Breast cancer

Hi lucky3

So sorry you haven't had a reply as yet, this is far from how it usually is here, but it's a very busy group and some messages can slip off the activity page and get missed 

Anastrozole and for that all of the hormone therapy tablets can cause the feelings you describe - Nearly all of it is down to the lack of Oestrogen (a feelgood hormone) you now have :-/

Have you been on the same 'brand' of tablet all the way though as some find changing to a different generic brand helps to ease some of the aches and angst ?  There are also two other types of post meno hormone tablets one is Letrozole which is very similar the other is Exemestane which works slightly differently and is steroidal based.

Have you been prescribed any joint pain relief meds by your GP ?  J was taking Letrozole for 5 years and was taking Meloxicam (NSAID) non steroidal anti-inflammatory and Amitryptyline to help with the twinges.

Feeling loss for your old self is very common and it can take quite a while to get used to your 'New Normal' but if you can get to ease and manage the side effects it helps you to move forward.

Try not to beat yourself up about it all, after all you didn't ask for this and you have certainly gone through some cr*p for over a year.

Did you read the paper by Dr Peter Harvey Mike (The Highlander) added to his reply the other day ? It really is a good read and helped us get our heads around what the heck just happened, hopefully it will help you too.

I'll place it here in case you missed it -

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/38/1563.after-the-treatment-finishes_2D00_then-what.pdf

It's 8 years for us now and it does get better honestly...

Hugs, G n' J

Hi lucky3 

I think you’re perfectly normal in how your feeling! I finished chemo in Oct and rads just before Xmas and I feel exactly the same, the person in the mirror isn’t me and that person isn’t going to come back, that’s what I struggle with along with a myriad of other stuff! 
I’m on anastrozole too ( and the 6 monthly zometa iv) but just started a 4 week break to see if it’s that which is causing the low mood etc. I also gave various aches and pain, even my fingers have gone all weird! also my blood pressure and cholesterol have shot up! 
I take or took a vit d and loratadine daily on the advice of my consultant and it makes a big difference, might be worth a try, 

i don’t have a breast care nurse but if you do could you ring her? I ended up getting in touch with one of my chemo nurses and she was brill and got my oncologist to call me, he said it was all perfectly normal but that the anastrozole doesn’t suit everyone. 
there’s also a helpline on the breast cancer now website, I’ve rung them in the past and they are lovely.

there is another thread called mental health which should pop up if you type it in the search bar. 

Re the 12 week isolation, I haven’t had a letter or text and I finished chemo in October last yr, in fact my onc told me that my immune system would be back to normal 6 weeks after finishing and I was now at no more risk than anyone else, I know done have been sent out in error so it might be worth ringing your gp to check 

With regards work I didn’t stop tho perhaps I should looking back. I had a few days off after surgery and a week off after each chemo but that was all. Because I carried on as normal I feel people don’t and didn’t take me seriously. But we are all different and have different needs and ways, I think you’ll find a massive variance in time off!

sorry I’ve gone on but I feel that the psychological aspect of a cancer diagnosis is massively underestimated! 

much love, take care and stay safe 

sending you a big hug xxxx

Hi Lucky3, 

as ruthie has said the thread titled Mental Health will show you really aren’t alone in how you’re feeling. You’ve been through a huge amount and you need your head to catch up. 

Re work, I was signed off not long after diagnosis because I wasn’t coping, had surgery in April 19, no further treatment needed except Letrozole but fell apart after that. Looking back I’m shocked how unwell I was and actually I’m not much better now. I didn’t return to work as I just wouldn’t have been able to cope.

I had no support from my employer except review meetings to ‘prove I’m actually ill’ (my managers words after I’d had surgery). I resigned a month ago, I had to text to see if my letter had been received and had a reply just saying sorry you’ve decided to leave. My last day is next Tuesday and no one has contacted me since. I’ve been there 31 years and it’s added to the anxiety I’m feeling but has made me realise that I need to put me first. 

I hope you have an employer who values and supports you but just put yourself first. My GP has been brilliant and it was her that told me I wasn’t ready yet so maybe worth talking it over with him/her. 

Take care of yourself xx

Hi Lucky 3,

i cant tell you how good it is to see someone has had same experiences as me. I started my journey January 2019, had chemo and rads all ended the end of Nov 2019.  It wasnt until I stopped taking pregablin and started taking Letrozole in October that I have got pain and damage from treatment. Got neuropathy in my feet, aches and pains,stiffness  due to these factors feel my body has aged 20 years. Started back on Pregablin for pain now which makes life abit more bearable.

Mentally I just keep plodding on and I eventually got my self together to go back to work had to see OH at work to discuss changes or adaptions required to aid my return to work.

Given 23rd March 2020 to return back to work on a phased return, what happened Lockdown so I am still  at home on my own during the day, so 14 months since I last worked.

All I can say is keep staying positive one day at a time and I play music to  cheer me up I love 80’s music.

keep strong keep in touch embrace the here and now 

X