My Cancer Journey

This is a topic I have been thinking about for quite some time. It is difficult to talk about, and even to think about, but I feel it needs to be discussed. Hormone blockers affect everyone differently, but most who take them experience at least some side effects. For me, the worst side effect is not the joint and bone pain or the other physical problems. It is how the brain is affected. Chemotherapy affected my brain in ways that are hard to explain. The loss of function was almost constant: I forgot words and trains of thought, couldn’t remember things I needed or wanted to do, and felt like I was in a fog most of the time. The brain fog was always there but ebbed and flowed with the timing of the infusions. I always knew when it would get worse and that it would soon get better. The effects from the hormone blocker are different. Episodes come and go without warning. They usually don’t last long but are frightening when they happen. Because the brain fog and forgetfulness have worse...

March, 2026 Had my third post treatment checkup. We needed to fly to Bangkok again as many oncology tests are not available in Lao PDR. This is 15 months after my last treatment, 2 years and one month since the partial mastectomy and I was considered NED (No Evidence of Disease), and 2 years and 7 months after diagnosis.  One month or so leading up to the appointments are nerve-racking, and I get increasingly stressed the closer it gets. Here is a fairly comprehensive list of my feelings/difficulties - Waiting Preparing  Nerves  Brain fog Headaches - has it metastasized to my brain? Moody Weepy Noticing Jittery  Chills Stomach problems Nausea Anxiety Hyperventilating  No focus  Stressed Short Edgy Angry Worry Snappy Difficulty concentrating  Agitated Sad Exhausted  Self absorbed  Scheduled tests - Blood tests Mammogram Ultrasound of abdomen Ultrasound of breasts Bone density test Follow-up visit with oncologist - The doctor is kind and thorou...

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...