HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

TriciaK · 09-15-2010, 07:26 PM

I appreciate the responses to my thread requesting prayers a week or so ago. Each one touched my heart and gave me strength to face my doctors this week. I saw the cardiologist on Monday. He told me more details about the angiogram, and said the results of it and the echocardiograms showed that my ejection fraction was 50-55. I was delighted, as this was an answer to all the prayers! My oncologist had told me a month ago, after a previous echo, that my ef was only 45-50 and too low for herceptin, so he had started me on navelbine alone. I really wanted to try herceptin again, since the 15 months I was on it 5 years ago had effectively stopped the her2BC, even though my ef dropped to 30 and the herceptin was discontinued .
I saw my oncologsit the day after the cardiologist and of course he read all the heart doctor's reports. He grinned when he saw the 50-55 ef and said we could start the herceptin that very day! I will have it with navelbine every week, I guess for as long as my ef stays around 50. I will have blood tests every week the day before I have the herceptin, see the onc before each infusion to discuss the tests, and will have an echo frequently.I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay on the herceptin, but will keep on praying and working for it to continue for as long as possible. My cardiologist has me on 160 mg of diovan and 40 of coregcr, plus added Krill oil capsules and slow release niacin. He did not think coq10 would help, but I may try it anyway. I did quite well this first extra-long infusion. I had some stomach cramps at the very end, and threw up a couple times when I got home, but not since. I have felt quite weak and extra tired today but if it gets no worse I can certainly tolerate it. I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows before on this combination, but at that time was doing a larger dose every 3 weeks because I lived 3 hours from the chemo lab then. Now I live very close and once a week works fine for me and the dosage is smaller . Thank you all again for your responses. I appreciate any other comments or advice and will keep you posted. Hugs, Tricia

09-15-2010, 07:26 PM	#1
TriciaK Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: St. George, UT Posts: 582	Update on TriciaK I appreciate the responses to my thread requesting prayers a week or so ago. Each one touched my heart and gave me strength to face my doctors this week. I saw the cardiologist on Monday. He told me more details about the angiogram, and said the results of it and the echocardiograms showed that my ejection fraction was 50-55. I was delighted, as this was an answer to all the prayers! My oncologist had told me a month ago, after a previous echo, that my ef was only 45-50 and too low for herceptin, so he had started me on navelbine alone. I really wanted to try herceptin again, since the 15 months I was on it 5 years ago had effectively stopped the her2BC, even though my ef dropped to 30 and the herceptin was discontinued . I saw my oncologsit the day after the cardiologist and of course he read all the heart doctor's reports. He grinned when he saw the 50-55 ef and said we could start the herceptin that very day! I will have it with navelbine every week, I guess for as long as my ef stays around 50. I will have blood tests every week the day before I have the herceptin, see the onc before each infusion to discuss the tests, and will have an echo frequently.I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay on the herceptin, but will keep on praying and working for it to continue for as long as possible. My cardiologist has me on 160 mg of diovan and 40 of coregcr, plus added Krill oil capsules and slow release niacin. He did not think coq10 would help, but I may try it anyway. I did quite well this first extra-long infusion. I had some stomach cramps at the very end, and threw up a couple times when I got home, but not since. I have felt quite weak and extra tired today but if it gets no worse I can certainly tolerate it. I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows before on this combination, but at that time was doing a larger dose every 3 weeks because I lived 3 hours from the chemo lab then. Now I live very close and once a week works fine for me and the dosage is smaller . Thank you all again for your responses. I appreciate any other comments or advice and will keep you posted. Hugs, Tricia