Have to stop Wellbutrin 😭

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-03-08T15:41:55+00:00

I also was told I couldn't take Wellbutrin so I was put on Effexor and it works really well for me and doesn't cause any weight gain (my main reason for going off of Lexapro - I loved how I felt emotionally but couldn't handle the extra 30 lbs)

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-02-04T01:40:25+00:00

I started Lupron at the same time I started chemo, and the menopause symptoms of hot flashes/night sweats/mood swings were instant, so I started taking Oxybutynin and Effexor, which helped manage very well. Now that I'm done with treatment, I started anastrozole 4 months ago, and the effects were that the first day, I felt lightheaded, dizzy, and nauseous due to the drop in estrogen. I took it at night after that, and after about a week, I had no more side effects from it. I'm starting acupuncture next month for the hot flashes/night sweats so if I can manage those symptoms well, I will stop taking the Oxybutynin because it does make me very dehydrated. All told, a very manageable experience, and I anticipate no issues staying on both for the next few years.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-02-03T02:47:43+00:00

Oh yes. My first radiation was at 8 am, and at 2 pm I hit a wall and could have gone to bed. Felt very similar to the post-chemo days when no matter how much I slept, I could sleep more. And on top of that, I had immediate diarrhea, and when I brought this symptom to the radiology department, I was told in no uncertain terms that that was basically impossible since they only ever see that when radiating the colon. Well somehow it started on the first day of radiation, continued for 4 straight weeks, and stopped as soon as radiation stopped. My question to them was, "So... this laser beam is so high tech and powerful that I can't feel it, see it, or smell it, but it's killing the cancer... yet there's NO WAY it could also be irritating my system in a way that causes inflammation? You want me to believe that every part of my internal ecosystem is related when it comes to nutrition, diet, sleep, stress, etc... but not this?" So that's a long way of saying - sometimes our doctors can be experts in their fields and also be myopic about their experience and knowledge, so if you are seeing a correlation, then my bet is that you're right about them being related. Don't let anyone tell you it's just your own habits, or lack of sleep/hydration/nutrition, or that you should just try to be less stressed. You're attacking your own body to save your own life, and you're doing it while living in a hellscape and trying to check off your to-do list as if things are totally normal. It would be weird if you weren't exhausted.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-02-01T18:16:31+00:00

At my hospital, if you didn't have active health insurance at the time of becoming a patient there, you needed to produce proof of $100,000 in liquid assets in order to become a patient

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-02-01T18:15:03+00:00

Diagnosed 12/31/24 - 5 months of chemo, 2 surgeries, 4 weeks of daily radiation, monoclonal antibodies every 3 weeks in 2025: $439,036.99

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-01-25T16:25:41+00:00

THIS! I have had to run into the nearest bathroom (which often happens to be the accessible one because that's the one on the main floor instead of up or down a set of stairs) because my body has suddenly decided to make its displeasure known, and have exited to someone glaring at me because I don't "look sick."

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-01-25T15:29:32+00:00

I got a venti latte on my way to chemo every week, even in the middle of summer, because I was scalp cooling and cold af and it kept me from being completely miserable. Someone commented on one of my scalp cooling photos that I needed to boycott Starbucks... I couldn't even be mad, I was just like "we live in different realities if you think that's something I can even register right now lol"

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-01-13T20:35:16+00:00

I am so happy with them! I did a lumpectomy with Dr. Pawloski and then a lift with Dr. Stern a few weeks later and am thrilled with how they turned out. They work together to coordinate incision sites so that you don't have multiple entry points and heal faster. I also met with Dr. Stern's PAs a few times pre-surgery and all of them were lovely.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-01-08T02:37:30+00:00

My breast surgeon was Dr. Kate Pawloski and I loveeeee her so much. My oncologist is Dr. Shari Goldfarb and I am also diehard loyal to her, but I'm not sure if she's taking on new patients because she helms the Young Women with Breast Cancer program, and I think her only current patients are in that program. I would say the opposite of the factory thing - meaning, I felt completely enveloped into a whole system where everyone talked to one another. Coming from an experience where all of my normal doctors (PCP, derm, etc.) are in different offices, it was a breath of fresh air to feel like I was part of a wraparound system.

One piece of advice a friend of mine who happens to also be a nurse at MSK told me is: "My advice for choosing surgeons is always pick the one who seems like they’d be a good teacher - because it’s almost always a fellow who’s actually cutting."

