*TAMOXIFEN* the 5th

[MaryAnnSingleton]

in case we forget and find ourselves at 1000 - here's a fresh new thread !

ee, hope arm is ok...you have treated it quickly so am sure it'll be fine. Am waiting for new light shades ! hope shed arrives

You have been a busy lot.

MAS, story fits with tamoxifen-when did you start it? Not a nice experience tho, but atleast u wer at home. I wil never forget being at a garden party in London with my BIL and SIL who live there, feeling v summery in a cream linen dress, and standing up from where I had been sitting for an hour, when BIL raced after me...had to go straight home . Am starting tamoxifen in 2 wks but everything seem to stop on chemo anyway.

SR, also had big mature son in lower 6th talking about careers which saddens me in a very small selfish area of brain. Think MAS has one there too?

PUrple, my friend is at the herceptin stage now and is very well. I will be starting it after radiotherapy too bit it is piece of cake I gather.

Speaking of cake, us Irish Catholics really do make a huge deal of funerals, and really enjoy them in fact, it is big party for the dead, and I always think it's nearly a pity the party bit doesn't happen while the deceased is still around. But then you couldn't talk about them as much, with exaggerated stories that they would be able to correct! Go and get into the swing of it, sounds like dd will be right in there!

Mouth ulcers cleared (think the cocktails on Sat nite helped as much as the aspirin!), and now packing a bag, off to Nice tomorrow for 3 days. I now feel I really am out the other end of this chemo lark, and it's a good feeling. Weather suddenly winter here and DH
and I need a little quality time.

Sorry to hear about your earthquake pals, SR, life turns on a sixpence doesn't it. Enjoy your day, ladies, winter or not.

Cupcaked - Nice sounds brilliant - have a lovely time. I am planning a 3 days trip tp Pisa for early October, once chemo all over and allowing a couple of weeks for SEs to subside. Mind you I think it will be just when I'm starting tamoxifen!

I don't know if you've been to Nice before but I also love Antibes which is not far away - I really like the feel of it there, and seeing the mountains from the beach.

Still waiting for shed but gives me time to spend with DD , just chatting. She doesn't often get back home so its nice. She's learning Sweish at the mo' as prep for the course she's just about to go and do in Gothenburg. We've been trying to think of fmaous things about Sweden! (Abba, IKEA, Wallander, Nature, Glass, The Girsl with the Dragon Tattoo - also Pippi Longstocking. And the Moomins were written in Swedish although written by a Finn. Pickled herring. Meatballs. Then we ran out!)

daime bars ? schnapps...um....
cupcaked - have been on tamoxifen for a year now (a year today in fact -happy anniversary !)
ds is only 13,so a bit of a way away from yr 11

Trip to Nice sounds lovely CC, (as does yours to Pisa SR) I'm glad the mouth ulcers are on their way out (alcohol probably as good a remedy as any, and more enjoyable).

Sixth form does suddenly sound grown up doesn't it - I remember from when mine were at that age. DD is back to uni in a couple of weeks, starting her final year - I have no idea where the time has gone!

Hope you're feeling a bit better today MAS

I am having terrible hot flushes at the moment - can't drink a cup of tea, or do washing up or even sit in the evening without suddenly becoming drenched. I'm going to a BCC info. session on menopausal symptoms next week so hope they have some good suggestions.

Was Alfred Nobel Swedish?

The Swedish chef in the Muppets

KK- sorry to hear about the sweats. Am dreading these so all tips will be welcome.

Thank-you for the Swedish suggestions! I'll pass these on. Yes I think Nobel was Swedish. Daim - yes. Didn't know about the Muppets chef!! Not sure about Schnapps.

Shed arrived - hm, quite um, large. Its all propped up outside till I can get my garden man (how grand!) to level off the area I want it. DH might be alarmed by scale of the project to put it up...

My DD is also about to go into final year of uni although I suspect she'll want to study further so will need to support her for a while yet. She's not exactly career-minded...but her trip to Sweden does sound great and why not enjoy life? I'm sure she'll eventually realise she needs to earn a crust....I remind myslef also that she's young in her academic year and that I didn't start earning till I was a bit older than she is. All the slog of working can wait another couple of years!!

I'm feeling a bit perkier today though not quite with it and keep making silly mistakes eg wrong pin number for card at the farm shop we've just been to. Aha, that's because it was the wrong card.

