My mistake as I didn't see that the sweats started before the prednisone...now that is adding more to it. Did you have the bronchitis when the sweats started but weren't on the pred ? Could have been your body fighting off the infection in that case. It is a normal response. So as you say , get off the pred when you are finished and then see how you are doing in a week or 2. My Mom had bad sweats for years and years after menopause was over. She had to stop her hormones when she got breast CA. She never did get over the sweating and she passed away at 88. Hopefully this will not be the case with you. c

I agree with Anettemartinrn, whether the original story of Kathy West is true or not is trivial. Ovarian cancer is true and the fact that it is almost a totally silent cancer is just as true. How do I know? I have it. And I had no signs in the beginning. Most of you will not recognize my name - I used to post here years ago and only recently began lurking again. Last fall, I started to have serious pain when having a bowel movement. Thinking I had Irritable bowel syndrome, I let it go for a few weeks before finally making an appt. with a gastroenterologist. It was only then discovered after a series of tests that I have advanced cancer. By the time I found out I had it, it had already spread throughout my peritoneal cavity. I immediately went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer. The doctor told me most women 'present' as Stage 3 or even 4 because it's very hard to detect in the early stages. I had an extremely painful operation on January 2. They literally opened me from my groin to my rib cage, took every single organ out, and removed all the visible tumors. They were everywhere, my abdominal lining, my bladder, my colon (they had to resection a part of it), my diaghragm, and a tissue inside my abdomen called the 'omentum' which was also removed. I'm still not recovered from the operation, yet had to start my first round of chemo on February 5. I will have to go through 6 rounds of chemo. The first round has sucked; I cannot imagine what it's going to be like to go through the next 5. Once this cancer is in Stage 3, the return rate is really high and the 5-year survival statistics are not good. I can't even begin to express how depressed and angry I've become, how in fear for my life I am every single day, not knowing what's going to happen with me. I've never been sick in my life, always healthy. I ate right and exercised. I'm only 43 years old. I too was discouraged by my gynocologist from taking the CA125, because of the false positives. If I had the chance do it again, I'd take that CA125 anyway, false positive or not, even if I had to pay for it out of my own pocket. I would have insisted. I wish it would become a mandatory test.

Very pleased to have found this site...it’s literally the only one on the web with real women talking about what is really happening to them in this stage of life - the only one I can find anyway!! Amazing to see the diversity of experience which does not fit the textbook or what we are commonly told...I shouldn’t be surprised really, people always spread so widely to each side of what is ‘typical’ in pretty much everything. It’s reassuring anyway even if a tad strange to find it on a house decorating website. I’m 47 and might be in menopause, or Perimenopause...last period was in May and very light. Before that had one in November and a super heavy one in September - 3 weeks long and not fun. I had a D&C in October and then an iron infusion in Nov as I felt so lousy and had v low iron, made an amazing difference - totally recommend that if heavy periods wipe out your iron. No wonder women are tired quite frankly with this kind of crazy stuff going on in our lives! Anyway...I have a question to ask everyone - with all these periods coming and going, does it mean that you are still fertile, or ovulating, on and off as well? Even when in your 50’s? Has anyone’s Dr suggested they should still take bc meds to prevent pregnancy? I’m asking from the other perspective - in hopes that I might still have a glimmer of fertility - if I get any more periods :) Thanks

I have been told that if you don't have a period for a year and then have one, you should see your OB/GYN. I had one after a year of no periods, but thought it was normal, since I had all the other symptoms that go with PMS too. However 3 years seems a bit long. I would encourage her to see an OB/GYN to make sure all is okay. Anything is possible as far as getting pregnant! But not if she hasn't had sex!