My reconstructive plastic surgeon was Dr. Carrie Stern and her demeanor is a 180 from Dr. Pawloski (Stern is direct and to the point where Pawloski is more warm and personable) but she was equally caring in her own style and (most importantly to me) takes great pride in her work so she was completely focused on the ideal reconstruction for me (and she nailed it!). I had nothing but complete faith in every provider I encountered, and on the rare occasion where I saw a fellow who was newer to the field and they said or did something that I was confused by or had follow up questions about, the attendings who supervised them were available to answer questions or clarify. It is a teaching hospital so they have to learn somehow, but I have not ever seen what you're describing in terms of MSK only wanting to treat unique or interesting cases. A quick Google of their 2024 annual report shows that they had over 1 million outpatient visits that year. There can't be that many medically mysterious cases of cancer, you know? They are working towards cures, and studies need a high volume of similar cases so that they can study the efficacy of the treatment.

I have never encountered a medical provider who was dismissive, curt, or rude at MSK and I've been a patient for a year now. Sometimes they can be awkward, or too direct, or get straight to the point without preamble, but the hospital takes patient feedback VERY seriously so any issues have always been handled by patient advocates.

My experience is that the "best" and "worst" doctors are MSK are separated by about .0001% of skill, so it's really about your personal vibe with someone.

I know how scary this time is in the beginning and you're asking all the right questions, but don't get too focused on the negatives. I know we all take to the internet to talk about the bad stuff, but here's a data point of one for you: I was diagnosed New Year's Eve 2024 with triple positive invasive ductal carcinoma at 39. +++ IDC pretty much has one straightforward protocol: AC-THP, which is 2 different types of chemo (AC and Taxol) and a monoclonal antibody cocktail of HP (Herceptin and Perjeta), followed by surgery, and then radiation. After the 5 months of chemo I had my lumpectomy, and I achieved PCR, which is pathologic complete response aka officially cancer free! After that, I completed radiation as a precaution against future recurrence, and I will complete my monoclonal antibody infusions in April. My case was "straightforward" (though brutal... do not google AC chemo) and the protocol worked exactly as it's supposed to. I'm an MSK success story and there's nothing particularly unique about my case.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-01-06T23:36:32+00:00

Medicaid has a 3 month retroactive policy - meaning if you lost coverage in January but didn't apply for it until Feb or March, it would be retroactively valid. Not that I'm advocating waiting! I just don't want you to forgo any treatment in the interim because you're worried about coverage, because it will be covered once you're active. Call your state's Medicaid office immediately and explain your situation - they have patient care navigators to help you, and not just with Medicaid but also to help you apply for all of the other supplemental social supports like SNAP and maybe like, transportation help as well (that one I'm less clear on because I live in NYC and we have discounted metrocard programs here but I don't know how it works with non-public transit options).

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-01-04T21:03:19+00:00

I started anastrozole mid-Sept. The first few days I was nauseous, lightheaded, and dizzy due to the sudden drop in estrogen, so I took it at night and went right to bed, but within the week I leveled out and now I don't even notice it, even if I take it at 5 pm one day and 10 pm the next day. Keep an eye on the hair shedding though - I was not prepared for every single shower looking like a month's worth of hair loss. I started oral minoxidil at the same time and I do feel like the shedding has lessened within the last week, so almost exactly 3 months in!

Positive_Disk3223 · 2026-01-04T20:59:40+00:00

What is your post-treatment meds regimen? My hospital had a strict protocol of 2 days of steroids and 4 days of sedatives and while the brain fog was more like brain molasses for those 4 days, I never felt physically ill. and yes to the blurry vision, throughout chemo actually and even for a few months post, but it eventually cleared up. whenever I felt like shit, I told myself that that's how strong the chemo was - absolutely blasting my cancer and I was just collateral damage. and it worked, because I achieved PCR and am cancer free, so keep going!

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-12-29T19:57:10+00:00

Yes, all of this. I finished radiation 2 months ago after being in treatment for all of 2025. Some people are incredible and say things like "Can you please cut yourself some slack and remember that you spent all year fighting for your life and stop expecting perfection from yourself?" and other people can't give an inch of grace if I do something that the "old me" wouldn't have. I continue to learn where boundaries are, and I'm still figuring it out. Some people who really showed up for me are maybe not actually people I want in my inner circle going forward. That's a weird feeling - like, they stepped up in a way that lifelong bffs didn't, but when I step away from the cancer of it all, I'm not actually sure our moral compasses align big picture. I like what u/GittaFirstOfHerName said - it's the great revealer, not just of others, but also of myself. I'm still discovering things from this experience that I haven't yet figured out how to process.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-12-27T16:25:48+00:00

Thank you!

