One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

I wanted to share with you, that once a year, I get to go to a dinner with a few other cancer survivors from the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, it is a donor dinner. Two years ago I met Ginger, she is one of the original ladies on the first Her2 trial. She was featured in the movie. She is alive and well at 70. When she went on the trial she was almost in liver failure, her liver was covered in mets. She is no longer on any treatments and is living happily in Bakersfield.

I also get to see and talk to Dr Slamon and thank him for saving my life, which is always a dream come true.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Thanks! So happy to read this.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Hi waterdreamer -
So glad you can get to know Ginger. She was with our group twice at San Antonio, so I also have had the pleasure of getting to know her. She has led a busy and active family life all these years.

I think she is also a nurse. She is also mentioned in the book on the making of Herceptin by R. Bazell. Ginger pestered the clinical trial organizers and was number one in the phase III version. Ginger is a perfect example of "persistence pays" in the world of cancer trials.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Thanks for this. When I grow up I wanna be Ginger!!

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Me too! I want to be Ginger and it would be a dream come true to meet Dr.Slamon. It was TDM1 that wiped out my liver mets- but it all starts with Herceptin.

Thanks for sharing!

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Thanks for posting this, Waterdreamer! :) You made my day!

Carol Ann

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

That kind of news is SO uplifting. Thanks so much for sharing with us. We have so many folks to thank that there is now treatment for us HER2 ladies including the Dr's and those ladies like Ginger that participated in the trial.

There IS hope.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Thank you! That's fantastic.

Last time I checked, Barbara Bradfield (played by Bernadette Peters in the movie "Living Proof") was also still alive. I did a quick search and didn't find her this time.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

I should have mentioned that I saw Ginger this week, but that we get to meet once a year, and the time prior that I saw her, was two years ago. I will try and encourage her to join the boards, to give others encouragement. She is full of life and a lot of fun.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Great to hear and yes, so grateful that Dr. Slamon persevered after genetech pulled out its financial support and he brought us all the gift of life. and thanks to the Tartikoffs for stepping in.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Thanks for letting us know, wonderful news!

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Thanks for letting us know that Ginger is alive and doing well.
So uplifting for us all to know this.

all the best
caya

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

i believe another of those original herceptin responders is alive and well also. she is mentioned in Muhkerjees excellent book on the War on cancer -can't remember the title right now. always good to hear from you waterdreamer - Lorraine is still ned , just about 3 yrs , still on t dm-1 , but at 2.4 monthly, with very low markers - thinking about coming off later this Winter - will get a pet and probably bone scan - if no uptake - may go for it !

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Thank you for sharing such an uplifting story.

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Ginger and I have been e'ing for a really long time. When my dghtr lived in Bev Hills my husband and I would travel out there twice a yr.

Many moons ago, Ginger drove from Bakersfield to have lunch with me in Bev Hills. We spent nearly 3 hrs laughing and chatting.

I found I was HER2+ when I metastasized in Aug of '98. Went on the fast-tracked Herceptin in Oct of same yr. Among the first. Lucky me. 4th stage from the getgo.

Ginger and I swore we'd be on H -- forever. Why fix what wasn't broken? No one knew how long to recommend.

I met Slamon when seeing his then partner Dr. Mark Pegram who was a part of the team that developed H. I got to hug them both and thank them for saving my life! They were almost as thrilled as Paul and I were!!

A nurse had mentioned Slamon was in the office, visiting. No longer in practice there at the time. I refused to leave till I met him. He came straight away!

What a joy...

And Ginger and I stayed on H for 10 yrs. I've been off since '08. STABLE. Just like Ginger. She's a true joy of a lady and I am eternally grateful to have met her and spent such a special after -- at The Four Seasons, my husband's treat! We sipped wine by the pool and shared our mutually optimistic, determined attitudes, reinforcing our Spirits with laughter and chutzpah!

Hi Fern! Feel free to e me when you wish. Just put HER2 SISTER in the subject line.

I'm always here for you, my Sisters!

Love to you all,
Andi

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

Re: One of the original ladies on first Herceptin trial alive and doing well.
 

thank you for this post. I remember watching that movie when I was first diagnosed...it gave me so much hope and I was amazed at how brave those women were.