Vivian,
There were many reasons for this decision. Although I should say that at the time of my decision I was not really following this forum - so I didn't really realize that most people tend to chose surgery, especially for ANs my size. My doctors kind of treated this casually, "oh, there is no urgency" and I was told that I was a candidate for radiation.
Anyway, it mainly had to do with logistical reasons. I have two little ones, a very demanding job, and no other family in proximity (all family is overseas). I knew that with surgery I would need LOTS of help during the recovery period. And as everybody knows here, it is not only the first 4-6 weeks, but it can be ongoing in some cases. I was especially afraid about debilitating headaches, diziness etc - my main concern was taking care of the kids. I was (and still am) essentially symptom-free, and I wanted to keep that as much as possible.
Another important factor was the proximity to specialized care. I would most certainly need to travel to a major centre, like Toronto, to get treatment, since there aren't any specialized surgeons here. This again would be a problem with kids etc, especially if there were complications. And, even after surgery, people often need access to specialists, who again would not be available here. So I envisioned months of having to travel around to get good access to specialists. Finally, I was just coming back to work from my second maternity leave - my job is demanding, having to lead a lab, direct people etc - going off for another leave would be pretty much a disaster at that point.
Things have worked out very well until now, with no complications and not a single day missed at work and I am hopeful about my upcoming 1 year post-GK MRI. I realize that in the long term I might end up needing surgery, but I was hoping that I could delay this as much as possible, until the kids are a bit older.
Feel free to PM me, I would be happy to share more details and any other information.
Marianna
