Femara, Breast Cancer Medication, Replacement Success!

After Femara was dropped from the Patient Assistance Program of Novartis and I found out that the generic, Letrozole, cost $446.00 for a 30 day supply, I thought I would have to stop taking it. I searched all over locally and on the web for a reasonable price for the generic replacement of Femara. Let me tell you some of the things I found out.

All the major Pharmacies in my area, even the local drug store, all were over priced. On the web you will find list after list of Canadian Pharmacies that sell in the U.S. The online prices ran for a 90 day supply anywhere from $72.00 to $320.00. I just received my 180 day supply and it only cost me $55.00. If you have no insurance or meet their income requirements and can not afford your medications see if you qualify at RX Outreach.

The forms can be downloaded from the site and they cover many medications (not just cancer medications). Perhaps you will find you can save money there.

I hope this information helps some of you with the cost of your medications.

To your health

Leigh

Cancer Drug Woes! Femara goes Generic, What Now?

If you have been getting Femara from the Novartis Oncology Patient Assistance Program you have probably received a letter letting you know that it will no longer be available through their PAP program.



Their reasoning is that there is now a generic alternative available in the marketplace. Letrozole



I called my oncologist and they confirmed this is the case.



In the letter Novartis recommended checking with the following programs to see if they could help with cost coverage:



Rx Outreach, a generic Patient Assistance Program - http://www.rxoutreach.org/ or 1-877-837-9896
Cancer Care - http://www.cancercare.org/ or 1-800-813-HOPE
Partnership for Prescription Assistance - http://www.pparx.org/ or 1-888-477-2669



My oncologist office told me they have had some success at Cancer Care with help for other medications and suggested I start there.



I went to my local Walmart pharmacy to find out how much the generic will cost and was shocked to find out that the cost was $446.42 for a 30 day supply. Femara was only (ha, ha) $564.00. I do not see a great savings with the generic.



I will let everyone know as I do more research and see where I can find help or the lowest prices.



Since the Protocols say you have to take Femara for 5 years I guess the drug companies feel they have a captive group to force paying the high prices.



Bookmark and come back for more info.



To your health (can’t say “and wealth” at these prices)
Leigh



PS: If you have any information that would help my readers please let us know. Thanks.

Use Music to Soothe Cancer Treatments

Listening to music can be good therapy for people undergoing cancer treatment, according to recent research. The American Cancer Society reports that music therapy can help reduce pain and relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Studies also have shown that listening to music can slow your heart and breathing rate, reduce blood pressure, improve mood and even help you sleep better.

Here are some easy ways to get your musical "dose":

Bring an iPod or CD player with a headset to medical appointments. Listen to classical music, instrumental arrangements or anything you find soothing in the waiting room or during chemo infusions.

Tune your car radio to easy-listening stations. Or, listen to favorite CDs while driving to or from the clinic or hospital. Avoid jarring tunes and downbeat news stations.

If you play a musical instrument, carve out time for personal jam sessions.

Sing along to your favorite tunes-don't by shy!

this article was in the Healthmonitor Magazine, Feb/Mar 2011.

Check for this magazine at your doctors office, they have some great articles.

Good health and wealth to all,

Leigh

Mammograms find more than Breast Cancer.

Mammograms Do Double Duty! Mammography is one of the best ways to detect breast cancer early, but the routine scans may also be useful in picking up signs of kidney disease. X-ray based mammogram screenings expose calcium deposits - one of the by-products of malfunctioning kidneys - in the arteries of breast tissue. This was reported in the Feb 11th issue of Time magazine in the briefing section, Lab Reports, by Alice Park. This just adds to the reason to be sure to get your mammogram; Early detection of breast cancer and early detection of kidney disease. To your health Leigh

Breast Cancer and Tobacco, the Link!

The list of cancers associated with smoking is a long one: Lung, esophagus, throat and larynx, as well as kidney, bladder, pancreas and stomach. Now add Breast Cancer to the toll.

