HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Vaccine Clinical Trial, may not be able to go

candlegranny · 11-28-2011, 09:24 PM

i am so torn, I have an appt thursday dec 1 to go to john hopkins for a consultation for breast cancer vaccine clinical trial. I am not sure I can go thru with it.
The trial will require me to go to baltimore for 8 days every 4 weeks for treatments some lasting 4 hours while others are only 30 minutes. the trip is a airplane ride. i will have to be away from home for 8 days and in a hotel. I have my mother living with me, she has for 4 yrs she has alzheimers and has gotten far worse in the last 6 months. I also have custody of 2 grandkids 12 and 7 yrs old. i have a wonderful husband and hi support is priceless but I am getting concerned about the time away from home this will require. I live close to louisville ky..i wish they had something at Vanderbuilt in Nashville or the John Brown cancer center in Louisville.
i am afraid i am selling myself short by not going thru this trial that i am qualified for but ther is the family obligation. I could take my mom with me but what would we do for 8 days in a hotel room and i am not one to take mom and roam the streets of a strange city. I am just in a dilema. I want to get the vaccine but just not sure this is the right time. I have a 2nd cousin that lives in baltimore and we could stay wiht her..but she is in california right now with her daughter and will be there until 1 march 2012. Her daughter is a breast cancer survivor but jsut has a re-occurrence in her bones. that is why her mom is there for 6 months. Please share your feelings on this situation I am in... thanks! Bonita

11-28-2011, 09:24 PM	#1
candlegranny Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 151	Vaccine Clinical Trial, may not be able to go i am so torn, I have an appt thursday dec 1 to go to john hopkins for a consultation for breast cancer vaccine clinical trial. I am not sure I can go thru with it. The trial will require me to go to baltimore for 8 days every 4 weeks for treatments some lasting 4 hours while others are only 30 minutes. the trip is a airplane ride. i will have to be away from home for 8 days and in a hotel. I have my mother living with me, she has for 4 yrs she has alzheimers and has gotten far worse in the last 6 months. I also have custody of 2 grandkids 12 and 7 yrs old. i have a wonderful husband and hi support is priceless but I am getting concerned about the time away from home this will require. I live close to louisville ky..i wish they had something at Vanderbuilt in Nashville or the John Brown cancer center in Louisville. i am afraid i am selling myself short by not going thru this trial that i am qualified for but ther is the family obligation. I could take my mom with me but what would we do for 8 days in a hotel room and i am not one to take mom and roam the streets of a strange city. I am just in a dilema. I want to get the vaccine but just not sure this is the right time. I have a 2nd cousin that lives in baltimore and we could stay wiht her..but she is in california right now with her daughter and will be there until 1 march 2012. Her daughter is a breast cancer survivor but jsut has a re-occurrence in her bones. that is why her mom is there for 6 months. Please share your feelings on this situation I am in... thanks! Bonita __________________ Mammogram Sep 21, 2009 everything good and clear DX jan 19,2010 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Grade 2 Age 56 modified radical masectomy on LEFT side 29 Jan 2010 2.7 cm 18/31 nodes mets to just above collar bone ( 2 nodes showed in PET) ER- PR - / Her2 +++ (IHC) Stage 111 C ki-67 60% nottingham score 7 A/C chemo mar 22,2010 DD herceptin & taxotere DD june 1,2010 finished taxotere july 12, 2010 finished herceptin 16 May 2011 PET Scan 9 Aug 10, cancer in neck is gone! NED 33 Rads completed 1 Oct 2010 PET/CT Scan 6 Jan 2011 NED PET/CT Scan 3 Aug 2011 MUGA 59% 3/22/10 -63% 9/23/10 - 51% 1/4/11 - 55% 2/17/11 - 50% 8/3/11 26 Aug 2011 NED 20 Feb 2012 NED 5 Mar 2012 PORT OUT 12 July 2012 DIEP breast reconstruction 23 Aug 2012 NED 15 Nov 2012 new breast tweeked and natural breast uplifted and implant added 17 Feb 2013 NED 27 mar 2013 lipo suction to add fat cells to new breast in hopes for needed adjustment. "Don't spend your time worrying about when or how you are going to die, spend your time figuring out how you are going to live today". ~Elizabeth Edwards.