reception for herceptin

i had my first infusion of herceptin this past monday. i was so nervous driving in that i started to have a panic attack. i didn't know if my port which you know i was against getting would even work and i was worried about the pain going in and the side effects. herceptin basically works as an inhibitor to the human growth factor, her-2/neu. i like to think of it as working kind of like the candy -coating of an m & m. it coats the cell and prevents this factor from overexpressing itself, thereby eliminating that ingredient for producing another tumor. For woman who have my particular pathology, which is triple positive (estrogen & progesteron positive & her-2/neu) herceptin is a "miracle" drug. before it was introduced, my cancer had a recurrence rate of about 65%.

Was hugely relieved that this first of infusion of 17 straight weeks went in like a thumb tack into the port. I normally would have just popped my new favorite drug of choice, xanax but i wasn't sure if i needed to use the ativan which is kind of like xanax w/ anti-nausea thrown in. i finally was given the green light to take the xanax - going forward i'm supposed to take ativan. i was beyond relieved when the port which i've been bitching & moaning about worked and didn't hurt. yee ha. made the whole f-in thing worthwhile. i had been plotting to send the orthodox surgeon who inserted it all kinds of traif to her office to get back at her since it is really low and bascially sits in my left breast (the non-cancerous one) so i now will have matched scars on both sides. one top, one bottom.

the good news for me is that the side effect for this have been minimal. i was so tired from the xanax, benadryl, tylenol and stress that i came home from the infusion and went to sleep for 3 hours. when i woke up i had some chills and a slight headache but took some advil and went back to sleep. had a headache tuesday but again, advil seemed to cure it. HUGELY relieved, as this drug continues for a full year so i'll still be getting it next november.

you should see the regimen they have cooked up for me. start this sunday w/ pepcid & steroid & ativan. monday am steroids & more ativan. chemo. Monday night all kinds of antinausea stuff. i have 5 different options. then Tuesday i get more steroids, a shot of white blood cell boosting stuff & more antinausea.

today i am finding out about my brca gene test. i'm going to need a xanax for that one. if it's positive, i get to look forward to having a double masectomy and my ovaries out once i'm recovered from the chemo. otherwise it's just radiation.

augh. i'm going to end by saying that i took advantage of my last day to goof off and went to momofuku noodle bar w/ 2 of my closest college friends and drank a lot of sake. i was happy there.

lastly, jodie foster & mel gibson are filming on my block. it's been more annoying than fun as the production team is always blocking something and i go back and forth about 20 times during the day ...a little excitement for the small town i live in but why does it have to be on my block right now?

wish me luck today. i will be devastated if my test comes back positive :(