Member-only story
My Liver Cancer Grew
But I’m choosing not to do chemo
I was in my 30s when I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast disease in 2004. The doctors gave me 6 months to live. It’s a really aggressive cancer. I am happy that the doctors were wrong and I am still alive today.
However, the chemotherapy I received had long term side effects I am still dealing with. I was bedridden for months. It felt like the treatment was worse than the disease. The cancer was painful and left me feeling tired, but the chemo made my bones ache and compromised my immune system for years.
When I was diagnosed with metastatic brain, liver, and lung cancer in April of 2021, I told my doctors that I would be fine having tumors surgically removed and having radiation treatments. These treatments and the testing I’ve had done have been expensive. Despite my having insurance, I still had to make part of the payment, so I am now in quite a bit of debt, which I hate, but I think overall I made the right decision.
One thing I would not do, however, is chemotherapy.
So far, I’ve stuck to my guns and I’m happy with my decision.
My brain tumors have all shrunk or disappeared and my lung tumors have shrunk or stabilized. However, recently, my liver cancer has grown. It went from 2.1 cm x 1.6 cm to 2.4cm x 2.1cm.
