This morning, I noticed my left breast was red—like early radiation red—and the redness was spreading to my stomach. I felt crummy last night with a headache and achiness, and I felt like I was burning from the inside. I recalled what I ate, but couldn’t find anything unusual. I rarely get rashes, so when I dropped Liv off I asked Liv’s mom to look at my stomach. She confirmed it was red and suggested seeing a doctor.
I started wondering if this could be implant illness. It looked like a sunburn, but my skin hadn’t been exposed to the sun. Since chemo, radiation, and starting anastrozole, I’m sun-sensitive, but usually, it goes away.
I piddled around Fairview, but a nagging voice told me to get it checked. I wrote my primary care doctor, who agreed. I called my radiation oncologist since he told me to report any strange redness. They got me in within a few hours.
Front-row parking spot is always a good sign. I snapped a pic of the bathroom reading to share. The last picture is me before putting my clothes back on. You see I mustered my bravery before the doctor came in, but it cracked when he said it wasn’t silly to come in. He stated that my cancer was serious/aggressive enough to always check. It cracked more when he asked if I was worried about cancer and I nodded yes.
He reassured me he didn’t believe it was cancer related. He thinks it’s a heat rash. Now I know not uncommon with Hashimoto’s, and also side effects of Anastrozole.
I’m not a “if it’s not one thing, it’s another” person, but cancer life tries to push me there. I feel dumb for worrying, but I realize that thinking is what’s ridiculous, not the other thinking.
If you love someone with chronic illness and think “if it’s not one thing, it’s another,” remember this post. And if you’re experiencing it and feel like me, you’re not alone.
✌️❤️🤣
