*TAMOXIFEN* the 5th

[MaryAnnSingleton]

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

You reminded me Cakes to go round DS's room and remove a few key items. Some idiot kindly soul gave him a pair of those disc shooters, which make arcade game noises at top volume. They are now safely sleeping under some jumpers..

Glad to be of service

Those sound bloody horrendous! Can you lose them permanently?

Sadly, I know they'd be missed - DS and his Grandma love them! I'll probably get away with it for this afternoon though.

How lovely that you also know 'The Mousehole Cat'! I haven't come across other fans before - perhaps due to the fact I haven't mentioned the book to anyone else before!!

Smee- my shoulder/arm are a lot better now thank-you, and I'm so relieved, as I thought it might take months. (Its that Paranoia's fault again. She should stay in her box.)

I'm just about to try driving and think I'll be OK - have to fetch an old school friend from the station. I've known her since I was a week old so that's nice.

I managed to plant 4 pots of bulbs AND create horrid squirrel deterrant covers with chicken wire! So am quite proud of myself. Squirrels are terrible at digging up bulbs I plant so tenderly. I have given up on crocuses.

I've also made carrot and peanut curry for tea, so caN RELAX now.

Hope rads are going well for those having them. Is anyone still having chemo? I think RWU is but hope she's more concerned with the finishing touches ( to her new house at the mo. (We've lived here for 18 years and I haven't managed many finishing touches - did get a few more pictures on the walls recently which felt like an achievement)

Glad the arm is getting better SR!

Good on you ref the bulbs. my garden is a state. As is my house - 20 years here, and it still feels unfinished. We have built (well, paid for) extensions and all sorts, but it is always just not quite finished around the edges. Even the bits we have done are starting to look scruffy now, as well.

Like the sound of that curry.

Pilates tonight. Onwards and upwards!

have torn myself away from kitten !! I haven't done a scrap of work -was going to after ds and dh got home,but...I have to bond
She is called Celeste and seems remarkably laid back and not nervy at all - purrs like an engine,loves being brushed,sleeps on top of me...she is so cute ! Ds raced home and is so excited ! Will see if I can link to a
photo.
RWU - did you go to IKEA and get your sofa (I know this from facebook )
Pesky Paranoia SR - she is very naughty.
Cakes- hope Norfolk w/end was fun - we had a bit of alcohol,including complimentary elderflower vodka shots- this did for dh.
Nicola Bayley who did the Mousehole Cat did another book,the title of which escapes me- beautifully meticulous,perfect drawings.
Curry sounds yum,btw.

introducing Miss Celeste Augusta

She is lovely. I seriously want one. I'd forgotten you had fixed on Celeste - but it does suit her, she is going to be a rather elegant, aristocratic-looking cat.

Also feeling a bit dreamy about elderflower vodka shots. Yum!

Aw, she's beautiful; so cute and those big paws. Did she let you sleep, MAS? I seem to remember ours meowing loudly at 4am for the first few nights, as he needed a cuddle.

SR, glad Pesky Paranoia's being shrugged off and trust arm's even better today. I think you're right and RWU is the only one of us left in chemo land. Pennies was ahead of me, and Cupcaked is mid rads. I start mine on 1st November, as have delayed so can enjoy half term without daily hospital visits.

Nowt to tell here. I feel like the most boring woman in the world. Only two weeks out of chemo though, so I think that's okay. Just to be upright feels like an achievement.

Cakes, I recommend acupuncture. It's my treat really and it does make a difference. Pity you don't live near me, as the woman I go to is fantastic.

hellooooooo! i am back properly now that i've found all the 'puter leads

Kitten sounds delightful MAS- enjoy those hilarious kitten days, i do hope you don't get any curtain shredding etc!

We are moved..... and entirely unboxed, kids rooms are all sorted as is our bedroom. Kitchen and playroom are a work in progress. I did make it to Ikea- twice! went on friday and again yesterday, although yesterday's trip was the big'un, a three seat sofa for the playroom, bed for step daughter, table, rug, two entire bedding sets including mattress toppers duvets etc, rug, kitchen paraphenalia, towels, washing basket............. i'll leave it at that- but you get the idea- and we somehow fitted it all in my car along with two adults and dd

New neighbours are fantastic- they seem totally normal (but there's still time i guess!) their kids are lovely and the boys are already firm friends and spend most of their time in and out of school together! We do however have a slight problem.... sounds trivial BUT each family shares three of our first names and our surname, and we drive the same car- in a small village that is going to lead to some confusion !

i am utterly wrung out after all the palaver of moving, and i have chemo on Thursday and Friday, so plan to just collapse over the weekend and let SIL and DH pamper me and keep things ticking over!