Until now, studies had not been able to definitively link smoking to breast cancer because of tobacco's double-edged effect. While its carcinogens can trigger tumors to grow in breast tissue, its ability to block estrogen, a hormone that promotes breast cancer, may actually work to suppress malignancies. The latest research clarifies the risk, finding that per menopausal women who smoke had a higher risk of breast cancer than women who did not, but after menopause, women who puffed cigarettes were slightly less likely to develop the disease than nonsmokers. The theory is that postmenopausal women have low levels of circulating estrogen and may benefit further from tobacco's antiestrogenic effects.

Overall, the added Breast Cancer risk from regular smoking at any age was 6%, but that figure shot up for heavy smokers. Women who lit up before age 18 and smoke for three decades or longer had a 25% greater chance of the disease than nonsmokers.

Given the small window of time during which smoking may protect against cancer in the breast, it is a good idea to kick the habit now.

This article was in the February 7, 2011 Time Magazine in the Lab Report section by Alice Park.

If you happen to be a smoker, I know it is hard to quit smoking but for your health please quit.

Talk with you doctor to find out what medications may be available to help you quit.

My father developed throat cancer and 3 years later died from lung cancer for smoking.

My sister has developed bladder cancer which may be related to her many years of smoking.

Breast cancer does not happen just to smokers but please do anything you can do to reduce your chances of getting it.

To your health

Leigh

Blood Test To Spot Cancer to be studied.

According to an article by the Associated Press writer Marilynn Marchione a BLOOD TEST so sensitive that can spot a single cancer cell lurking among a billion healthy ones is moving one step closer to being available at your doctor's office.

Boston scientists who invented the test and health care giant Johnson & Johnson announced that they are joining forces to bring it to market. Four big cancer centers also will start studies using the experimental test this year.

Stray cancer cells in the blood mean that a tumor has spread or is likely to, many doctors believe. A test that can capture such cells has the potential to transform care for many types of cancer, especially breast, prostate, colon and lung.

Initially, doctors want to use the test to try to predict what treatments would be best for each patient's tumor and find out quickly if they are working.

"This is like a liquid biopsy" that avoids painful tissue sampling and may give a better way to monitor patients than periodic imaging scans, said Dr Daniel Haber, chief of Massachusetts General Hospital's cancer center and one of the test's inventors.

Ultimately, the test may offer a way to screen for cancer besides the mammograms, colonoscopies, and other less-than-ideal methods used now.

"There's a lot of potential here, and that's why there's a lot of excitement," said Dr Mark Kris, lung cancer chief at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He had no role in developing the test, but Sloan-Kettering is one of the sites that will study it this year.

Is Breast Cancer Hereditary?

According to BreastCancer.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reliable, complete and current information about breast cancer, only 5 - 10 percent of cancers are due to an abnormality inherited from a parent.

While all breast cancer are caused by a genetic abnormality, roughly 90 percent of breast cancer cases are the result of genetic abnormalities that are a result of everyday life.

This information is from BreastCancer.org.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we will be posting informative blogs all month about Breast Cancer. Please check back.

Good health to us all,

Leigh

What is Breast Cancer?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and many people might be surprised to learn of breast cancer's prevalence. In the United States alone, breast cancer incidence in women is 1 in 8, or roughly 13 percent. Among women in the U.S., breast cancer rates are higher than those of any cancer except for lung cancer. It is important for both women and men (who can also suffer from breast cancer) to gain a greater understanding of this deadly disease.

What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. Any type of cancer is the result of mutations in genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. In a healthy body, the cells replace themselves in an orderly fashion, as healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. When mutations occur, changed cells gain the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more similar cells and forming a tumor.

In the case of breast cancer, cancerous cells gradually invade nearby healthy breast tissue and make their way into the underarm lymph nodes, which are small organs that filter out foreign substances in the body. If the cancer reaches the lymph nodes, it then has a pathway into other parts of the body. Upon diagnosis, a patient will be told what stage of breast cancer they are in, which tells how far the cancer has spread beyond the original tumor.

I will be going into more information on Breast Cancer and heredity tomorrow so please bookmark this blog and come back tomorrow.

