Birads 5 with calcification
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@lisat8228 , I was due to start tamoxifen but the ob/gyn appointment recommended prior to this (I was postmenopausal) found a thickened endometrium which turned out to be endometrial hyperplasia requiring progestin. I couldn't take AIs for a variety of reasons so I rolled the dice and skipped hormone blockers.
At your age you should be on tamoxifen. My issue tends to be found in older women. Tamox does have side effects but many women find them tolerable or take another med to lessen the hot flashes. This article lists all the possible SEs but many people tolerate this med fairly well.
You might want to ask your doctor if you could have a slightly longer break (2 to 4 weeks) after finishing rads before starting. First, it lets your body recover more from the radiation side effects and gives you a better idea of what symptoms, if any, are attributable to tamoxifen. The other reason is that concurrent radiation and tamoxifen can increase the chance of developing fibrosis. From what I have read just a week apart might not be enough distance. I had all kinds of late fibrosis radiation side effects and probably have a genetic mutation (just discovered this year and currently undergoing stage 1 clinical trials at MD Anderson.) My pulmonologist told me it was a really good thing I hadn't taken tamoxifen since in his experience the scarring would have destroyed all rather than part of my lungs. You most likely have nothing to worry about (my medical history of thyroid goiter, upper GI bleed and Barratt's esophagus were red flags) but an extra week generally won't make a difference to your long term outcome and gives you a longer break to avoid interactions.
I hope you have an easy time on tamoxifen.
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Just catching up here.. I am assuming that you are all done with radiation. Congratulations!
Wondering how you are doing on Tamoxifen?
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Hello ladies! Just chiming back in since I haven’t been on here much these last couple of months. With the kids back in school and me starting back to work full time (even though I work from home) I’ve been HELLA busy lately! I finished radiation about two months ago, and I’m coming up on my three month mark, which means I’ll soon have my follow up with my oncologist. I haven’t seen him in a couple of months. I did see my radiologist last month for a follow up to check my radiation burns. At that appointment, she ordered a CT scan because she said it’s especially important that we stay on top of things during the first year.
Thankfully, other than a little scarring on my right lung from the radiation, everything looked good! I’m assuming I’ll have blood work done when I see my oncologist next month. If I’m understanding everything correctly, they’ll be checking my blood every three months for tumor markers and circulating tumor cells. I’m still not sure how often I’ll be getting scans.
As far as Tamoxifen goes, it’s been okay, I guess. I’ve been on it for about two months and take it at night before bed. It still baffles me that I will have to do that every single night for the next 10 years.
I’m still dealing with a lot of issues with my body, and honestly, it’s hard to tell what’s from cancer treatment and what’s from the accident. My chest and shoulders are almost always stiff and tight, and I know radiation can cause that. But at the same time, I broke my collarbone and several ribs and injured my spine, so it’s hard to know what’s causing what. My radiologist thinks the discomfort could be a combination of both the radiation and my accident injuries.
My neuropathy has gotten a little better, and I’ve gotten SO much stronger. Things I used to struggle to do are becoming easier, like opening a bottle or walking up stairs.
This may be a little personal, but are any of you familiar with applying for disability? Although I’ve gotten so much better, my quality of life still isn’t where I’d like it to be. I applied back in May, and I’m wondering how long the process usually takes. Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated! ❤️
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Hi @lisat8228 , Good to hear you made it through radiation OK and that you are tolerating tamoxifen.
It’s quite likely that both the accident and radiation are contributing to your shoulder and chest discomfort. About six weeks after finishing rads I ended up in a burn unit after catching fire when my knee buckled while I was cooking. The burn surgeon was able to use lasers on nerves in my face and hand but not on my chest and axilla where I had radiation. Five years later that radiation field is still a problem but the other areas which were burned have healed better. Time allows for more healing and getting used to what doesn’t change.
My sister who has lupus applied for disability. Her initial claim was denied. That took about 8 months but the backlog where you live affects the timetable. She then found a disability lawyer and was approved on reconsideration. There are three more levels of appeal after that. How your symptoms prevent you from working is much more important than the diagnosis. There is a fixed rate you pay the lawyer if you win so it’s affordable if you can find somebody to take your case.
I hope things continue to get better.
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