Saying no to Chemo

Hi, Pdlc, Are cases are quite different.  I did not have a mastectomy, my lump was under 1 cm and I am hormone negative and HER2+  I went through chemo and radiation and the chemo was hard, but I'm so glad I did it.  Herceptin (a drug for HER2+ cancer's is a wonderful drug and it gives us HER2+ woman so much hope.

I had my one year mamm yesterday at a facility that gives you the results right away and they found nothing to be concerned about!!!  I am grateful, thankful and so relieved.  My mom got BC and had a lumpectomy, radiation and went on Tamoxifin.  Four years later it came back and had already spread to her liver.  1-1/2 years later she died after it spread to her brain.  I am so glad I did  chemo and just knowing that I did everything I could to be a survivor helps a lot.  I feel great and so happy to be a one year survivor.  If your oncologist recommends chemo, and I would think it will happen, I hope you listen and do it.  It's not fun, but it's do-able and so worth it for peace of mind.

Good luck and God bless, Mary

I am very in favor of alternative health care, but because I also have HER2 +++ breast cancer I have opted for the bilateral mastectomy and chemo, and will use alternative treatments both to help get through chemo and afterward to repair the damage, and to assist my body in every way possible to avoid a recurrence. I hope to live the best quality of life for the longest time I am able. Her2 +++ cancer is too aggressive for me to forgo western allopathic medical treatments.

I want to support you to do whatever is right for you, butfor myself I would choose BOTH approaches, and chemo is a very important, and imperfect treatment which is a compromise I choose to accept in this case. 

PLEASE CONSIDER CHEMO

I am also ER+, PR+, HER2+++ and after 8 short weeks of treatment I had a clean MRI. I am following thru with treatment plan and had a total of 20 wks chemo, bi lat w/ TE, 1 yr of herceptin and 5 yrs Tamoxifen. I know its scary but you can do it!

You are in my thoughts 

I finished my chemo November 4th and will continue herceptin until June. No lasting side effects. I actually tolerated fairly well. Lost hair day 14...plus side didn't have to shave or dye roots, achey body (flu like), fatigue, no appetite and nausea. White blood count dropped and needed Neupogen and Nuelasta injections. All in all ok...hair started growing back before chemo stopped and now two and a half months later I have 2+ inches of very curly hair. None of these side effects are perm and you can get through them...please consider treatment...Kris 

I am er+ .. unknown pr and her2+++

I did chemo ... every percentage point that gives you another chance .. I took it!

pdlc,

We are there for you.  Please do a lot of reading while in treatment.  There is so much you can do to rebuild the body and continue your fight. 

Be sure to read in the "getting through treatment' notes on how to get through chemo.  There is some very good info they will help you.

Best wishes for gentle treatment.

Flalady