[Lolly]

I'm glad you feel you can share your feelings with us here, but I'm sorry you don't have more faith in the very real benefit you could receive from Herceptin. But as you say, it's a personal choice.

I personally think there is a very real and measurable benefit for many of us from the addition of Herceptin to our chemo regimens. For myself, the increase in time can be measured in years, not months. I was diagnosed Stage IIIB in Sept. 99, and recurred less than 6 months later when I then went on Herceptin/Navelbine. After 6 months of tx I had over 2 years of disease free time, during which time my daughter was married and settled in her first home, and my son bought his first home with our help, events I am sure I would not have been around to witness without the addition of Herceptin to my treatments. I base this belief on watching no less than four friends with breast cancer die during this period of time. Their diagnosis was similar to mine, their stage of disease actually earlier, their treatments similar and in fact two of them had the added advantage of having hormone positive disease which expanded their options. The ONLY difference between their situations and mine is that I am able to receive Herceptin to help keep the cancer contained. I am not under any illusions that this is a cure, that I will one day wake up and be disease free, but I do feel hopeful that Herceptin IN COMBINATION with chemo and other newer therapies in development will help this to be a manageable, chronic disease. I know many people who live with diabetes, COPD, heart disease, etc. and they don't mind taking doing whatever they need to do to live with their condition. I believe cancer can be managed the same way. I may eventually die of cancer BUT in the meantime I plan to live WITH cancer for as long as possible. I owe this to my loving family and friends, to my doctors and nurses who celebrate every victory with me, and most of all to myself.

<3 Lolly