Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Marie, I did not have radiation but if the dr had advised it I would have gotten it. However its something only you can decide. I will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com Say no to radiation?To: breastcancer2 Hello Everyone, Perhaps it is a mistake but I am seriously thinking about passing on radiation. After surgery for my 4cm stage 2-3 ERpositive tumor lumpectomy and TAC chemo, I am wondering if I should just give my body a rest. Not just because I know it will increase my left arm lymphedema but feeling that perhaps my heart has been put through enough with the adriamycin. Being over 70 and only one of thirteen nodes positive I am hesitating. left side radiation I have been told will be an additional insult to the strong heart that I have (had?). I am feeling so well two months past chemo however I need more input before continuing treatments. Has anyone else had to make this decision? Thanks!!! Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Marie, I did not have radiation but if the dr had advised it I would have gotten it. However its something only you can decide. I will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com Say no to radiation?To: breastcancer2 Hello Everyone, Perhaps it is a mistake but I am seriously thinking about passing on radiation. After surgery for my 4cm stage 2-3 ERpositive tumor lumpectomy and TAC chemo, I am wondering if I should just give my body a rest. Not just because I know it will increase my left arm lymphedema but feeling that perhaps my heart has been put through enough with the adriamycin. Being over 70 and only one of thirteen nodes positive I am hesitating. left side radiation I have been told will be an additional insult to the strong heart that I have (had?). I am feeling so well two months past chemo however I need more input before continuing treatments. Has anyone else had to make this decision? Thanks!!! Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Note: forwarded message attached. I went through chemo 8 treatments every 3 weeks and then went through a month of radiation...It was 3 yrs in Dec I started taking Tamoxifen and now Arimidex...I was working at the time and when I got the chemo treatments I would stay home a week just had a stomach ache...I did alot of standing at my job...When I did the radiation I would go for the treatments 5 days a week and the Cancer Building was just up the street from where I worked...The only think I did not like about radiation was my skin was burned like a bad sun burn and I had to put Aloe Vera Gell on the area every day...I decided to have the Radiation to help stop the growth of the cancer cells... I was a stage III... I retired in Sept 2004... worked 32 yrs 7 months at the same job... Betsy (NC) I wouldn't recommend either way, that's something only you can do. I am playing it by ear so to speak. I have 3 more treatments, just had my 5th one on Thursday so 3 left to go on chemo. I'm now doing Taxol once every 3 weeks. I'm still up in the air about radiation. I need to start researching it and see how I feel about it. I don't always trust what the doctors want but will listen to all sides and make a decision from there. I'm pretty sure I won't take any of the new meds after I'm all done with treatments. I've researched it and the percentages of success rates with or without are very slim. It's just not worth the risk of some of the side effects for me, my way of thinking. I recommend everyone doing their own research and making sure and clear, whatever you choose to do, look at it from all sides. That's the best you can do. LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/ Marie Fernandes wrote: Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:32:09 -0800 (PST)Subject: Say no to radiation?To: breastcancer2 Hello Everyone, Perhaps it is a mistake but I am seriously thinking about passing on radiation. After surgery for my 4cm stage 2-3 ERpositive tumor lumpectomy and TAC chemo, I am wondering if I should just give my body a rest. Not just because I know it will increase my left arm lymphedema but feeling that perhaps my heart has been put through enough with the adriamycin. Being over 70 and only one of thirteen nodes positive I am hesitating. left side radiation I have been told will be an additional insult to the strong heart that I have (had?). I am feeling so well two months past chemo however I need more input before continuing treatments. Has anyone else had to make this decision? Thanks!!! Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I had no positive nodes. My oncologist that I do trust told me that the radiation was necessary. I'm sorry that I have problems from the radiation, but not sorry that I had it done if it increased my survival rate. Of course we all have to make our own educated decisions and accept that given the facts we had when we made them, they are all the right one. DebMarie Fernandes wrote: Marie Fernandes wrote: Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:32:09 -0800 (PST)Subject: Say no to radiation?To: breastcancer2 Hello Everyone, Perhaps it is a mistake but I am seriously thinking about passing on radiation. After surgery for my 4cm stage 2-3 ERpositive tumor lumpectomy and TAC chemo, I am wondering if I should just give my body a rest. Not just because I know it will increase my left arm lymphedema but feeling that perhaps my heart has been put through enough with the adriamycin. Being over 70 and only one of thirteen nodes positive I am hesitating. left side radiation I have been told will be an additional insult to the strong heart that I have (had?). I am feeling so well two months past chemo however I need more input before continuing treatments. Has anyone else had to make this decision? Thanks!!! Marie Deborah aka Deborah Page deborah_ann_page@... "A woman is like a teabag; you don't know how strong she is until you put her in hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I had no positive nodes. My oncologist that I do trust told me that the radiation was necessary. I'm sorry that I have problems from the radiation, but not sorry that I had it done if it increased my survival rate. Of course we all have to make our own educated decisions and accept that given the facts we had when we made them, they are all the right one. DebMarie Fernandes wrote: Marie Fernandes wrote: Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:32:09 -0800 (PST)Subject: Say no to radiation?To: breastcancer2 Hello Everyone, Perhaps it is a mistake but I am seriously thinking about passing on radiation. After surgery for my 4cm stage 2-3 ERpositive tumor lumpectomy and TAC chemo, I am wondering if I should just give my body a rest. Not just because I know it will increase my left arm lymphedema but feeling that perhaps my heart has been put through enough with the adriamycin. Being over 70 and only one of thirteen nodes positive I am hesitating. left side radiation I have been told will be an additional insult to the strong heart that I have (had?). I am feeling so well two months past chemo however I need more input before continuing treatments. Has anyone else had to make this decision? Thanks!!! Marie Deborah aka Deborah Page deborah_ann_page@... "A woman is like a teabag; you don't know how strong she is until you put her in hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive form. Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to your doctors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive form. Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to your doctors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive form. Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to your doctors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or not. I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen. It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again, depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease in my family. All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession. They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the possibilities are and if there are other ways. nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories, several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural, did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission. The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't always save lives either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or not. I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen. It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again, depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease in my family. All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession. They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the possibilities are and if there are other ways. nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories, several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural, did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission. The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't always save lives either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or not. I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen. It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again, depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease in my family. All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession. They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the possibilities are and if there are other ways. nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories, several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural, did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission. The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't always save lives either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Note: forwarded message attached. I went through the mast. , chemo and radiation for my own health reasons...and now the pills every day...finished 3yrs Dec...went from Tamoxifen to Arimison...I do what the drs. tell me to do...It was hard to move and change drs...but I had finished the chemo and radiation when I moved... Good luck to everyone that is going through it now... Betsy (NC) I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive form. Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to your doctors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Note: forwarded message attached. I went through the mast. , chemo and radiation for my own health reasons...and now the pills every day...finished 3yrs Dec...went from Tamoxifen to Arimison...I do what the drs. tell me to do...It was hard to move and change drs...but I had finished the chemo and radiation when I moved... Good luck to everyone that is going through it now... Betsy (NC) I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive form. Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to your doctors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Note: forwarded message attached. I went through the mast. , chemo and radiation for my own health reasons...and now the pills every day...finished 3yrs Dec...went from Tamoxifen to Arimison...I do what the drs. tell me to do...It was hard to move and change drs...but I had finished the chemo and radiation when I moved... Good luck to everyone that is going through it now... Betsy (NC) I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive form. Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to your doctors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 June...I hope that you come out of chemo without ill effects. I hope I come out of chemo without ill effects. That is a big concern for me. I would love to find the alternative sources to help me heal from the chemo. I am sure they are out there but I haven't figured out the right combination to put in Google. I'm petrified of radiation and what it will do to my very fair skin. But I am more petrified of cancer. It kind of feels like blackmail might feel. Do you give in and hope the blackmailer will keep his/her word or do you not give in and hope the blackmailer won't do whatever bad thing they have holding over your head? June...allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that are inside you. I wish I could. I'm still pretty numb. Maybe that means I'm handling it pretty well. Everyone around me thinks I am. I try not to think about it at all. Once I did the research I needed to do and saw both sides of chemo and radiation I stopped thinking about it. Otherwise it would have made me nuts. To those in the decision making process for any phase of treatment, do your homework. Make appointments with an oncologist, a radiology oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. Talk to women who have been there with conventional and alternative. The problem is that you have to make a decision eventually and if you are anything like me you will continually doubt that you made the right one. ESPECIALLY if you choose chemo. Chemo sucks and can make even the best of us wonder "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" I just hope radiation isn't like that. signing off until the next major decision comes along and I hope is has nothing to do with my health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 June...I hope that you come out of chemo without ill effects. I hope I come out of chemo without ill effects. That is a big concern for me. I would love to find the alternative sources to help me heal from the chemo. I am sure they are out there but I haven't figured out the right combination to put in Google. I'm petrified of radiation and what it will do to my very fair skin. But I am more petrified of cancer. It kind of feels like blackmail might feel. Do you give in and hope the blackmailer will keep his/her word or do you not give in and hope the blackmailer won't do whatever bad thing they have holding over your head? June...allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that are inside you. I wish I could. I'm still pretty numb. Maybe that means I'm handling it pretty well. Everyone around me thinks I am. I try not to think about it at all. Once I did the research I needed to do and saw both sides of chemo and radiation I stopped thinking about it. Otherwise it would have made me nuts. To those in the decision making process for any phase of treatment, do your homework. Make appointments with an oncologist, a radiology oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. Talk to women who have been there with conventional and alternative. The problem is that you have to make a decision eventually and if you are anything like me you will continually doubt that you made the right one. ESPECIALLY if you choose chemo. Chemo sucks and can make even the best of us wonder "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" I just hope radiation isn't like that. signing off until the next major decision comes along and I hope is has nothing to do with my health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 June...I hope that you come out of chemo without ill effects. I hope I come out of chemo without ill effects. That is a big concern for me. I would love to find the alternative sources to help me heal from the chemo. I am sure they are out there but I haven't figured out the right combination to put in Google. I'm petrified of radiation and what it will do to my very fair skin. But I am more petrified of cancer. It kind of feels like blackmail might feel. Do you give in and hope the blackmailer will keep his/her word or do you not give in and hope the blackmailer won't do whatever bad thing they have holding over your head? June...allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that are inside you. I wish I could. I'm still pretty numb. Maybe that means I'm handling it pretty well. Everyone around me thinks I am. I try not to think about it at all. Once I did the research I needed to do and saw both sides of chemo and radiation I stopped thinking about it. Otherwise it would have made me nuts. To those in the decision making process for any phase of treatment, do your homework. Make appointments with an oncologist, a radiology oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. Talk to women who have been there with conventional and alternative. The problem is that you have to make a decision eventually and if you are anything like me you will continually doubt that you made the right one. ESPECIALLY if you choose chemo. Chemo sucks and can make even the best of us wonder "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" I just hope radiation isn't like that. signing off until the next major decision comes along and I hope is has nothing to do with my health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early (Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment. I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months. Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision. Pert -- In breastcancer2 , " June " <jamreilly@s...> wrote: > > That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are > personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't > always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or > radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but > not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big > things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see > grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know > these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or > suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life > then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are > all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know > this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that > are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all > night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds > the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or > not. > > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to > express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing > agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen. > It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again, > depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do > radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject > that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe > because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because > my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease > in my family. > > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on > the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession. > They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service > organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the > possibilities are and if there are other ways. > > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all > died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative > methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what > they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there > selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew > where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional > treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most > cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories, > several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in > order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural, > did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission. > The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you > what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't > always save lives either. > LICS > June > " The best protection any woman can have...is courage. " Cady > Stanton > Secular Breast Cancer Support group: > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/ > > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), > negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left > side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say > it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and > will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive > form. > > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have > been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? > Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want > to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me > more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the > Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. > > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to > endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. > > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to > your doctors. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early (Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment. I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months. Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision. Pert -- In breastcancer2 , " June " <jamreilly@s...> wrote: > > That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are > personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't > always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or > radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but > not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big > things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see > grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know > these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or > suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life > then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are > all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know > this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that > are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all > night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds > the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or > not. > > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to > express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing > agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen. > It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again, > depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do > radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject > that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe > because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because > my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease > in my family. > > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on > the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession. > They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service > organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the > possibilities are and if there are other ways. > > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all > died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative > methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what > they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there > selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew > where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional > treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most > cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories, > several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in > order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural, > did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission. > The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you > what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't > always save lives either. > LICS > June > " The best protection any woman can have...is courage. " Cady > Stanton > Secular Breast Cancer Support group: > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/ > > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), > negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left > side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say > it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and > will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive > form. > > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have > been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? > Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want > to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me > more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the > Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. > > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to > endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. > > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to > your doctors. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early (Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment. I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months. Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision. Pert -- In breastcancer2 , " June " <jamreilly@s...> wrote: > > That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are > personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't > always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or > radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but > not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big > things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see > grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know > these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or > suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life > then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are > all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know > this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that > are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all > night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds > the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or > not. > > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to > express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing > agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen. > It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again, > depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do > radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject > that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe > because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because > my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease > in my family. > > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on > the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession. > They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service > organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the > possibilities are and if there are other ways. > > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all > died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative > methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what > they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there > selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew > where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional > treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most > cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories, > several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in > order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural, > did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission. > The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you > what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't > always save lives either. > LICS > June > " The best protection any woman can have...is courage. " Cady > Stanton > Secular Breast Cancer Support group: > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/ > > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive), > negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left > side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say > it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and > will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive > form. > > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have > been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY? > Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want > to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me > more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the > Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years. > > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to > endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me. > > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to > your doctors. