Her 2 neu positive

inkblot said:

Hello Maureen:

Like yourself, my final path report showed that I was Her/2neu positive, and in my case, to the tune of 3. I'm now 16 months out of chemo and 13 months out of radiation.

Initially my docs thought I'd only need surgery and radiation. After the reports came back, however, they began talking chemo.
Like yourself, I was frightened. I was totally hormone negative, with approx. 75 percent of my tumor being invasive and the remaining 25 percent being DCIS.

First, Her/2neu generally occurs in
premenopausal women. A lot of the talk you may hear about it is based strictly on "percentages", etc.. As we get farther along in our bc experience, as you will also, we learn that percentages aren't worth very much. Our bodies are all very different, even when our tumor properties may be quite similar or even the same. Please try not to get hung up re the Her/2 thing and envision cancer in your body, ready to explode! That's not good. It's perfectly normal and ok to be afraid. I found that it was possible to be completely positive and completely scared out of my wits at the same time. One feeling doesn't necessarily preclude the other.

Science cannot yet tell us precisely what Her/2neu means to us and if they could, it would be in "percentages". Percentages are arrived at because not everyone with the same thing going on, has the same outcome, even with the same treatment. Remember that!

Rather than try to tell you what I understand about it, please go to: www.nci.nih.gov The info you'll find there is reliable and comes from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

Please keep in mind that AC treatment (I had 4 cycles also) is considered "aggressive" treatment for a small tumor with no node spread (mine was 1 cm). So, your odds of doing very well are excellent! Although I was afraid, initially, I knew that chemo was what I wanted and needed. I wanted to always know that I'd done the best I could do concerning the best treatment for me. I researched, got three 2nd opinions, talked to other women and settled on what I thought was best for me. Taking everything known and not know into consideration.

None of us are comfortable with the idea of chemo, BUT, we must also be thankful that we have it as an option to consider. It's intimidating but it helps if you can focus on taking the very best care of yourself, while you're going through it and forever afterward. A good diet with plenty of rest, lots of relaxation and thinking positive is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. I'm no poster girl for L'Oreal but, fact is, we ARE worth it! Read up on supplements and natural remedies and decide, with your doc, what's best for you. Consulting with a nutritionist can be very helpful, as well and talking at least once with the treatment centers' oncology social worker, one on one.

I got through my treatments well and my check ups have all been good and I feel good about the decisions I made. I'm feeling good, am healthy and sassy and just happy to be here. I know it's a difficult time for you but you WILL begin to settle and find perspective and like so many of us, you may also find some blessings, hidden under the cloak of breast cancer.

YOU ARE NOT DOOMED! Like so many of your sisters, you're traveling a difficult road. One which all of us here either walked, crawled or ran down. Some days feeling like a snails pace...other days, hopping along like a bunny and then there ARE days when we may actually leave the ground altogether and fly. You too, Marueen, can fly. Trust yourself!

Look at it this way: 20 years ago, no one knew beans about Her/2neu. In another 20 years they'll be able to test for things we cannot now imagine. Yet, it's very safe to say that many, many women who were treated for bc 20 years ago survived nicely, although they were also Her/2neu...it's just that no one knew at the time, as there was no test for it. This has been proven in some women who've had bone mets occur 15-20 years following initial treatment...their mets were Her/2neu! This would indicate that their initial breast tumors had also been Her/2neu but unknown. A met 20 years later from a so called aggressive tumor wouldn't seem very aggressive in the big picture, I don't think. (this happend to my best friend's sister in law)

Please keep us posted and try some things which can help you to relax between now and when chemo begins. For me, that first treatment was the most scary because I had no idea what to expect or how my body would
handle it. After that, I was fine.

I wish you oodles of good luck and am sending big warm hugs your way.

Love, light and laughter,
Ink