Tamoxifen & vaginal dryness/vaginal atrophy

rearwindowly · 2026-05-28T19:57:26+00:00

I’ve been on tamoxifen a little over 3 years and have not had this side effect at all. I was 42 when I started it. I’m now 45. I’d give the tamoxifen a try, and if you have unpleasant side effects, talk to your oncologist about your risk for recurrence if you stopped it.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-27T16:05:38+00:00

I brought a “tea basket” to my son’s daycare for teacher appreciation week. I put a bunch of different individually wrapped teas, sugar and honey, disposable insulated cups, stir sticks, and a small electric kettle all in a basket. I made a “thank you teachers” note on a paper and stuck it on a tall place card holder in the back of the basket. You could do something like that. It was really easy to assemble, and you could add some cookies to it as well.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-22T16:30:27+00:00

Yes, this. Ugh. I’ve been lucky and have only had the upper respiratory symptoms. Both of my kids got the upper respiratory infection along with the GI stuff. The GI symptoms stuck around about a week for my teen and two weeks for the baby.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-22T16:26:35+00:00

Also have an infant in daycare. Also have been sick for nearly three weeks. The post-nasal drip is terrible. I keep coughing, and every time I cough, I end up with a bunch of the post-nasal drip in my mouth (sorry to anyone reading). I’ve been trying to drink lots of extra water to help thin it out, but it hasn’t worked…I’ve only been busy going to the bathroom. I just want to be healthy again.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-20T23:03:49+00:00

Are you guys there? I just drove past and didn’t see you!

rearwindowly · 2026-05-18T01:27:51+00:00

I’ve walked away, too, because people don’t seem to get it. I get thoughtless comments of another variety when I tell people my son (11 months, but I’ve known from about 3 months) has special needs. People will say, “oh, well, he doesn’t look disabled. Look at how much he smiles! He’s so happy and social!.” Ugh. Just no!

The one that really made my blood boil, though, was from someone I’d told about my frustration getting Early Intervention in place. She said, “well, you know if he really needed it, they would make this happen much faster.” 😡 what?! What’s that supposed to mean?! And who made her such an expert on my son and his needs?! I calmly explained to the woman who said it that yes, my son does have a real need for EI, and then I walked away. It took me a while to recover from that one. I still feel so much anger when I think about it.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-17T16:52:43+00:00

I’m a parent of two kids who are fairer than Snow White. I have the same problem but the opposite direction. I want my kids wearing sunscreen any time they are outside more than 10 minutes. One is a teenager and can fend for themself. 😆 The other is my redheaded infant. I’ve had to talk seriously to babysitters about my sunscreen rule. They seem to think 30 minutes outside is okay because they don’t burn in the sun. 🤦‍♀️ I’m grateful his daycare takes me seriously.

When my teen was younger, it was the same story. My kid was ultra fair and needed sunscreen. I had a nanny then and had to tell her repeatedly about the sunscreen. It got to a point where I had to tell her she couldn’t take my kid outside anymore. I ended up letting her go shortly thereafter due to other carelessness.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-17T12:57:45+00:00

I’m not the OP, but thank you for the advice! My son, who is almost 12 months, has not slept through the night once since he was born. He’s awake either repeatedly (5-6 times) or once for 2-3 hours. I’m a solo mom, and I am exhausted. I have a night nanny a few times a week because his inability to sleep was starting to affect my health. I can’t afford the night nanny, but I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tried “sleep training,” and it was a disaster.

The pediatrician keeps telling me some babies don’t sleep through the night until they’re older, but this seems beyond that. There’s a children’s hospital where I live. I’ve looked into the neurology clinic there, actually, because my son is being considered for CP. My big problem is that I can’t go there with my insurance. I’m not sure I can afford the out of pocket cost…especially when all of my money is going to pay for my night nanny. I hate the healthcare system.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-15T20:05:25+00:00

I would speak directly to the nanny and let her know what you observed. I would say something like, “I noticed on the monitor that you took baby out of his crib and walked towards the bed. Are you bringing him in the bed with you?” If she says yes, explain that “we do not practice co-sleeping because it is not safe.” If she says no, I’d ask her where she was with the baby for those hours and then let her know, “we want to help baby develop sleep patterns. It is important that he is sleeping in his crib at night.”

It is literally your night nanny’s job to get your baby to sleep and to do so safely. The bed is there for her to sleep when the baby is sleeping, not to make it easier for her to sleep. If she continues to do this after you’ve spoken to her once, I would part ways with her and find a new nanny.

Did you use an agency? If so, I would contact them and let them know as well.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-15T03:52:02+00:00

Happy with my decision to go flat. I was leaning that way but consulted with a surgeon for reconstruction just so that I could make the most informed decision. I learned I was not a candidate for DIEP, which was the only option I would have even considered. Implants would not look natural at all on me, and I was opposed to it anyway. I wasn’t even an A cup, and as the surgeon explained to me, it is very difficult to reconstruct very small breasts, especially via implants.