Its veggie sausages and bulgar wheat pilaff tonight, with hone grown tomatoes and parsley of course. The tomatoes are flourishing and all ripening nicely now. Green tom chutney will have to wait for another year. Beans have almost given up and ditto courgettes. But with my new greenhouse I'll be raring to go next year!

exciting about shed !! you'll be self sufficient next year ! Our tomatoes are all ripening and we have apples too-carrots were hopeless...but there are flowers on the chilli plants which is exciting as they were grown from seeds.
I haven't been bothered by sweats or flushes,at least nothing bad enough to make me feel yucky.
Ds has had hair cut and I had my fringe trimmed - so nearly ready for new term !

MAS - our carrots hopeless too - Very 'baby' ie one inch long. NOt worth the bother sadly.

Just in case you're interested I have had news of my NZ friends. The quake was terrifying - she said like a giant had picked up the house and was shaking it like a rattle! Mud and sand and water have bubbled up all over the garden, the water tank fell down and they had no electricity or clean water. Her DH (an engineer) dug down to their bore and rigged up a new tap to access water, and also made a loo outside! What a hero.

They're all off work/school till at least MOnday. Electricity and water now back for them, but lots of families affected much worse. The aftershocks are apparantly still very strong and scary so the whole family sleep in one room for support. It really makes me think (again) about the forces of nature)

that sounds truly terrifying SR - what a very clever dh though..poor,poor things.

SR, quake sounds terrifying. Your poor friends, but handy to have a man who can do all of that!

Hope your cut's healing. To reassure, I've had a few clumsy cuts on the node removed side, and so far all's been well. Paper cuts are yuk though; so sharp.

On the trivial side, if you have the time, how do you make your Dahl? My last lot was good, but a bit too butch. Never seem to have found a recipe I like. Kind of turned into a holy grail for me.

On Sweden, howabout Strindberg, Greta Garbo, and Bergman? Oh and okay so she's Finnish, but I love Tove Jansson's adult fiction. 'The Summer Book', is just beautiful, but have just read 'The True Deceiver', which is deliciously dark and sparsely written.

Cupcaked; Nice, now that sounds attractive. Glad to hear there's light on the other side chemo. I met a woman yesterday at the hospital yesterday who's on her last but one Herceptin. She looked astoundingly healthy and said it's been fine for her. I haven't got Herceptin, just Tamoxifen, but still seeing her made me feel so much better. Glad mouth ulcers gone.

I had 5th chemo yesterday and so far so good. Just been out for coffee with a friend, and beers tonight with another, so must be alright. Think it'll kick in for weekend, so am making the most of it.

MAS, surely your son's started back by now? He seems to be the last one of all of them.

well done for 5th chemo smee..hope you feel ok too by w/end.

Ds is back to school tomorrow !

Hi all, you're busy as usual!

Embarrassed to say this is the first I've heard of an earthquake in NZ - it sounds really scary, hope SR's friends get themselves sorted soon. Lucky they have a handy bloke in their midst, we'd be absolutely useless.

Well done on 5th chemo and going for beers, smee - that's the spirit.

Can't advise on the period thing MAS - mine stopped on the chemo and never came back. But I think as others said, periods do come and go a bit during menopause, and that's what the tamoxifen is bringing about, so try not to worry too much as long as it doesn't go on too long.

Funeral went fine, thanks for thinking of us - dd had written a prayer which she wanted someone else to read for her, but in the end her older cousins (who all did something too) sort of gently encouraged her to do her own, and she went up quite happily, they picked her up to the microphone and she did a grand old job. A lucrative one, too. there wasn't a free seat in the church and I think at least half the people there gave her money afterwards! Embarrassing really... but she coped

Never been to a burial before though, man that hole was deep.

I have been wondering whether to post this as I don't want to alarm anyone, but have decided to in case it helps people to be careful about weight.

I saw the doctor yesterday about something quite unrelated and she asked how I was post BC treatment. I said I thought I was OK - but she said I needed to lose weight (quite a bit went on during chemo, I am not vast but I could do with losing a stone). Anyway, I told her it just would not come off despite exercise etc. She said it was important to work hard on it and she advises all her ladies who have had chemo to give themselves a year to recover if they need to, but after that they need to get the weight off. As you probably know, being overweight increases the risk of diabetes, and post chemo we are more at risk. I hope this doesn't cause alarm, it's not meant to, it is just something I had not heard before and it has put me right back on the crispbreads, so I thought it might be useful knowledge to have.

