*TAMOXIFEN* the 5th

[MaryAnnSingleton]

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

And clearly that first line should say 'both'

Hi Smee - good to see you back and sounds as if you had a great holiday. I'd love to do Hadrian's Wall, I bet its beautiful up there.

Poor DS - I can sympathise - if you had to go through CP, you should at least have a decent scab to show for it

Good luck with the chemo tomorrow (how many left now?)

Regarding the intense children, I think you are right, some people - children or adults find it hard to relax and let go, I'm a bit like that, and I was a real perfectionist as a child (if I didn't do it perfectly it was rubbish - no middle ground). Yoga is helping in that department for me.

I do have to wait for my mammo results, 2-3 weeks they said. I've also got my appointment through for the hernia clinic (sounds grim )30th september, so presumably they'll decide what to do about it (heavy duty truss knowing my luck )

Here's hoping mammo results come through quicker than that. I think they said 10 days for mine, but it was only 5, so you never know. I remember it being very nerve wracking opening the envelope, especially as the card inside was red, which always spells danger to me

Hernia clinic does sound a bit of a horror: I am sure they do designer trusses these days

DD is just as you describe yourself, KK - there are relaxation exercises in the fab book you sent me, you may remember: I just need to get her to sit still long enough to do a few

V quick post as DH has just made tea..
welcome back from hols Smee. Sounds like you had a lovely time.
and sympathise with intense DCs. Loved the scab story. My mum said I once screamed for 2 hours because when hoovering she had sucked up my imaginary friend called Nobby Clark. had to empty the hoover bag to get him back .

MAS - I love your T-shirt design. How talented you are. IMO yours is the best!! I am so of artistic ability. RWU - if you are lurking- I seem to remeber you are pretty fab in that department also.

KK - glad to hear the mammo went OK. I think we will be getting our results about the same time. Want to hold hands electronically?

Excellent news re your work pitch Cakes. Are you having a wee celebration?

Speaking of which it is my anniversary today and DH bought me a gorgeous bunch of flowers(most definitely NOT petrol station ones!!). Also one year ago today since i had my first op .

Must go - tea getting cold. Hope you are all doing well and to those on treatment - hang on in there.

Ooh , can't keep up with all the posts afr 4 very nice days away in Surrey at my brother and SIL's. But well done MAS re T-shirt, and also cakes on your newly refined contract, and welcome back to Smee - hols in N'land sound great.

O the scab story rings so many bells for my DD too! Its quite a relief to know other DCs like this exist actually as i did think my DD was a little odd for a while.

I'm exhausted after 4 days of travel and nice social visits to friends and family so excuse brief post. Will catch up eventually, possibly.

Designer truss

Long wait for mammo results - seems very mean.

On return I rushed into garden to harvest beans and courgettes for tea - SO satisfying!

ah,nearly everyone is here ! thanks for nice comments about t shirt - it was fun to do anyway ! Happy wedding anniv. haggis
I got my first post dx mammo results about 2 weeks after - I guess it depends on staffing ? Will be hoping you are both clear and fine. Lalaa went for a scan this week and all is well btw

Glad you had a nice break SR, I'm still waiting for my courgettes to produce

Happy anniversary Haggis, how nice to get flowers
I would very much like to hold hands electronically - it does feel like a long wait doesn't it?
How is work going are you getting back into the swing of things?

Cakes - I meant to say of course, congrats. on your work pitch, well done to you and DH.

Good to hear Lalaa is doing well MAS

I have a worse story than the scab story - far far worse. Will spare you though . Haggis am loving your imaginary friend story. Seeing DS he so believes it's the end of the world, so a friend in a hoover?! must have been a truly big deal. Happy wedding anniversary to you.. (virtual singing!)

Glad to hear the gardening's still on-going. Friends we stayed with in NE had an allotment which we plundered daily. Was fantastic just to pick, then cook round what we could harvest. Our garden's too tiddly to do much. One of the bad things about living in London.

tell us smee...pleeeeeease

hope you can see this
www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31481592&l=f75f584810&id=1089764602
it's ds with his cousin (Lalaa's dd) who has been staying this week

Ah, lovely picture! (Also a nice one on the wall nehind I see!)

My brother is closing his art gallery after 35 years. He's finding it really difficult as it is totally his baby and a lot of his life, as he he set it up from scratch and has built a really strong and good reputation. I spent a morning in there and bought a couple of pictures (one for DH for Christmas!) He's also worried about a couple of the artists he's exhibited for many years as they've become too dependent on him. However he's a given very long notice of closing this year so they really have had time to find other galleries.

I feel a bi icky today - could be just as the CMF builds up or could be I've had a busy 4 days with traevlling to Surrey and seeing people - it was very nice though.

My hair is looking quite enthusiastic! My SIL thinks I'd look good with a short grey crop so that's the plan at present. No choice for a while yet anyway!! My eyebrows are a bit weird due to previous plucking there are a lot of spaces but I fill them in with a nice eyebrow pen and don't look too bad! I've looked at the Brow Zings on-line and will get them - haven't seen them in any actual shop as yet.

Hoping everyone is OK.
Did I mention we're going to a posh hotel in the Lakes next week? Just for one night while DS away.

That's a lovely picture MAS, what gorgeous looking children

Sorry you are feeling a bit yuk SR, maybe a day of taking it easy is needed
Your hair sounds as if its doing really well, mine didn't come back until after I'd finished CMF, so ready for a haircut sounds like a great result, - you might find the colour changes a bit over the months.

