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10-26-2007, 01:24 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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I have the "Power"! (Port, that is)
Thanks to our dear, departed Sandy Henry, I now am the proud, if somewhat stiff and sore, owner of a Power Port.
Sandy posted about these devices last year, and how they save one from additional sticks when needing high-speed contrast injections for certain scans. Since I have lymphedema in both arms now, these injections have become a REAL problem for me. I asked my new surgeon about the Power Port last month and he wasn't familiar with them, but promptly got in touch with the company, which sent a rep out to do a presentation.
I had the procedure yesterday, and am the first patient at our medical center to receive one!
Thanks, dear Sandy, and thanks Joe and Christine, for the knowledge gained here which helps us stay on top of our options.
<3 Lolly
__________________
Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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10-26-2007, 01:44 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Morris, IL
Posts: 3,507
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Lolly
Great for you....you are one imPORTant woman at your center now...my brother told me about these, that you are able to get contrast dye injected in them etc....I also remember our dear Sandy saying how wonderful it was....I hope it works perfectly for you Lolly.
__________________
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
Hugs & Blessings
Sheila
Diagnosed at age 49.99999 2/21/2002 via Mammography (Calcifications)
Core Biopsy 2/22/02
L. Mastectomy 2/25/2002
Stage 1, 0.7cm IDC, Node Neg from 19 nodes Her2+++ ER PR Neg
6/2003 Reconstruction W/ Tissue Expander, Silicone Implant
9/2003 Stage IV with Mets to Supraclavicular nodes
9/2003 Began Herceptin every 3 weeks
3/2006 Xeloda 2500mg/Herceptin for recurrence to neck nodes
3/2007 Added back the Xeloda with Herceptin for continued mets to nodes
5/2007 Taken Off Xeloda, no longer working
6/14/07 Taxol/Herceptin/Avastin
3/26 - 5/28/08 Taxol Holiday Whopeeeeeeeee
5/29 2008 Back on Taxol w Herceptin q 2 weeks
4/2009 Progression on Taxol & Paralyzed L Vocal Cord from Nodes Pressing on Nerve
5/2009 Begin Rx with Navelbine/Herceptin
11/09 Progression on Navelbine
Fought for and started Tykerb/Herceptin...nodes are melting!!!!!
2/2010 Back to Avastin/Herceptin
5/2010 Switched to Metronomic Chemo with Herceptin...Cytoxan and Methotrexate
Pericardial Window Surgery to Drain Pericardial Effusion
7/2010 Back to walking a mile a day...YEAH!!!!
9/2010 Nodes are back with a vengence in neck
Qualified for TDM-1 EAP
10/6/10 Begin my miracle drug, TDM-1
Mixed response, shrinking internal nodes, progression skin mets after 3 treatments
12/6/10 Started Halaven (Eribulen) /Herceptin excellent results in 2 treatments
2/2011 I CELEBRATE my 9 YEAR MARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7/5/11 begin Gemzar /Herceptin for node progression
2/8/2012 Gemzar stopped, Continue Herceptin
2/20/2012 Begin Tomo Radiation to Neck Nodes
2/21/2012 I CELEBRATE 10 YEARS
5/12/2012 BeganTaxotere/ Herceptin is my next miracle for new node progression
6/28/12 Stopped Taxotere due to pregression, Started Perjeta/Herceptin
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10-26-2007, 02:27 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Shingle Springs, CA - near Sacramento
Posts: 295
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the real question is.........
Do you have green shoes to match? :-)
Have a great day!
Donna
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10-26-2007, 02:51 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: WHITESTOWN IN
Posts: 148
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Hi
I have a poer port too but no one wants to use it. Every time I go to have something done they tell me they want to save it just for Herceptin. So I have to really push. Just tell them that's what it's there for. I hope your people will listen. Congrats on being a medical first! We always new you were special!
__________________
DX IDC AT 42 12/7/06
2.2CM STAGE I GRADE 2
NODE NEG
PARTIAL 12/18/06
HER2+ /ER+(75%) PR+(5%)
4 DD AC CHEMO STARTING 1/10/07
4 DD Taxol Starting 3/5/07
1year weekly Herceptin starting 3/5/07
finished 2/18/08
changed to every 3 weeks 4/23/07
completed 33 radiation treatments 7/6/07
TAH and BSO 9/24/07
start Femarra 10/8/07
Started Neritinib trial 12/14/09
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10-26-2007, 10:01 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 600
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I have had mine in for several months. My first port gave me problems from the beginning but this Power Port is working great. The profile is a lot lower as well. It is not nearly as obvious as the other one was. It works great for the many of the scans. I did find that they do not use it for PET scans. good luck with it.
Leslie
__________________
In the world of destiny, there are no statistics.
Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump
Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes
ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3
February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy.
March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle
May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy
June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy,
June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative
August 7th - Brain MRI-negative
August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative
January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07
July 2008-Finished Herceptin!
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10-27-2007, 07:36 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
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Lolly & Kriss, how is the power port different. I have a medi port and do remember some "conversation" about a power port, but I don't remember how it works and how it is different. ma
__________________
MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
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10-27-2007, 09:21 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: WHITESTOWN IN
Posts: 148
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mary ann
from my understanding you can put anything in it: contrast, chemo, blood draw and other chemicals for lack of a better word. Supposedly they can also force the chemicals in quicker if need be. I could be wrong on that. But like I said earlier. So far most of my technicians refuse to use it. Saying we need to make sure it keeps working for herceptin. But one of the nicest things is the low profile. On me you really only see a very small bump.
__________________
DX IDC AT 42 12/7/06
2.2CM STAGE I GRADE 2
NODE NEG
PARTIAL 12/18/06
HER2+ /ER+(75%) PR+(5%)
4 DD AC CHEMO STARTING 1/10/07
4 DD Taxol Starting 3/5/07
1year weekly Herceptin starting 3/5/07
finished 2/18/08
changed to every 3 weeks 4/23/07
completed 33 radiation treatments 7/6/07
TAH and BSO 9/24/07
start Femarra 10/8/07
Started Neritinib trial 12/14/09
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10-27-2007, 09:57 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
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Thanks, Kriss! Oh, I see....sleek, low profile, kinda like a race car! Sounds like a "great model"! ma
__________________
MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
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