TV interview on Herceptin

[Merridith]

This morning myself and my friend Trude did an interview on herceptin here in Vancouver, Canada for French TV.

Trude has locally advanced bc. She has agreed to be followed around for three days by a camera man and be "wired up" for sound. They are doing a feature presentation on Herceptin and how it affects women with HER2 breast cancer. She is one of the first people to have benefitted from being given Herceptin in our province under the new provincial funding. They went with her right into the chemo ward and filmed her receiving her first dose!!!!

Trude & the camera crew came to my place and we had a "walk & talk" about herceptin and HER2. I made sure that I mentioned this website a couple of times as an excellent source of information and support. I don't know if that information will be published because of course our conversation will be edited and our conversation (which took place in English) will be voice-overed in French.

I met Trude in a sort of seredipdous fashion. I had just finished chemo and was looking at all my left-over expensive medication. I had been able to afford top-of-the-line medications, some of which were not covered through the Canadian public Pharmacare Plan because I have a platinum health care plan. But I knew, from being in the chemo room, that there were many people that couldn't afford to buy it. I thought, what a shame to throw it all away when I knew there were people out there that could use it.

Then I thought....according the 6 times removed rule, I should know someone who knew someone that could use this medication. I needed to find someone who knew someone who had exactly the same kind of cancer as me who was currently in chemo right now. (There was no way that I could advertise this medication as available in the hospital - I didn't think that it was legal) so I had to hunt by word of mouth. Within 3 days I had found Trude through a friend of a friend. And she was happy to take my stuff to augment her supply. (I was very lucky in as much as I never lost any of my medication through being ill so I had extras)

So let's keep our fingers crossed! We might get a bit of PR!

Regards,
Merridith

[AlaskaAngel]

I'm glad that someone is putting a genuine human face on HER2 that we can relate to (who is not a movie star). I'm glad Trude is willing to take them with her as she goes through it. Thanks for tuning us in, although even as close by you as I am here in Southeast Alaska, I don't know that there would be a way for me to access the channel with the report. We are able to listen to Canadian radio and I enjoy that.

I hope, though, that they don't convey the impression that so much of the media has, with the blanket statement that ALL early stage HER2 positive breast cancer survivors have access to the protection of Herceptin. It would be nice if they acknowledged that those who are over a year out from treatment are blocked from receiving Herceptin until we recur, when the benefit is not as good.

In going through treatment, over time my medications have been changed and I too would like to find a way to recycle some of the expensive pills to those who are unable to afford them. I wish there was a donation system available through the pharmacies that would provide recycling in behalf of those people. Not only that, but some of these potent medications probably shouldn't be ending up out in the environment, which is where they go now.

I hope you will keep us posted on how the report turns out. Thanks, Merridith.

AlaskaAngel

[StephN]

Hi Merredith -
Thanks for the nice report!

When you say "French TV" - I am wondering if you mean TV 5 or what? We are able to get TV 5 with a digital box. This is sort of the equivalent of a French PBS (public funded TV).

I am hoping to see the airing, unless it is only broadcast in Canada.

[Merridith]

I am not sure what channel it would appear on if at all in the US. The documentary is being filmed for French CBC primarily for airing in Quebec. It will be aired a (in French) across Canada but I beleive the channel varies depending on your cable provider.

Merridith