I am Wonder Woman

Well, I am A wonder woman. I wonder about everything. Like the song goes, “I wonder wonder wonder wonder wonder…” and I wonder why I wonder. I am done with chemo, the surgery, radiation. With each I wondered about the unknowns. “I wonder if I’ll be strong enough? I wonder if I can take this emotionally?” I wondered if the side effects would prevent me from finishing the chemo, the radiation, and now I wonder about another unknown: the endocrine therapy that hopes to starve any remaining itinerant cancer cells.

I didn’t even know I had any estrogen left after menopause. I found out this fact the hard way, after I found out it was feeding my breast cancer. Like the other treatments it is a matter of the benefit far outweighing the risks, but still it is a profound wake-up call, especially when it comes to the brain and estrogen.

I can deal with the joint and muscle pain (exercise) and the risk of osteoporosis (exercise and calcium). I know I can reduce my risk of dying from this breast cancer by 50% by maintaining vitamin D level of over 30 ng/ml (mine was 63 going into chemo). I am not sure yet how to deal with the effect on my brain except to continue being creative, challenging myself intellectually daily.

During this therapy (a daily pill) my risk of recurrance is reduced to around 3%, a 97% chance of being cancer-free for the next five years. I love those odds! And who knows what new treatment will be approved by then?! In the meanwhile I have been given my marching orders, “Go live your life!” Yes sir, that is the plan.