Got quite a few updates.....so I will start with one that has been pretty significant to me....TAMOXIFEN!
I know everyone sees me getting back to normal life, and it seems like its all over....I've beaten cancer...Yaay! But my treatment is not actually over. My oncologist has recommended that I take this drug, Tamoxifen, for the next 5 YEARS!
My cancer was estrogen-receptor positive therefore estrogen would promote the growth of these cancer cells. Tamoxifen basically stops the production of estrogen in my body in order to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back again. Sounds great right......except the side effects of this drug include the following:
- usual menopausal symptoms (some serious hot flashes!!)
- blood clots
- strokes
- uterine cancer
- cataracts
The dosage recommended is 1 tablet each day. I started taking it for a month, and the hot flashes were pretty bad! I was waking up throughout the night in hot sweats, and I started to wonder if this drug would do me more harm than good. I started to worry about those other side effects also....like UTERINE CANCER!! Am I going to take this drug to prevent breast cancer, but then give myself another, more serious type of cancer??? So I decided to stop taking it and do some research first before I made a final decision on whether or not I should take this drug for a couple more years.
This decision has been on my mind now for 3 months, and I told myself that my decision will be made by the end of this month! I've gone back and forth, thinking of the pros and cons.
Of course I don't want the cancer to come back, but this is definitely not a sure solution....it just reduces my risk. There really isn't much research done for women in my age group who have taken Tamoxifen, so I have to rely on studies done mainly with post-menopausal women. However..... I'm not post menopausal!
Its been a tough decision for me, but I've been told that no matter what decision I make, I'm the one who has to live with it....so I have to be comfortable with whatever I do.
For a while I have been leaning towards not taking it because I just feel so uncomfortable about playing with my hormones for so long. I have talked to a few people in the medical profession, and I have been assured that the risk of those serious side effects are very minimal....especially since I'm so young.
Also my oncologist said he would be happy if I take it for at least 2 years.....after which he will possibly try to convince me to continue it for 5 years.....which I may or may not agree to. But he believes the benefits of Tamoxifen far outweigh the risks.
If I do take the Tamoxifen, I have made plans to go in for regular pelvic exams and eye exams to ensure that the Tamoxifen is not adversely affecting anything.
So with this plan, I have decided that I will start to take the Tamoxifen again. The thought of the cancer re-occurring is one of my biggest fears now, so I want to do whatever I can to reduce that risk!
I really hope I'm making the right decision!
