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I have an all-day event in my calendar today called “Fuck Cancer Day.” A year ago today on December 4, 2019, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, or IDC, the most common form of breast cancer.
I want to share some thoughts on the last year. [thread]
I want to share some thoughts on the last year. [thread]
In many ways, it seems like it happened far longer ago. 2020 has been such a shitshow that time has probably moved in strange ways for many of us. I was undergoing radiation therapy in the first six weeks of the pandemic, but I’ve barely left home since.
The good news is that, based on my last scans, I am cancer free, which is amazing! In many ways, it was an "easy" journey with surgery and radiation and medication. Sometimes I *almost* forget it happened because it really was a blip among my other chronic health conditions.
The scarier part, that I’m not sure I’ll ever get over, is the insidious fear that never really goes away. Will it come back? Will I catch it in time? Is this cough from my asthma or has it spread to my lungs? I constantly work to silence that voice in the back of my head.
If it does come back, there’s a good chance we'll catch it early. I’ll be getting quarterly check-ups and biannual scans for at least the next four years. I’m also taking a hormone blocker (tamoxifen) for the next 10 years to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Cancer treatment, and especially breast cancer treatment, has come a long way in recent decades. If you know someone who had breast cancer even 5-10 years ago, their prognosis was worse than mine is today. The science is constantly advancing.
For example, 10 years ago, I would have had chemo because the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. Now there's a test (Oncotype DX) that assesses a group of genes to determine how well you'll respond to chemo. My score was low, so no chemo needed!
So while cancer is certainly terrifying at some level, it’s unlikely my cancer diagnosis will have long-term, significant negative effects on my health. I’m doing everything I can to keep those evil cancer cells from returning anywhere in my body.
Of course, this isn’t always the case. I was lucky. I caught my cancer early and was young (30s), which helps my prognosis some. I encourage all of you to take care of yourselves, get regular health exams, and follow-up on anything abnormal. It could save your life. /end
