Saw consultant today and the plan is to have three more chemotherapies - and surgery provisionally booked for 11th December. Radiotherapy after Xmas will complete the treatment. I will then see him every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 5 years and then once a year forever....
He said that I will not need any continuing drug treatment as my cancer is not hormone receptive - which makes it more aggressive - but one which responds extremely well to chemotherapy. I was momentarily flummoxed, having persuaded myself that I would definitely be on 'miracle' pills for the next 5 years, and took the liberty of asking him some questions - inspired by reading those damn articles / books etc.
He commented that I was obviously a negative person who saw my glass half empty. (And that I should be thrilled that there is a light at the end of the treatment tunnel - rather than questionning my prognosis.)
I am currently fuming about that - but will get over it.
I realise that no one can say whether or not the cancer will come back - and that I have to find a way of living with this uncertainty - but wanting to ask everything you can think of in the 7 minutes you have with the doctor seems to me to be one of the keys in managing a fragile state of mind.
Anyway - fuming aside - the only thing I can do to maximise my chances that it will not come back is to stay healthy, exercise, eat well and maintain a positive mental attitude - so watch out world - and in particular Jane and Taidgh - I might be swimming Lake Geneva after all.....!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment