FSH level 85.5. LH 44.8. Estradiol 7.5. Okay so this means what? Post menopausal.
So, apparently I am done with menopause and am now post menopausal. Thats so very cool, but I have a question, when was menopause, cuz I missed it. Darn. I was so looking forward to the years of night sweats and mood swings and hot flashes, also known as powers surges and all the other fun stuff that some of my friends have started to go through. I missed all the fun of irrational emotions and yelling and screaming and crying….hey, wait a minute, thats just what I went through the past 5 months. So, that was menopause? I thought it was chemo and surgery and the emotional roller coaster that I have been on since January 8th. So I got a two-fer. Two things happening at the same time and not being able to distinguish which is which. Awesome. So now what…?
Now I have a new pill to take for the next five years to help further reduce the amount of estrogen my body makes. Since my breast cancer was estrogen and progesterone fed, I have to stop my body from making anymore of that stuff. This pill will further reduce my chances of breast cancer recurring somewhere else in my body. Thats good news. Well except, the new pill may increase all the previous mentioned roller coaster things. Gee, sounds fun.
I got the best complement the other day. I was at a function thingy with my family and a lady that was helping me asked “Who is your hairstylist, I love your hair?” Awkward pause…. Um, its a wig I have no hair right now, but thanks. It really did make me feel good. The wig is worth it for those kinds of times when you just want to blend in and for a little while be normal and feel okay.
And I am feeling okay. Everyday, a little bit better. I started working in the garden and yard again. It felt so wonderful just to do some normal stuff like that. Now of course, it is really hot outside, but still enjoying doing some of the things I haven’t been able to do for months. I also started to do some light exercises a bit more regularly. I have to be careful with certain movements and yoga poses, but it feels really good to be moving more. Of course I am extremely sore the next day, but it feels good. 
Had my one month follow up with my plastic surgeon and all is healing very well. So, stage 3 is scheduled. Here’s the tricky part, do I continue talking about this stuff or just leave it as “stage 3″. Oh well, what the heck, I’ve talked about everything else, might as well continue. I have decided to go ahead with the NAC. My hubby and my doctor encouraged me and I am trusting their judgement, again, on this one. So….I had to plan the surgery around some important kid stuff, like football games and school activities, but I am looking forward to this next step in returning to normalness. (normalness, I know its not a word, but it works)
On another note, the hair has kicked in to overdrive and is really starting to come in. Most of the bumps all over my body have faded away or are much less noticeable. The fire ant bites that is my skin has subsided as well and I am not wanting to crawl out of my skin any more. (well, okay, as often ) Sleep is still the allusive dream that taunts and teases me , but I am working on that. I am working on the extra weight that chemo and, apparently menopause, has added to my body. I also finally got the nerve up to go into my local breast cancer resource center and the lady there was so wonderful and I got a bag full of goodies and we talked for awhile and she shared her story and I shared some of mine and why didn’t I do this earlier???(can you see my husband in the background nodding, saying, yeah, why didn’t you) All in all, life is good and I am one lucky girl. Well, except for the cancer thing.
