On 5/8/2008
stringer13 wrote:
On 5/6/2008 rose01 wrote:
I hope this isn't an insensitive or dumb question but I'd like to know how others have approached this. If and when there comes a point that the treatment is taking such a toll on quality of life that it's not worth it, how do you recognize this point?? Do you let the doctors tell you first that they've done all they can? Do you just "instinctly" know? I want myself and my husband to fight this cursed disease with all we have but at the same time, doesn't this have to be weighed against quality of time and living life on one's own terms? I really don't have any answers right now. In fact, I pray we never get to this crossroad.
My sister had surgery, chemo and radiation for breast cancer. She was to be on tamoxifen and effexor for five years. She did well through the surgery and chemo/radiation treatments. After three years on tamoxifen/effexor she has decided to stop taking the medicine. The medicine had diminished her quality of life. She was very energetic prior to the treatments. While on the medicine (and they tried different types) she could not sleep at night, her whole body was in pain. She used to walk five miles a day; on the medicine she had difficulty walking two blocks. Since not being on the medicine, she feels like her old self. She has her quality of life back. She sometimes worries if she made the right decision, but she is so much less stressed now. We are firm believers that stress plays a big role in cancer. She keeps up on her mammograms, bloodwork etc and feels if she keeps a close watch, she will be able to catch the cancer if it comes back.
It is a hard decision. There have been lots of prayers. Goof luck!
hi rose o1.that is the stage i just chose to go on i went off all my cancer drugs after having surgery in 1996 in the ducts they said it was not cancer.then in dec 1999 it was i had a partial mastectomy then 3 weeks later a full mastectomy .after chemo and radiation treatments i.went on the tamoxifin for 5 years almost to the day of previous surgery the cancer came back in 2005.same area left side operated again after this operation tried femara first for a year this gave me a very low bone density.went and tried arimidex after that and this time it came back on the scar tissue of previous operation.back again for operation dec 2007 .all the times i found it .since a lot of testing he put me feb 1st. on aromasin .this was worse for the side effects so on march 27th i chose to take control of my life again and go of my medication.feeling much better since.i think that there are too many toxins beeing created by all these test drugs and they are not tried long enough before they are out on the market.so now i chose quality over quantity i will be 66 this month .and i lost a brother 2 years ago to g.i.st.cancer he was 56.also my dad died of pancreatic cancer at 65.think positive and you are right about the sterss .live each dayto the fullest .