[kimhenson]

Hi everyone,

I hope I didn't offend or scare anyone with my last post. There weren't any replies so I assume I did. I apologize for that. The hardest lesson I've learned since my mother was diagnosed is how easy it is to say the wrong thing with the best of intentions.

I wanted you to know that I visited my mother yesterday and she was up and about, nagging my father and planning a shopping trip today. I decided to post because it's very obvious that the fluid infusions were lifesaving. This is the first time she's eaten dinner at the dining room table in at least 3 weeks.

I spent a long time on the site yesterday reading the posts about your experiences with the T/X side effects. I learned a lot and it helped me understand. My mother's oncs (local and distant) have consulted today and will tell us the new dosages. I assume that they will reduce everything to determine my mother's tolerance (with the hope that she will get stronger). On the down side, she said quite strongly that she felt the lump in her opposite lymph node was getting bigger. She's been off Herceptin for about one month.

My mother was in excellent health before this bombshell. Her MUGAs have all been great (69 on the average). She is extremely sharp. The thing that has been hardest for her has been the age discrimination she's felt (or imagined) during treatment. She has said far too frequently "maybe I HAVE lived long enough!" It is painful to know that she is burdened with that feeling.

Anyway, today is a better day. It is clear to us how vital it is to address the side effects of T/X as much as possible.

Again, please accept my apologies for frightening or offending you.

Kim