Hormone blockers - looking for others like me
Comments
-
Hello everyone,
I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma Stage 1, Grade 3 in 2024. I have completed lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. Now taking hormone blocking meds for 5 more years. Im new here and wanted to connect with others in similar circumstance. Ive been struggling with side effects of hormone therapy and general fear of cancer returning😕
1 -
- *Bumping this newly moved thread for @ebst61*
- You are certainly not alone! Managing the side effects from maintenance treatments such as hormone-blocking therapies, as well as the fear of recurrence is an often seen topic amongst many breast cancer survivors in our community. We hope others can chime in to share their experiences and coping strategies with you. We also invite you to join our Zoom survivorship meetups Bonded by Breast Cancer for added support. ❤️
0 -
I would ask the oncologist for a survivorship plan to include the chances of recurrence based upon your personal history if you stay with an AI/tamoxifen v. going forward without the medications. You'll have to decide if the percentage difference is worth the impact/possible impact of the side effects on your quality of life. For me? I never had an oncologist do this for me and just did what I was told. For a very painful and damaging year, I stayed with the protocol until I couldn't manage it any longer. I am not currently taking medications to prevent recurrence, but am left with managing their legacies and the negative impact on my quality of life. I wish I had experienced better whole-person care wherein I was provided with the information I needed in order to make better choices for myself.
At the end of the day, whether or not to take hormone blockers is a personal decision based upon your comfort level in dealing with percentages of risk v. what your life looks like and what you would like for it to look like. I hope that makes sense.
Breastcancer.org has some amazing podcasts that are very helpful in this regard. I was just listening to one this morning. :)
Best to you in your journey. :)
1 -
I stopped taking anastrozole and refused to continue zolodex after 2 wks and a raging melt down. I had turned around to see my 8yr old step son standing there with alligator tears rolling down his face. The memory still make me cry. Yep, the side effects are wretched. I have no idea how other women do it. My oncologist told me that I would die if I didn't take them to which I replied that I would rather die than traumatize my kid for life. That was 2yrs ago and it hasn't come back.
There is no definitive answer for you as to take them or not take them. It is absolutely a personal decision that each of us has to make.
I'm just waiting for the day that a man gets told he has to stop all his testosterone to live and just deal with it, continue on, go back to your life
2 -
Hi ebst61! I am taking the hormone blockers, and it isn't easy. Just wanted to reach out and say hi!
0
