So, a brief post to say (again) that the hot flashes SUCK. Yes, suck. They seem to happen to me mostly at night. And when they occur in the middle of the night, they wake me up.
I hate feeling hot, and I hate not sleeping right. But the alternative is less pleasant, so I assume this too shall pass. I think I will increase my daily walking as I am told exercise helps. I know the walking helps with that cranky feeling that also seems to be around now that I am on Tamoxifen. And walking will help with my worries over the fact some women gain weight on Tamoxifen.
Now I have something else that just occurred to me: how weird my left breast feels.
My left breast is where the tumor was removed and where I got the radiation. It feels completely different from my right breast. It feels heavier and almost fake. It’s totally odd but fascinating to me.
I did find on breastcancer.org a post about discomfort post-radiation so I am guessing this is normal. I do get occasional phantom pain that shoots through my surgical site.
Breastcancer.org has all sorts of stuff on their website I find helpful, incidentally. Managing menopausal symptoms is one of my new favorites. They do not have anything on Maca Root, however. Maca also helps with hot flashes, and it is not as far as I can tell a phytoestrogen.
Lordy, I am not ready for orthopedic shoes and thanks to breast cancer I have no choice on the menopause thing. Of course, it’s all over the map as to what symptoms women in my family have had. My mother had like two hot flashes and she was done with that – but my paternal grandmother on the other hand (who also had breast cancer in the 1940s and lived into her 90s) I am told did have wicked hot flashes. I shouldn’t complain because they are not constant all day long (and I know women who have had this issue with hot flashes), but they are damn annoying.
Hot flashes and night sweats, oh my! Viva the broken internal thermostat!
Today’s quote comes from my friend Cecily’s New Year’s card:
Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. ~Oscar Wilde
ihavebreastcancerblog 
The night hot flashes are the worst. I am resolved to get back to more exercise since it should help and certainly will help keep the weight off…
Ah! Those personal summers. Mine were brought on by Femara, an aromatase inhibitor like Tamoxifen, taken by post menopausal women after an estrogen positive breast cancer. I had never suffered the symptoms of menopause prior to breast cancer at 52. Why you ask? Because moron here took estrogen for 18 years following an oophorectomy at 34. Did that cause my breast cancer? More than likely my BRCA2 gene mutation was the culprit, but the estrogen fed the tumor. So I went from one day taking estrogen to the next day taking an anti-estrogen. Ms. Cool as a Cucumber was having her own personal summers at the most inopportune times. Blow drying my hair could precipitate one, or a stressful situation would cause a power surge to kick in at the most embarrassing times. And forgetabouit about sleeping. Big Al, my hubby, used to laugh at me coming to bed dressed for the North Pole and later ripping my layers off in a pool of sweat just to start the cycle all over again. He would groggily say, “Having a flasher,” as he continued on snoring like a freight train. So Carla, I feel your heat.
There is, however, hope. After 2 years and 9 months of flashing day and night, mine have almost completely dissipated. I remember my breast surgeon saying they would end in approximately three years. Looks like she could be right. She recommended Black Cohosh, which I never tried. My acupuncturist gave me some herbs which did seem to help. You may want to consider those remedies.
Hope it helps to know you are not alone. A pocket fan, perhaps? Have a wonderful day, Carla. And btw, love the quote. May I share with the Lovelies?
LOL yes please feel free to share. Hugs to you today!