As if spinal fusion wasn't bad enough in 1994, fifteen months later I was diagnosed with HER-2 positive breast cancer. Traditional chemotherapy was a bust, I developed severe bone pain then open sores all over by body - I was allergic to the drugs. I was then started on Herceptin to treat the HER-2 status for 18 months. For those who don't know, HER-2 is a genetic disorder which causes the cancer to be highly recurrent and more aggressive.Two months later, mamo time again.Guess what, positive again but negative for HER-2. Each time I had lumpectomies but the 2nd one is when I got my 2nd surprise -staph infection. Four months later, I did 6 weeks of radiation. Twelve days later it was mamo time again - "probable benign" was the result. It is believed to be in the scar tissue, so the doctors said not to worry. Easier said than done. All I know is that HER-2 is not talked about very much and the doctor doesn't know whether the 2nd tumor was a totally new cancer or if the Herceptin had done it's job. I sit here 4 months later wondering if I have a tumor or not. They did the mamo too soon and created another infection. It is still warm to the touch and painful. I just don't know what to do besides wait and pray. A movie, "Living Proof" was made about Herceptin's discovery. It was helpful and scary. I just hope that the next mamo is negative. I've had so many pet scans I should be glowing. Last one showed some activity in the area of the scar tissue but nothing definitive. Next month it's mamo time again. I believe strongly in prayer, so please pray for all breast cancer patients. CLICK TO GIVE!!!

Julie Bruce
Jackson, GA