Just need alittle faith

Jstarr · June 2013

I've been diagnosed, had surgery, had scans & tests more than I can remember. I don't feel confident in my cancer treatment facility and need to have alittle pick me up. I've had a second opinion and switched chemotherapy. I just need to know what I am doing is right, and it doesn't feel like anyone can tell me that:(

AmyQ · June 2013

Hi Jstarr,

If you don't feel confident with the facility and the doctors there you are absolutely doing the right thing by switching. Your life is in your providers hands and to feel unsure and uneasy doesn't make for a trusting relationship. You are the only one who can advocate for you and if your gut or instinct is telling you needed to make a change then I think what you did is right.

If I were in your shoes, not knowing all the circumstances, and I had a second opinion that I valued, I would do the same thing. Much luck to you.

curveball · June 2013

@Jstarr, unfortunately, your feeling is an accurate one. Nobody can tell you that what you're doing is "right", or tell you for sure what the results will be. If you lack confidence in your treament center because they can't answer your questions, it may not be their fault. So much about cancer is as unknown to our doctors as it is to us.

Soon after my diagnosis, when I was having a hard time deciding which surgery to have, someone here at bco suggested something to me which I've found helpful, so I'll pass it along to you. That is, if you can't find out enough about something to decide on the facts alone, make the decision you will regret the least, regardless of the outcome. I used this "path of least regret" to decide about surgery and about which chemotherapy regimen to use. Things haven't worked out as I expected they would or as I hoped they would, but I can honestly say I'm at peace with the decisions I made in both cases. If I had known then what I know now (like the fact that I'm stage IV, and likely have been all along), I might have decided differently. But I didn't know, and neither did anyone else, including my doctors. I made the best decision I could with the information I had at the time. I think that's as much as any of us can do.

Hope that helps and you find a treatment plan you can be confident about, even with the inevitable unknowns.

Maureen1 · June 2013

(((Jstarr))) I hate the doubt and fear and uncertainty that comes with breast cancer...it blindsides us, comes out of "nowhere" and without warning we find it deep in our body, I think that's why it is so hard to be confident in anything once you've been struck with BC...I wish there was one path that would lead us in the right direction to conquer this beast but there doesn't seem to be one, rather there are treatment "options" and "choices" and we have to hope we chose the one that is best for our individual situation...so, unfortunately I don't know if anyone can tell you that what you are doing is "right", we can only support you and your decisions...I second guess myself all the time, wondering if I chose the right treatment, am I eating the right foods, etc. What seems most important is that I feel I can trust my medical team and it sounds like you weren't confident in the first team you had so you've sought a second opionion...it's your life, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable seeking additional guidance or opinions so you can be sure that you have a treatment plan that you do feel confident with. (((hope and hugs))) Maureen

Just need alittle faith

Comments

Categories