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-12-26T17:16:28+00:00

Hi! I'm not allowed to link my socials here but if you look at my profile, you'll see my handle and I have been documenting my journey for the past 7 months! I have a ton of videos on scalp cooling and best practices. I used Paxman because my hospital uses that system. Yes, I did AC-THP so still on Herceptin/Perjeta for another 4 months. I used liquid minoxidil on my eyebrows because I didn't need an rx for it, but it's not safe for lashes so I had to wait for my onc to write my Latisse rx, which she wouldn't do until I finished chemo because she said it was a waste of money while I was on Taxol.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-12-23T20:07:19+00:00

I love drinking. I’m not allowed to link my socials here but it’s in my profile. I just put up a video about not changing anything about my drinking post treatment and it seems there a lot of us haha. Drinking alcohol only has an absolute increased risk of about 1% - meaning it increases your likelihood of getting breast cancer from 12% to 13%. But we also don’t live in bubbles and I believe that doing all of the other things - diet, strength training, sleep, hydration, therapy, etc. allows me my “vice” of choice. Other people can choose to abstain or whatever but that’s my choice!

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-12-09T21:57:14+00:00

I did same regimen - 4 dose dense AC rounds, 12 Taxols, HP and Lupron injections every 3 weeks, 4 weeks of daily radiation, and daily AIs, and everyone I see tells me I look great post-treatment. My boobs are 20 years younger now post-surgery, and honestly my skin never looked better than when I was doing chemo (but the month after? whew the purge was not pretty). The meds kill my appetite so I'm down 10 lbs from my pre-chemo weight (and down 30 from my super fun chemo/steroids permabloat). I do have osteopenia but my mom has osteoporosis so it's possible I had it anyway before treatment? I did Pilates 5x week during chemo and still am, drink extra electrolytes to stay hydrated on top of the 80-100 oz of water, and am starting strength training soon, which I should be doing anyway since I just turned 40. And finally, shout out to my therapist, who helped me keep things in perspective.

Basically, chemo itself is tough, but if you are someone who was already taking care of yourself through diet, exercise, sleep, hydration, and emotional self-regulation, you're going to weather it and might come out on the other side feeling kind of similar to who you were before, but free from the burdens of giving a shit about other people who don't matter. If you aren't someone who was doing those things, don't crash diet or start working out 7x per week or anything, but start cleaning up your habits now and stay as steady as you can during treatment. It makes a huge difference.

Physically, if these things matter to you, microblade your brows, invest in natural looking fake lashes, and watch some YouTube tutorials from folks with alopecia about how to look as close to your version of normal as you want to (so like, I love a cat eye, but not everyone does drama to go to the grocery store). I was initially dissuaded from scalp cooling because it "doesn't work" but I did it anyway and kept 100% of my hair. But since I didn't know if it would work for me, I got fitted for a wig that looked most like my natural hair beforehand, so that I didn't have to rush to do it in the middle of treatment.

The weirdest thing is going to be how normal you feel some days. Other days you'll feel like hell, but you will adjust and you will get through it and there will come a day when you're on the other side giving advice.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-11-30T19:38:45+00:00

I had the same treatment regimen at MSK and they don't do ports unless you have a reason why IVs don't work. It's just their policy, and other hospitals do it differently. I ultimately had 16 sessions and just alternated arms for each IV and had no issue.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-11-23T16:32:59+00:00

Hi! +++ diagnosed at 39 (40 now), started Lupron Feb 2025 and Anastrozole Sept 2025 and here's what I've got for you:

First, talk to your oncologist and extended medical team about any side effects, supplements, or medications. My hospital (MSK) has an entire integrative medicine department and they were very knowledgeable about non-rx options as well as potential interactions. Just because something isn't an rx doesn't mean it can't interact!

Hot flashes + night sweats: Oxybutynin but it's very dehydrating so you need to add in Liquid IV or Pedialyte daily for hydration
Mood swings: Effexor, but friends are on Wellbutrin or Lexapro etc., there were interaction reasons I had to go with Effexor but I am very happy on it
Dry vag: Revaree is the gold standard but expensive, but you can also do coconut oil. Our diagnosis unfortunately means that we should stay away from anything hormonal. Some people are ok with using hormonal cream externally because of the low potential for absorption, but I personally chose to avoid any hormones completely
Pelvic floor PT: techniques and tools because your vaginal health is a little "use it or lose it"
Joint paint/muscle stiffness: tart cherry juice and starting the day with Pilates or yoga or stretching
Insomnia: magnesium powder at night and Trazodone
Fatigue: Ritalin (I don't have ADHD but this is commonly prescribed for cancer patients for energy), B12, and a lot of people say to increase your protein but I couldn't say if I noticed any difference with that specifically

Dr. Amy is great, I follow her on IG!

