An Idea

[Bill]

Hi Everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful New Year. I was thinking, at drs. apps. and at chemo., Nikki would tell everyone at every opportunity about this wonderful site, both as a source of information and support, and how close everyone was here. What if I kicked it up a notch or two, and I had some flyers made up or business cards and left them at the chemo room and hospitals and drs. offices we went to. And what if we all did that? Alot to consider. It would probably reach and help more people that way, but would it overwhelm the site or change things too much? I guess alot of this is up to Joe and Christine. I'm relatively new here, and don't know that much about the technicalities of maintaining a website. Alot of new people, possibly all at once, here could help with information, but would it be beneficial to the site or just wreck everything? I'd like to hear from you all. Also, if something like this would be beneficial, perhaps one uniform national flyer or business card should be used. I understand the expenses of operating the site and that Joe and Christine do it out of the goodness in their hearts, but hopefully the increase in new members may result in more donations. I don't know how many members this site has, but thinking outside the box, and thinking politically, once a large group of like-minded people come together, they can become an unstoppable force, so, this site could potentially become a large enough "voting block" that the politicians would have to acknowledge it at the very least, and perhaps allocate more funding to the studies of breast cancer research. Keep fighting the good fight, Bill

[Sheila]

Bill
Joe and Christine have business cards and flyers, we used to be able to pront the flyer from the website.....maybe Joe will respond...great idea for leaving them at the chemo centers....Nikki is sitting on your shoulder!

[Bill]

Thanks Sheila! I can feel her. She still gives me great advice. Love, Bill

[Yorkiegirl]

I have done this at the place I went to for treatment and now my follow up's.

I printed a flyer from this site and went and had copies made.


This is wonderful idea you have Bill, so many people to reach and this can really help.

[LOPSIDED]

Yes, This Is A Great Ideal. When I Was First Diagnosed, I Didn't Understand Anything About What Was Fixing To Happen To Me, Frankly I Thought I Would Not Be Around In A Few Months. Half The Time I Couldn't Remember What My Doctor Said To Me. I Found This Site Just By Luck, Surfing The Internet. Just Reading All The Posts & Learning Bits Of Information and hearing what others had survived gave me hope.

[dhealey]

Wonderful idea Bill. The more people we reach the more informed they are and maybe the government will take notice and we will have better treatments available to all men and women

[kareneg]

I think thats a wonderful idea too. I had no clue what a ride this would be and the more you know about it the easier it is a times. I happened upon this site buy doing my own research on the web and have been here ever since. I would be lost with out this site. Thank you so much Joe and Christine and all of the wonderful members!

[PinkGirl]

Hi Bill

I think that's an excellent idea. The best thing about it is that the info. regarding breast cancer is always changing ... books and pamphlets become out-dated, but the Her2Support site is always current.

I would put the card and flyer in my little chemo room - right now I am the only Her2+ person in our small town. My chemo nurse had never given Herceptin before. It was very isolating for me before I found this site (thanks to AlaskaAngel).

Great idea!

[madubois63]

Talk to Joe first. A few years back, Joe sent me flyer's, mouse pads and business cards that I left at several cancer centers in my area. Scary huh??? I actually live in the middle of 3 major cancer centers, and these are all within 5 minutes of each other.

[IRENE FROM TAMPA]

that was a great thing you did and I am sure that Niki is so proud of you for carrying for her.

There are still lots of people out there who do not know about this site and just how informative it is. I try to mention it every time I speak to someone but putting out the info is even better.

Thanks again Bill

[Mary Jo]

I had my her2 breast cancer 1 year before I joined this site. I did not know of it either. I read about the site in CURE MAGAZINE at one of my oncology visits at Froedtert and that's how I came to this site. Business cards, flyers etc. would be a great idea to bring this site to people's attention.

Like Bill said though, I don't have any knowledge of the technical aspect of operating a site like this or what would happen if the site was inundated with people.

Thanks for sharing this brilliant idea Bill.

