Hi all
I am so sorry that you are all in this postion re making very significant decisions. I was in the same place about 10 months ago.
I found that I was given information as and when, I think the professionals try not to overload us and help us digest exactly what is ‘on the table’ at that time and for many of us chemo is a wild card and appears to spring from nowhere.
Once I had surgery and knew what was what I went to an OPA with surgeon who had made an appt with the oncologist following on from his consultation which was really helpful as he threw chemo into the mix from what appeared to be the ether. So off to see the Onc who put his cards on the table with all the stats from Predict and we did discuss the Oncotype DX test but it was not being funded at that time. Ironically it was from the very next day…anyway we thoroughly mulled over what info we did have in context of my own personal medical history and were asked to go away and come back with a decision. However, I had an inspired moment and decided not to have chemo (my likely side effects were frequent hospitalisation, difficulty with veins, and potential life threatening hiccups (not actual hiccups). I was then due to have rads and hormone therapy for 5 years.
Partway through my rads I became low, tired and questioning my decision. I think we have to deal with so much at once that when things settle and we have time to think we mull it all over a bit too much. Anyway, I saw the Onc and he told me that once I got to the end of rads if I stil felt uncertain I could potentially have chemo, a bit unorthodox that way around and not exactly NHS protocol but doable. This gave me great confidence that a door had not been completely shut.
However, as the weeks passed I became more confident in my body and decided that the choices I had made were right and I have not regretted the decision at all.
I completely accept that BC could return at some stage and it did for my mother (mx without chemo), but she had 20 years grace inbetween diagnoses so I dont feel that is too bad a clear run.
Strangely my year was not to be cancer free for another reason though. After the rads and the associated tiredness I really thought I should be picking up but felt I was going downhill rapidly so went to my GP who thought maybe I was depressed but ran blood tests. Long and short of it I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer 6 months after BC and was told that I would almost certainly need chemo. However, a bowel resection later I was given the all clear, no more treatment, it was in situ and had probably been there for up to 10 years lying dormant! My body is now an interesting road map…
It was nearly a year ago all this started, its been a hike and a half that I would rather have not done but I feel super well and feel I have made the right decisions for me.
Please ladies do what you feel is right for you as we have no idea what is around the next corner.
Happy Valentines Day!
Katie
x