Well that is the question of the week. As I find myself on the computer during my vacation at our cottage, I am beginning to wonder if I should do anything about my non-invasive cancer. So what if it becomes invasive - it's treatable. That has been my thinking this week. I don't want to have my body cut open and have months (maybe years) of residual pain. For what? It's hard enough being a 50 year old mom of two little children without adding 15 hours of surgery to the mix, not to mention the recovery time.
However, I had a reality check today. I saw an old friend, who had a BM a few years back. She said that se was still on breast cancer medication that had some significant side effects, but was happy to be alive. I last saw her after her bilateral mastectomy. She was upbeat and quite positive. I hadn't realized that for her having breast cancer is an ongoing issue. I had assumed that once you are over the initial trauma to your body and radiation/chemo then all was well. Not so.
I am reminded that I am lucky, very lucky. I truly don't want surgery. I don't want to have my body carved up. I don't want pain. BUT I do want to move on with my life and live it. I don't want to kick myself years down the road if my in situ cancer becomes full blown and I could have done something about it. I don't want to kick myself down the road because I jumped the gun on my in situ cancer and am living with pain from surgery.
This is the strangest situation to be in. The decisions are all mine. MINE. No one else can make these decisions. Just me. My question is: How do you make the right decision? Do I wait? Do I act now? What will tip the balance on this one?
However, I had a reality check today. I saw an old friend, who had a BM a few years back. She said that se was still on breast cancer medication that had some significant side effects, but was happy to be alive. I last saw her after her bilateral mastectomy. She was upbeat and quite positive. I hadn't realized that for her having breast cancer is an ongoing issue. I had assumed that once you are over the initial trauma to your body and radiation/chemo then all was well. Not so.
I am reminded that I am lucky, very lucky. I truly don't want surgery. I don't want to have my body carved up. I don't want pain. BUT I do want to move on with my life and live it. I don't want to kick myself years down the road if my in situ cancer becomes full blown and I could have done something about it. I don't want to kick myself down the road because I jumped the gun on my in situ cancer and am living with pain from surgery.
This is the strangest situation to be in. The decisions are all mine. MINE. No one else can make these decisions. Just me. My question is: How do you make the right decision? Do I wait? Do I act now? What will tip the balance on this one?
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