Must be a wrench for your DB to give up his gallery, - but nice you were able to visit him

love to all.

SR - how very sad for your brother -it'll be quite a wrench I'm sure. Sorry you are feeling a bit off -but hair plan sounds good -I think grey crops look very striking indeed.
Hooray for posh night away too
Ds has fab eyebrows but he certainly didn't get them from me -I long for decent ones.
The photo was taken at my parents house and the picture,I think,is by a friend of theirs who is a v good painter/print maker- I have several of her etchings of my own in my house.

Ooh great picture MAS!

Happy anniversary haggis (though I think you mean a surgery anniversary NOT a wedding one??) - it's good to mark it in a positive way. re the flowers.

Got a 'new' computer this morning. MAC instead of PC. It's not really new, it's dh's old one which was better than my ageing PC so we felt it was worth swapping. IT guys have been in but now gone, and I find I can't find (or do!) a bloody thing, except MN, fortunately. Love to all!

Ooh yay, at least that seems to have posted alright. ONwards and upwards!

Oh my apologies Haggis if you meant surgery anniversary - my 'happy anniversary' probably sounded rather odd but well done - it's a milestone and look how far you have come

Oh -I took it to mean wedding anniv. which happened to be anniv. of surgery too - whatever way round it is am sure haggis understands
I love Macs -am very pleased with ours,dad's pc seems very clumpy in comparison.
And guess what - am a mumsnet winner of £50 voucher for taking part in a survey - I could choose SpaceNK or John Lewis,so for family harmony have chosen JL ones It was about use of mumsnet/internet etc and I mentioned this thread -

Ooh - lucky MAS - you can have a nice treat with £50 well done

Hello everyone, KurriKurri directed me here as I have just found out that my mum has been diagnosed with breast cancer...well will very probably be today. She has had blood tests and all the palaver at the hospital and they say it is extremely likely to be

She found a lump 3 months agao and from what I can make out, only went to the doctor this week.

The thing that is worrying me the most is that she says she is having stomach problems too, is that a common thing?

She is only 57 and a young 57 at that iyswim.

What can I do to help her? I know I can't make her better, that's down to the doctors now, but what helped you all in the early days?

I live 2 hours away from her (sis and bro live in the same town though) and I have young children so can't be there physically as much as I'd like, but have said if she needs someone to go to appointments with her etc, then one of us will.

She is being incredibly calm about it atm, saying that the worst bit is over (ie initial doctor visit) and the rest is out of her hands now.

Sorry to hijack, but any help would be so appreciated.

Can I also say what an amazing group of ladies you are! I have read through the thread and have been touched by your determination to lead as normal a life as possible and positive attitudes.

welcome purplefish - fingers crossed for your mum today -once she knows whether it definitely is,or not then I think you'll have a clearer p[icture of what might be involved. It's frustrating for you to be far away from her of course.
If it is not good news then you'll find that things move along pretty quickly- this isn't an indication of seriousness -just that it does anyway,so don't be alarmed.
Probably initial appointments to see breast care nurse who will discuss treatment etc..it's always useful to have sopmeone there to either write down or to remember what's said -she should be given lots of literature to look at too.
Once you know what's what,why not take a look at the Breast Cancer Care website because it is extremely helpful in explaining what is likely to happen...will find a link.

start with this -am sure it will be helpful
www.breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/diagnosis-f8.html-sid=4c3bcedf2bd56e1123aff38299196518

Hello purplefish and welcome. You have not hijacked at all, that's what this thread is for, so everyone is welcome if they have a BC concern. Or even if they just fancy joining in on a lighter chat, as well.

Basically - I echo what MAS said ( as I so often do). If your Mum gets a BC diagnosis things will move very fast regardless of the seriousness of the particular case, that's just good practice and they are very slick these days. Try not to worry about the delay in seeing the doctor, I had a longer delay than that (owing to rubbishness of GP) and am still here to tell the tale, and really feeling quite chipper

As regards the stomach problems - well, I'd definitely make sure she mentions it at the hospital, but it could be anything, including nerves. Make sure she says something, they will check out anything and everything, they really do take good care of you.

And on that note - remember to take good care of yourself as well.

I will be away for a few days now, but please let us know what happened, and if we can be of help.

And by the way - well done MAS for the vouchers, it must have been a wrench not to go to Space NK, with your love of nice smellies!

Have a fab posh night away SR!

One more thing for purplefish - you asked what helped in the early days. Hard to remember, really - but I think people being supportive but recognising that life needs to remain as normal as possible - so arranging a trip out for a coffee or a beer, stuff like that. Hope that helps.

yup,am here until tuesday...have a good time cakes x

Purplefish - I'm glad you found us, cakes and MAS have given very sensible advice which I can't add much to. In the early days its the waiting for results that is stressful, so I'd say just do as much as you can to occupy your mum's mind , and help her 'put in the time' as it were.

I second having someone with her at appointments - it is sometimes very hard to take everything in. And also write down any questions she wants to ask - its also easy to forget what you want to say. Breast care Nurses are usually wonderful, - mine phoned me every other day when I was waiting for results to see how I was chat and reassure. They are also an excellent go between between patient and consultant, and can make any enquiries you have about treatment etc.

I'm sorry this is a bit of a quick reply, - have to dash out, but we are all generally around at some point to chat

Have a lovely weekend Cakes