My Cancer Journey

It has been over two years since I started this journey, and I have now taken Anastrozole (Arimidex), an aromatase inhibitor (AI), for a little over one year. This particular drug is given to post-menopausal women whose cancer feeds off hormones. Many believe that women no longer produce estrogen after they have gone through menopause. This is not true. Our bodies do not produce as much, but we all have an enzyme called a romatase in our fat tissue that converts other hormones in the body into estrogen. The AI blocks the production of estrogen.  Pre-menopausal women are given hormone blockers like Tamoxifen which prevents estrogen from binding to cancer cells. AIs and hormone blockers have side effects ranging from severe to minor; most are somewhere in between. The most common side effects are hot flashes, weakness, joint pain or stiffness, bone pain, osteoporosis, brain fog, edema, sore throat, cough, headache, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, ski...

Because the tumor showed to be less than 2 cm (.78 inches) and the lymph nodes did not look to be affected, my oncologist suggested weekly Taxol IV chemotherapy after the lumpectomy. It is a drug that attacks everything in your body. It kills the cancer cells, but also that which helps your body stay healthy. This is why many lose their hair while on this regimen.  Losing your hair does not sound like fun, but getting Taxol treatments will also lower your immune system because it kills your white blood cells as well. The white blood cells attack viruses that enter your body. They help you fight viruses and other illnesses. This is the scariest of the side effects because it can lower your immune system to the point where even something simple like a cold can be serious. This is why it is important to stay away from those who are sick while going through chemo. Taxol is administered once per week and builds up in your body during the twelve weeks it is given. This should kill whatev...

Monday, August 14, I had a consultation with a surgeon. The ultrasound and biopsy showed that I had invasive lobular carcinoma. This is why the tumor was not round, but flat with tentacle like offshoots. It also showed it was not large, 1.6 centimeters (16 millimeters, or .63 inches) at the longest part. The best news was that the lymph nodes looked normal, so no worries about it having spread beyond the original tumor. This was all positive. The surgeon said he would be able to perform a lumpectomy, cut out the tumor only, rather than a mastectomy, cut off the whole breast. He could do this before I went through chemotherapy because of the small size of the tumor.  The oncologist confirmed everything the surgeon said when I saw her on August 31. She added that the tumor was grade 2. They are graded 1-3, 1 being slow growing, and 3 fast growing. The biopsy also showed that the tumor tested positive for estrogen and progesterone, meaning that it feeds off those hormones. Being post ...