What a Year this Week has Been and ECHOs

 So the good news is the Perjeta and Herceptin are doing exactly what they need to be doing. The other news, that we’ll decide to call good, is that I get to stay on those infusions every 3 weeks for a full year. Yes, my friends, even when the two chemo drugs stop and I move into the surgery and radiation stages of my recovery, I continue to get targeted therapies to combat my triple positivities! Does that make me too (or three) positive? 🤔😂

 I’ve been a bit more tired this week 3 than in the past. It is all cumulative and sometimes I think I can eat spices and dairy like I used to, so this is a learning curve. Also, the last week before my next infusion is killer, but I’m learning to be patient, right?

 But speaking of positivity leading to better health of the heart, Perjeta and Herceptin can cause cardiotoxicity, (damage to the heart and/or cardiovascular system, including heart valves and vessels) requiring me to be monitored every 3-4 months by an echocardiogram. An echocardiogram (ECHO for short) is a noninvasive, painless test that uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize the shape, size, and movement of the structures of the heart. My initial ECHO was good and my next is mid-April. 

 I happen to have one of the best ECHO techs on the planet that I can call not only a skilled professional, but a good friend. (Her daughter was the one who hustled me so we have an even closer connection with the bracelet being so near and dear to my heart.) It is always helpful to have peace of mind when you know you’re getting exceptional care and a solid study that you can use to make decisions about your plan of care. 

 Something some of you may not know is my past heart surgery, a catheter ablation, for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) when I was 21. Yes, it was done under conscious sedation so I was awake to tell them when I was in a rapid cycle and yes, they used heat to ablate so it felt like severe heartburn. They only put me fully out towards the end so I would stop asking so many darn questions! Fortunately, in a way, that was due to my electrical system rather than my structural heart, so I should be going into this as good as any other. 

TL;DR

• I will stay on Perjeta and Herceptin infusions every 3 weeks for a full year, even after chemo is done, because it is working!
• I will need heart monitoring in the form of an ECHO every 3-4 months due to the cardiotoxicity of these targeted therapies. 
• I have a great ECHO tech I can call my friend. 
• It brings peace of mind to know I get quality studies from this person which helps me to make solid decisions related to my plan or care.
• My past heart surgery of a catheter ablation for SVT should not have impacted my heart structure, so I should be good going into this since my first ECHO was good.