To chemo or not to chemo?

Kerry66

Your post could've been mine.  I'm feeling your fear mate.  I am also terrified of these chemical cures.  I have my first oncologist appointment 9/4.  Will be watching your posts closely.  Good wishes to you.

I think the chemo appointment is absolutley the most daunting. It scares the bejeezus out of everyone I am sure.  I walked out of the onc's office and promptly burst into tears and pretty much cried for the next two days straight. I had the same cancer ER + PR+ Her -.

My breast care nurse said, "Just remember, they will tell you every single side effect you can get.  It doesn't mean you will get it"

They highly recommended I have chemo + radiation due to lymph node involvement (5) to catch any stray little buggers that might be floating around.  Actually, they said I'd be nuts if I didn't.  The same as most of us, I decided I wanted to do everything I could to stop it coming back and how shitty I'd be at myself if it did and I hadn't done the whole shabang.

I worked all but  the week after the last dose of AC.  Had little issues with taxol apart from a weird skin reaction that wasn't even on the list of side effects and is not normal apparently.  Still managed to help my husband run the farm and ride my horse, do the shopping and all those everyday things.

 Minimal fatigue on both drugs.  No problems with mouth ulcers, fingernails, never caught any bugs,  even after refusing the neulasta injection after the first time. A bit of nausea for the first couple of days after the AC(good drugs worked) and food tasted bland (lots of salt).
 Kept my hair with the cold cap.  Minimal loss of eyebrows and lashes.  Couldn't even notice with make up.
I did get chemo brain but not too bad just a bit foggy at times.

It is a hard choice when you look at the stats but I think @AllyJay has the best analogy.  The numbers look at lot more impressive when you see it like that.
All the best with your decision whichever way you go.  XOXO

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Hello. I hope you don't mind if I join in. I had the predict done on my results as well. I'm er+, pr+ and her2 -  I have no lymph invasion. My prediction was that if I have chemo it would add another 1% on to my 10 year mortality rate. I'm finding it confusing as to why, for such a small percent that they would offer chemo, with all the nasty things that it can do. I've been told that if I don't do chemo that the best thing is for me to go into early menopause, with their help, and go onto the Aromatase inhibitor rather than Tamoxifen. Just wondering if anyone else has done this?  

@AllyJay great way to look at it. @Kerry66  My thought were I didn't want to have regrets of I wish I'd had the chemo 2 years down the track. It wasn't easy. But the medication resolved a lot of side effects and 12 months on I have a full head of hair and don't really remember much about the experience of chemo now. I'm  alive. I choose to believe I am cancer free and have picked up my life again...but appreciate a lot more having that chance. Goodluck with your choice. But make the decision on your best chance not just fear of it. I don't believe the Shannon Doherty advertising of her chemo to have been helpful except for her supporters. For most ladies it is not like that at all. And I cried at diagnosis. After being told I needed chemo for sure and during it. But hell...I still did it. Some people get angry, I cry. Doesn't mean your not strong enough. Kath x

 Purely on the statistical side, for me, when faced with the same decision as you now are, I looked at it from different angles. One of the scenarios for me was this. I was in a room with 1000 women who were told that they had been diagnosed with my type and grade of breast cancer.  We were all told to have such and such surgery, which  we did. We were then taken back to that same dreaded room and given a card with a number. Then 830 numbers were read out, and those women were  allowed to leave the room  and go next door  for a celebratory cup of tea and slice of cake....considered cured  (10 years). The other 170 shocked women looked at each other with dread. Just then the compere said...."Oh sorry, I  forgot, I have another 70 numbers to draw, that is the women who had additional chemo, they can pick up their bags and join the  others". If, perchance I was one  of the 100 left behind to the future of stage four, would I  wish that I might  have been one of the other 70, or would I go "Que Sera  Sera..." and accept it? For me the answer was "Fuck no" bring it all on, and if  the wheels still fall off, at least I would have given it my best shot, and not have been left with the perhaps..." Each of us has to weigh it all up, make our decisions and then go forward. As Afraser says, having started chemo, you can always stop. But it doesn't work the other way. Best of luck.

Chemo is the big bogey man. For some it's not so bad, for others it's not so good. 7% doesn't sound much but as my surgeon said every point or two counts if it's the one that makes the difference. And which point matters? Of course we don't know. If you can think about what scares you most about chemo, you may be able to get some information that will help you decide. I dreaded fatigue and chemo brain, didn't get either. I didn't like the idea of nausea/ vomiting and not being able to work. Never even felt like being sick and worked through treatment. I did get a heart irregularity (possibly partly attributable to age, eminently treatable and affects nothing - I work, travel, go to the gym etc) and peripheral neuropathy (improved but not gone but the impact is not significant). I am also five years post diagnosis and no evidence of disease. Sometimes it's not the things you worry about that are the things you have to cope with! Final thought - if the chemo side effects are too much, you can stop. No-one can actually hold you down and administer chemo against your will! You will have given it your best shot, which is as much as any of us can do. Best wishes whatever you decide.

Hello @Kerry66
You are facing big decisions and talking about it is the best way to find what is right for you.  I guess at your next appointment you can then discuss each option more.  Statistics are only statistics and where you will fit into them in a few years time really is anyone's guess.  You may be someone who goes through life without further treatment and has no further occurrences.
Me ? Mastectomy done and no Tamoxifen due to other medical conditions as I simply did not want more issues there.  If the BC gets me a year or two or more earlier than the ''normal'' life expectancy then so be it but I am comfortable with the decision (made with husband and oncologist).
You need to be clear on what you feel is the best for your specific circumstances BUT go into it certain that you will have no regrets later.
I don't know if these comments help you right now but I know other ladies will soon be here to talk to you.
Big hugs.  Summer   :)