Like most of us, I was devastated by my breast cancer diagnosis at age 70. Fortunately, I have had good health throughout my life. I thought of myself as a positive person. I was relatively upbeat through my early treatment. After I was put on anastrozole, I became extremely depressed. I would go to bed at night and hope that I would not wake up. In an attempt to get my head on straight, I began to walk everyday. I bought a Fitbit to track my progress. I have walked 1020 days without missing a day. I feel inspired by pursuing this walking streak. It helps to clear my mind, makes me feel better and has resulted in some weight loss. It’s a simple strategy and you don’t need to do it everyday, but this is what works for me. I might add that I had many other side effects from anastrozole, so I decided to stop taking it. I think that was the main reason that I was no longer depressed, but by that time, my walking had become a healthful habit.
By taking an aromatase inhibitor, I was told that my risk of recurrence would decrease by 6%. IMO that is a doctor’s best guesstimate. We all have the right to make our own choices regarding treatment. I wish everyone best of luck as you make these difficult decisions and use the coping strategy that works best for you, as you deal with breast cancer.