Paris,
I like your last post because I think it is such a great one for those who are new to bc to read. Being diagnosed is very much like being Alice in Wonderland, trying to make sense out of things that make very little sense! Keep asking the questions that are logical to YOU regardless of how crazy it seems.
If you can, do a search for dlaxague's past posts on this topic. The major past discussion on this board is on this link:
http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...ighlight=scans
She and I differ in some aspects about the answer to your questions, but I think she provides some good info and insights into the logic about the questions you are asking.
AlaskaAngel