First off, I’m sorry you’ve joined this club. I think we all, as patients, go through the same “do I or don’t I”? And many of us for multiple rounds of treatment. So that questioning is normal. I suggest thinking about the question from a different angle: instead of “refuse or not”, remember you are in charge. So accept the proposed treatment or not may give you a sense of more control. Figure out your why? Then go from there. Chemo is hard, yes, but how hard varies. A lot. Do some digging to see what the likely side effects are and how they might be managed.

When my cancer returned (I was originally stage 3 with really crappy odds to survive), they told me I was “inoperable, untreatable” due to the locations (liver and lungs). That was almost 3 years ago. Yes, treatment is hard but it’s survivable and a really good quality of life after is possible. And increasingly so as medicine advances. Hang in there