Hormone therapy side effects

Hi

Welcome to the group, but equally I'm sorry that you have had to find your way here to us. 

Your low mood could be due to the hormone therapy, but equally it could be due to having had cancer.  I am guessing that you've had some surgery and possibly radiotherapy?  Have you had chemo too? 

So, given that oestrogen is a 'happy hormone' and the tamoxifen reduces oestrogen - presumably you were ER+ breast cancer....then you are losing the normal happy hormone from you body.  so this could explain a part.  Looking at the zoledex side effects (not had this personally), but it does say mood swings are a potential side effect.

The having had cancer is a major thing to come to terms with though and I am sure this will affect you significantly.  1) You lost your Mum to breast cancer, so you will no doubt be grieving her all over again given the fact that you have been diagnosed with BC yourself. 2) "you feel like you've been given a death sentence" - that shows how your mood has already been impacted. 3)  tamoxifen is taking you through a menopause, so also grieving what you are losing as a young Mum?

One of the things to do is NOT feel guilty!  You have been dealt a terrible hand in losing your Mum to this disease and then being diagnosed with it yourself.  You have to come to terms with the impact it has on you now and in the future and there is no timescale for this to happen.

In 10 years though, there have been major breakthroughs in treatment so do try and not see it as your death sentence, every day new and advanced treatments come along to prevent recurrence.. It took me until my first annual mammogram to stop thinking that it was my death sentence. I eventually tried to see having cancer as having 'just another disease' to try and get my head around it.  If I broke my leg, I would have my leg worked on, put in plaster and it would heal.  I tried to use this with my cancer diagnosis by saying to myself "I had cancer, it was cut out, I had radiotherapy and am taking the hormone tablets as a belt and braces approach to ensure it doesn't come back".  That way of thinking about it really helped me to come to terms with dealing with it as an illness, rather than thinking of it as cancer and a death sentence.

With regards to your girls wanting to see their friends, do you have someone close who could take them to visit their friends? Do you have a partner?  If you're a single Mum, then could you try it once to see how you cope?  Arrange to meet someone who you feel you could trust enough to say, if it gets too much for you they could drop the girls back to you?  You might surprise yourself that meeting someone else may help your mental health.  When we are isolated with our thoughts they tend to go round and round in our heads, whereas you might find the distraction of meeting another Mum with your girls could prove a good thing.  

It is definitely worth asking your BC nurse for a referral to talk about the emotional impact as she will know and understand what you are feeling at the moment.

Kindest wishes,

Lesley

Hi , another warm welcome to the group. Just wanted to say that you’re not alone with the feeling that you’ve been handed a death sentence. Like you, my mum died from breast cancer (and my dad from prostate cancer) so I have gone through phases of feeling the same. Outwardly I’m usually very positive and try to focus on the fact that it was caught early, but in private I am frequently terrified that it will (or has) come back. I think this is lessening as time goes by so hopefully you will find this too. And I do remind myself that treatments have progressed hugely since my mum’s case. 

Fatigue is the side effect that I find most debilitating (I’m on Anastrozole), and there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer. I’m older than you so have no children to look after. I find exercise helps most, especially walking, but I have the freedom to do this. I very much doubt that you are a useless mum, try to be kind to yourself and acknowledge what you’ve been through as well as that you’re having to endure ongoing treatment. I agree with lesleyhelen that it might really help you to meet up with a friend but you are allowed to be very cautious and it should be on your terms. 
I also agree that it would be good to contact the breast clinic for support, and maybe your GP as well? I think we’re all too ready to suffer in silence, I’m definitely rubbish at asking for help. After a year I contacted my nearest Maggie’s centre and they’ve been really helpful. I emailed initially as I couldn’t pluck up the courage to phone. 
Wishing you well and sending love and hugs. HFxx