Hi @Emelon1.
It's all so bloody confusing. Facts, figure stats, maybe's and choices that all add up to what you consider an acceptable quality of life . There are no insane choices only what you feel is best for you. Either way there are no guarantees and that's the frustrating bit.
I have had pretty much every side effect on the Tamoxifen list plus multiple that are not on that very short list you get to read and have been fobbed off as not normal. I run it now at 3 months on and 3 to 4 weeks off. There are varying answers as to how long it stays in your system for but the general consensus appears to be a couple of months. So I am sitting in the middle with it at this point. Many, many times I have considered stopping it. Still do.
I find it interesting as to the variation of figures that get thrown around. Nobody tells you at the start that these are the "average" percentages. I guess I assumed it was a little more specific to your individual case than it actually is.
So given that I was 95% both ER and PR positive Tamoxifen supposedly added another 6% coverage. on top of the surgery, chemo and rads. Looks worth it right? Until you look at the fact that the six percent is actually really somewhere betwen 2 and 11. Great if it's 11 except that if I add that in to the rest of the percentages I was given I would get 103% of it not coming back...hehehehe. At 2% I personally feel that it really isn't worth the agro. But who's to know where you sit on the scale.
I also think it's rather depressing having a computer giving me an "average" percentage of whether or not I am expected to live for 10 years.
For example. I was given verbally at the start by the "team" 79% surgery + 10 % chemo + 4% rads + 6% tamox = 99%....woot woot winning.
Predict Tool gives it as: surgery 69 + 7 for chemo + no input for rads so I'll add in the 4 + 8 for HT = 88% less inspiring but still good odds.
If you tick the "show ranges" button at the bottom of predict you can see how much variation there is
So if I am lucky enough to be in top range I get 91% and bottom of the range 84.2% with me adding in the rads at 4%. That's rather a big difference I think.
All the best with your choice lovely.
xoxoxo
