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366 days later...

Updated: Jun 13, 2022

Writing a blog has been on my to-do list for literally the last few months. Yup, MONTHS. I've been finding it hard to sit down and figure out what to write about lately as I've had so much going on since finishing Radiotherapy at the end of Jan and have managed to do everything BUT sit still for a few hours and blog. So I thought today would be the day, as yesterday was exactly 1 year since I found out my boob was trying to kill me. It's not like I've got nothing to write about either, I've got loads of things whizzing around in that crazy little head of mine I've just struggled to get it out. Anyhow, I'm here now and I'm doing it!


Mrs M

First of all I think I need to update you all on some mega happy exciting news. I FINALLY GOT MARRIED! We had 2 weddings postponed due to Covid and then when Breast Cancer got thrown into the mix as well our focus definitely wasn't on a wedding for the best part of last year. However, as I finished Chemo in December we made the decision to just go for it and so on a sunny Sunday 17th April, I married my college sweetheart and became Mrs M. We had the best day ever, surrounded by lots of love, laughter and a few Jagerbombs.


Have you been under a rock?

In short, nope but I have found myself in this weird limbo after finishing active treatment in January ('active treatment' is treatment such as chemo and radiotherapy - stuff that cures Cancer, not longer term maintenance stuff such as Hormone Therapy but I'll get onto that later). Obviously it was a massive milestone and achievement to finish Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy as they really are chuffin gruelling and a little bit shit but I guess I kinda felt a bit of an anti-climax and haven't really known what to do with myself since. I found I had all these questions swimming around in my head and didn't know how to answer and sort them all out and a wedding to plan - its a lot easier to occupy yourself with something fun and exciting (wedding planning!) and shove the other stuff to the back of your mind (everything unrelated to the wedding!).


However, I don't have that anymore so I have to start thinking about what's next, going back to uni and moving on from this craaaaaazy year. I keep catching myself and realising how much has happened in a year - this time last year I was prepping for my 1st year uni exams and now I'm married with a wonky boob (awaiting more surgery), crazy hair that's growing back wild that I have no idea what to do with and thinking about how I can get myself in ship shape for going back to uni in September. It's not just the physical bits that have changed either; I now have a 'f**k it' attitude to most things and don't worry about things half as much although I do cry a bit more but that's down to the monthly Zoladex injections.


Hormone Therapy

I had to get my bit of science in and here it is! Hormone therapy is given to people following active Breast Cancer treatment if their invader/tumour was hormone receptor positive - this means it had receptors for Oestrogen and/or Progesterone present on it's surface which would then encourage it to grow when in contact with Oestrogen and/or Progesterone depending which receptor(s) that person has. Receptor status is found out and given a score by testing a biopsy in a lab using a technique called Immunohistochemisty (which is basically using antibodies to tag & identify specific things on tissue samples - see videos at the end!)

  • If the tumour has Oestrogen receptors = ER+

  • If the tumour has Progesterone receptors = PR+

  • If the tumour has both Oestrogen & Progesterone receptors = ER/PR+ or called Hormone Receptor Positive

  • If the tumour doesn't have any Oestrogen or Progesterone receptors = ER/PR- or called Hormone Receptor Negative

Invasive Breast Cancer tumours are also tested for their HER2 status. HER2 is a protein produced normally by breast cells but in some Breast Cancers it is over produced.

  • Tumours that are ER/PR/HER2+ are known as Triple Positive Breast Cancer

  • Tumours that are ER/PR/HER2- are known as Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Why does that matter?... Well, knowing the receptors that the tumour has gives Oncologists information on what drugs they can use to target the tumour and to either shrink it or reduce the chance of it coming back - knowledge is power!!


So in my case, my tumour was ER/PR+ and HER2- meaning it had both Oestrogen and Progesterone receptors but normal levels of the HER2 protein so I will benefit from having treatment which reduces the amount of Oestrogen available to bind to any receptors but will not benefit from and treatments related to the HER2 protein.


What does hormone therapy look like?

For me, it means having a monthly injection of a drug called Goserelin which is better known as Zoladex (I always think it sounds like a Pokemon) and I'm not gonna lie, it's a rather sizeable needle (see pic below!). Its a good job I've got lots of belly fat for them to grab at and I ALWAYS have the freezy spray on first.

I have these injections subcutaneously every 28 days (can change a few days either side) to implant a slow release version of the drug to stop my ovaries from producing Oestrogen by blocking the pituitary gland from releasing Leutenising Hormone (LH). In the next few weeks I am also due to start another medication known as an Aromatase inhibitor (I'll save its science for another day don't worry!) which will stop the fat in my body turning other hormones into Oestrogen. Mental ey.


So to summarise:

  • They've turned my ovaries off with Zoladex

  • Will stop my fat making Oestrogen - if only I could just get them to get rid of the fat instead for me haha

  • I'm currently a menopausal, hot flushy, often emotional and achey whingebag

In all seriousness though guys and gals, I'm okay

.

I'm alive, I'm thriving and most importantly I have lots to look forward to and I'll be forever grateful for that.


Love,

Kirst x


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