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 , Not all chemo is makes you sick. I had CMF for 6 months and never got sick one day. I had a little nausea but the meds took care of that. There are a lot of new meds to help with side effects since I had my chemo in 1990. I will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com Re: Say no to radiation? June...I hope that you come out of chemo without ill effects. I hope I come out of chemo without ill effects. That is a big concern for me. I would love to find the alternative sources to help me heal from the chemo. I am sure they are out there but I haven't figured out the right combination to put in Google. I'm petrified of radiation and what it will do to my very fair skin. But I am more petrified of cancer. It kind of feels like blackmail might feel. Do you give in and hope the blackmailer will keep his/her word or do you not give in and hope the blackmailer won't do whatever bad thing they have holding over your head? June...allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that are inside you. I wish I could. I'm still pretty numb. Maybe that means I'm handling it pretty well. Everyone around me thinks I am. I try not to think about it at all. Once I did the research I needed to do and saw both sides of chemo and radiation I stopped thinking about it. Otherwise it would have made me nuts. To those in the decision making process for any phase of treatment, do your homework. Make appointments with an oncologist, a radiology oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. Talk to women who have been there with conventional and alternative. The problem is that you have to make a decision eventually and if you are anything like me you will continually doubt that you made the right one. ESPECIALLY if you choose chemo. Chemo sucks and can make even the best of us wonder "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" I just hope radiation isn't like that. signing off until the next major decision comes along and I hope is has nothing to do with my health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Hi Pert and welcome to the group. Congratulations on 7 years. Thats wonderful! Will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com Re: Say no to radiation? -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early(Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment.I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months.Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision.Pert -- In breastcancer2 , "June" <jamreilly@s...> wrote:>> That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are> personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't> always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or> radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but> not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big> things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see> grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know> these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or> suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life> then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are> all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know> this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that> are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all> night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds> the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or> not.> > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to> express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing> agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen.> It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again,> depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do> radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject> that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe> because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because> my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease> in my family.> > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on> the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession.> They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service> organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the> possibilities are and if there are other ways.> > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all> died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative> methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what> they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there> selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew> where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional> treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most> cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories,> several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in> order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural,> did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission.> The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you> what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't> always save lives either.> LICS> June> "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady> Stanton> Secular Breast Cancer Support group:> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/> > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive),> negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left> side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say> it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and> will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive> form.> > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have> been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY?> Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want> to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me> more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the> Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years.> > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to> endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me.> > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to> your doctors.> > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Hi Pert and welcome to the group. Congratulations on 7 years. Thats wonderful! Will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com Re: Say no to radiation? -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early(Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment.I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months.Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision.Pert -- In breastcancer2 , "June" <jamreilly@s...> wrote:>> That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are> personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't> always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or> radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but> not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big> things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see> grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know> these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or> suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life> then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are> all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know> this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that> are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all> night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds> the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or> not.> > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to> express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing> agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen.> It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again,> depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do> radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject> that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe> because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because> my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease> in my family.> > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on> the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession.> They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service> organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the> possibilities are and if there are other ways.> > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all> died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative> methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what> they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there> selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew> where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional> treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most> cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories,> several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in> order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural,> did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission.> The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you> what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't> always save lives either.