*TAMOXIFEN* the 5th

[MaryAnnSingleton]

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

Bon Voyage RWU can't wait to see the pics

Happy moving RWU, enjoy the prawn plan!

Smee, I agree with SR, it is not so much a joyous occasion as a huge sense of relief that u don't have to pick urself up again in another 3 wks and present yourself for another punch, but you can climb out of the boxing ring, dust yourself down and move on to next bit, which is MUCH easier. I was also low after last chemo, partly as it was the worst one
for me, also as everyone kept being joyous and saying 'it's over!' when I knew it wasn't. But 4 weeks and 2 days after the last one my complexion and energy improved noticeably (about 10 people have commented, that was a week ago) and have been on the up since. And I have a suggestion of eye hair as well as a downy pate. And I ran a mile this morning! (tho didn't exactly crackle with energy!) Take it easy, you may have had your last chemo but it's still there, icing on the cake of the other 5 so sit tight, worst is over, good days to follow v soon :)

Happy moving day too RWU - hooray !!!!!!
and hope Dr hernia is gentle kk. Thinking of your doggle too,poor thing...one of our cats had hardly any teeth but seemed to manage ok.

Good luck RWU, and also to KK's poor little dog. but they do recover quite fast, usually. here's hoping. I do hope Dr Hernia is gentle and constructive.

How was mindfulness, MAS?

Toe is fine didn't feel a thing while he dealt with it and instant relief after. Still looks a bit septic (yuk, sorry), but I am sure we can deal with that. I may have missed my vocation - I'm not mad keen on feet, but £32 for five minutes work strikes me as a good rate of pay (though you cant put a price on comfort, of course )

cupcaked - well done for running a mile, that is a result indeed! Crackling can come later.

I have just googled a former boyfriend (from MANY years ago, he was a medical student then) - he seems to be a gynaecologist. Who'd have thought it???

Well done for bravery in the toe treatment Cakes - I would hate to be a foot doc or chiropodist or podiatrist - eee- feet aren't very nice - hope it heals up quickly.
I googled an ex and he is a consultant psychiatrist !
We met when we were both patients in a psych.place - i guess he has empathy from his own experiences -he is specialist in easting disorders.
Mindfulness was very interesting - I was v nervous but everyone was nice-a group of about 15 -we had an induction meeting and had to do the 'hi I'm MAS and i'm an anxiety fiend' in a circle,after we'd 'shared' information with one other person. Quite a few with depression,stress and anxiety. i just said that I struggled with anxiety- not brave enough to say everything ! i now need to get a yoga mat and some loose trousers ..I think it's going to be really worthwhile but will involve a lot of work and effort (40 mins practice a day) and we are warned that it might bring out more stress as we go through the course.

Well done for your run CC, that's brilliant

Glad the toe is fixed Cakes and without too much gruesomeness.

Great you have had your first mindfulness session MAS, I'm sure you will be less nervous now you've been to a class and got the feel of it.

I'm impressed with the high flying old boyfriends I don't think mine would feature on google, one dropped out of uni., another was in the navy. I stayed friends with another one for several years after we split up, but have lost touch now, he was working for a charitable trust.

Little dog trotted off quite happily this morning, although she was a bit puzzled about why she couldn't have any breakfast . We can phone at lunchtime to see how she is, and pick her up this evening.

Trying to decide what to wear for Doctor Hernia, (Actually he has one of those names, that are spelt differently from how they are pronounced like Pepys or Mainwaring) so he may be quite posh (stereotyping alert). Not sure he warrants a skirt though!

Ooh no, KK trousers for medical appts - and ALWAYS separate tops and bottoms. At one of my onc apointments i was dressed for a meeting I had just had, in a very nice dress. it hadn't occurred to me that that would mean me having to remove the whole thing just to have my boobs checked

Hope the news from the vets is good, poor little thing.

Mindfulness sounds fab MAS - and you can get good cheap yoga mats in Tesco

Cupcaked - its great to read that your energy is so improved - well done on the run. I am a bit diasppointed with ym energy this week but I know its due to my rotten cold. Its improviong but it has knocked me back. Today I did 1.5 hours gardening with a little break between each half hour effort!

