[StephN]

That movie touched a nerve deep within me.
My hubby had planned to watch it with me as I have been "promo-ing" it to him for a while now.

So, we sat together on a comfy chair large enough to hold both of us, watching till the end.

Slight digression: In Jan. of 2002, when I was diagnosed with raging mets to liver, I did not know WHAT to do with myself. I did not know if I would live or die. I had not found this support group or any other that could help me know anything, except "the worst." While wandering in a large local book store I ran across a used copy of the making of Herceptin book. This is where I began to see that maybe the treatment I was on might work as it included Herceptin. I tried to channel those women for whom it had worked. I tried to understand the impossible! I tried to believe and have the same degree of faith that Dr. Slamon and his staff had in pushing the drug through development. I used guided imagery to help me in these efforts. I concentrated deeply before going to sleep each night. Perhaps trying to program my body to accept these drugs and fight the tumors. This was a very emotional time for me.

That book gave me some sense that I may have at least a small degree of power in a situation where I felt utterly powerless. But it still felt like Russian roulette.

I began to feel that it was practically a duty to Dr. Slamon and Genentech to be a responder and be a sort of standard bearer for others like me. Why not me???

Thus I feel I owe a lot to Robert Bazel for even writing the story, warts and all. I feel I owe a lot to Lily Tartikoff for believing in Dr. Slamon's idea of targeted antibody therapy. Dr. Slamon comes last but certainly NOT least. I have met him on 4 occasions (in public) and always thank him as best I can without embarrassing us both. I always let him know that I am "still" a living proof that he could be right. (Yes, I did use those words.)

Thus I had a real mare's nest of feelings to deal with even before sitting down to the movie. My husband had forgotten the passages I had read to him those years ago from the book. It became refreshed to him with tons more meaning. Now he really has an even better understanding of how lucky we are that I have managed as well for as long, in spite of all the setbacks.

Knowing Dr. Slamon and having heard him speak several times, I thought that Harry Connick, Jr. played a great interpretation of the good doctor. Have met Mrs. Slamon as well and her character was also well played.