Herceptin is a wondeful cancer drug

...but it is not without its side-effects.

My herceptin treatments are being delayed for 9 to 10 weeks, because of Herceptin-induced Congestive Heart Failure. It took 2 over night visits to Emerg and a Muga scan results showing a decrease in function of more than 50% to get me to a cardiologist to diagnose this.

Both Emerg visits came after an hour of laying in bed gasping for air. First visit resulted in a puffer and being sent home to followup with family doctor. Second visit was more thorough, detected fluid in lungs, and treated with antibiotics but no mention of heart trouble.

It took the poor MUGA results for the oncologist to request an emergency referral to the cardiologist. He, the cardiologist, feels we can reverse these results and then continue the Herceptin with constant monitoring in 6 to 7 weeks.

This is the scariest time in my course of treatment. My mother died of heart failure, and she was only 53. She beat breast cancer, back in the mid sixties. Now I battling them both at the same time.

On the radiation front, I only have 6 treatments left. They have been going pretty good. It is a constant battle to get out of the office on time to make it to the hospital, and some day I end up going back to the office after my treatments.

Work is work this year. I have great office staff and everyone is pitching in. They make it easy for me to deal with my treatments and not worry too much about the office.

I will try to post more often.

~Inez