RWU's life always sounds like a total whirlwind!

Loads of progress and - best of all - normal neighbours. And friends for kids as well. Awwww.

Smee - good idea to postpone rads: by half term you should be up for a bit more, but don't overdo it. Energy levels will be unreliable for a bit yet.

We have an acupuncturist quite near us, not sure if he is any good but he always looks busy. maybe I'l try. Could do with something: I went to Pilates yesterday as the physios have recommended it for my back. Bloody hell, it was agony in bed last night. I will keep going on the back strenghtening but I am sure I will end up having the surgery. But maybe something in the meantime would be a good plan.

sounds brilliant RWU -esp. the neighbours and friends for the boys bit
Celeste put herself to bed (behind the box of books in sittingroom) and didn't reappear until breakfast time- no pitiful mewing in the night,bless her. She is mewing for attention this morning,so have been combing and cuddling her for about half an hour- nearly fell asleep !
I did no work at all yesterday so musty catch up later..am having a walk into town this afternoon

WEll done RWU - how you managed to get all that suff into one car amazes me! i HOPE THE CHEMO DOESN'T KNOCK YOU OUT TOO much (sorry about caps) - take care. That's really strange about your neighbours' names!!

Yes the kitten looks gorgeous - I feel more and more like a bad mother for not having any pets.....maybe we should get one before DS leaves home....he's missed out....

Yes my arm is improving daily though not yet quite right, thanks.

Have a friend staying. I took her to Chester for the day and we had a lovely time, shopping and lunching....

Now MAS has reminded me, I think I did have some small books by Nicola Bayley - about cats I think. DD probably has them somewhere hidden in her room.

I also went to Occ Health today. I told them my return to work plans and they said fine - so that was easy. I fear actually putting the plan into action will be more difficult though. But have to earn a living.

RWU, you are awesome! I honestly can't imagine two trips to Ikea, let alone moving house. Chemo I think you delayed to move house? Must be annoying to have that blotting the horizon, but hope the house is lovely enough amidst the chaos for you to recuperate.

MAS, how's Celeste doing? Another good night?

SR, we're not too far apart treatment wise and I keep getting arm problems. Still very numb, and mobility diminishes if I don't do those rather dull exercises. Also my seroma's still flaring up. BCN told me it's very, very normal, which though reassuring is annoying!

pesky seroma smee
Celeste had a good night-asleep in usual place until breakfast- she has been tearing about in between sleeping and eating- playing with the toys and exploring the back of the tv -am a little worried about the cables-she also weed there -think she decided she needed to go but was too busy having fun to find her tray...
she distracted both me and my Cruse counsellor this morning

Did you get any counselling in? How was it?

New pets really are time wasters, aren't they? Fab though. I showed dd the pics of Celeste and she has ratchetted the pestering up several notches.

Bloody seroma, smee. They really can take ages to stop, though, so don't despair yet.

Am off too aqua aerobics/Pilates later. I went on Monday too and it played havoc with my back but i am assured it's the way forward. my advice is - buy shares in any company that makes painkillers. Their stock is bound to be on the rise

hope back holds up for your pilates and aqua aerobics
Did manage to get some counselling in ! I have now had 8 sessions-my counsellor would like to do 4 more,but it depends on Cruse really - she is talking to her supervisor.
Did some cleaning and noticed that Celeste has also had a wee behind the computer- very awkward to reach to clean up...wondering how I can discourage this ?

Sorry about the seroma Smee. Re arms, my raditated and operated one is still quite stiff eg when I raise it up straight, and yes, I am also continuing the rather boring exercises. Think we need to to as long as that stiffness is there and my physio recommended we continue for a year, depending on whether we still feel its necessary. So far, its necessary! I am so relieved my other arm is recovering from being sore last week as it looked as though swimming would be out for months!

Cakes - not only buying shreas in drugs, my DS is now considering a creer in pharmacology!

Have had a nice day - shopping in the morning with my friend, lunch in a cafe, then after I'd taken her to the station I did a brisk 50 minute walk! Hardly dare say this but yesterday evening I had a slight feeling of being normal . Its nearly 4 weeks since I stopped chemo.

In week 1 I had a slightly demanding visitor so I kept having to have a nap, and was still freshly chemo-ed.

Week II had a ghastly cold.

Week III I had a brill tiem in Italy but pushed myslef a bit too hard so was tired out by the end and had very sore shoulder.

