I was dx in August and had lumpectomy with 2.5cm cancer with no lodes involved.
My onc gave me the same choice - had to have Rads and tamoxifen but with 6% reduction if I had chemo.
I spent a couple of weeks asking everyone what they would do in my position and it was quite a mixed response.
I did decide to have the treatment and am having 6 FEC. I have had 4 and have 2 more to go.
It is a hard decision but I knew I personally had no option. I am the type that would beat myself up if it ever came back and I had decided not to do everything possible.
In the end I discussed the options with my GP and the surgery nurse - both were very supportive but agreed with posts here that anything over 3% was definately worth considering.
after a fretful cpl of days, lots of tears,little sleep, i have decided to go ahead with chemo so am awaiting my date to start, am a little nervous but as many have said it is doable.(may require virtual hand holding)
Just been reading this thread and really glad you’ve come to a decision that’s right for you. Like poddle I decided against chemo mainly because I wanted to try and preserve fertility (although have now been told that tamoxifen might have put me through early menopause - good grief) and also because my mum was going through her 3rd lot of chemo for ovarian ca so I wanted to be able to support her. It’s so confusing and scary when you’re given options and you just want someone to say ‘do this and then the cancer won’t come back’. I didn’t have rads, had Mx and now going down the recon route.
For a lot of people having chemo is the right thing, throwing everything at it and increasing your chances of not having recurrence. And chemo is a different experience for everyone.
xxxxx Big hugs and plenty virtual hand holding Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXX you know where we are if you need to laugh,cry or rant .Hope it all goes well for you and heres to very few or NO side effects .xJulie
I’ll be thinking of you on Wednesday Sarah - I have FEC2 that day so we can drink cups of tea in sympathy with each other and hold virtual hands!
It’s the best thing to get your hair cut. My scalp has been so sore for the last few days so I’m so glad I don’t have my old long bair pulling on it and the thought of having to brush it just makes me wince.
I’m 16 days post FEC1 and I realised I’d started to moult a bit this morning. If the number that just came out today in the shower had been long they’d have blocked the drain!
You should have your new hair cut for at least two weeks so at least you can enjoy it for a bit!
Best of luck with the chemo and hope your SEs aren’t too bad.
My view is that you should have chemotherapy, because even if your cancer is statistically unlikely to return, there is still a tiny chance that there could be a few cancer cells floating round in your blood (because as you probably know, cancer can spread via blood, even if there is no lymph node involvement).
Chemo could destroy all or most of these micro-mets in your blood, while Tamoxifen would just hold them at bay (by depriving cancer cells of oestrogen). You could also ask yourself questions like, is Tamoxifen adequate treatment when your cancer is also progesterone receptive, and, what will happen when you come off Tamoxifen in five years time?
Have decided to go with it & am having 1 of 6 Fec on Wednesday, thank you for your advice as it really does help when you get feedback/advice from others.
hi sarah,
well done on deciding on chemo, it must of been a tough one but im sure your doing the best,
im having x6 fec had my first one last thursday, so now on day 3 and im feeling good, im cooking sunday lunch, yummy sprouts and veg, i know you will be scared i was terrifed but it all went well, to be honest i cant belive what im saying as i was terrified on wednesday night, and now im helping you and others,
i had no nausea or sickness just a fuzzy head thursday night which passed over night, im taking one day at a time, my mom is staying with me and to be honest im taking her cups of tea to her whist shes in bed.everyone take care
love and hugs
Donna
ps not washed my hair since thursday and i dont care, ive even left my mascara of which is a first
xx
