Editor's Note: NewsChannel 2 Anchor Wendy Chioji is grateful to all of the viewers who have expressed their best wishes as she wages her fight against breast cancer.

Chioji has chosen to use NewsChannel20000.com as her way of keeping the public updated on her health. New diary entries will be posted every Friday.

BREAST CANCER INFORMATION Four Steps Promote Early Detection WENDY'S DIARY Oct. 31: Ride For The Roses Oct. 24: Another Cycling Weekend Oct. 18: An Emotional Finish Oct. 17: Singin' In The Rain Oct 16: Rally In Indianapolis Oct. 15: Chilling In Arkansas Oct. 14: Monster Crosswinds Oct. 13: Tailwind To Texas Oct. 12: An Uphill Climb Oct. 11: The Race Begins Previous Diary Entries WEB LINKS Florida Hospital mammography locations Complete Guide For Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Decision Guide Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation National Breast Cancer Coalition American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Coalition INTERACTIVE Breast Cancer Survivors: Share Your Experiences Meet Other Breast Cancer Survivors

Seven down. Five to go. Still no sign of any side effects, but I am vigilant about looking for them.

Sometimes, though, information plus imagination equals exaggeration. Yesterday, I was pretty sure I was starting to suffer from the watery eyes from blocked tear ducts. It was really bugging me, so I called the doctor, trying to get in for an early re-check.

But then, the symptoms went away, just like that. All in my head, I suppose.

As for the rest of the potential side effects, I feel like I'm so close to the end of my chemo treatment now that even if I got them all, I'd be OK. I could stand it for five weeks. It's like when I ran my first marathon: My running partner, at one point said, "It's only an hour more. You can do anything for an hour."

I asked Melinda, the clinical trial nurse, about when Tamoxifen is supposed to begin. She said within about three weeks after chemo ends. That would be around the end of the year. She knows I'm shaky on taking it, but says my data probably won't make it in to the clinical trial study if I don't. That would be disappointing to me.

But would it be disappointing enough for me to take it? The jury's still out.

Here's what I've found out about side effects of Tamoxifen, so far: The most profound side effect is knocking you in to menopause with the accompanying hot flashes. They sound awful, and I am told the hot flashes could last for the entire five years of Tamoxifen. Also, there could be weight gain :-(, cataracts, and an increased chance of uterine cancer.

On the flip side: Tamoxifen is supposed to drop your breast cancer recurrence rate up to 42 percent. Maybe the conservative approach would be to take it and see if I'm one of the unlucky ones who get terrible side effects.

I have talked to a couple of women who took it, then got off of it. More debate on this subject to come.

I made my public debut as G.I. Jane at the Shepherd's Hope Famous Faces Ball this weekend. I took Michael, wonderful friend and hairdresser, as my date, since Kelly was busy. What do you think? That's Marc Middleton behind us, by the way.

The hair is now a half inch long. I don't think people really realized I didn't have long hair under that hat! I can't wait until the wig is not a mandatory accessory to my outfits.

I don't know if it's temporary or not, but it seems like I am finally starting to build some endurance in my workouts. My times for my runs and swims dropped this week for the first time in months. And the workouts seemed easier.

That's good news, because the Disney Half-Marathon is coming up in eight short weeks! I want it to be a good race; I don't want to just survive it.

I got to make the big announcement this week that I get to run with the Olympic torch for the Salt Lake City games. The torch comes through Orlando on Dec. 7. I got to run with the torch for the Atlanta summer games in 1996, too, and it was an unbelievable experience. I can't believe I get to do it twice in a lifetime. On top of that, I get to cover the Olympics for the Hearst television stations, including, of course, Channel 2.

I have a great life. It took an unexpected detour for a few months, but I wouldn't trade any of it.

Wendy
Nov. 2, 2001

To comment on this story, send an e-mail to Wendy Chioji.