just wondering

[Sue]

Wondering how you are doing now your situation sounds very similar to mine same treatment. I began mine on Nov.5 2003. Still at it. I am 45. Have been reading all the others and many have mets.

[Shannon from Indy]

Hi Sue

Thanks for the message! I am doing great thank you! Although I had to stop Herceptin in November due to 2 low muga scans. I was at 32% and then 43%. You may know that 50% is normal. So I was way under normal. So they took me off the trial I was on. I was very dissappointed but the doc said that I may have had enough (I had 5 months worth - 20 doses). He also said that I got the most benefit from it when I was taking it with Taxotere. He said they just don't know how long is long enough to be on Herceptin. So " he told me to get on with my life and ""let it go"". Ha! Easy for him to say. But" I am heeded his advice.

I have gotten a mammogram since then and it was good. I got my port taken out 2 weeks ago and a little reconstruction on my lumpectomy scar. My hair is growing in nicely and I ditched my wig in February. IT WAS THE BEST FEELING!! I love my new look and so does everyone else.

I am very optimistic and am trying to put it all behind me. But I know that I will always come back to these boards to try to help the newly diagnosed. I know I so appreciate all the ladies that got me through it last year. So I feel I need to be there for the ones just signing on.

When were you diagnosed?
What stage grade etc.
Where do you live?
Do you have children?

I am glad you are doing well on Herceptin. Please feel very lucky you are able to continue on with it. I felt so lucky just to have what time I had with Herceptin.

Well would love to keep in touch with you to see how you are doing. You can email me anytime.

Continued Health to you
Shannon

[Ann in Indy]

Shannon

I've been on this board for the last few weeks and am so glad to see another gal from Indy. I live near 106th/Westfield.

I was dx in July 2003 with invasive ductal carcinoma. Had lumpectomey - 5cm tumor so went thru Adria/Cytoxan and Taxotere prior to another surgery in January where NO tumor remained but 3 or 5 lymph nodes were positive. I'm also HER2 +++

So am now on Navelbine for 8 rounds/Herceptin(weekly)and will do rads after that! My hair had begun growing in after the lumpectomy and continues to (I think....although Navelbine may cause it to thin some say??)

I'd love to have someone to talk w/locally from time to time about this. I think that the HER2 status is pretty scary for all of us. Would you be interested?

Glad to hear that you're doing so well - Hugs to you!

Ann

[Sueq]

Hi Shannon
Thanks for answering my questions. My MUGA started out at 76% and last measure was at 61%. One more point and I would not have been able to continue that is since I started out so high and the study only allows 16points down. I will be retested before my next Taxotere dose. I was diagnosed Sept. 4 2003. I live in Washington State.I have misplaced my pathology report but will get it this Wednesday when I go to the DR. I have 2 children ages 16 and 22. I do know that on the Knottingham scale I was 7 out of 9. I am Her2neu positive and estrogen and progesterone positive. I didnt have a positive sentinel node and I know you had one. My cancer was invasive ductal with an insitu right beside it and the remainder of tissue removed had 10% insitu. I hope my previous message wasnt misleading when I reread it it almost sounds like I said I had mets but I dont. I am new at this as I started Nov 5 2003. I also had a lumpectomy. There are so many on this site with recurances or mets. I dont know it that is particular to Her2 positives or just an overall average. Feel free to email me too. I hope you continue to do well. Thanks again for writing.