Health and Fitness : Laugh With Kathy - Hot Flashes

*In recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, Dean and Val have asked me to share some stories from my book Laugh With Kathy, Finding humor in the journey through breast cancer. Each week day during October, I will post an excerpt from my book on Vinton Today. Our hope it that these articles will give you a glimpse into what it takes to beat breast cancer. Proceeds from books sold in October on Amazon and from my website will benefit the Survivors of Benton County. Please note that I was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, had two years of treatment and I am now living cancer free. www.laughwithkathy.com Wednesday, September 18, 2013: Gene and I were talking about hot flashes tonight, and I laughed until my sides hurt. When I was in phase one of chemo, I was given steroids to counteract some side effects of chemotherapy. What the doctors don't tell you is that you have side effects from the steroids they prescribe to minimize other side effects. In the past, I have avoided taking steroids because they make me mean and hungry. Not necessarily in that order (well probably in that order!). The steroids for chemo may be a bit different, because they caused hot flashes and the inability to sleep. My kids laugh at the story about my first hot flash. I woke up at two in the morning burning up. I was certain that the heat between my neck and my pillow would cause me to spontaneously combust. I remember jumping out of bed, putting my hands on my hips, and stating (loudly), "I'm hot!"� Gene, being the good sport that he is, mumbled, "Okay."� That wasn't good enough for me. I glared at him and then marched in and pressed the down button on the thermostat until I felt it was sufficient and returned to bed. A couple of hours later, I woke to find myself bundled under the covers with just my cold nose poking out. I turn to see Gene mummified as well. Gene never gets cold, so I knew it must be really chilly in the house. When I checked the thermostat the next morning, it read sixty degrees. There may have been frost on the inside of the windows. Gene's comment: "Well, at least the air conditioning is working."� It was December in Iowa. The hot flashes went away after I no longer needed the steroids, but they have come back with the inclusion of Arimidex in my prescription lineup. Arimidex (similar to tamoxifen) is prescribed to help prevent cancer from returning. I have been fortunate not to have any menopausal symptoms up until this point, but within two weeks of taking Arimidex, I began to have hot flashes. When my doctor asked me if I was experiencing hot flashes, I said, "Yes, and I want to thank you for that."� She appreciates my humor. So, to all my friends who have complained about hot flashes over the years"�I'm sorry. I was not nearly as sympathetic as I should have been.