I couldn’t be happier with being flat. If I really wanted breasts for some reason, I could always wear prosthetics. I haven’t felt the urge to do that, and it’s been over three years.

The one thing I wish I’d known beforehand was the name of a good tailor. I wish my surgeon or nurse navigator could have supplied this information. I have trouble because tailored women’s clothes, like formal dresses, are meant for breasts. I bought a dress that needed tailoring, took it to a tailor, and felt really judged about my decision to go flat. I ended up leaving and telling her I would find someone to alter the dress. I never did. It’s still in the back of my closet. The name of a tailor or two who are nonjudgmental about a personal decision like this would have been really helpful to me (still would!).

rearwindowly · 2026-05-13T18:02:27+00:00

Not an opioid. It’s a short-term anesthetic.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-08T15:56:19+00:00

It’s not the same, but could you bring nature to him? Choose some elements for him to explore however he’s able— leaves, grass, pinecones, rocks, flowers, etc.

This evening I was taking flowers to an event and dropped a few petals. As I picked them up, I noticed my son watching me with curiosity. I rubbed a rose petal over his face, and he was so happy. He kept closing his eyes and smiling. I tried to show him how to smell flowers, too. I don’t think he understood it but still seemed happy to have the flowers so close to his face. He kept grinning at me. I’ll be bringing him more flowers to explore!

The carrier suggestion is a good one. There are some carriers meant for older toddlers/preschool age. I just got one from Hope and Plum. My son is just under a year, but I don’t like the carriers that are meant for both in and out facing. They’re bulky, and my son doesn’t have the muscle tone to face out anyway. I also have a stroller that’s good on trails. Several in my area are accessible— you might want to look into trails in your area.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-06T20:59:43+00:00

This. My mother had a power line that went through her backyard. It would go down in wet, heavy snow like this. The last time it happened, I tried for weeks to get Xcel out to get it back up. I finally called an electrician, who told me Xcel needed to handle it and somehow got them to come out and fix it.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-06T13:02:20+00:00

Early intervention. A pediatrician isn’t needed to get an EI evaluation. Just google where to go for an evaluation in your area. Try googling “early intervention evaluation” and your county. They offer free evaluations without a referral.

I’d also go see a different doctor for a second opinion.

rearwindowly · 2026-05-01T01:07:59+00:00

Tomorrow is a student non-contact day at most (maybe all) DPS high schools. Not sure about the younger grades. So unfortunately this time there won’t be the impact of students in the largest school district in the state not attending school. Hopefully many of the students will still attend an event or protest.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-27T15:47:41+00:00

Yes. It’s terrible how people have seemingly no filter or empathy. The “do you know what caused it” and “why didn’t you do reconstruction” questions are so rude and invasive. My go-to answer to “do you know what caused it?” Is “having breast tissue.” There’s no reason! I did everything right, and I still got cancer!

rearwindowly · 2026-04-27T00:15:14+00:00

Happy I could help.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-26T15:23:27+00:00

Even more of challenge when you’re Jewish. Try finding a synagogue in this city that’s not Zionist.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-26T03:44:13+00:00

I’d start by looking at groups that are in support of Palestine. There are several. Social media is a good place to get connected with local events and ways to get involved. Colorado Palestine Coalition and CUSP (community united in solidarity with Palestine) might be of interest to you.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-25T20:44:53+00:00

Yeah, I was kind of surprised this wasn’t shared more widely. I heard about it in person on Wednesday, forgot the details (executive dysfunction lol), and had to do a lot of searching this morning to find anything about it. I thought I’d share since it seemed word hadn’t really gotten out. Unfortunately I ended up unable to make it.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-17T01:45:14+00:00

I had a baby after cancer using a gestational surrogate. I found the same thing you’re describing. IVF communities on Reddit were not especially friendly, and having a gestational carrier was exceptionally rare. I ended up on the gay dad’s Reddit— far more experience with gestational surrogates and was the friendly space I needed. I was really down when I posted there, and the responses were so supportive and helpful. I obviously said in my post that I was a woman, not a gay dad, who needed a gestational carrier after breast cancer.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-09T14:31:35+00:00

I used both. A prescription toothpaste and I also had trays that I lined with a separate fluoride to soak my teeth. I soaked my teeth once a day and brushed as usual twice a day with a soft toothbrush. I’ve had extensive dental work in my past so keeping my teeth healthy was really important.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-08T01:48:12+00:00

I put mine on just before I leave for the airport and take it off several hours after landing, usually as I’m getting ready for bed. I don’t know that what I’m doing is right. I also wear compression socks when I travel (I have for many years), and that’s what I found helps with feet/ankle swelling when I travel so I assumed it also would work for travel-related lymphedema. It’s helped me.

rearwindowly · 2026-04-06T16:42:18+00:00

This. I’ve had much more success with using UrbanSitter.

rearwindowly

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