I get this question a lot from pre-menopausal women: Should I have my ovaries removed and forego hormone replacement to treat my breast cancer? 

Both hormonal therapy with tamoxifen and the removal of your ovaries—called an oophorectomy—are designed to push estrogen levels way down. And both treatments can hurl a pre-menopausal woman into early symptoms of menopause and make her a very unhappy camper. Vaginal dryness, night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain ... not much fun.

It's important to understand that everyone's condition is unique to them, so treatment options and their side effects need to be discussed with your oncologist. In some cases, she or he will want to be particularly aggressive in preventing a recurrence of the cancer, and so will recommend both tamoxifen and an oophorectomy.

I was on tamoxifen and another hormonal therapy drug for 5 years. It was no picnic, believe me. But I remained focused on why I needed to do this; seeing my child each morning and being determined to be here for her and to raise her was reason enough to keep me focused and fighting through the symptoms and side effects.

If you are dealing with hormonal therapy and battling the symptoms, speak up. Help your health care providers help you go to war every day and meet your goals.