What’s Next…The never ending question when you are Stage 4

Now that the pain was under control and I was back to using a walker, it was time to figure out

What’s Next?

The first step was to determine what kind of treatment I would be using to keep this from spreading any further. My doctor told me (and seeing how it is now almost 5 years later and I’m here writing about this I believe him) “the good news is that it is only in your bones.” Meaning, as long as it stays only in the bones I have a much better prognosis.

The first line of defense offered was Arimidex. That sounds easy. Take a pill once a day. There was only one problem, Arimidex is only available to use if you are postmenopausal. At the time I was 44. My mother had a hysterectomy at 40 and my grandmother was deceased. We had no idea when I would be in menopause based on family history. A simple blood test showed that I was not even pre-menopausal. 

The doctor, my husband and I discussed the options. There were two: have a hysterectomy or be subjected to a monthly shot that would mimic menopause in my body. When I asked how we would know when I actually went into menopause, and therefore we could stop the shots, the answer “we won’t know” was not what I wanted to hear. Armed with this information, I turned to my OB/GYN. He delivered my youngest child, he found the original tumor during an exam, he was someone I knew could help me make this decision.

Decision: Do I jump in feet first or dip my toes and test the waters?

If you don’t believe that there are doctors that care, I’m here to tell you there are. A long-term relationship with an incredibly caring doctor is an amazing thing. When I called my gynecologist and explained the situation he immediately said he would call my oncologist directly and discuss the options. He called me back in less than 30 minutes having talked to the oncologist and giving me his best recommendation.

Since I was 44, did not want any more children, and breast cancer likes to spread to the ovaries, we came to the conclusion that the best line of defense was to have a complete hysterectomy.

Another surgery on the horizon.