DOROTHY:
I went to see an oncologist and he took a blood test to see what the hormone count was. And because it was a hormone type cancer, I was allowed to take Tamoxifen. This is a medication that you take two times a day, and it is supposed to help to kill the estrogen that's in your body. I had a full treatment of radiation. It was thirty days of radiation, and have been on Tamoxifen for five years. This puts you back into a menopause type situation and you have night sweats, you go through perspiration. I perspired almost all day long, those hot flashes, one right after another.

CAROLE:
I did know that I would go into menopause. It is a difficult time, my oncologist told me that. But he also said statistically that my chances of survival were greater, so I opted to go on it. I'm on it twice a day for life. It's difficult getting used to the hot flashes, insomnia, not being able to sleep because you don't have hormones. Of course, that was after the hysterectomy. Those are difficult things. I asked him if I was going to grow facial hair and my voice was going to go lower. That was a concern. That has not happened. I do see myself aging a little faster, but that could be because I'm 47 years old and I have a hectic lifestyle and two teenagers. I read everything I can get my hands on as far as Tamoxifen is concerned. I get Science News every week, and almost every week there is an article on Tamoxifen in there.

NANCY:
Well, Tamoxifen, again, it's my arthritis doctor was so thrilled with it because it tends to dense up the bones, she thinks, and certainly it's not going to be negative in that. And I guess the risks with that are cancer elsewhere and I'm already kind of resigned to that. I mean, it will not shock me to have cancer again. It never would have, just basically. I figure, well the Tamoxifen, if they think it will help, I'll try it and see.