Hi Mael,sorry to butt into your thread.There is currently a national clinical trial going on looking at all the options regarding treatment of the armpit.My surgeon told me I could be offered surgery,radiotherapy to armpit or a drug treatment if nodes where positive not all hospitals taking part and obviously they have certain criteria for you to go on the trial but it is a very large study.I think it is becoming increasingly obvious to clinicians that they need to consider more carefully making women have more surgery to armpit.Some obviously will be more open minded than others to change.
At least you feel like you have taken control, you are right to question as the outcome is far from clear cut in this case and there are credible alternatives.Hope you have a calm day after getting it off your chest( so to speak)!
Morning Mael
sounds like you are taking the lead and I wish you all the luck with a consultation with your oncologist, whomever he or she may be. It seems like your locality is not the best when it comes to communication with the most important thing in the process, YOU!!
I suppose in the whole scheme of things a few weeks on hold doesn’t make any difference
You know I have my appointment with oncologist on Tuesday and I am going to have the difficult decision making around chemo or not ! If it’s only a small percentage of benefit…
got any recommendations for more research my dear?
hope you enjoy your swim today, getting as much exercise as possible makes you feel more positive
I was up and out at 8 this morning, dropped James off at work, walked for 7 miles and am now back home listening to the Archers omnibus with coffee and croissant
might fall asleep soon though haha and chairman meow is exploring my shoe collection!
dee, june hope you are having a great Sunday, sunny days xxx
love sheena x
Hi girls,
Mael I am pleased you feel better making the right decision for you. At the end of the day it is your choice. I would think about getting a second opinion on this matter though. I cannot recommend highly enough the consultants at The Royal Marsden Chelsea. I think this would put your mind at rest as they are up to speed on all the latest research.
Sheena i was in your posistion too as was June having to decide chemo or not. They will give you the Adjuvunct Online stats which are a general guide and then they should give you stats that they have worked out that are personal to you as the online tools dont take everything into consideration as is more of a general guide. My online odds were 7% improvement and my personal one was 3%. They told me the online tools tend to be a bit pessimistic and to bear that in mind. I decided after mulling it over for a week that I would not go for it. The odds weren’t worth putting myself theough that and living alone was a big factor too. Its your choice Sheena take time out to think about whats right for you. My gut said no and I stuck with it and can honestly say I have no regrets.
June hope you had a fabulous birthday meal.
Sending hugs to everyone. Dee xxxxxx
Hi Dee!
It’s a minefield! I was also looking at comments from ladies who had also decided not to go ahead with rads as well, crikey, gotta stop reading stuff this morning. My best friend is away on holiday just now so I may have to go on my own on Tuesday, don’t think it is a good idea to have my son come along, although he’s been brilliant, I think this might be to much
have you heard any tales of the school dance yet?
Sheena xx
Hi Sheena,
Had to cancel all my plans this weekend as fatigue really kicked in from rads. Aside from the tiredness which not everyone gets rads is fine and very doable. It gives you great odds too rads and its a good feeling knowing that they are zapping anything that might be lurking away! Well thats how i feel. I am trying to rest up for my last rads session and then late lunch at The Ivy. Dont mind quiet weekend as have dosed up on watching Glasto Festival on TV. Hugs to you Sheena and i would say its a very good idea to take someone in with you on Tuesday. Your som sounds like a star!!! Xxxx
I am quite cool with the idea of the radiotherapy, it seems to have an overwhelmingly positive ratio of benefits vs side effects. I know at least one person that owes his life to it, and inequivocally so. I only hope I can get it!
Sheena, not sure what to recommend for further research, apart from the usual tools like lifemath.net.
What you would like to investigate? Your choice of chemo or no chemo is eminently personal, be sure to ask for all the alternatives but eventually, I guess you’ll be given percentages, graphs, and all the various data you need to make an informed decision. But, at the end, you’ll have to decide yourself. For some people, 10% chances of better outcome means a definite yes; other people see instead a 90% chances of unchanged outcome in the same situation…
I want to think that you’ll be given some time to make a decision, instead of saying yes or no straight away, correct? I am sure that you’ll make the decision that’s better for you; we don’t have a crystal ball to see the future, so I guess that anything that makes you serene is the way to go. Good luck dear, x
Mael , if you have become a grumpy old lady so have I! I feel my off line friends just cannot understand what I am experiencing, they try ,but they can’t win really,if they are too sympathetic I get annoyed ,if they don’t ask about my treatment I get annoyed ,but at other times I wish they would stop talking about the sodding thing and just be normal around me ,lose, lose !Someone else on the forum said to me when talking about this,you don’t feel you have much on common with someone who isn’t googling survival rates etc
Jill you’ve hit the nail on the head. We feel a need to talk to and be with people like us. Theres no pretence or awkwardness as we have all been on this journey and can help each other. These girls here have been fab. As we all live alone that has brought us closer together. Dee xxx
Yes ,it’s a sanity saver, well stops you from going even more bonkers anyway!
Heres to being bonkers girls and getting through this journey together. Have my last session of rads tomorrow. It’ll be stange to finish treatment but a boozy lunch at The Ivy eith my tein should sort me out! Hugs as always Dee. And Jill welcome to the binkers club. If u look at my past posts i’ve given us all nicknames. What will yours be? Xxxx
Mael, you were supposed to go to bed early, stop googling haha!
Funny how folk seem to think that once you have had surgery that’s it sorted, bosh, cured. No idea that that is just the beginning! sigh, thank goodness for you guys xxxx
Welcome to the bonkers club i mean. Iphones hey…!
Canal boats and cats,not sure?Can your cat swim?I have one friend who has got balance right, I’m not sure quite how but she manages to get it right most days including pouring us both half a pint of Baileys on the day I was diagnosed and bringing round nice food the day after my op.I think it is impossible really how can they know what I need from them when I don’t know myself or it changes from hour to hour !Yes googling survival rates is not a good hobby!But something I guess we all have in common!
Quite like binkers Dee, all the best for tomorrow x and pick up a super star at the Ivy dahling xxxx
Does nickname have to involve boobs?
Sheena, you’re right! Sawwwry! But I am not googling, I am fixing dinner… Then dvd and boxsets and chamomile, I promise! 
x
Jill – the nicknames are really cool, Blue Tit, Green Tit, Tit in a Trance and Birthday Boob. Dee invented them! I am Green Tit… 
What will be yours?
hugs ladies xxxx
Total tit?
I agree Mael. Total tit is fab Jill ?xxx