My shed man has at last agreed a date to come and out the shed/greenhouse up. DH and I decided we'd probably never get round to it as his priority is always the boat and I couldn't possibly do it on my own - even the thought makes feel faint

So I've mowed the lawn, picked up a load of rotten apples and a few good ones, and tidied a few things up. It's a nice aunmnal day here so it was good to be out.

Old boyfriends, hm. Well one is a consultant advising charities how to fund raise. (I was besotted with him!). One sadly died a few years ago of stomch cancer. He'd had stomach problems years before when I knew him, but not cancer. (did you see Grand Designs last night? Very sad as the husband dies but the wife carried on and built the house - she was very strong and it was so nice that she continued when she could have stopped). I don't know what any other ex's are doing.

KK - hope dog and hernia all go well.

Cakes - glad the toe is doing nicely! I wonder how much dentists earn per 5 mins though - probably more.

RWU - looking forward to hearing all about the new house - BTW have you met your new neighbours? How far away are they and will they need prawns I wonder??

Had a little planning meeting re Pisa this morning. Realised have lost my EHIC card. Have ordered a new one and lady said whole family's cards were going to expire soon anyway. Lets hope no medical emergency in Italy. Have prepareed a medical summary of myslef, in Italian, just in case!!

Going to watch DS get an award at his St John's Ambulance group this evening. (Proud mum emoticon)

ooh,well done SR's ds - is he getting a Grand Prior award ?
Am impressed at you writing your medical summary in Italian !!
Decided against going to book group this evening - too tired and not feeling sociable.

Well done to your DS SR, for his award, you must be proud of him Nice you could get out to do some gardening, having lots of breaks is a good way to gradually build up your strength again. Hope your cold goes soon.

I am home with little dog. She had an abcess on one tooth, which was obviously why she was crying. And he's taken several others out that looked as if they might cause future problems. So she is a bit battered and bloody, and shaky on her pins, - she's flopped down fast asleep now.

Dr Hernia was very nice (although he did have an excessively firm handshake). He confirmed the hernia and is going to repair it using micro surgery through the belly button. So no huge incision which is a relief. It will probably be soon after Christmas as the waiting list is 3-4 months. But I don't feel too bad about it, it really needs sorting out, and I should be in and out on the same day.

As well to get it sorted, KK. Firm handshake is infinitely better than a limp damp one!

Poor little dog. A good sleep and some TLC should see her a new dog tomorrow, with any luck. It must have been bad for her to cry, they usually just soldier on don't they

Most impressed with SR's Italian - and the ds's award. DD got her yellow stripe belt at Tae Kwon Do last night but I appreciate it is not quite in the same league

I'm off now to pick up a number of new jobs that have come in this week (three! in one week! wow!). It's quite a relief because I was at a bit of a loose end and that's usually dangerous. I either start imagining illness or dash off on a hairbrained scheme that ends up costing me money/dignity/both.

Hi, oh do't be too impressed! It was only that after 18 months of going to St JOhn's he's finally been formally enrolled and got 2 certificates. I think you need 24 for the Grand [prior Award! Sorry to have misled you.

It was quite a funny evening actually. I hadn't known about the group for primary age children - they are known as Badgers. So lots of younger ones were getting 'Badger badges' and 'Super-Badger badges' and they had a stuffed toy badger surrounded by candles on what looked like an altar, while the 'Dame' did the ceremony ia long flowing black robe which reached the ground! DS said it was like being enrolled into a cult! Just hope it hasn't put him off the whole thing. Still it was nice chatting to the other parents of his friends - they were alspo finding it all a little surreal...

Cold a little better. Grotty weather isn't it. Forecast for Pisa not too good either but I can sit in a cafe and people-watch.

Arimidex has arrived. Will take first one this evening.........

Hope everyone is OK, and that RWU's army have the new house completely sorted now.

Well done on new work Cakes, and hope doggy feels better soon, KK. BTW will you need a general or a local for belly -button surgery?

Cult sounds a bit alarming! Who'd have thought first aid could be so creepy?

Pisa will be fab whatever the weather....

yes, hope doggie is feeling better today,poor mite.
Hope arimidex goes down well too SR.
I saw a thing about the St John ambulance cadets on Blue Peter when I was 8 and begged my mum to let me join - I was so shy I couldn't speak out loud but I loved it- the bandages, the uniform,the marching !! I did get my Grand Priors badge,not sure how ! When I was 17 I had my first proper boyfriend and it all went out of the window,so that was it. With my propensity to faint at the sight of blood,it was an odd thing to start.

