Grace

Hi all,

Living in Maine now and enjoying it a lot--leaves are starting to turn and weather is lovely. The natives say September is the best month in the year.

It's about six-seven weeks since my last, and final, herceptin, and for any of you who, like me, are having problems while on herceptin (mine were swollen feet and very swollen ankles (the ankle bone had completely disappeared), difficulty breathing and getting tired very easily, etc., there is good news. My ankles are normal once again, even late in the evening. One cardiologist I visited about these problems insisted that I just had fat ankles (not my favorite doctor) but he was wrong. I still get tired and out of breath, but nothing like before, and I'm doing lots of physical work--painting and cleaning, and cleaning and painting all day, every day, and feeling really good. Today I painted the back porch. It's difficult to believe when you're feeling lousy that it will ever get better, but it does. And, finally, my last HER2 serum result was half of what it was when I began. So if you're getting at all discouraged, remember it does get better, or in my case, much better.