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Thank you all for all the responses on the cost you pay for your Herceptin...I am still fighting with them, but I haven't given up...hopefully with all the news coverage in Chicago on Herceptin for early stage breast cancer, this will get more attention. In the interim, I decided to seek treatment elsewhere, so I had my first visit with the new oncologist last week....it went so-so. Then yesterday i went for my first Herceptin treatment and what a nightmare! First off, they drew 5 or 6 vials of blood to check my counts. I explained that Herceptin does not affect the RBC or WBC, but this was their protocol so they did it anyway. Then came the IV....or so I thought, after 3 tries, they got another nurse...then came the wait, 3 hours I sat with an IV in my arm not hooked up to anything...then they tried to give me a loading dose of Herceptin, I told them I did not need the loading dose, that I had been on it for 1 1/2 years and I get the every 3 week dose.....well that took some figuring!!! Finally after a 4 hour wait, the nurse came with 2 pills, I asked what they were, and she said tylenol....again part of their protocol. By this time I did have a headache so I took them...then she tried to give me Benadryl, again their protocol....I said I did not want or need Benadryl, then another 25 minute wait while that was ironed out. Finally the Herceptin arrived, 50 mg more than I usually get, guess they had a hard time with kilograms....she wanted to run 500 cc D5W and then 500cc NS with Herceptin...I argued again, telling her that Herceptin is not to be mixed with D5W and I didn't need 2 IV's. By that time, I was ready to leave and take the IV out when I got home, but I had already been there 5 hours...then came the amt. of time to give the Herceptin controversy....I told her I have always gotten it in 30 minutes...they wanted to do 1 1/2 - 3 hours.....anyway, to make a long story short, my 30 minute treatment took over 6 hours....the upside was they had free coffee and it was good coffee, I also saved 8000.00 on the cost, but after all that I have decided I am going back to Chicago, continue to fight them on the price....it may be more expensive, but at least I don't feel liek I've just come from the circus!
Hugs to all
Sheila
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