Please buy a "Kiss Breast Cancer Goodbye" t-shirt (or one of my other t-shirts)and all monies I receive for the month of October will go to "Steel Magnolias" Breast Cancer support group in Jacksonville, Alabama. They send care packages and offer support to men and women everywhere, not just in Alabama. They helped me after my surgery and have sent care packages all across the U.S. Some of the items included in these care packages are head coverings, scarves, heart pillow, drain holders, a little teddy bear from the lovely ladies that make all these great items and more great gifts including makeup, information packets, and a great Newsletter that you get every month. (Some of the best Jokes I have ever heard. Laughter is the best medicine) The "Steel Magnolias" Support group goes to school and organizations to discuss breast cancer. This group was instrumental in getting law changed in AL to help cover medical cost for women with no insurance or low income to save their lives. There are now new locations of the "Steel Magnolias" opening up in other states to help men and women get through this devastating disease. They have a men's group called the "Men of Steel" to help men support their wives and to help the men deal with this disease also. This disease affects the whole family. Please help as all their monies come from donations.

Thanks, Leigh

Eat Veggies, Fight Cancer?

A nine-year study shows that smokers who ate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables lowered their risk of developing lung cancer compared with those eating a smaller range of these foods.

The quantity did not seem to matter, leading scientist to speculate that variety, not volume, may increase your exposure to diverse and potentially powerful anticancer compounds, which still have not been identified.

This article by Alice Park, for Time Magazine, September 13th should tell everyone that fruits and vegetables are essential to your health and well being. If it can be found to lower the chances of someone that is a smoker from getting lung cancer, maybe it works with other cancers.

You can have a say in what you put in your body and how it helps your body work. Omega-3s and vitamin D have already been found to help fight breast cancer and you can get these from fruits, vegetables and are easy to add to your diet. Selenium has been found to fight bladder cancer and one of the best sources is Brazil nut.

To your health.

Leigh

Vitamin-D , How much is OK? Cancer Statistics.

With sunblock and self-tanners, Americans are D-deficient but how many vitamin D pills should we be taking. New guidelines for the optimal dietary dose are expected out this fall and the studies on vitamin D's effects on cancer, heart disease and cognition are ongoing. Here is where the science stands on cancer now.

Vitamin D may prevent cancer by suppressing the cell growth and blood vessel formation that feed tumors. At least that is the idea, based on animal studies and analyses of human cells. But trials in which patients take vitamin D have not shown a consistent lowering of cancer risk.

One four year trial of 1200 postmenopausal women found a 77% lower risk of all cancers among those taking calcium and 1, 000 IU of vitamin D a day than among those taking a placebo. A larger study, however, in which subjects took 400 IU of vitamin D -- in the absence of an official daily recommended intake, that is the "adequate" intake for adults ages 51 to 70-- did not show lower breast-cancer risk.

The data are strongest for colorectal cancer: subjects with higher blood levels of vitamin D were half as likely as those with lower levels to develop the disease.

Always discuss the vitamins you take with your doctor before starting them.

This information is from "TIME" Magazine, August 30, 2010, Health Page by Alice Park

We will discuss vitamin D and heart disease next.

To your Health!

Leigh

Anti-Breast Cancer Pill!

Fish Oil, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, helps protect healthy people from heart disease and now a new study finds taking fish-oil supplements may also reduce breast cancer risk by over 30% in postmenopausal women.

Omega-3, from dietary sources, trials have been inconclusive and the authors of the study caution that more study is needed before the Omega-3 pills can be used for prevention.

This information is from the July 19th Time Magazine, Health Section, Latest Findings.

Always check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your routine and you may want to discuss adding Omega-3's to your diet.

To your health,
Leigh

What is Normal after Cancer?

Cancer Patients won't go back to normal after cancer. But they can find a best "New Normal".

In a Parade article from June 20, 2010 it discusses what is the new normal for some cancer survivors. It goes into some of the problems cancer survivors continue to have after treatment and after they may be named cancer free.

Let me tell you about some of mine. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago, had a mastectomy, chemo, and am now on what they call maintenance drugs.

I still have pain where my breast was, I laugh and call it my "Phantom Boob". I can be sitting perfectly still and it feels like someone sticks me with a hot poker. (this is what I imagine a hot poker would feel like). It goes away fairly quickly but the pec muscle stays sore for a while. Sometimes it hurts doing much lifting with my arms.

