Chapter 5 Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

In This Chapter
➤ Decisions that are up to you
➤ When—and what—your insurance dictates
➤ Keeping the mind-body connection healthy
➤ Decision-making, the communication process, and your medical team
Some women take offense with the doctors who say, no questions asked, “Here’s what
we’re going to do.” Other women are scared out of their bras to hear the doctor or
surgeon say, “Here are your options. Here are the percentages. Now, what do you want
to do?” Most of us were taught to follow the doctor’s orders. We break a leg, we go to
the doctor, he puts on the right kind of cast, and tells us what we can and cannot do
for the next six weeks. No decisions on our part. We do what we’re told.
Breast cancer, however, doesn’t have quite such an easy fix. In every case, you have
the right to decide who’s going to do what, when, and where. Sometimes, your insur-
ance informs, or even controls, the decisions you make. Still, it’s your decision, even if
your doctor isn’t one of those who asks you what you want to do.
In this chapter, we’ll tell you what choices you can or must make, how to find out if
and how much your insurance is going to pay, and what alternatives will help you
feel more comfortable during treatment. By adding this advice into the mix, you’ll be
prepared—or at least better prepared—to choose from among your options.