-3 and are still hungry".Let's try not to worry about weight right now. Just maintain. There is time for that later. After all, that is why we are going through this hell anyway isn't it? So we can have a long life bitchin' about it later. LOLIngrid in Indy

January 6, 2006