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islandgirl · 01-14-2010, 09:45 PM

Dear StephN:
Thanks for your post. It sounds like you know about those ferry rides..... being in Seattle. I had my surgeries done through SCCA and University of Washington (Ben Anderson, M.D. and a great nurse/friend, Kathie Errico). I am receiving oncological services now through Swedish and love my doc (Kristine Rinn). It's all so personal, isn't it? I sit here cozied with my younger daughter under a new pink blanket courtesy of the chemo unit I visited today!! I had herceptin treatment this a.m. and the nurses were handing out fleece blankets courtesy of the Herceptin drug company - my initial response was to cringe - good grief - and then I paused and said, "Hmmm, a $12,000 blanket (the cost of treatment for 30 minutes - I figured it's about $440 a minute), I'll take it". The nurses and I got a good laugh out of it. Yes, I know it's black humor and I'm not fond of free advertising for the drug companies, however, if Herceptin is what keeps us all alive and kicking, we SHALL enjoy this warm, cozy, pink fleece gift... It may not be cashmere, but it is I am going to carry the image of being enveloped in it's good graces......Take care and stay well..

Jude
Island Girl

01-14-2010, 09:45 PM	#30
islandgirl Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 22	Re: Kvetching Dear StephN: Thanks for your post. It sounds like you know about those ferry rides..... being in Seattle. I had my surgeries done through SCCA and University of Washington (Ben Anderson, M.D. and a great nurse/friend, Kathie Errico). I am receiving oncological services now through Swedish and love my doc (Kristine Rinn). It's all so personal, isn't it? I sit here cozied with my younger daughter under a new pink blanket courtesy of the chemo unit I visited today!! I had herceptin treatment this a.m. and the nurses were handing out fleece blankets courtesy of the Herceptin drug company - my initial response was to cringe - good grief - and then I paused and said, "Hmmm, a $12,000 blanket (the cost of treatment for 30 minutes - I figured it's about $440 a minute), I'll take it". The nurses and I got a good laugh out of it. Yes, I know it's black humor and I'm not fond of free advertising for the drug companies, however, if Herceptin is what keeps us all alive and kicking, we SHALL enjoy this warm, cozy, pink fleece gift... It may not be cashmere, but it is I am going to carry the image of being enveloped in it's good graces......Take care and stay well.. Jude Island Girl __________________ 2002 Dx with DCIS, low-grade, non-invasive Estrogen/Progesterone +. Lumpectomy (10/26/02) Bad margins. 2002 (12/2/02)Mastectomy left breast 2004 lump right breast. Lumpectomy 6/09 (benign) 2007 total hysterectomy (fibroids/family hx of ovarian cancer) 2009 Dx with DCIS, high grade 3 with microinvasion. Estrogen-Progesterone -, HER2 Neu + 2009 (3/26/09) Mastectomy right breast 5/09 - 8/09 weekly Taxol/Herceptin 8/09 - Present - Herceptin every 3 weeks 6/10 Begin breast reconstruction!