[SoCalGal]

Joe once said that he and Christine feel that we are all guests in their living room. For me that statement best described the tone of Her2support.


When I was first diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, I was lucky enough to stumble onto this site as part of my online research. Here I was able to connect with so many wise women and men, many who were already walking the path ahead of me.

I logged on every single night to talk to my new-found family. It was my lifeline, my proof that one COULD survive. Reporting on my treatment, my worries, side-effects and also seeking the sage advice of the board – asking questions about things I did not understand. I read through the clinical trial links posted, read ways to manage side effects, read questions to ask my doctor, noted out-of-state doctors to contact, plus got emotional support. We discussed topics our doctors wouldn’t touch, politics as they related to cancer & healthcare, cancer’s negative effect on our sex-lives, the toll on our families, our relationships, our concerns for quality of life, and endless support, which was really about how to have faith, grace and courage in this nightmare of a setting. I cannot even express how astonished I was at the information posted and exchanged by other members. It was so candid, generous and real.


Sometimes one can wait a week for information from the oncologist’s office. Here you can post a question, and feel assured that the smartest, brightest and most caring community members will respond within hours. Not just touchy-feely support, but IMPORTANT medical related information, when to go to the ER, when to insist upon a scan, and also the magic words to give you the fortitude to face the Gamma Knife facility in the morning, knowing that a halo had to be screwed into your head. After all, if someone in the her2 family can do it, you can do it, too!

Having an international network that functions as an extended family is a remarkable creation. Christine had an important vision. She is the ultimate warrior woman, Joe the ultimate supportive and dedicated husband. I thank Joe and Christine from the bottom of my heart for what they have created.
(Flori)