Walk A Mile In My Shoes Before You Assume Things... OR Just Ask.

 

I want to talk about something that was said about me and my journey recently.  

Someone who has never spoken to me about my journey and only knows what I have shared in my Facebook group commented that my chemo dose was a "placebo".

FIRST ~ that doesn't even make sense.  The word "placebo" by definition means "a substance having no pharmacological effect but given merely to satisfy a patient who supposes it to be a medicine."  SO my oncology team wasn't actually treating me?  I just wanted chemo? (Newsflash I didn't want chemo at all and wouldn't have been doing alternatives if I believed chemo was the answer).

SECOND ~ would I have lost my hair on a placebo?  Would my white blood cells, neutrophils and platelets have dropped so low I was having issues even being treated, catching stuff if I did go out, that took months to fight off and I couldn't see my kids or granddaughter.  Would I have dealt with gastro/digestion issues?  or Phantom smells?  While I didn't have many side effects, I did have a several.  One of the reasons my side effects were not worse was I was supporting my body with supplements.

While I will never put my health and life 100% into a Drs (or medical professionals) hands, I do trust my oncology team and their knowledge. They have listened to my concerns and worked with me and my health and wellness knowledge.  The looked at all the info, lab results, etc. each appointment and made the appropriate decision and allowed me to make the FINAL decisions.

Months before my diagnosis, around the end of my husbands journey I said I would never do chemo as there are many other ways to treat cancer without the side effects.  BUT when I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, I knew there was no choice but to do it in conjunction with the other ways.  I have too much to live for.  I would never have gone through a procedure to implant a device into my body to deliver poison into it if I weren't going to give this battle my all.

Most importantly I am an open book, happy to answer any questions about my journey (and evidenced by this blog) have been loud and proud in order to bring awareness and help others.  So, if you have a question?  Just ASK ~ Don't talk about and assume you know my journey and treatment.