Having difficulty making decision

Beesie

Deanna,

new_becca is promoting the same website that another new member has been promoting over the past couple of days.  These are money-generating sites and we are being directed there so that someone can make money off us.  My take is that both of these new members are spam posters.  I have used the "report this comment" feature. 

dlb823

Thanks, Beesie ~ That's what I figured, but I always want to give someone the benefit of the doubt.  Looks like you were already on top of it.  

jillvr

How refreshing to read words of encouragement for taking a natural approach.  I have Hypogammaglobulinima, steroid-dependent asthma, polychythemia, adrenal insufficiency, IBS and Thyroid disease. ( all are the result of an auto accident with spinal damage and years of pain, slowly unraveled my health).   Recently diagnosed with  Triple-neg. invasive ductal carcinoma.  ....Big Words......bigger then all the others put together.  My immune system is very frail, I live with pain, air starvation, arthritis and FATIGUE.....  and yet can not find medical professional who isn't trying to press me into having chemo.   I am having a bi-lateral mastectomy.......... enough is enough. I take 52 vitamin and herbal supplements a day, eat organic, pray, give talks on living with chronic illness and pain and teach tai chi and qigong............I don't know how to impress these folks with the idea that chemo just may be worse for me then this cancer.  It is stealing away my peace.  Anyone have any information or statistics on giving chemo to an already immune deficient person?  bless all of you for your courage..........keep fighting.  jill   

vivre

jill, You have been through a lot. It must be really scary to think about doing chemo. You might check out the thread we have here on I3C and I would also recommend Dr. Ray Strand's book because he talks a lot about the value of nutrition and supplements, even during traditional cancer treatments like chemo and rads. His website will give you some basic info on his books. Blessings to you.

AccidentalTourist

The truth is there are people who do everything conventional medicine recommends and still get recurrence and people who do the same with alternative medicine with the same result and vice versa.  I just keep reading and learning and hope I will be able to pick the best from both worlds.  I did go down the conventional route with lumpectomy, radiation, Tamoxifen but do believe that we can influence if and/or when recurrences happen by changing diet and lifestyle.  I find a book called 'Your life in your hands' persuasive and follow a lot of advice from there (not all as I find them too hard to fit into a busy life).  I do sometimes feel compelled to tell people about information I learned as I think we should arm ourselves with as much information as we can but would not dream of judging anyone on the basis of what they decide in the end.  This is hard enough as it is.  Good luck to everyone with whatever you decide.

artsee

Has anyone QUIT Tomax or the AI"s and still has night flushed or sweats? I've been off of Aromasin and because of my not sleeping well noticed they are still coming once in awhile.

Can't we ever be normal again? Don't take a drug anymore but still feels like I do. UGGH.............

althea

artsee, I stopped taking tamoxifen a year ago.  I got in 26 months of it.  Initially, I stopped because I had a stomach flu and didn't see the point of taking my pill when it wasn't going to stay down.  Well, a day turned into a week turned into a month, never went back.  Mainly, I was hoping my fatigue would relent.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but I sure do sleep a lot better and the hot flashes subsided almost entirely.  Every now and then I feel like one is brewing, but that's the extent of it. 

amberyba

Jill, so proud of you...hang in there you have been thru a lot...and yes I can understand y u feel chemo could hurt you more than the cancer, I have a friend who has Multiple Sclerosis and got BC, couldn't take the hormonals and is doing fine.Accidental T is right...I know those who went thru conventional treatment and had a recurrence and those who didn't or quit and remain cancer free. 

Artsee, I quit tamoxifen on Oct 12th, and I still get the hot flashes, though they are less, and I am 44. Still regular with my cycles. I think the drugs affect some differently than others.

Hi Althea, hope you are doing well.

I had my 6 month followup, mammogram seemed clear, they needed to compare old films and I finally took them by today...they will let me know within 2 weeks if things are really clear, though the first mammo was not digital like the one my breast care surgeon wanted me to have this month.

In the Lord Jesus Love

Amber

lisasayers

Jill so sorry to hear all that you are going through...but stay true to yourself! 

I had the dreaded talk with my Onc yesterday...when he informed me that I would be going on Tamoxifen.  I don't think he has anybody ever tell him "no"...because he was a bit dumbfounded when I told him I didn't believe I would be doing that. 

Long story short...he is by the books kind of guy.  Has never heard of I3C.  Had no idea of the Iodine studies.  Says I shouldn't do any "alternative" treatment...that there are no studies to support.  Says if I should at least try Tamoxifen and then if that doesn't work he cold give me Depo shots....No thank you to that too!  He said he would give me Tamox for two years and then switch to the aromatse.  Or I should have my ovaries out.

I was so mad when I left there.  I'm going to do what I feel is best for me! 

I just got back from a local support group for women with breast cancer under the age of 45.  There was a girl there who was diagnosed at the age of 23...she had a lumpectomy and rads and then they put her on Tamoxifen.  Three years later she had cancer again! 

There are no guarantees! 

apple

to reiterate what has been kind of suggested.. why don't you create a test with your onc's help..? whereby you can measure if cancer is growing while not under treatment.

i would love to go natural.. but i'm too scared.

best of luck to you.