Cakes, really glad the funeral went okay. And a big cheer for your DD. Very brave of her to read, but am sure it will have helped her too. Is your DH alright? Must be very hard to bury a parent.

On the exercise / weight loss thing. My Onc told me they're now seeing exercise/ weight balance is another layer of defence. ie, it's as important for prevention of recurrence as chemo/ rads/ tamoxifen (ie all round body fitness is the final preventative layer).

Coincidentally I picked up a Macmillan leaflet from the hospital on Monday about it all, which says:

'The female hormone oestrogen is linked with breast and womb cancer. Before the menopause oestrogen is produced by the ovaries, but after the menopause oestrogen is made by body fat. Being overweight increases the amount of fat in the body and women who are overweight have higher than usual levels of oestrogen. In both breast and womb cancer the more fat there is, the higher the amount of oestrogen the body makes.'

Sounds logical really. We'll have to start a Tamoxifen fitness thread!

Ckes- well done to your DD. I think that's very brave to read a prayer. I am always far too emtional to do these things so other people have to read what I write. Yes, its a shock in a way seeing a grave isn't it. Hope you're OK now.

Thank-you for the info about the weight. I have also put weight on, so will need to make an effort. Didn't know chemo increased the risk of diabetes so that is well worth knowing. I will need to lose a stone and a half I think.

Smee - thanks for further Swedish thoughts! On the dal, I agree its a bit of a holy grail. I like Nigel Slater's recipe.

225g lentils
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
75 g ghee, butter or oil
1/2 teasp cumin seeds
1 medium onion sliced
2 sliced cloves of garlic
1 small chilli pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

Put lentils in a pan with turmeric, teasp. of salt, and enough water to cover, ie about 1.5 pints. Bring to the boil, stirring. Tur down heat and simmer for 25 mins, stirring occasionally. Lentils should be easy to squah, if not keep cooking a bit.

Meanwhile, heat the butter (or oil or ghee), add cumin seeds and cook for a few seconds till they are dark brown. Add onion and garlic and cook till both a deep nutty brown. About 20 mins. Stir them so they don't burn.

When the lentils have absorned all the water, beat them with awooden spoon to get a nice soft puree. Scoop into a dish and pour the spiced butter and onions on top. Scatter with coriander if you've got it.

I have another recipe by Rose Elliot which I used this week but I think the above is better. Its juts getting the right consistency which is key I think, along with the spices! Enjoy.

My last IV is tomorrow then one more week of tablets!

Ooh I do love a bit of Nigel. Not sure how I missed his recipe. Thanks for taking the time to type. Which lentils do you find work best??

Big hooray for last IV tomorrow. Nearly through for you!! When do you guesstimate you'll feel out of all SE's though?

Well done on 5th chemo Smee, hope you are feeling OK today and it hasn't kicked in too hard this time.

Well done to your DD Cakes, she was brave - and it sounds as if she has some lovely cousins. I'm glad the funeral went well (not quite the right phrase but you know what I mean), everything is a bit in limbo until these things are dealt with I think.

Thanks for the weight info., I had thought as much, and mentioned it to my GP (as one of my worries about the thyroid weight I put on) and he was a bit dismissive of my worries - I think he was trying to be reassuring. But frankly I like to have info. especially if its something I can at least try to deal with.

Its such a battle isn't it? - the treatments make you put on weight . Its also hard - don't know about all of you - but if I get a bit anxious or down I tend to eat junk .

I can't seem to shift any weight - so if anyone finds a miracle diet - let me know. I do a fair amount of exercise,so not so bothered about that, but it doesn't seem to take any pounds off! Oh well - pass me a crispbread Cakes

On the topic of exercise I went to pilates last night and it was good fun. I felt as if I'd worked quite hard, so that can only be good. Also met a nice woman who's fairly recently moved to the village, so had someone to walk home with in the dark!

Love to all, and good luck for first day back for DS MAS.
Hope things are improving a bit for your friends SR, - I hadn't really considered the aftershocks, - must be very scary. (We had a tiny earthquake here once and that was enough to make everything shake in the house, so goodness knows what a big one feels like)

ooh yes, MAS, good luck to ds - he is late back, isn't he?

