Hi There,
My Diagnosis at 41 was multifocal grade 3 invasive ductal. ER Positive, HER-2 Positive Clinically T2, N2, M0 - basically had 6mths chemo, started Herceptin after 3mths on the chemo and swelled with both the Taxotere and Herceptin.
Had mastectomy and full lymph node sweep in April last year and then 20days radiotherapy - tried tamoxifen -
had extreme hot flushes, extreme mood swings to the point I really thought I was unsafe to be near my children, suffered extremley stiff and painful joints, including spasms and cramps. I put on almost a stone in weight.
My oncologist due to the ER positive really wanted me to try the tamoxifen for much longer but after two months I wanted out.
Some say I am silly as the return rate (even though I am cancer free for now) for my type of cancer is fairly high.
The oncologist thought a holiday period from the Tamoxifen often showed that “younger” patients tolerated the side effects better.
Lots of people both patients and those never had the cancer were quick to tell me how stupid I was I was risking death etc etc…
But for me I would much rather a shorter life full of quality than a longer life full of ailments.
The truth from what my oncologist told me was that 60/70% of women taking Tamoxifen will have a reoccurance even if they take it, and 30/40% wont.
For me those figures and my personal circumstances…made my mind up not to take it.
I have spoken to lots of women and about their side effects, they do vary from person to person and to varying degrees.
I sit sometimes and do wonder if I am a fool…But I am single and hope at the age of 42 I still may meet the love of my life dispite the horrid experience of this rotten old cancer! I nolonger have moods swings infact I am having the most positive life experiences with minimal pain in joints. I am looking more like me and able to have fun without me being the raving loon, I felt I had become on my relatively short experience on the Tam.
My boys will remember their mum with a much more sense of normality.
All that said my mother at 59yrs whose cancer was a stage 1 spread to lymph nodes had wide local incision and Tamoxifen for 5yrs swears that it saved her life - 18yrs on she is still here to tell the tale…but not alas without some pay back as she has extreme pain of the joints and arthritis issues since the treatment. She has been bedridden now for some years she is 78. But she felt the side effects she experienced were no different than the menop. symptoms she had already experienced.
Do what your gut instinct tells you…a womans instinct is second to none.
All the best of health and happiness to you all
xxx