March 1st

2011-03-01T19:33:38Z

Today has been sunny and quite warm and it's St David's day - so why do I feel like I want to get into bed and stay there?

The reason? the extreme tiredness and joint pain that I have been experiencing since just after christmas, at first I thought it was the post Xmas blues. you know - that January feeling coupled with the continued cold weather, and maybe a touch of SAD, but as we got into February it got worse and worse, so on a routine visit to my GP practise for a smear test I mentioned how I was feeling and as quick as a flash Debbie the practise nurse had a needle in her hand and was parting me from my blood. The results came back the next day showing that I wasn't anemic or had an over or under - or even an up and under active thyroid gland and apart from a blip in the ESR test there was nothing that would account for my tiredness.

If I go back and explain why I joined the Macmillan support group then you will know why I am here. Last June at the age of 52 I went for my first routine mammogram, two weeks later I had a letter recalling me for further tests, two weeks after the tests I was told I had stage 1 breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy in August and 3 lymph nodes were removed to test. After an anxious wait I discovered that the lymph nodes were clear and that I would have a 4 week course of radiotherapy and hormone therapy treatment.

Back to now - MY GP came to the conclusion that my symptoms are being caused by the Letrazole and it maybe possible that another drug may be better. This morning I had my long awaited appointment with the Oncologist and was soon brought down with a bump when he explained that whilst there are other types of medication available, it is more than likely they will have the same effect - cue tears (mine not his) as I really don't want to face feeling like this for the next five years, he suggested that I take Evening Primrose oil and Vitamin E to try to help with the symptoms, but probably fearing that I was about to have a complete breakdown in his consulting room he agreed to prescribe tamoxifen for the next five months.

I will also visit Holland and Barrett - Buy one get one half price so says that nice Gethin Jones - for some Cod Liver Oil capsules to see if that helps with the joint stiffness and also ask my GP for some extra strong super duper pain relief that I can take at night.

If it's not one thing..........

March 1st