It seemed strange to turn into the parking lot at Diablo Valley Oncology on Friday morning, since it had been 3 weeks since I had been there! That might not seem like a long time to some, but for me it seemed like an eternity. (And a good one, albeit.) Dr. Svahn checked my blood levels and she said that things were starting to return to normal. I am free to go about my life! Yippee! She gave me a prescription for Tamoxifen which is a drug they give to folks like me who have not yet gone through menopause but who have had breast cancer. My first day taking it was today, and I will take it everyday for the next 5 years. Dr. Svahn said with my type of cancer, this drug has proven to be effective in reducing the chances of the cancer spreading to other organs. Even though I have had both breasts removed, I also still need to do a self-exam each month to make sure nothing suspicious arises. (This seems funny to me since I never had a tumor in the first place, only cancerous cells that were detected by the mammogram.) There are supposedly a few side effects to taking Tamoxifen, but for someone like me, the benefits of taking it far outweigh the side effects. Dr. Svahn said that taking it every day will be the most important thing I can do for my body in terms of keeping cancer away. Eating healthy, exercising, limiting alcohol and caffeine are all good practices for sure, but taking the drug is the single most important thing I can do to assure a healthy future. Most likely I will experience hot flashes as a result of the medicine, but she said that as my body adjusts to taking it, the flashes will get better over time. I will see the Dr. again in two months to discuss how things are going, then every three months for exams. In fact, I will be in her care for the next 10 years before I can say I am officially "cancer-free".
Here's the scary part; most breast cancer recurrences are discovered by patients between doctor visits. I am supposed to contact Dr. Svahn if I have bone pain, chest pain, abdominal pain, etc. that lasts for more than a few days. But I am thinking positive that I have conquered this disease and won't anticipate any of that!
I am so thankful to be feeling better, especially with the holiday season upon us. I am so elated that I can participate in all the normal holiday hoopla and my heart goes out to the patients in the infusion room who will not be feeling so well. The thought of going through chemo during Thanksgiving and Christmas just breaks my heart. I told Dr. Svahn this and she suggested that I volunteer some time at the Cancer Support Center in Pleasant Hill. Maybe I can share my story with someone who was recently diagnosed to provide confidence and assurance that there is life after surgery and chemo.
I have been back on my bike a few times and it feels AWESOME! I didn't realize just how much I had missed my riding and exercising until I got back into it. What a rush! I am addicted to those endorphins again! It is a little bit disheartening that I am so out of shape (from almost 5 months off) but with regular training, I anticipate that won't last for very long. I unfortunately gained 10 pounds during chemo treatment due to the inactivity and consumption of numerous "carb" foods so my goal is to start working to get back down to my normal weight. I have also started using a "healthy scalp" shampoo which is supposed to aid my hair in growing back, as well as an eyelash product which is also supposed to promote growth. Now that I am feeling more myself I can't wait to start looking more myself!
Next up: saline implant surgery in San Ramon on December 20th. My plastic surgeon tells me it will be a piece of cake. He will be switching out my current "tissue expanders" with saline implants utilizing the same incisions made for the mastectomies. It is a very quick out-patient surgery and I will be home the same day. No lifting, driving or vacuuming for a week...oh bummer. Harun and kids will have to do the laundry and vacuum, doctor's orders. :)
