TRT Helped Me Get My Life Back After a Rare Cancer

At 47 years old, my doctors told me I had six weeks to live. After a year-long battle with mysterious health issues and missed early signs, I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer.

A few weeks into palliative care, a miracle happened. My cancer had a rare mutation, which qualified me for cytarabine, a unique form of chemotherapy. 

While I was overjoyed that I had a new lease on life, the treatment was brutal. I had a pick line sending the chemotherapy directly into my heart. My doctor said the treatment was so harsh it would have melted my veins if administered through an IV—the pain was excruciating. I lost most of my muscle mass and gained some fat. To top it off, I was depressed and had an intense brain fog known as “chemo brain.” 

At 48, I was declared cancer-free after six months of daily discomfort. Eager to rebuild my life, I hired a personal trainer and ate in a caloric deficit to lose weight and build my muscle back. However, the scale wouldn’t budge, and post-workout bloating left me discouraged. My personal trainer eventually told me he couldn’t work with me and urged me to see a doctor.

I confided in my close friend Dr. Luisa Nicola, a Hone ambassador,  who suggested I check my hormones since cytarabine—the chemo that saved my life—is linked to post-treatment low testosterone.

I ordered an hormone assessment through Hone and got my results a few weeks later. Sure enough, my testosterone had hit rock bottom—my total testosterone was just 100 ng/dL.

Editor’s Note: Normal testosterone levels fall between 300 and 1,200 ng/dL, depending on symptoms, age, and other health factors.

My Hone doctor prescribed weekly testosterone injections to restore my hormones. While hesitant of the potential life-long commitment at first, I was willing to try anything to feel like myself again.