I love Gabapentin

Today was my catch up with my breast surgeon.  The appointment was light hearted as we laughed that I no longer remembered what floor she was on when pressing the elevator button. It's been fantastic living life normally without all of the appointments. I remember waiting for her appointments nervously not knowing what she was going to say after each MRI or test result.

She checked me over and said that the next appointment would be an ultrasound.  Now there is no breast tissue to mammogram, she will be checking the skin to see if anything appears there from any random cells and also the lymph nodes to make sure nothing else develops there.

I see the radiation oncologist in June, my plastic surgeon on 5 May and I need to have an ultrasound for the oncology gynocologist which I need to book yet. This is to check for any side effects from Tamoxifen, which can cause uterine thickening, which can then turn into cancerous cells.

I have been to the menopause clinic at the Royal Womens Hospital who put me on Gabapentin. I take this each night, with a Tamoxifen chaser.  In bed each night felt like I have electric shocks through my hands and feet, and burning under my feet - its crazy trying to get to sleep. This drug is used for nerve pain and epilepsy. Noone really knows where the nerve pain is from - it could be from the Tamoxifen, or the lack of estrogen (menopause) or from chemotherapy. Or all of those things.  The pain on the top of my feet in the mornings when I wake up has to be from Tamoxifen for sure.

It will be 2 years since diagnosis in June. I still have a little bit to go of treatment, but at least active treatment is finished.  Sometimes I wonder if the worrying will stop - if I keep busy enough it does, but there are always those quiet times and at the least expected times.