Post-six-months visit - Medical Oncologist says what?!

After a search for his new office, I went for another 3-month appointment with the medical oncologist.  Appointments with him are always pleasant.  This time I started a speech on how many new side effects I have since last time - especially my feet seeming to break down and age overnight.

He listened to a few complaints, then said:  You're doing better than I anticipated.

My whole body hurts and you say I'm doing better?

He repeated the better than anticipated part, and started to tell me about Tamoxifen:  "Those first six months. . ." and he frowned, waved his hand like shooing away a loud heckler.

"We call it the schizophrenic medicine."  I started to laugh, he started another sentence, I had to laugh some more.  Then: Tamoxifen, as you know, acts like estrogen on some parts of the body, not on others.  The body gets confused:  estrogen?  Or not?  Then the depression and . . ."

Yes!  The depression and craziness in the past months had made me think either I had fallen face-first into dementia, or I was suddenly ten years older.  

When I told a friend what he said, she felt he could have given me some clues earlier.

I think he hadn't wanted to suggest any extra side effects that I might start imagining.

The punch line?  I'm actually starting to feel a little more energetic at seven-months-plus, and able to organize, do more, decide more.  But it does require some coffee.

I wish you health.