I had a mediport installed in order to have the chemo easier since I was going to have to have it for the next year and a half. (4 different types that took 2 1/2 years because of complications). Where the surgeon installed the mediport they had to go through the muscle in my arm area. I have had problems with this area ever since. I had to have it taken out because I was constantly in pain where the mediport was attached to the chest muscle above the breast. I still have pains in this spot also even though the mediport was taken out 9 months ago.

I started having a heart racing problem while on chemo. I would walk from my bedroom to my living room and my pulse would start racing around 110 - 120 beats per minute and would not come back down right away. Now I have to take heart medicine and watch for more heart problems.

When I sit too long my legs swell, when I stand too long my legs swell. My lower back aches. I have neropothy in my toes from when the chemo made my toenails turn black and fall off. The feeling never has come all the way back. Sometimes it is weird but the toes seem to burn. I don't know what to make of it.

Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was not the most active person, I did not run any marathons, but I worked in the yard, went swimming, and enjoyed outdoor activities. Now, it seems that the heat affects me much more than it ever did. I get dizzy and light headed. I am more sensitive to bugs, poison ivy, and plants that I never had a problem with before.

My maintenance medication, (Femara) which I will be on for 3 more years, makes me moody, gives me the hot flashes and night sweats, (sometimes I feel like I am on FIRE!) and fatigue is constant. My poor husband tries to help but there is nothing he can really do. I just have to wait for it to pass.

I have tried to discuss these items with the doctors but sometimes I feel like they just shrug their shoulders and don't really listen. When I first started chemo my jaw swelled up on both sides and I looked like a chipmunk with nuts in his mouth. This of course happened on a holiday weekend. When I saw the doctor the next week and told her about it all she said was she had never heard of anything like that before. When I lost my toenails and my toes were bleeding, I got the same reply. (I found out later from the web that was a common side effect of the drugs). My jaws still hurt occasionally and my toes will never be the same but I was very glad that my toenails did grow back because sometimes they don't.

Well, There is more to come another day as this is making me depressed. (another of the side effects that cancer survivors quite often have to live with.)

I don't like to complain and I try very hard not to but sometimes I guess it is good therapy just to let it all out.

If you need to vent just give me a reply or response and we will vent together.

You can see the whoe article at www.parade.com/cancer

New Recommendations for Breast Cancer Screening

I know everyone has heard about the new guidelines for breast cancer screening by now.

The stupidest thing I have ever heard is that self-exams don't work. Self-Exam saved my life!

The recommendation is that women from 40-50 do not need mammograms unless they are in a high risk group. Being a woman is a high risk group for breast cancer.

It has been proven that the established recommendations work, Less women are dying from breast cancer. This is directly related to the self-exams, mammograms and information that women are receiving.

Is this just another way for the insurance companies not to pay for mammograms?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I don't know about you but I will continue doing my self-exams and recommend to all my friends and family that they continue doing their self-exams and have their yearly mammograms.

I believe all women should have a baseline mammogram at the age of 40 no matter what the new recommendations are.

Please take care of yourselves and have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Leigh

ps: if you know anyone who collects Owls I have some great artwork in my ebay store , check it out here.

A Shift in Cancer Screening Benefits - ACS

As reported in the Nov 2, 2009 issue of Time magazine

-----------



The American Cancer Society announced that the benefits of prostrate - and breast-cancer screenings have been overstated, after a study found that such tests often detect nonlethal tumors but fail to catch faster-spreading malignant growths. Screenings for colon and cervical cancers, on the other hand, have led to a marked decline in late-stage cancers.



-----------



This article is short but to the point. We are our best screeners. Self Exam is a must for all women and men. Breast cancer can be fast growing and easily grow between your yearly exams. Mine grew to 2cm within 2 months. If you check yourself every month you have a greater chance of feeling any changes before anyone else. If you do feel something, have it checked immediately. I would rather have a test say something is nonlethal than to wait and have a malignancy growing through my body.



Please do all you can to protect yourself from this killer.



Good health to us all

Leigh

"Save the Boobs" Video, Women 20-40 Years of Age Watch It!