Good luck with the arimidex SR, I hope you get on well with it. I at badgers - my DS went to badgers years ago - he wore a little tabard and a beret IIRC, he enjoyed it, but then he swapped to beavers, cubs etc.

Good luck with the new projects Cakes, and well done to DD on her Tae Kwon Do belt .

Scruffy (the dog) is a bit better this morning, she cried all night though and couldn't settle. She went back to the vet this morning for a check, and got anti-biotics and painkillers. I think I'll sleep in the lounge with her tonight as she seems happier in there. She's eating well though which is good.

Hernia op. is GA, they put a bit of mesh inside to hold the bowel back in place. He said its a bit sore for a week afterwards, and then take it easy for 4-6 weeks. But not too dreadful in the great scheme of things.

I went to keep fit this morning, and on the way home the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere. We had to wait about 3/4 of an hour for a replacement bus to arrive. -The joys of rural transport!

Are you watching strictly tonight MAS?(I know you are a fellow fan)

i certainly am - the thought is keeping me going through a v depressing day (am also on edge as niece gets her results from consultant today - fingers very crossed for the best possible outcome)
Glad Scruffy is a bit better

Yay for Scruffy!

It's going to be a TV spectacular for the next few weeks, what with Strictly and The Apprentice starting up. I'm an X Factor gal myself, but I do like to watch the more rubbish dancers too....

GA for hernia op - you sound quite blase about it KK: we have all turned into old hands at surgery

Hope arimidex is OK SR.

New projects a bit gulp-making. For one I have to write an HOUR LONG keynote speech for a major conference (not party political, thank God). Ye Gods I'd find that hard enough to listen to, let alone write!

Fingers crossed for your niece MAS, I hope things go well for her today. xx

thanks KK
Am sure you'll write an excellent speech Cakes ! nerve wracking though to have to do.
I will miss the beginnings of The Apprentice each week as I will be at my Mindfulness course - probably not the best thing to watch after being calm and meditative

How interesting to be writing a speech like that! I can see it would be a bit duanting though.

As for TV I'm more into Spooks and Masterchef - all varieties of the latter - drives my DH mad!

Can't remember KK - did you have chemo? If so I hope your veins have recovered for a GA - actually I do rememebr that you had at least CMF so prob Epi as well. My left hand veins are still uselss- flat. I was talking to an anaesthetist last night and she said they can recover. Hope so, or I'd refuse a future GA unless they put a line in, but I think I'm totally at the Paranoic stage on that score. (That *paranoia - she never gives up does she?)

Think I'll go to garden centre to cheer myslef up. Still raining.

oh bugger- have just got my new business cards from the printer and someone on facebook has pointed out that I spelled 'occasion' wrong - ie put 2 ss in - I did it in a hurry and didn't think to check,so it's my own fault- but I just feel sad that the joy of seeing the cards all printed and lovely is ruined - can't afford to have them reprinted..please say it's ok...

oh,and to more important stuff- niece is going to have op this month,they will see if they can just remove cyst-but don't know whether they might have to remove the remaining ovary too- really won't know until they look inside- it's apparently very unlikely to be cancerous which is what I was fretting about.=, but nothing can be ruled out until the operation.

MAS - that sounds hopeful news about your niece, some relief for you although I realise there's still a bit of waiting to get through.

How frustrating about the cards. Did you notice when you first looked at them? - If you didn't chances are other people won't either

I didn't notice and am general eagle eyed,it just looked 'right',plus I was so relieved that it had printed so well - it was just having it pointed out by self confessed spelling nazi who to be fair,assumed I was showing her a proof copy..ah well..I must learn to live with imperfection.
Am relieved about DN but there's still the anxiety of waiting to see what's found in the op..but there have been encouraging posts from others on my thread about it (thank heavens for mumsnet !)
Have a lovely weekend all...

Sorry about your cards MAS - it must be annoying when you naturally want them to be perfect. But think big - its not going to damage anyone's health.

Just wanted to say have a good week all and I'll get back on here to catch upi when I'm back from Italy - yay! Ciao.