Tamoxifen ups and downs

[Katie_S]

Hi all,

It has been a few months since I have posted and I have some things to get off my chest (no pun intended)! So, this may be a bit of a ramble.

All I can say is that the ups and downs of treatment and life have continued for me. I am now just over a year and a half into tamoxifen. My surgery and radiotherapy were around the same time.

I developed mild lymphoedema of the breast and arm in February this year. I am managing the effects well with movement, a sleeve, kinesiology tape and a very good bra.

My workplace have been incredibly supportive. I am working 4 days a week on full pay and can have time off for appointments.

In the last month I have been getting into some projects at work - my own choice, not my managers. I have been achieving a great deal and feeling good.

I then had a week off and I feel like the stress of the lymphoedema diagnosis has now hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the same after my active treatments for cancer, I was coping at the time and then bang a month or so later (like many people).

The hot flushes and fatigue that I haven’t experienced for about a year have returned.

I have a busy month planned and it is all things that I want to do - went to France on the week off, going to see my nieces and nephew in a play at the weekend and going to see Sister Act the musical the weekend after. I do think that having more plans is having a big impact on these treatment side effects. I find this very frustrating because I want to do these nice things that I am lucky enough to be doing and don’t want to feel like I’m complaining about doing them!

I am now planning to talk to my manager about actually cutting down to part time work - I feel that 8 hours of sitting at a computer is not good for me even 4 days a week. I am also majorly rethinking my priorities and am lucky enough that my partner and I could cope if I took a pay cut.

I would be interested to know other people’s thoughts and experiences.

Take care,
Katie x

[klf]

Hi Katie . I worked 4 days and I’ve cut mine to 3 from my recent return to work . As soon as I was diagnosed , I knew that I would need more time to do the essential things to keep me healthy as the tablets reduced ny energy. It was already a struggle as I have an underactive thyroid . I’m lucky that financially I can do that and my husband and work are supportive .

[purplerose]

Hi Katie_s

All i can say is, youve been on a rollercoaster, surgery, treatment of various forms, unfortunately lymphodemema, me too, returned to work and thrown yourself into to it, thinking you needed to get back to a sort of normal (just being you again pre cancer).
Ive learnt several years down the line that things, feelings, fatigue just zap you and you end up hitting a brick wall and go bang and need to re-access your health and life goals, ive learnt my body and mind/mental health has been throu so much, ive stopped work and am now taking time to enjoy life as ive found out recently its too short…
Live your life with your partner, arrange some fun stuff and only when your ready return to work, you might find then you do or dont.

Wishing you positive vibes

Take care

[Tili]

Dear Katie,

Firstly, well done for getting this far, you have done incredibly well as we all know, cancer is not a walk in the park it takes a big toll on us.

I think you’ve had some excellent advice from some of our other lovely ladies and I feel you know where you’re going so go with your heart. Oh maybe take a sabbatical for three months and see how you feel after that as you said your company have been very supportive.

Take one day at a time, be kind to yourself do things at your own pace, with what ever, your heart desires. Life is for living.

Wishing you lots of health and happiness going forward. With the biggest hugs,

Tili