TriciaK
11-19-2005, 07:31 PM
Hi everyone! I have been out of the loop for a couple of weeks and have really missed all of you and your comments and encouragements to one another. My husband and I have just moved from a large two-story house into a little smaller one-story house on November 7. I could no longer navigate the stairs, so we were only able to use half the house. We have 3 of our 9 kids living close by, and so had a lot of good help. I couldn't get my Internet, phone and TV connections turned on, though, until almost 2 weeks later. Very frustrating! It is good to be connected with the world again!
Another reason I haven't been in touch is that my last echocardiogrm on November 1 showed some more heart damage, so my cardiologist wants me to have another MUGA next Monday, Nov. 21. It is a little amusing (or annoying) because when I first told him my oncologist had me on herceptin the cardiologist said he had never heard of herceptin. I told him what I had learned here on this site about herceptin and heart problems because I had just had a heart attack a month or so before starting the herceptin. I gave him some printed info and suggested we do a MUGA, but he insisted an echo would be just as good. My oncologist finally ordered a MUGA himself on June 2, 11 months after the heart attack and about 10 months after I'd started the herceptin. THe MUGA showed 58, which is pretty good, especially in my situation. The cardiologist seemed a little put out that the oncologist ordered the MUGA because, he said, "we do MUGA's here in the heart hospital". Yet he again ordered the echo. A few days after the echo, the cardiologist's nurse called and told me the heart doctor was concerned because my echo was less than 30%, and he wanted to schedule a MUGA right away, which he did. My oncology nurse got a copy of the echo to show the oncologist the last time I went, and of course he strongly suggested we put the herceptin on hold for now.
I have very mixed emotions, of course: the concern about not having herceptin any more, fear of the heart worsening (I have known for some time something was wrong because I was very breathless and much weaker than I had been. I couldn't walk across the room without gasping for breath.)I am also very grateful to have had herceptin for 15 months past the heart attack and that my last PET showed NED. My oncologist assures me that they will monitor me carefully and can start the herceptin again when my heart improves.
So we will see what the MUGA shows. I am taking extra CQ10, fish oil, olive oil, and garlic and getting what exercise I can. And trying not to stress over all the inconvenience of moving again just before the holidays! I wasn't going to say anything to all of you until the results of the MUGA but I find I want to share this with you and get any input. So many of you have been through so much more than I, and I value your encouragement and suggestions. Do you think a stage IV, her2+++, estrogen/progesterin+, third-timer can stay NED without herceptin? My oncologist has already suggested a brain scan and another PET in a couple of months. I will see him every three weeks and stay on zometa. Any other suggestions? Thank you all so much for "listening" and all kind thoughts! Hugs, Tricia
Another reason I haven't been in touch is that my last echocardiogrm on November 1 showed some more heart damage, so my cardiologist wants me to have another MUGA next Monday, Nov. 21. It is a little amusing (or annoying) because when I first told him my oncologist had me on herceptin the cardiologist said he had never heard of herceptin. I told him what I had learned here on this site about herceptin and heart problems because I had just had a heart attack a month or so before starting the herceptin. I gave him some printed info and suggested we do a MUGA, but he insisted an echo would be just as good. My oncologist finally ordered a MUGA himself on June 2, 11 months after the heart attack and about 10 months after I'd started the herceptin. THe MUGA showed 58, which is pretty good, especially in my situation. The cardiologist seemed a little put out that the oncologist ordered the MUGA because, he said, "we do MUGA's here in the heart hospital". Yet he again ordered the echo. A few days after the echo, the cardiologist's nurse called and told me the heart doctor was concerned because my echo was less than 30%, and he wanted to schedule a MUGA right away, which he did. My oncology nurse got a copy of the echo to show the oncologist the last time I went, and of course he strongly suggested we put the herceptin on hold for now.
I have very mixed emotions, of course: the concern about not having herceptin any more, fear of the heart worsening (I have known for some time something was wrong because I was very breathless and much weaker than I had been. I couldn't walk across the room without gasping for breath.)I am also very grateful to have had herceptin for 15 months past the heart attack and that my last PET showed NED. My oncologist assures me that they will monitor me carefully and can start the herceptin again when my heart improves.
So we will see what the MUGA shows. I am taking extra CQ10, fish oil, olive oil, and garlic and getting what exercise I can. And trying not to stress over all the inconvenience of moving again just before the holidays! I wasn't going to say anything to all of you until the results of the MUGA but I find I want to share this with you and get any input. So many of you have been through so much more than I, and I value your encouragement and suggestions. Do you think a stage IV, her2+++, estrogen/progesterin+, third-timer can stay NED without herceptin? My oncologist has already suggested a brain scan and another PET in a couple of months. I will see him every three weeks and stay on zometa. Any other suggestions? Thank you all so much for "listening" and all kind thoughts! Hugs, Tricia