Setback

Monday I had my regular MUGA scan, and got the results today. It wasn't great.

My ejection fraction was at 49 percent. It has to be at least 50 percent for me to continue to receive the Herceptin. There was also a slight enlargement of one of the heart's chambers.

But, heart damage is an expected side effect of Herceptin; that's why they do the MUGA scan every eight weeks. The plan is to just stop my Herceptin treatment for about a month. I'll have another MUGA scan on Sept. 5, and then follow up with my doctor the next week. I'm scheduled to continue the Hercpetin through December, but this could extend my treatment a bit longer.

The good news is that in most cases, heart damage caused by Herceptin is reversible. That's why my doctor is taking me off it for a few weeks. Keeping up with the exercise should help, too.

But on the bad news front, there's an increased risk of coronary heart disease for women who receive radiation for breast cancer on the left side (see more about halfway through this article). Which, of course, is the side I had it on. Even more reason to get off my butt and keep exercising, I guess.