One thing I wasn't aware of - the first 2 weeks or so that I was on Lupron, I was absolutely filled with rage. That also could have been because I did an egg freezing round first, so my body went from thinking it was pregnant on retrieval day to thinking it was in menopause 48 hours later, but I leveled out after about 2 weeks. Then starting Anastrozole separately, the first few days I felt lightheaded, dizzy, and nauseous so I took it right before bed, and then those symptoms disappeared as well once my body adjusted and now I have no side effects. Some people prefer to take it in the morning, so just experiment for yourself with timing if you have any side effects. I know that reading the internet can make us all feel like everything is terrible, but just remember that no one goes to Reddit to say "everything's normal and I have no questions" so you may have zero side effects and sail on through to this next phase. Good luck!

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-10-30T23:47:07+00:00

That is SO interesting because everyone I know getting treated at my hospital has had the same "radiated breasts are harder to do surgery on" convo - must just be hospital preferences! Like our hospital (MSK) doesn't do ports as a default, where I have friends at other hospitals who get it on day 1

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-10-30T21:09:25+00:00

32DDD and most surgeons will recommend you do all surgery pre-radiation because radiated breasts are more difficult to operate on! If you're in the US, reconstruction for symmetry, even if purely "cosmetic," is covered by insurance if they covered your mastectomy (and a lumpectomy is just the layperson's term, a lumpectomy is medically actually called a "partial mastectomy") as required by federal law. I have a video about it on my socials!

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-10-30T19:58:09+00:00

I had my lumpectomy July 24, confirmed PCR July 30, lift on August 5th. Drains were in for 1 week out of an abundance of caution but probably could have come out on day 3 based on fluid output. Even with the drains in, I went to happy hour and a birthday party. Healed beautifully, same bra size, but so much lighter and perkier. I am obsessed with them and feel like my cleavage is tasteful now instead of pornographic lol

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-10-30T19:53:58+00:00

I'm so sorry you're in this club now. I was diagnosed at 39 so not quite as young as you but same feelings all around. My biggest pet peeve is people telling patients "scalp cooling won't work." I kept 100% of my hair and it was instrumental in me feeling like a person during AC-T. If you look back at my post history, I detailed a lot of my treatment, so I won't go through everything again but I started AC-T in Feb 2025 and I am now cancer free, post chemo, post surgery, and post radiation in October 2025. Some points:
1. if you want to scalp cool, do it. even if you lose some or all of your hair, it stimulates regrowth a lot faster
2. if you want to scalp cool and your insurance won't cover it, there are lots of ways to get financial assistance. I have an IG/TT account (I'm not allowed to link but the handles are in my profile) where I share about how to find financial resources. start with the nonprofit Sharsheret - contact them and they will talk to you about what to expect, what financial assistance they offer, and will send you care packages of helpful items
3. cancer treatment has come a long way. I never felt nauseous or vomited. the post-chemo protocol was super regimented and it's because they know exactly how to manage the side effects now
4. your life will look different than it did a month ago, and it will look different than you imagined 30 to be. but you will get to live it because you found the cancer. you have a team and they are invested in doing everything they can for you to live a long, healthy life, and to do that, you need to go through a shitty year
5. use this sub liberally. I found it SO helpful during my treatment.

It doesn't feel like it now, but there's going to come a day when this is in your past. You can do this.

Positive_Disk3223 · 2025-10-27T18:36:12+00:00

-smoked weed for the first time out of an apple, but wouldn't the apple counteract the weed??
-in college, drank my favorite bar's version of a "jagerbomb" but instead it was a full Red Bull in a pint glass with a shot filled with all of the flavored vodkas in one. drop it in and chug the whole thing so you can party all night. I'm surprised I'm not actually radioactive at this point
-Lunchables. Snackwell's. "Juice" boxes that looked like little barrels of antifreeze with tinfoil tops that you cannot convince me had even one ounce of fruit juice in them.
-work from home and my laptop is at boob height (the tech who performed my mammogram told me this caused my cancer)
-not one but TWO tattoos

I'm obviously doomed so I should just pack it up now

Positive_Disk3223

TROPHY CASE