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StephN · 08-19-2011, 12:15 PM

Hello Sunflower -

I have been following this thread and wondering how it would turn out.

I have 2 questions. First, I did not catch anything about a family history till your post today. What is that? It is NOT usual to have a patient take so many scans at stage 1. Bloodwork - yes.

What kind of med insurance do you have? Is it an HMO? These are all about limiting expenses - sometimes at the expense of their PATIENTS!

Please keep your other opinion appointment. Your tumor was Grade 3, which is aggressive. In an age when we have a drug such as Herceptin which is proven effective, I don't see why you could not have been given the FINHER trial amount of 9 weeks worth at a minimum.

Keep poking and prodding until you are satisfied that you have the best treatment for your indivdual case.

08-19-2011, 12:15 PM	#37
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Re: HER2 learning more is it a bad thing? Hello Sunflower - I have been following this thread and wondering how it would turn out. I have 2 questions. First, I did not catch anything about a family history till your post today. What is that? It is NOT usual to have a patient take so many scans at stage 1. Bloodwork - yes. What kind of med insurance do you have? Is it an HMO? These are all about limiting expenses - sometimes at the expense of their PATIENTS! Please keep your other opinion appointment. Your tumor was Grade 3, which is aggressive. In an age when we have a drug such as Herceptin which is proven effective, I don't see why you could not have been given the FINHER trial amount of 9 weeks worth at a minimum. Keep poking and prodding until you are satisfied that you have the best treatment for your indivdual case. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.