My first question here...

Hullo @LibbyA, I was older than you and concerned about after effects of treatment. Wanted to maximise quality of life. Very important to make sure you fully understand your pathology and its implications. I did not realise what mine really meant or why they were pushing me to chemo so enthusiastically nor did I feel my pre-existing conditions had been properly addressed. I did not have anyone to ask for an objective assesment. In the end I said no to chemo but had everything else. I will never know if that was the best decision and now 18 months on I think about it more than ever. Mental/emotional condition worse than anything physical. Take your time, if in doubt try for a second opinion, don’t do anything without understanding why it is being recommended. It is also important where you are eg rural or urban and what options you realistically have. Although things are definitely changing there is still a tick-the-box mentality in some quarters. This is a really difficult time and we all wish you as much support and understanding as you can get, and as others have said ask here anytime.