SBC & My Treatment

Has your treatment line changed since you completed SBC & Me last year?

I am still on the same treatment of Letrozole. 

How many changes to treatment have you had?

I'm very lucky to still be on first line treatment - hormone therapy - which I've been on now for 6 years.

How are you coping?

Some days are better than others.  Six years of stable health helps bring with it a sense of calm, I don't pour over every ache and pain anymore thinking it's a cancer progression like I used to.  I trust that I know my own body and use that knowledge.  Mentally things are tougher - I live with chronic pain from degenerative disc disease - a side effect of my cancer medication - and that takes it toll. 

Do the side effects affect your life daily?

Yes.  I live with chronic pain and take a lot of medication.  Some mornings are very slow and it takes me a while to get going.  Some days I can't move at all and it's best to just go with those days and not be hard on myself.  I'm very proud of the way I live though - I do my best to keep going and I like others to see that. 

Have you found a routine that works for your everyday life?

This is where I probably still have a lot to learn, even after 6 years.  I am always overdoing it.  As soon as I have a period of time where the pain is at a minimum I'll go one hundred miles an hour and set myself back.  Routine is hard.  I'm doing good if I can get to my laptop for work each day and don't put any more pressure on myself than that! 

Do you feel anything is missed when it comes to living with secondary breast cancer?

Just a general understanding of what secondary breast cancer is and how debilitating it can be.  A lot of us with SBC look well and therefore people don't realise how hard it may be for that person day to day.  There needs to be a better understanding of the fact it's secondary breast cancer that will kill you - not breast cancer.  The more the general public understand the easier it will be to move things forward. 

Have you treated yourself to anything since your diagnosis?

For the first time in 6 years I've treated myself to a holiday of a lifetime in 2023 which can't come quick enough.  I can't wait to spoil myself for 14 days. 

Has it changed your perspective on life?

Most definitely.  I don't tolerate bullshit anymore.  I've removed toxic people from my life.  I live more in the here and now than ever before.  My confidence is better.  I feel better in my own skin these days which is ironic given that I'm sicker than I used to be.