[Becky]

After reading Hopeful's post, she summed up everything wonderfully. I will admit that I also get anxious about this disease. However, as Hopeful has said, those that post include the newly diagnosed who don't know what to expect and those that have metastatic disease. I have been part of this board for over 2 years now and have seen many members not return after adjuvant therapy is over. Therefore, we don't see all the women who are doing so well.


There are several reasons I stay with it. This site is the best in keeping up with continuing and cutting edge research for Her2 and targeted sites in general. This is one stop shopping versus surfing the web yourself all night long. Also, everybody here really cares about and likes each other. Also, there are enough of us to say that we have really seen it all (and can allay one another's fears about aches and pains that are usually about something else other than cancer).

I continue to do well and statistically, I should continue to do so. Sometimes I get scared when someone on the board who did not have cancer as bad as I did becomes Stage 4 but I stick with it because people like Lolly, StephN, Sheila, Sandy H, Rozebud, Alaska Angel, Lisa, Joe, Christine and others were here when I was diagnosed, getting treatment and fighting hard for adjuvant Herceptin (because the trial wasn't completed yet and it wasn't available). These women (and those who no longer visit the board), dragged me through and gave me courage (to get a new oncologist, get Herceptin among other things) and I feel very commited to helping others do the same. I always was positive only because you only have one life to live and you might as well be as happy and productive as possible no matter what (because in reality - nobody gets out of here alive so we are all on equal footing anyway).

So smile as much as you can