This Canadian Public ServiceVideo was designed to get the attention of young women to make them realize that Breast Cancer is not an Older Woman's Illness. It does not discriminate due to age. It affects ALL Women, young and old. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Don't think just because you are 26 years of age that you can not get breast cancer. My niece has just been diagnosed with it. I personally have known 2 people under the age of 25 that have had breast cancer. One of them Died from it.

Young women must be pro-active and do their self-exams, get their mammograms, and do not be afraid to talk with your doctor if you have any concerns. If you are uncomfortable talking with your doctor then it is time to get a new doctor. You must be able to discuss this and any subject with your doctor. EARLY DETECTION can save your life and as the following video says "Save The Boobs".




Breast cancer is the number one cancer killer of women 20-49. Think about this Girls!
Brest Cancer KILLS!!!

Stay Healthy!!

Leigh

4 Things to Help Women NOT Get Breast Cancer

The following are 4 things reported that women can do to reduce their chances of getting Breast Cancer.

1 If you are overweight, Lose that Weight!

2 If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation!

3 Exercise, Exercise, Exercise It can be low impact or more but get your body moving.

4 Breast feeding has been found to lower your chances of breast cancer.

and I am adding another.

If you are a smoker, please quit smoking. I know that it is hard but for your health and the health of those around you please quit.

I can't Breastfeed but I am working on the first 3 to try to reduce my chances of recurrence.

Good health to us all. Leigh

"TLC" Wigs, Hats, Headwraps and more for Cancer Patients

Hi Everyone, Sorry I have been out of touch but family medical situations have kept me very busy lately.

I was going over a lot of my breast cancer information and wanted to let everyone know about a booklet the American Cancer Society puts out. It is called "TLC" and it has hats, scarves, wigs, breast inserts for your bra, tank tops and camisoles with pocketed bras, and

pocketed bras.

I loved the lovies my sister got me. They kept my head warm at night and were comfortable to sleep in. I did not wear a wig and it seemed that the only time my head got cold was at night. During the day I was OK going "ala natural".

My husband said I had a great shaped head.

With cold weather on its way, if you are expecting to be going through chemo and no hair, you may want to check out the lovely hats they have.

You can request the catalog from the American Cancer Society website:

www.cancer.org. Even it you do not buy from them, you will get a chance to see what is available and maybe look around your town to see what you can find locally. The booklet can give you some great ideas.

Stay healthy and informed.

leigh

Good Exercise is Important for Cancer Health! Try Golf!

One of the things my doctors told me during my fight with cancer is to try to stay active. They said this would help with depression and muscle aches.

Well, I did not because I felt so bad and was that a mistake. I had no energy, felt washed out, and generally felt like crap. Sorry about the language but that was how I felt.

My sister asked me one day to come out and play some golf with her. She had just had gastric bypass surgery and needed to walk everyday. She hated just walking down the block and she used to play golf occasionally so she thought she could get her exercise that way.

I had never played golf and really did not care to learn but I wanted to support her in any way that I could so I said OK.

Well, I found out something out there on the golf course. It made me feel better to get out of the house and walk around and get some fresh air.

Now I may not be Tiger Woods, but my sister and I both are enjoying getting a little exercise and sunshine. Yes we take our time, drink lots of water and we don't do 18 holes. But who cares, we are having a good time and feeling better.

Since I don't know a lot about golf I decided to check out some of the information on the web and found this great site called http://www.golf.todays-tips.com/ and they have some great information. They have the basics for people like me and videos for improving your swing, curing your slice, chip shots and my favorite, getting out of the bunker. The also have information on Golf health, Golf Vacations and Golf Equipment.

I am improving every time we play and I have two ladies joining us this week from my cancer support group. They thought it sounded like lots of fun and wanted to try.

Ladies, whether it is golf, tennis, swimming or just walking around the block, Get out of the House! If you are feeling bad, it will make you feel better. I wear my wide brimmed hat and lots of sunscreen, light weight clothing and get out there and go.

Don't worry about your score, remember it is just a game and HAVE FUN!!!!

Health and Happiness to everyone, Leigh

free hit counters

Elizabeth Edwards on the Today Show, reactions.

