Hello fellow Stage 1....
I had lobular (not ductal) cancer and so opted for a bi lateral mastectomy because my Stage 1 came after a Stage 0 and I'd already tried lumpectomy. All that said my risk is about the same as yours for recurrence. I tried 3 of 4 hormone drugs (Arimidex, Letrozole and Tamoxifen). With all three I had serious side effects including joint pain, depression, stomach issues and finally (my final straw), during the 3 months of trying all these drugs I got Shingles and mono. My body doesn't like any drugs, let alone these. I had to opt NOT to use the hormone drugs. They tell me if it comes back I have to use them and I suppose I will but I was so miserable and ill on them it didn't seem worth it given the chance of recurrence.
SO................I finally asked my oncologist WHY DON'T YOU TEST WOMEN'S HORMONES? And the answer was that they 'assume' all breast cancer women will be on the drugs anyway so there is no need. They tested my hormones at my request and I had so little estrogen naturally in my body that they were actually concerned that I had no estrogen (I have estrogen positive breast cancer). I had never had Progesterone or it was very, very low (hence the over dominance of estrogen by whole life) which had caused me multiple problems throughout my life. I have had the on going estrogen and progesterone tests (as well as Testosterone off and on) for 3 years now and I have no hormones to feed the cancer.
I'm sure the meds do things other than simply erasing hormones quickly from your system that are advantages for keeping breast cancer at bay but I opted to be monitored more closely and feel better day to day.
AT THE VERY LEAST........ASK YOUR DOCTORS TO DO A BLOOD TEST TO GET YOUR HORMONE LEVELS. It's easy, quick and gives you a snapshot of your hormone activity. There is a more advanced hormone profile that can be run as well that I had done during menopause (for Stage 0 breast cancer) which showed an estrogen dominance off the charts. That was a urinalysis and some blood work and was done by a homeopathic doctor my open minded oncologist at the time suggested. I learned a lot there too about acidic vs alkaline body type, diet and safe supplements to stop cancer. In my case it didn't work but perhaps slowed it down a bit. Also, I lost 30 pounds along with diet changes following my mastectomy. Hormones are produced in fat and can aggravate the levels and contribute to cancer. Another thing I learned is that many skin care products contain PABA and that can mimic hormones in your body. I use a lot of lotion (live in a dry climate) and I have changed lotions, shampoos and other products to limit my exposure. None of these changes have impacted my life greatly. In fact, most (losing weight, diet, careful use of products, etc) have actually improved my health....no nothing crazy there and nothing lost.
We are lucky we were diagnosed at a low risk stage. There are no guarantees that we won't get cancer again but you have to consider how you feel today and whether you can enjoy your life.
Finally, I still worry every day (a little) and lots when I come up on my six month check ups that not taking the pills was a mistake but they just made me feel too sick. You are not alone.......Some of us just don't tolerate the 'usual' treatment. P.S. I am about to be 61 and was diagnosed first at Stage 0 at 56 years and Stage 1 at 58 years.
HUGS............
Hugs to you!