**the 7th Tamoxifen Thread **

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we are...

MAS - my MIL was awake for hers, and she was the most squeamish person in the world, but she coped absolutely fine, and was quite blase about it all.

I've just had to look up the chien andalou and it has turned my stomach

I am sorry I know I am not helping. I am sure it will, indeed be fine.

I hope I can stay conscious

I have just remembered what the Chien Andalou is - for goodness sake don't mention that to your dad MAS

hee hee- no I won't !

I just looked it up to.....and I shouldn't have, now feel green like the envy emoticon, but NOT with envy

That just confirms that I am never, EVER, having laser eye surgery!

Wonder how LJ is? Hope she is doing all right, and that posh pjs and "entertainment" were up to scratch!

I hope LJ is home now and tucked up in her own bed and not too sore (and hopefully hasn't had to bring a drain home with her.)

apologies, apologies, apologies..... i have been caught up with rl and

big news is- Petunia the PICC is leaving me tomorrow, i shall have my arm back after 8 (?) months!! WOOOOOOOOPP!!

i have 6 weeks break from chemo atm, then a scan in Shrewsbury to test me for cost-effectiveness again

The house is lovely and sparkly, and i have learned that i am a dab-hand at diy (as apposed to DH who would hold the screwdriver the wrong way if we trusted him with one )- who'd have guessed, i've laid laminate flooring, built enough furniture to fill an aircraft hanger and spent a small fortune in Homebase and Taskers!

Accounts are all done and dusted for now, bit disapointed by the WI- took me 7 hours to sort out their cock up get the the bottom of the 'accounting errors' and since doing so (for FREE!!!!!!) i haven't had a thank you or even a kiss my arse

I see you have all been terribly busy so i may catch up with all your news from the comfort of the bath

Hi RWU, nice to see you.

Hi RWU - farewell petunia - hello arm

House sounds lovely - and get you with your DIY - is there no end to your talents woman?

How are the DC? - all settled into the new house I hope.

You'd have thought the WI could at least manage a pot of jam and a home made cake!

Enjoy your bath xx

yay ! bye bye Petunia !!
and you are cost effective I'm sure

bath didn't happen, cv writing did (for SIL who is applying for a new job at the grand age of 61!!)

KK- the kids are all well and truely settled, i hardly see them now between the farm and the stables, they are all out for the majority of the time! dd starts full time school earlier than expected in Septemeber (which some of you will remember was my 'goal' for beating my diagnosis!)

i am thinking of maybe finding some part time work which can be flexible around treatment etc as i am brain-numbed beyond belief atm, the Red Cross have approached me to do an ad-hoc pt flexi-contract, not convinced but thinking it may keep me occupied for a short while! how did everyone else find returning to work- awkward to approach the subject of employment absence?

Bye Petunia: welcome back RWU!!

I'm not remotely surprised you are good at DIY - you seem to be good at everything else! There is a very scruffy-round-the-edges house here that needs some TLC if you ever get bored .

I'd think the Red Cross might be a good option really, as long as you are keen on what the work involves. I work for myself so there were no dodgy conversations to be had, but dh and I do a bit of work for our local Red Cross here (which is actually part of the region you'd be working for in Wales dontchaknow) and they are great people to work for. Very empathetic and flexible to family/health issues and work-life balance type stuff. If the conversation really has to be had, I'd rather have it with them than most.

Is dd excited about school yet? I bet she can't wait to be a Big Girl. Is there a uniform? I used to hate to see really little ones in uniform but now I think they look scrumptious.

RWU's baby dd going to school ?!! time flies

she's certainly no baby now! all grown up and too independant for her own good! there is a uniform, pinifore, polo shirt and burgandy logo'd sweatshirt- fairly sensible!

Cakes, thanks for the info about Red Cross. I would be co-ordinating volunteers training etc for north wales (I'd have to drive to Abergele quite a lot by the sound of it) i am really tempted, i know it may seem stupid to start a new job in my position, but my brain is dying and i need to 'do something'!!

RWU that would be fab, and they'll give you all the training that you would need. And you'd meet lots of really interesting people, which would be energising in itself. I really think you could consider it, I don't think it's stupid at all, it'd make you much happier (and if it doesn't, just give it up). It's horrible feeling brain fuggy. You deserve better.

But DON'T overdo it (I know I am wasting my breath here)

Farewell to Petunia - you won't be missed, am sure.

