One Year Post Final Herceptin

In the hopes that this helps some of you out there who may be coming to the end treatment (or just looking forward to the end!), I thought I'd share my experiences of how I feel now compared to then - things I've done that have helped - and also interested to hear from others and their experiences.

I had Stage 2a Triple Positive BC; diagnosed at age 42. Treated with neoadjuvant TCH, lumpectomy & SNB, radiation, and one full year of Herceptin, completed December 5th, 2014. Been on Tamoxifen since October 2014. Still NED! Here's what's changed from then till now - 1 year later:

Hair - I had some (little) hair at Dec. 2014. I was not wearing a wig. Hair was coarse, wavy, and thin. My hair today is back to its normal (straight) texture. Still some frizzies/coarseness where it's growing out, but that's almost gone. Initially there was more gray when it grew in, but now that's mostly gone too. I've kept it short and I'm loving my new style. At church yesterday, a lady I did not know ran up to me to get the name of my hairdresser because she thought my hair was so fabulous. So, clearly, no one can tell this is post-chemo hair.

Eyebrows - My eyebrows have not fared as well as my hair. They are growing back in - slooooowly. They may never get to where they were. Penciling in eyebrows is still part of my daily routine. I have had them tinted, that seems to help. Doesn't replace the need for pencil, but helps it along.

Lashes - My lashes were not great to start with, and they are still really sparse, but growing back in - also slooooowly. I use Lancôme defincils lash booster conditioner first before applying mascara, and that helps. Too afraid to try Latisse (don't want to turn my blue eyes brown!)

Fingernails - Still not back to what they were pre-treatment. They are stronger than what they were one year ago, but they're still "funky." White parts are uneven (dip in the middle of the fingernail). I've discovered Zoya "naked manicure" which I can actually give myself a "naked" French manicure and looks pretty damn natural. Love that.

Lymphedema/Arm - So fortunate not to have any swelling in my arm. After a year+ of strength training, my arm/chest area strength nearly equal to the other side. (I only notice the difference when very tired, at end of workouts).

Sleep - I am sleeping *much* better than I was one year ago. It's a combination of factors, I think, but a big one is that I take 5mg of melatonin every night. My sleep is not perfect, but really a tremendous improvement.

Chemo Brain - this never was a huge SE for me, but I did/do notice some then and now.

Eye Dryness - this (thankfully!) has gone away (finally)! I was constantly tearing up on H. No more. On advice of my opthamologist, I take Fish Oil for this. Apparently, helps with lubrication. I figure it can't hurt, and I continue to take it! (I know others swear by it to combat effects of chemo brain).

Strength & Physical Fitness - this is a big one. I'm so much stronger. I've been working with a trainer (mostly lifting weights/core work); doing yoga one day per week (new for me); and swimming one day per week. This is more exercise that I was getting pre-diagnosis. More or less I feel at least as good as I did on the day of diagnosis. Maybe better. BUT. Difference is that if I miss exercise - skip yoga, for instance - I feel like I am paying for it immediately in terms of aches and pains and stiffness. Exercise has become a non-negotiable for me.

Weight - my weight is virtually unchanged from one year ago. Losing weight has proven to be quite the challenge. I consider it something of a victory that I have not gained weight. I am in perimenopause and on Tamoxifen. My clothes are fitting and I'm not stressing about this.

GI issues - my system is still not "back to normal." I had a lot of GI issues with chemo. They are much, much better than they were but still not where I want to be. I'm taking florastor and Fibercon daily. I'm actually having a colonoscopy next week to rule out this being a bigger problem than we think it is (I also have first degree relatives with colon cancer).

Emotional well-being - There have been a lot of ups and downs this year. I was of course happy to be done with treatment, haven't had much anxiety about recurrence. But my relationship with my DH of 15 years has been very strained. Basically, my BC led to his midlife crisis. A true midlife crisis which has him depressed, anxious, desperate for change in our relationship. I have spent much of this year feeling like I don't have the "emotional energy" to support him/deal with all the issues he wants to stir up and address. Our sex life is not back to what it was pre-BC. It's been hard. I want to just live in the moment and enjoy what we have, and he wants to fix what he sees as broken. I hope that we're going to get synced up again. It's also hard because I don't feel like he fully supported me through treatment. In general, the world (including my DH) has closed the book on my BC, and expects me to move on with full steam ahead. I have felt much of the past year like I'm still dealing with repercussions/aftermath and not ready to dive into solving new issues/problems. Spent a lot of this year just coping, still. Much easier than the year of treatment, but it's not "over" for me in the way it seems to be over for the rest of the world.

I hope this summary helps someone out there! Just my experiences but I didn't really know what to expect after treatment ended. Everyone is different, everyone has different experiences, but I think some of this may help others out there.

And finally, in case you are curious, I have become one of those people who takes a million supplements. For this record:

Vitamin D (I am deficient if I don't take a supplement)
Baby Aspirin
Melatonin
Biotin
Fish Oil
Cranberry Supplement (to prevent UTIs)
Florastor (GI issues)
Fibercon