Tamoxifen

Thank you for “Should She Take Tamoxifen?” (Feb. 6). Anya Booker’s story touched me deeply. I was 32 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was a new mother who became afraid to hold her son. I was the wife who feared intimacy. Taking in a deep breath, I embraced the fact that I would get through it all somehow, in spite of my fears. I participated for seven years in the Tamoxifen B-14 clinical trial. I hoped that the research would someday give women like Anya and others faced with their personal decisions about breast cancer another option to consider. I wanted to somehow do my part to help find a cure. It was a small part, but I became stronger because of it.

Twelve years have passed since that day, and I am sitting in the waiting room of the John Wayne Cancer Clinic, here for my yearly follow-up. I use the time to reflect on the events that led me to this place in my life and feel blessed. I wish all the courage and strength to come Anya’s way as she weighs the options before her.

DEBE HALE

Sherman Oaks