The Things I Didn’t Know About Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery

Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, I didn’t know much about cancer. My dad died in 2014 from stomach cancer, so I knew a little about it, how he felt and what he went through. But there was a lot I didn’t know. Now I’m seeing that other people don’t know as well, which I understand.

One thing I have found since my diagnosis, if you have your hair, people don’t think you are as sick. If you don’t go through chemo and “just” radiation, people think you are lucky. Once you have gone through radiation (or chemo), people think you are done and cancer free.

I’m honestly not sure when I will feel that I am cancer free. I had a follow-up mammogram six months after radiation ended, and it was a clean mammogram! Woo hoo! So excited, but I’m not saying “cancer free,” even though there was no evidence of disease.

Prior to being diagnosed, if someone I knew was finished with chemo or radiation, I probably would have thought they were on the other side of their cancer battle and good to go. That’s what a lot of people think when they see me. The me that goes out for a drink or dinner is usually happy. What people don’t know is that I may have rested all day just to have enough energy to go out at night. Once chemo or radiation is done for many breast cancer patients, that is not the end of the treatment.

My treatment for the next five years is hormone therapy. Not to go into too much detail, but I get a quarterly shot and take a daily pill. From this comes weight gain, fatigue and joint pain. Not everyone who has this treatment has the same side effects, so these are just my side effects. Unfortunately, taking a nap or taking a pill to offset the joint pain does not help alleviate the side effects. This will be my new normal for the next five years. There isn’t a magic cure to have the side effects go away. I will gladly deal with these side effects if it means a lower chance of recurrence.

So, prior to being diagnosed myself, I had no clue that even though two different people have breast cancer, their story is not alike. There is so much more to their cancer story than the stage of their cancer. Their fight doesn’t end after surgery, chemo or radiation. They may be out smiling, having fun, looking like they are having a great time on social media, but in reality they may not be feeling that great.

My diagnosis has brought me so many great things: closeness with friends and family, appreciation of life and definitely empathy for others.  I may have known so little about cancer before my diagnosis. I now know a bit more since my own diagnosis, but there is so much more to learn.

Follow this journey on I’m Team Jodi.