I was watching the Today Show and Elizabeth Edwards was on talking about her husband's affair and her decision to talk about it. Later that day I was watching another show and an interviewer was discussing her with 2 different ladies and they were saying she should not have done the interview. That it made her look weak. They talked like she should have just left her husband and been done with him.

Elizabeth Edwards and John Edwards have been through a lot together. She has supported him through his campaigns, all the way up to going for the White House. They have lost a child together and instead of falling apart they grew stronger. The Edwards have 2 more children.

Do I condone John Edwards affair with another woman. By no means do I think it was the right thing to do. The fact that Elizabeth Edwards loves her husband and forgives him is a testament to her strength. Meanwhile she has gone through Breast cancer and it is no longer in remission, she has been handed a death sentence but without a date.

Should she take her children and leave her husband? Should she try to make a good family life for them with their father so that when she is gone they will have the support they need?

If Elizabeth Edwards can decide that staying with her husband and having a family together is the right thing for herself and for her children, then who are we to criticize her. If you are not in her shoes, gone through what she is going through, then where do you get off saying anything. As far as her interview she is hoping people will understand her decisions and support them because they are the decisions she has made for herself and her family

I know everyone says that there have been many strides made in combating cancer and everyone should have hope. That is all good and well for someone who does not have cancer to say. Everyday you wonder will it come back and if it does how long will I have to live. How will my family deal with the lose? How will my children overcome the loss of their mother? Will my husband be able to give them the support they will need or will he fall apart? Will family and friends come together at this time to support each other? and so many more questions!

I do not obsess about dying but I would be lying if I did not say that sometimes it crosses my mind.

Every person with cancer has to make decisions that besides affecting themselves also affects the ones they love. Do you have chemo, what about radiation, what if they do not help, what if it comes back and more?

Well, I have had a rant today, I am sorry to seem so dark but I get frustrated with the media sometimes. Maybe it is because I have had so many doctor appointments this week. Just could be mood swing from the femara,(Ha Ha). I am going to go out and smell my roses and take a cup of tea out on the porch and relax. Hope you all have a good afternoon and god bless.

.

Heart Medications and Doctor Checkups, Cardiologist.

Well, I made it to the Cardiologist last week and what a bummer. I had an echo cardiogram done which everyone told me was OK.

While I was getting the echo my husband was talking with the doctor and told him my coughing was worse and we really needed to do something about it. The doctor said I should have called and told him about it and he would have changed my medication. He seemed to forget that I did tell him about it my last visit.

When I went in to talk to the Doctor about getting off the Ace Inhibitors because of the cough side effect he did not want me to go completely off the medicine. He changed me to Diovan, 40mg, once a day and gave me samples to try. He said coughing was not one of the side effects of this medicine. If that is so why didn't he change me to it last time when I told him about the coughing problem.

My husband and I could not seem to get a straight answer about why I needed to stay on the ace inhibitors except that it lowers my chance of getting congestive heart disease later on. I am worried about what they are doing to me now.

The doctor said it will take 2-4 weeks for the old medication to get out of my system and to call him back in 4 week and let him know what is happening with the cough.

I was reading the patient information sheet that was with my samples and guess what the second major side effect of Diovan is: Coughing. According to the sheet the occurrence is less than with the medicine I was on so hopefully my coughing will diminish.

Sometimes it is frustrating going to number of different doctors as one will say one thing and then another will say the opposite.

As a cancer patient it is said that you have a family of doctors: your primary care (the one you go to for colds, flu, etc), your surgeon (biopsies, ultrasounds, surgeries, etc), your oncologist (blood work, chemo, etc), your cardiologist ( heart related problems), and all the other specialist they can come up with.

How is it suppose to be a family of doctors if the doctors do not tell each other what the other is doing? How are you suppose to understand and feel secure when you get conflicting advice?

Well, as you can see I am feeling a little frustrated right now and I have to stop or I will really get upset. And that would raise my blood pressure. Which might not be bad since the #1 side effect of the new medication is low blood pressure. OH WELL!

Good health and god bless to you all, and hang in there if you are going thru what I have been.