[ammebarb]

Hi Marcia. While I'm not Her2 positive, I am a long time bc survivor. At the time of my diagnosis (26 years ago), I thought I was stage two. Now I think maybe I was stage three. They didn't test for Her2 back then. I was treated pretty agressively---had a right modified radical mastectomy and a year of CMF chemo, on a three week cycle. Initially, I did a month of weekly chemo. My recollection isn't the greatest, but I think I had nine of sixteen lymph nodes affected...and back then the number affected the length of chemo. If more than half of those sampled were malignant the treatment was for a year, otherwise chemo was for six months.

It took me a long, long time to believe in my health.....I too had young children. They were eight and eleven at the time. I'm now grandma to five! Prior to cancer, I had lived like many young people do---believing I'd live forever. Cancer certainly makes one aware of mortality. I guess my "new normal", which isn't so new anymore, was mostly about not living in fear. It sure was a process for me. As I said, it took a loooooong time for cancer not to e the focus of my life. Now my sister has been diagnosed(Her2+) and I'm thinking about it a lot more again. I completely understand how we need to hear about women who are NED...that's why it's so important that the ones who are doing well continue to write to groups.

There has been a lot of loss on this group lately, and these men and women are among the most caring I've come across online. I wish us all comfort in the wake of this loss, and also hope for ourselves and other sisters and brothers we love.

Barb A.