Hi Hollye –
Came across your site as I wanted to share my story (literally, see below) with others. But, saw your recent posting on Tamoxifen and I totally know where you’re coming from! I’ve been on Tamoxifen for about a year and I am so tired of waking up in the middle of the night, throwing off the covers and tossing and turning until I can get back to sleep (’cause, of course, there’s always that chain of thought… I’m hot, why I am I hot, oh, yeah, that again, why can’t I just put it all behind me…). It’s the head game as well as the physical discomfort that can get so tough.
As for me, I was diagnosed with breast cancer when my daughter was five. I was terrified that losing my hair would make me less of a mother to her. Then, a friend reminded me that my smile would not change. So, I smiled, a lot and tried to keep our routine, the things we loved to do together, as steady as possible. And, it really helped both of us.
I’ve turned my story into a children’s book that I’m hoping will help other moms, www.thespecialsmile.com, particularly of very young children who want to focus on the positive in each day rather than the disease itself and I was hoping you might share it with others. There’s a free copy that can be read on-line with additional copies available through Amazon (all proceeds will be donated to the BCRF).
Thanks for allowing me to share my story!