I valued the opportunity to discuss treatment decisions with my doctors.  I don't want to go back to the bad old days when doctors said, "Don't you worry your pretty head about this.  I'll make you well."

Few doctors know their patients well enough to know whether mastectomy or lumpectomy with radiation is the best emotional choice for a patient who is likely to have equally good medical results from either.   When two chemotherapies with different typical side effects have worked equally well in studies, it makes sense to offer the patient a choice.

However, this Australian study suggests that patients and doctors need to factor in the stress of decision-making on a patient's overall well-being.  As patients, there may be times when we just need to say to our doctor, "I don't want to make this decision.  I respect your medical judgment." 

For those of us who want to be very involved in making treatment decisions, we need to learn not to second-guess ourselves and accept that there will be some elements of our cancer journey that we cannot control.   If we live alone, we need to reach out and make the connections that will offer us the support we need.  As we move on past our own treatment, reaching out can enrich our own lives and help a sister in need.