Go for the job, RWU. Sounds like a good stretch and from what Cakes says, they seem like the sorts to be flexible. Your DD sounds fab - brilliant she's excited by school. Definitely preferable, them wanting to go.

Your talk of uniform reminded me. DS's school introduced one this term - just a sweatshirt really, but he was so excited; kept asking when he'd be getting his 'costume'.

Can I ask all who had Rads, how long before your skin settled down? I don't mean the surface, as that's healed, but underneath still feels as though it's scarring/ changing. I had a bolus (so they zapped me close to the surface), which apparently makes a difference. I also had a mastectomy, so there's barely anything there other than skin covering my rather ridiculous implant - don't think anyone is quite the same as me, but still be curious to hear how long before it stopped giving you jip.

LJ, are you home yet?? Really hope so.

Hi smee - I had a bolus too, but only a lumpectomy.

I don't think mine has settled yet (!) nearly 15 months on. It's a lot better, of course, but sometimes quite hot and throbby. Last March, at my mammogram, the radiographer commented on its boiled baby appearance and said that it can take 2 or 3 years sometimes. Sorry.

no bolus here, but I get occassional twinges and aches in that breast
Dad has got through his eye measuring pre-op -they showed him a removed cataract in a bottle (eeeww) He'll be about 2 hours next week,so I will take a book and ensconce myself somewhere -can I stay in the Costa for 2 hours ? He gave me a box of violet creams,bless him.

RWU - I would go for the job if you think you'd enjoy it - as Cakes says - you can always stop, or scale down if it gets a bit much.

I also can't believe little DD is so grown up now

I still get pain/heat/throbbing/extreme itchiness Smee, and I had my rads 22 months ago. I don't know how much of it is my scar though (as you say there's no flesh there really and it all feels a bit tight and uncmfortable.) I was told to rub the area with vit.e cream or bio oil. It still looks like a square patch of sun tan - I don't know if that will ever go.

I don't know if I had a bolus - but the zappers weren't that close IIRC, so maybe I didn't.

Your DS sounds like mine when he was little - he loved a good costume

Hope you are home LJ and getting lots of rest.

MAS - I have hung out in Costa for quite a while so you should be OK eeew at the cataract in a bottle - Did your dad want to see that or was it forced on him?

Yuk to the cataract - I'd be torn between wanting to be sick and not being able to take my eyes off it.

In my experience you can waste hours in a Costa without anyone turning a hair - make sure the book is a good one. It'll be a nice cosy break, really, if you can park the anxiety about your dad for a bit.

Off for a swim. Frankly, today I'd rather have root canal work. But needs must.

Blimey, 2-3 years!! Though actually that's reassuring. Thanks Cakes and MAS for prompt replies. I think Miss Paranoia was trying to elbow her way back in. fwiw mine is sore, hot and bloody annoying. Very good to hear it's normal though

MAS, yeeuw!! Cataract in a bottle's worse than Chien Andalou. Good your dad hasn't got much longer to wait though. Am sure you can spend 2 hours in Costa. A cold drink'll take at least an hour to sip, then you could step up to a herbal for the final hour.

excellent- I might manage a granola bar or a muffin too.
Have told my editor I'll finish my drawings and deliver on Thursday- yikes ! nearly done, just a bit of tweaking. Just spent ages trying to design a letterhead for my invoice to go on. I always do this-why don't I save the ones done previously ?
Off to pick up my charge from computer club at 4-only dropping her off at home though,so back here for a bit of work. Guess what-ds did forget to go to choir so sent him straight back to school to catch the last bit of practice.Sent email to apologise for him (though told him to apologise profusely) Am worried he'll be kicked out and not get to NY -he is such a dreamer. She replied that it was fine and he got to sing for 20 mins - silly boy said he'd been in a singing lesson which was why he was late -gah !

and sorry RWU -wasn't ignoring you- I'd go for the job too,as long as it can fit around everything for you..might be fun !

Kids are all dreamers MAS. He won't get kicked out, relax.

Swimming was not very nice. But I am redoubling my efforts to do something every day, after a really rubbish week last week. I fell quite saintly now (the Cadbury's Mini Rolls x2 this morning are only a dream )

I've just had an email from MN - have been accepted onto the Innocent smoothie testing panel. Fab!!!! We love smoothies