One more round of treatment then I am finished with my 12 months of breast cancer treatments.  Holy friggin cow, I couldn't be more relieved to be just around the corner from being done.  Admittedly, I am exhausted.  There is an extent of mental and physical endurance that comes with 12 months of treatments, 12 months of follow-up doctor appointments to make sure the treatment drugs aren't doing more damage than good, 12 months of roller coaster rides of blood work, biopsies, and tests, 12 months of feeling cognitively and physically drained, 12 months of having tunnel vision of getting to a place of good - physical, mental and emotional - health. 

In two weeks on April 16th, I will be joyously relieved to receive my 18th and FINAL round of herceptin infusions.  My first round was April 18. 2018.  It's hard to say what emotions will come up around this monumental moment in my history, but as I write this I can't help but wipe the tears of relief away.

As my request this time: As we get closer to my final treatment (April 16), a text or note of encouragement would be super helpful to get me to the finish line.  John will be joining me for my appt that day; but anxiety keeps me up at night worrying whether I really need to do the final treatment. Is it doing more harm than good at this point?  I ask these questions with my clear understanding of cancer treatment - pushing the body with chemicals as far as they can, without actually killing you; and with my experience of feeling the side effects of herceptin (fatigue, labored breathing, headache); and as I witness the remnant side effects from chemo (numb/tingly fingers/hands when I sleep, fatigue, brittle fingernails, memory fog) and radiation (fatigue and tightness in my chest and arm - I do physical therapy everyday to offset permanent mobility issues). 

This last portion of my treatment (Herceptin infusions) seems to confuse people.  I've been asked quite a few questions - and here are my responses:  
1) Is Herceptin a chemotherapy? No, it is a monoclonal antibody used to treat HER2+ (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) breast cancer.  [My diagnosis was HER2+, node +, Stage 3B, Grade 3].  Herceptin sticks to the HER2 protein, and it prevents breast cancer cells from growing in a way that the body cannot control.  A little HER2+/Herceptin history:  In 1987, physicians first discovered that the HER2 protein played a role in the aggressive development and growth of breast cancer cells (so just 30 years ago, HER2+ breast cancer was barely defined yet.). By 1998 (when I graduated from UF) clinical trials showed that Herceptin could slow down HER2+breast cancer growth.  In 2006 (a year after I moved to the Bay Area), Genentech's Herceptin (used w/ chemotherapy) was approved by FDA for HER2+ breast cancer patients and survival rates improved by 30%.   To say the least, I am very grateful for the timeliness of this Genentech life-saver drug and to the timeliness of the legalization of cannabis to offset cancer treatment side effects.  

2) Is Herceptin infused into the veins via your port like chemotherapy? Yes.  
3) How long does the infusion take?  30-60 minutes, including acupuncture and IV hydration during infusion.  Yes, Kaiser has a full-time acupuncturist dedicated to the oncology infusion center.  Kaiser is a slow moving ship, but happy to say it is moving in the right direction.  
4) How frequently are the infusions? Every 3 weeks.  
5) How many herceptin infusions are prescribed?  A total of 18 infusions, over a 12 month period.  
6) What are the side effects?  For me, fatigue, labored breathing and trouble sleeping, on day 4 and 5 fatigue kicks in more heavily; and anxiety.
7) Are there any serious potential side effects of Herceptin?  Yes, in 2-7% of cases, herceptin is associated with cardiac dysfunction, which includes congestive heart failure. As a result, I receive regular cardiac screening with echocardiography every 3 months, to make sure there are no implications to my heart.  

And here is a little recap on the last few weeks...