I had a lumpectomy in 2000; tumor was small and hormone-positive. Because I was only 45, my oncologist recommended chemo as well as radiation. I had a choice of chemo—could do four treatments with Adriamycin or six treatments of another drug that would probably not cause me to lose my hair; I did the six treatments. After chemo was done, I started Tamoxifen in 2001 and was on it a little less than three years.

After about 10 weeks on Tamoxifen, I started having hot flashes; the drug had put me into "chemical" menopause. In 2004, I developed a blood clot in my right calf (blood clots are known possible side effect of Tamoxifen). While in the hospital to dissolve the clot, doctors noted that I had anemia. The anemia was from the very heavy periods I had been having for about a year; I had to have a hysterectomy because of uterine changes/early cancer (another known possible side effect of Tamoxifen).

I was put on and took Aromasin for six years after this. From the very first pill until about three months after my last dose of Aromasin, I would "urp" all night long after going to bed—I didn't have anything come up, but would belch several times every minute until I got up in the morning.