And yay for last IV chemo, smee! Not long now!

Glad the weight advice didn't alarm unduly. I am also having major trouble with getting any off at all. I have a friend with a different complaint who has been on steroids and bulked up a bit - her GP said steroid weight is the very worst to get off. Ho hum. I am eating a chicken and tomato sandwich with no butter or spread of any kind. It's a bit dry...

Glad pilates went well. KK. I went last night too. I am sure it all must help. Somehow. I am going again tomorrow, this one is a pilates session at the hospital specifically for my back and I will be doing it for six weeks. So I may get slim yet!

By the way - thanks for asking, smee, dh is doing pretty well, thanks. I expect depression to set in over the next few weeks though - that's the way he is really.

Now I must take a closer look at these dhal recipes - are they diet friendly, by any remote chance?

I don't know if dal helps on the slimming front. However for anyone trying to reduce dairy intake, its good! I also find its a easy veggie meal.

I think its me on last IV though Smee could be too - I get a bit mixed up

I am making chutney at present. I always like this as its a bit witchy all those lovely smells and colours and flavours!! This one is a new recipe and its a fantastic colour as it has blackebrries in it. Plus apples, plums, onions, chillies etc. Mmm. Pity have to wait 2 months to eat it but I'll hide it away.

I do feel very tired - am not really helping my DD enough - she is so last minute/ disorganised about anything administrative it stresses me! I am trying to help but know I should be letting her get on with things. I believe the organistaional parts of the brain don't really fully wire up till age 24....

Smee - was it you who asked SEs would continue for? if so, ,y onc said I would feel my energy was nomrla till Christmas. From other p[eople's experience I suspect it could be longer. Not sure I'll manage to work but am planning to use a month of leave before I return and also keep enough to do 4 days a week, rather than 5, for as long as poss, esp as I'm going back at the start of winter. I'll work from home when poss. as well. I just hope that about 6 weeks of recovery after chemo stops will enable my blood counts to pick up. Lead legs at the mo!

ooh chutney and dhal sound yum
Ds didn't have a brilliant day but probably wasn't helped by being crapped on by a bird on the way to school ! seems cheery enough now.

Sorry SR - good vibes and wishes to you too! Don't worry so much about dd - she'll be fine.

Witchy chutney sounds absolutely yum.

On the SEs front, I think the obvious ones fade quite fast, but the achey joints can go on a bit and on energy levels front, I think it could be quite a while before it's fully back. I am nearly 11 months post chemo and things are nearly back to normal, but there are still achey knackered days - BCN said this was because i didn't take dedicated time off during treatment (I work for myself, and part time, so I did rest up, but here and there rather than in a chunk IYSWIM). But she said 6 to 12 months was the recovery time to reasonably expect (or maybe a bit more in my case ). But obviously it gets better and better and you can manage OK pretty soonish, so don't worry, just pace yourself as much as possible.

Poor ds, MAS over the bird crap, though! New school year is always daunting. Dd started well earlier this week but is getting a bit jaded now, I think it is all taking its toll a bit. At least your ds has had a short week and can relax a bit over the weekend.

I think I'll factor in some extra fun for dd this weekend, and give her a chance to kick back a bit.

Thanks Cakes. I haven't had achey joints but onc said tamoxifen does make joints ache, esp smaller ones.

I was weepy with relief after IV today and Lenny the line came out painlessly.I sobbed over the nurses for 5-10 mins, had a cup of tea (best cuppa for a long time!) then came home and decided to drive DD to Cambridge as much easier all round. So we're setting off shortly. I've booked a v. nice hotel for myslef for tonight that I know already, so should be good when I fall asleep at 8pm.

MAS - I think that bird shit will broing good luck to your DS for the whole year!

Am taking a few jasr of chutney to Cambridge as a contribution to DD's new household.

bye bye to Lenny - that's good,isn't it - poor you though..
Have a good trip to Cambridge
Told ds that it was lucky - he is worried about his 'socialising' at school - if he doesn't talk much he feels bad - bless him, he is so hard on himself.

Poor ds, he is a worrier - perhaps he'll grow out of it. Bird crap extremely lucky, though! And I still think a sensitive boy like him will be a wow with girls.

Yay for the loss of Lenny and for last iv, SR! Have a great rest in Cambridge.

smee - hope you are doing OK after your 5th chemo....