[Louise O'Brien]

Heart Sutra - I know where you're coming from. It does suck. But I can't begin to tell you how exilerated you will feel as you finish each treatment - and realize how much closer you are to the end - when you can soon begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And you will.

I made a deliberate choice not to cancel treatment between Christmas & New Years - knowing I would screw up New Year's Day. I just wanted to hit that half way mark - so I could say "three down, three to go" before the year ended.

This week on Wednesday, I finished treatment number four and I'm now on Docetaxel. It's good to hear that this drug is easier to tolerate. At least I'm not nauseus. But the fatigue has finally hit me. And now that I'm off the steroids, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. If it does.

But I'm not down or depressed. When we walked out of the clinic on Wednesday, I almost cried saying to my husband - just two more to go. The relief was incredible. Two isn't bad - I'll be ecstatic when I can finally say - just one left. And before long on Feb. 28 - I'm done. Of course there's still a year of Herceptin - and it's also reassuring to know that too will be easier.

So we all have these markers that we have to cross off - but you will get through it and it will be over soon. Honest. Hang in there.

Rent your favourite movies; get some light reading that makes you laugh and spoil yourself.