The July 24th appointments
Today I had several appointments at Duke, two of which were diagnostic in nature - a DEXA scan and a stress echocardiogram. Both were necessary in order to evaluate the effect Letrozole is having on my body.
My first appointment was the DEXA scan, followed by a visit with the endocrinologist. Unfortunately, the DEXA scan showed significant bone loss in my back, as well as new bone loss in my hip and neck. There had been some bone density loss in my lumbar spine prior to starting Letrozole (which was noted on last year’s DEXA results), but this year’s scan revealed a 10% loss in the L1-L4, moving me closer to osteoporosis.
Though the bone loss in my neck and hip isn’t significant at this point, it does indicate Letrozole is affecting my bone density in a negative way, despite diet, exercise, and supplements.
Because oncology would like me to take Letrozole indefinitely, this is concerning to the endocrinologist.
I declined making any decisions today regarding treatment, but the endocrinologist advised that I begin researching bisphosphonates. There are a number of options, including oral, IV and injection. I am hesitant to begin using another prescription, so I am weighing all the options, including whether or not I will continue with Letrozole (something I will discuss with Dr. Rossi when I see her on August 12, the same day I have labs and my next CT scan).
I am part of an amazing group of GCT Survivors on Facebook, and I am seeking advice from them, as many of them have first-hand experience with having to work through these issues for themselves.
I went from endocrinology to cardiology for the ECHO. And that is the good news. Everything was just fine with my heart function and all images looked normal. I even got a mini-workout in as they tried to get my heart rate up to 150 bpm.
I am so thankful the echocardiogram was normal because that’s one less thing to be concerned about.
This health care journey is not one I ever thought I would be walking, but every time I leave a Duke medical facility I am once again grateful for the expertise and quality of care that is available.
We’ll see what the August 12 appointment brings.