> LICS> June> "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady> Stanton> Secular Breast Cancer Support group:> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/> > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive),> negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left> side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say> it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and> will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive> form.> > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have> been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY?> Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want> to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me> more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the> Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years.> > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to> endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me.> > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to> your doctors.> > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Hi Pert and welcome to the group. Congratulations on 7 years. Thats wonderful! Will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com Re: Say no to radiation? -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early(Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment.I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months.Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision.Pert -- In breastcancer2 , "June" <jamreilly@s...> wrote:>> That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are> personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't> always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or> radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but> not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big> things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see> grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know> these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or> suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life> then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are> all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know> this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that> are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all> night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds> the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or> not.> > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to> express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing> agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen.> It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again,> depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do> radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject> that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe> because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because> my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease> in my family.> > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on> the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession.> They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service> organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the> possibilities are and if there are other ways.> > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all> died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative> methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what> they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there> selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew> where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional> treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most> cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories,> several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in> order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural,> did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission.> The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you> what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't> always save lives either.> LICS> June> "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady> Stanton> Secular Breast Cancer Support group:> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/> > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive),> negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left> side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say> it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and> will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive> form.> > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have> been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY?> Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want> to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me> more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the> Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years.> > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to> endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me.> > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to> your doctors.> > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Hello, Congratulations on your 7 yrs. I was surprized to read where you were still seeing the onc. every 6 months. I wonder if that means I will see him that long as I just finished my radiation and now will decide on what drugs to take. Sharonpert364 wrote: -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early(Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment.I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months.Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision.Pert -- In breastcancer2 , "June" <jamreilly@s...> wrote:>> That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are> personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't> always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or> radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but> not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big> things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see> grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know> these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or> suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life> then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are> all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know> this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that> are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all> night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds> the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or> not.> > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to> express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing> agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen.> It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again,> depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do> radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject> that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe> because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because> my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease> in my family.> > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on> the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession.> They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service> organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the> possibilities are and if there are other ways.> > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all> died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative> methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what> they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there> selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew> where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional> treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most> cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories,> several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in> order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural,> did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission.> The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you> what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't> always save lives either.> LICS> June> "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady> Stanton> Secular Breast Cancer Support group:> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/> > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive),> negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left> side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say> it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and> will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive> form.> > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have> been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY?> Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want> to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me> more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the> Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years.> > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to> endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me.> > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to> your doctors.> > > Sharon Coley Director of Sales Doubletree Hotel Los Angeles/Rosemead 888 Montebello Blvd. Rosemead, Ca 91770 (323)201-3461 Yahoo! Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover Photo Books. You design it and we’ll bind it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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