Active Surveillance of DCIS

Donna,  thanks for sharing.  

I think your site is great and a much-needed addition to the ongoing debates regarding DCIS.  I am sorry to hear that you've gotten backlash for posting your site.  It's your body, your free speech and your personal right to choose methods that you feel work for you.  I have not yet been diagnosed, as I've been opting for surveillance of suspicious microcalcs rather than getting a biopsy  which has proven to be very very stressful but i am hanging in there.  I knew it would require a lot of fortitude to do what is best for me.  I've done that all my life with health issues - over my lifetime, if I'd taken all the toxic meds for one thing or another that has been prescribed for me, I'd probably be dead by now so I go for a cautious approach.  I have other health problems that require a conservative approach and thus it has slowed me down from rush rush rush into biopsy on the calcs.  I just had a 6 month follow up on a small group of calcs and they haven't changed at all.  I realize that may mean nothing, but it certainly points out the need to balance out the  levels of panic and hysteria (sorry, some women hate that word hysteria but unfortunately I see a lot of it  on the bc forums), and instead  look rationally at the problem. There may also be women who rushed into things they have indeed regretted and dealt with bad side-effects that they'd rather not admit to or won't discuss on these boards. Thus, when people who have a different approach come along, they become hostile and defensive which unfortunately is human nature.  But that must not stop you from sharing your opinions and ideas.    I don't think anyone out there has all the answers but I salute those like Dr. Esserman who are at least trying.  I've seen way too many incidents of toxic meds of all sorts being used on people, at age 55, I've seen a lot. The jury is most definitely out on whether the supposed "treatments" for DCIS in fact cut mortality rates to the extent that we are told they do (i.e. the myth of early detection).  It is also interesting to see how other countries handle DCIS and mammography in general.  So, keep up the great work, don't ever be discouraged if someone gives you "backlash" over your site.  We need more women to share their personal journey and approaches and then we'll know the true facts and what really works and what doesn't.  God bless.