DO you ever wonder if your antidepressants aren't working anymore, or if you're just experiencing overwhelming sadness due to illness/treatment/life circumstances?
Just "celebrated" my 5-year de novo cancerversary. First three years weren't too bad, Ibrance, fulvestrant, and zolodex were tolerable and did a decent job shrinking tumors and keeping things at bay. Then the Ibrance stopped working, went through Truqap, Lynparza, Talzenna, and now on Xeloda. Had 35 rad treatments to axillary lymph nodes, cyberknife for brain mets, then MRI assisted ablation for the brain mets and radiation necrosis. Then a unilateral mastectomy followed by a craniotomy two months later. Then this spring 30 rads to lung, followed by 10 rads to cervical spine, and last week gammaknife for new brain rads. Also have a surgical consult next week for excision/biopsy of lymph nodes in my collarbone.
Through all this, my spirits have been good, my outlook surprisingly positive, and my long-standing major depressive disorder has been controlled by wellbutrin after trying half a dozen different anti-depressants that didn't get the job done. Now though, not so much. For months now, I cry all the time, would rather not be around people at all, and am just overwhelmingly sad. I still work two jobs to afford insurance and... life (yay American healthcare system!). I still walk regularly, found a great therapist, have an amazing cat who always seems to know when I need some purrs and pets.
What would you do? Think about trying different meds, or just accept that things are tough, and crying is just my body trying to cope with the onslaught? Any ideas or tips?
If you read this far, thanks for your time. ❤️