Fatal to Fearless by Kathy Giusti

Author:Kathy Giusti
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-12-21T00:00:00+00:00

It’s Go Time

Everything we’ve covered so far is to help prepare you for “go time,” whether that’s surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or some other form of treatment that disrupts your life even further. This is usually the most challenging time and can extend for days, weeks, even months. You don’t typically have control over the timing but, hopefully, you’re feeling prepared as you get started. If you have a good foundation to work from, you can plan well in advance, and the quick-fire issues that surface can be handled with less stress.

Although I survived the transplant, I didn’t feel like I aced it. I was sick, frail, and weak; and those three months of “go”—from January to March—were probably one of the toughest periods in my life. And in everyone’s lives around me. I was naïve thinking I would be that one myeloma patient who would beat all the stats, the one who would make it out of isolation unscathed in record time. It was not to be the case. As I say, I flunked transplant.

I’m not sure why I had the same naïve thought during my breast cancer journey. I had opted for the double mastectomy. It was an aggressive choice given the early stage of the cancer and the availability of other less-invasive options (yes, they might have worked but they would also require ongoing treatment and no guarantee I wouldn’t someday still be facing the same mastectomy or worse). But as my doctor told me at the time, “There is no right treatment, only the right treatment for you.” I knew the surgery was not something to be taken lightly, but after stem marrow transplant, I thought I could sail through. Once again, I clearly stated to friends and family that I would be back to my normal self in no time. But also once again, I ran into every roadblock, went down every detour from COVID to surgical infections. I would spend much more time in doctors’ offices, hospitals, and emergency rooms than I ever imagined.

It’s important to get the right treatment, but it’s also important to go into treatment with eyes wide open. Ask detailed questions about the side effects of a drug or the risks of a surgery or radiation before you have them. It’s also important to know where the delays will happen most frequently and when things will take more time than anticipated. Knowing every detail helps you plan and helps others plan around you. Here are your WTDs for getting the right treatment for you.

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