Anonymous's Story: Using Research to Make Treatment Decisions
Anonymous is a Breastcancer.org Community member in Everson, Washington, USA.
As a registered nurse, I had known several people, including my own mother, that had experienced breast cancer. However I was not prepared for the amount of information I needed to feel sufficiently comfortable to make decisions for my treatment. I found Breastcancer.org to be extremely helpful in my initial phase of research for my treatment and what to expect.
The personal stories added much to my overall mental preparedness, reassurance, and answers that are hard to extract from studies and office interactions with health care professionals.
My own lack of in-depth knowledge and early fears were eased as I read the stories of others and looked up details of my diagnosis and treatment choices.
Because of some variations in treatment options, I was uncertain to follow the prescribed treatment. I kept reading about the statistics, and read that 80% of people in my position were cured with surgery only.
It was taking the time I needed to compare all the studies and ask my surgeon and radiation oncologist why I should follow their recommendations.
Many friends, family members and my husband offered advice, but since I was the one having to live with my choices, I felt that getting as much information as possible was what helped me.
I was happy to find Breastcancer.org for myself, and have recommended it to others. The scope of information coupled with the personal accounts and support was invaluable.
