I was at Barts today for my bi-monthly MUGA heart scan. The good news is that my heart is still holding up so I am on track to complete the full course of Herceptin. Hurrah!
So I will be back again on Thurs for my next infusion of Herceptin - and after that I think there will only be 2 more to go.
I'm not sure whether I will be relieved or anxious after I finish the course. On the one hand, it will be convenient not to have to keep going to Barts every three weeks, and it looks like the veins in my right arm are on their last legs (as it were).
But I feel safer while I'm having Herceptin - as it might be keeping recurrences at bay. Of course I do know that there is no advantage in continuing beyond a year. There is strong evidence from trials that one year gives the same protection as two and the risk of heart damage increases the longer you take the drug.
Good news that you are OK to complete your herceptin. Reaching the end of the active treatment phase is a weird place to be, but basically good. And as time passes the anxiety about recurrence seems to fade to a background hum... at least most of the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cat. I really hope you are right about anxiety reducing with time.
DeleteIt is a bit like a background hum now, but punctuated with anxiety spikes.