Making Treatment Decisions

A recent article on making dialysis decisions prompted me to start thinking. Basically, just because a treatment is available, do you really want it? Its your choice. I know dialysis is not a cancer treatment but my point is there.

I am a strong believer in that doctors give you advice and how you choose to follow it is your decision. I usually follow my doctor's suggestions with medications and tests and other recommendations. But if something isn't making me happy I'm quickly going to stop it - and inform my doctor's office of my decision.

My quality of life is very important to me. I don't have a great quality of life because my health has taken many things away from me so I am diligent in preserving what is left.

If a treatment protocol is high risk or has a very low quality of life, I would be very hesitant on trying it. Taking the case of dialysis as in the article, if there is no quality of life being tied to dialysis, I think it should be up to the patient to make the decision to continue with it. The same with chemotherapy. If a patient does not want to go through with it again, it should be their choice.

But going back to my thought process. There are all these new treatment options out there. But they are also pretty strong. Strong medications will then have strong effects and strong side effects. So how bad are the side effects if you take this this medication? What will it do for your quality of life?

I think you need to think, and think a lot, before you jump at that new treatment option.