Re: Would you do chemo again? Joanna

[Guest guest]

Joanna,

My heart goes out to you! I choose not to do chemo because the AC

would have only increased my disease free survival rate by 3% That is

an absolute not a relative statistic. Ask your onc if the 70% is a

relative or absolute. I believe the absolute are more definitive.

Also all the adjuvant therapy (AC chemo, Herceptin and aromatase

inhibitors) recommended for me posed the risk of congestive heart

failure, which runs in my family along with dementia and presemts at

about age 70 with roughly 20 more years ahead. My grandmother lived

to be 89 and my mother 88 and those last 20 years were not fun! I am

61. I had to take all these things into consideration when I made my

decision back in May and then in July when I found out I am Her2+.

Relatively speaking the Herceptin would have increased my disease free

survival by 50%, however the absolute statistic is 5.5%. It is a very

individual decision and must be based on your own unique factors. I

was stage 2, grade 2, er+ with negative nodes and no sign of

angiovascular invasion so I went with my gut and declined. How do I

feel? Well to be honest with you, great! I gardened all summer and

filled 2 freezers with produce. I am currently redoing a bedroom

Will the cancer come back? Who knows, that possibility exists,

regardless. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Ruth

" I struggle with the long

> term effects of fatigue, reduced immune system, chemobrain, chronic

> severe hotflashes, reduced sex-drive "

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> I am now telling myself, NO, NO CHEMO!!! I know I would upset so

many people if I don't but I have to do what feels right for me. I

would rather live short and feel good than struggle. And what is

chemobrain???? Please tell. Oh, these emotions are driving me nuts.

Now I'm starting to cry. I really hate being in this position, I

really do. It is hard. I've watch my husband suffer all these years

and I don't want to. Isn't it better to be strong for him and not

fatigue all the time? I couldn't handle that? Doctor said I have a

70% chance of recurrence if I don't do chemo...oh my....really

struggling right now. So please tell me, would you do chemo again if

you knew what you know now???

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> joanna

> http://mosshill.blogs.com/

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