[SoCalGal]

I have been meeting with second and third and fourth opinion doctors over the past few weeks and trying to figure out a treatment plan.

Along the way I realized that since joining this board in April, I have spent about 5-7 hours per week online, on this site, reading;
your posts,
your posted abstracts,
your opinions,
your thoughts and ideas,
your posted studies,
some surveys,
and of course some of that time is spent writing my own stuff.

Basically, I have spent nearly 200 hours here, learning more about breast cancer and treatment than ever before. Considering that I am an 11 year survivor, it is significant to me how much more I have learned from this board than from all the books on my shelf!

AND
In meeting with various doctors, I noticed that I was able to communicate on a better and more efficient level than in the past. I feel that my meetings were more "professional" and that I was treated with more respect than in the past. I was able to better fight Blue Cross (who turned down ALL treatment for me), and prevail this week.

In thinking about these things, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributes here. Especially to Joe and Christine for providing such a wonderful place to connect and learn.

Thursday I will be starting back on Herceptin & Tykerb. I am going with another oncologist - leaving "my guy" of 11 years and going with a very aggressive woman oncologist. She's already scheduled me for a Brain MRI, followed by a bone scan when the isotope shortage is over, and thanks to info here, I will have my existing tumor (that is sitting on a shelf doing nothing) re-evaluated for more current information with an IHC from T-Gen. I have an updated supplement plan that includes some mushroom extracts, and some other goodies to bump up my immune system. After all, SOMETHING in my body must be working to allow me to still be here so I am going to do all I can do to support my 50 year old self Targeted therapy for a cancer with many targets. And despite the FDA I am going to figure out how to add in AVASTIN and still send my kids to college and put food on everyone's table. Step by step. With Her2support.org as my strongest weapon!
With gratitude and appreciation, ~Flori