Week IV I've had a more normal sort of few days and believe I can feel my energy recovering YAY! I can tell cos on that walk (which is one my regular circuits) I didn't have to sit down on a bench for a 5 minute rest. PROGRESS!!

Onward and upward. Oh and I keep crying every time one of the CHilean miners come out!

Seroma's okay really, but am worried what Rads will do to it. BCN says it'll be fine, but still.

MAS, we were lucky with our kitten as he never had an accident, but coincidentally I found this link for one of my mother's friends the other day. Looks like it might have some useful tips:
www.catsofaustralia.com/kitten_toilet_train.htm

Cakes, I have armfuls of drugs; am literally swimming in them. Not just BC, but I was given stacks when I had my back op last Dec. You're doing everything the other way round from me! Have to say that the back op has been a huge success. I still have pain, but am still improving too and if it hadn't been for the BC, I'd say I'd be almost fully recovered. Just watch that pilates - I went to a v. bad instructor first time I did it, and it definitely made things worse.

SR, yeay for week 4 then. Brilliant to hear you've got energy returning. With me it coincides with half term, so now I've heard how you feel I expect to be almost skipping. I haven't seen the news yet, but expect I'll weep too. DS watched it on Newsround and drew me a picture of the rescue capsule.

drugs....... can i share?? lol! i have some pretty heavy duty stuff in my personal pharmacy- oramorph is my current fav.

Seroma sounds crappy- you have my sympathy.

hope Celeste is settling in well- how are the curtains coping, when our were tiny they used to shin up the (shot satin ) curtains and wander along the curtain pole

I have today purchased the new kitchen, we reserved everything online and took a trip to wrexham to collect it (SIL is planning on installing it over the weekend with the young farmers while i rest!) got to B&Q and they hadn't picked any of it, they had the paperwork but hadn't done anything about it [grr] so we kidnapped a sturdy looking member of staff and headed for the warehouse section. Everything was there EXCEPT one blardy door! so i went and had a rant about nothing having been done..... should have been phoned if something wasn't in stock.... blah.... blah..... 60 mile trip ..... blah! The manager was called to placate me, he immediatly gave me 20% off everything (on top of the 10% OAP discount that i had taken dear SIL with me for- she's 60 but forgets and still thinks she's 18!) and arranged for the spare door to be couriered to me for tomorrow free of charge....... and by free of charge i mean free delivery AND a free door! this shocked us somewhat, but he went on to give us the (stupidly expensive) handles for free and some in-cabinet drawer packs for free too! all in all we saved nearly £500 just for the sake of a missing door which will be delivered tomorrow- result!!

Result indeed for RWU !!
Celeste not ventured up curtains yet ! she has climbed up all the furniture and fallen off a pile of subsiding books and knocked over my metal quail (big quail thing by fireplace)
smee -thanks for training tips link- will look -hjave put olbas oil and foil down- 2 mumsnet tips. She does uise her tray,but seemed to be seeing if she could get away with peeing on cables.
Mindfulness this evening - good and very interesting - we ate a raisin mindfully- quite a revelation !

Smee, yes rads continuing to go well, have had 18/25, and then have 5 boosts at end, so I finish Oct 30. No skin problems whatsoever as yet. Rads might in fact help the seroma. My surgical wounds never completely healed on chemo, and are at worst unchanged now, possibly bit better. My energy continues to improve- now 7 wks post chemo, think I first noticed spring in step about 3 wks ago, like SR. That was the week I ran a mile! Have since decided cycling easier with no muscle mass (have atrophied!) and this morning cycled 8 miles along towpath on a lovely crisp autumn day. Glad to report I can really feel the blood flowing round me now, so expect you will be on the mend very soon today.

Best of all, I hardly have to draw eyebrows in now and I have 3mm fur on my head! Can't see much eyelash but I can feel that they are also on the march. Very exciting!

Hard to beat a new tiny animal, MAS. Is she as girly as Celeste from Babar?

RWU, I take my hat off to you!

Oops delete 'today' dunno how that got in. Of course will be delighted if you on mend today, Smee, but think you have another few weeks before you suddenly feel so good you realise how bad you have actually been feelin....does that chime with you yet, SR??

excellent about eyebrows and hair fur capcaked
yes, it is Celeste from Babar !

Excellent news ref hair and brows cupcaked - have you had a good look for eyelashes? - to start with mine were sandy coloured (usually black), so they didn't seem to be there but miraculously appeared if you put a mascara brush in the vicinity. Worth a try.

You do all sound like you are getting a second wind post chemo - good for you. It'll come.

The seroma should not be affected much by the rads, I don't think.

RWU - that must have been quite some strop you pulled in B&Q. Bloody well done!