Cancer is back...I just knew it.

[Chelee]

Sarah you ask how I'm doing? I am just feeling so overwhelmed and have so many things going thur my mind of what I need to do...and how I'm going to get it done. Plus all the questions my onc won't answer. I know I won't feel any better at all till I talk to a "couple" other onc. One is Dr. Mortimer that Joe referred me too...hopefully they will get that set-up this week! They are already past the 72 hrs they had to get it done. I called the case manager at my place & her excuse for why it's not set-up already is because I saw a different onc at City of Hope within the last 18 months so that onc has to release me to see Dr. Mortimer. Well that shold NOT take this long...I'm in a hurry. (What about laws...it said 72 hrs...period!)

All these delays and just more added stress. Then I am a bit nervous about starting Herceptin tomorrow "without" a port...but yet I want to get started now. They keep saying Herceptin one time without a port won't damage my veins like other chemo. (I hope that's true...my veins are shot as is.) I get my port Tues., the day after Herceptin. Seems they did this backwards.

I did go on Saturday & had my ECHO...couldn't get a read on the tech to see if my heart is in good shape? Last time I did Herceptin my EF was always high...70% & I believe 65% was the lowest it went...so I hope its still fine. If I had my game plan I'd feel better I think? Trying to figure out which onc's to get opinions from...& being realisitic about how far I can drive back and forth for chemo is just stressing me out. So many things to think about AND do. I want to get at least a "Consult" with Dr. Slamon if at all possible..that would really give me some peace of mind. I've had such a great response from so many of you on the board and via PM with good idea's and referrals to great oncologist's to see. I'm over whelmed...in a good way. But yet it's hard to pick which ones to go too. I still have to call my HMO directly because the case manager at the hospital told me flat out I could NOT have more then one 2nd opinion. I find that HARD to believe. They just don't want me doing that. I'm just at my wits end about now. This entire last wk has been a nightmare to me. My appetite has been gone & I'm dropped weight & having trouble sleeping since this all started.

Until I get a 2nd opinion I won't know anything and I think thats whats causing me the most anxiety. Navelbine & Herceptin was mentioned...along with Taxotere, Tykerb or Avastin to add to the Herceptin (alone) of course. Or a clinical trial. I first need to know if I really have chest wall recurrance...my PET/CT doesn't sound like it to me...it's my seroma that's been there forever! But right axilla does suggest neoplasms. I want to know what they can do about that since I can't have rads? This waiting for 2nd opinions is going to kill me first. I'm just rambling like always...not to stressed out. Sorry!

Chelee

['lizbeth]

Chelee, I know you are understandably upset. But Herceptin is a targeted therapy not a chemotherapy. It won't damage your veins like chemo does.

You'll be okay with one treatment without a port, so don't worry about that one.

I hope that you get good news with your heart's LVEF. You deserve some good news and I'll be praying that you receive it.

We are here for you,

'lizbeth