Mary Jo

[Chelee]

Bill, Great idea and I feel its needed. I'm exactly two yrs out from my surgery and I don't know HOW MANY times the social worker at my cancer center brought up the topic of support to me and asked where I find my support? I ALWAYS told her about the her2support board. It wasn't until about 4 months ago she FINALLY came up to me & asked for the her2support groups website url. (About time.)

I wished someone would of given me the *url* to this site the day I was DX. I always told this social worker you just can't get this kind of vaulable information, or support any where else when it comes to Her2 bc. Depending on what Joe's thoughts are on this I would be happy to put flyers, cards or whatever in our chemo room...and hand some to my surgeon's NP. She is the one that pulls the women aside when first DX.

Chelee

[mslinda]

Hi Bill: I too think this is a great idea. Again, I don't know any of the legal things that go along with this sort of thing.
When I was going through my treatments, my oncologyst was great. There was only one other person who was Her2 at that time. We always had the same chemo appointment. No one I talked to who had had breast cancer had ever heard of her2. I just happened across this site one day while I was surfing looking for info. Thank God I found it because it has been a mind easer on many occasions.
Take care
Linda

[hutchibk]

I meant to grab brochures when at SABCS, but I totally forgot. I have been wanting to put the info out at my clinic... thanks for reminding me, Bill.

[sassy]

If we can get brochures, I would love to put them out at my center and also at the main center for WFU.

Maybe Joe can tell us how to get them.

As for the site being inundated, I think they went thru that in 2005 when the HERA trial was released and Herceptin became available for early stage. Joe recently listed contacts by year since the inception of the site and you could see the phenomenal jump in 05. My guess is Joe can handle whatever additional exposure to the site may bring. If he needs help, I'm sure we would all be glad to do whatever we could.

From Joe's earlier post:

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon1.gif Web Statistics

<HR style="COLOR: #cc0033" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Stats for years 2003 - 2007

<TABLE class=standard><TBODY><TR><TD class=tableHeaderLeft></TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>Page Loads</TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>Unique Visitors</TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>First Time Visitors</TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>Returning Visitors</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableContent2LeftSpaced>Total</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>5,382,617</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>966,210</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>665,908</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>300,302</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableContent2LeftSpaced>Average</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>1,076,523</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>193,242</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>133,182</TD><TD class=tableContent2RightSpaced>60,060</TD></TR><TR><TD class=$leftClass colSpan=6></TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableHeaderLeft>Year</TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>Page Loads</TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>Unique Visitors</TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>First Time Visitors</TD><TD class=tableHeaderRight>Returning Visitors</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableContent2Left>2007</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>1,999,307</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>433,883</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>334,240</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>99,643</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableContent1Left>2006</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>1,589,289</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>263,891</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>175,649</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>88,242</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableContent2Left>2005</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>1,572,735</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>184,838</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>125,160</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>59,678</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableContent1Left>2004</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>199,626</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>68,582</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>20,759</TD><TD class=tableContent1Right>47,823</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tableContent2Left>2003</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>21,660</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>15,016</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>10,100</TD><TD class=tableContent2Right>4,916</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

We did not have the counter installed for 2001 until first half of 2003.
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[Bill]

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well and full of pep, vim, and vigor for the upcoming new year. I know it's going to be a good one, with awesome new developments coming our way. Thanks for all of the input. It helps to clarify everything. Love to you all, Bill

[Joe]

Attached is a brochure that we hand out at bc meetings.-

[Bill]

Thank you, Joe! Take care, Bill

[sassy]

Thanks Joe, I start printing!

[weezie1053]

Joe, thank you for the pdf files. I just emailed to my oncologist and my surgical oncologist at the UVA Breast Care Center. I am constantly telling my Oncologist what a great resource this website is. Now, he can research it himself. I also hope UVA makes it available in their library.

Thank you for all that you do.

Louise

[Chelee]

Thanks so much Joe...this is great! I will print some up and give them to the women at my cancer center that moderate the two bc support groups. Much appreciated.

Chelee

[PinkGirl]

Thanks Bill and Joe,
I have printed the brochure and will give
it to my chemo nurse.