Nanci's Journey with Breast Cancer

The doctor called me when she got the results of my biopsy and said the biopsy is positive. I just felt numb, this can't be happening, and then all I could do was cry. I was so scared, didn't know what to do.

I didn't know what to expect. The doctor told me what he was going to do, but I was very worried and scared. When I woke up I remember my husband standing over me and saying, "you have clear margins", so I knew I still had both breasts. I was very groggy, but determined to eat & drink something so I could go home. I didn't want to spend the night in the hospital.

The doctor put me on Tamoxifin for five years. After taking it for a while I started having hot flashes, something I had never had before. When they got pretty bad the Doctor added Effexor which was like a miracle drug for me, no more hot flashes.

The radiation seemed to have no side effects for a while, lucky me, I thought as I had heard about all sorts of side effects. But, after a while my skin under my arm started to get sore, and eventually it became very sore. The doctor gave me some aloe, a special kind he ordered, and I kept putting it on the sore places and the pain lessened. After radiation for a while I also began to feel tired, finally feeling wiped out. I just had no energy by the time I had finished my radiation treatments, and ended up taking lots of naps, something I never usually do.

See No. 4 for side effects.

My husband, who had been by my side the entire time, and I went to Savannah, for a much needed vacation. We had a wonderful time. We stayed at a delightful Bed and Breakfast, the only problem being we had to walk up to our third floor little cottage. and by the time we were half way up he practically had to push me the rest of the way, as I still had not regained much energy. We were both thrilled to know I had come through it all, something I wasn't too sure of at times.