**the 7th Tamoxifen Thread **

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we are...

Hello all!

Cakes. I wonder what sort of bins you have! With our's the binmen can't use the excuse of frozen lid as the machine on the back of the truck tips it upside down and the weight of the contents opens the lid. Thye do complain if it is at all over-filled though.

When my sons filled our recycling bin with glass it was absolutely unmovable due to the huge weight so I had to take it all out again and sneak part-loads in for weeks

I hope you're all well (apart from wetting yourselves - and lacking water in Kk''s house)

I'm feeling very well but working hard - its SO busy!But I left at 430 today - had meant to leave at 3 but didn't manage it. Its DS's 17th birthday so of course it was L-plates etc as a present, and we're going out for a meal. He has AS exams next week so party will be next w/e (at our house --a joint party45 guests----) I was happy to go to his presentation of GCSE results yesterday as he also got an award for being one of the 'academic high-flyers' - this wasn't expected so [proud mum]

Sorry I haven't had anything to contribute about Sparkle's DS - hope the physio input will help.

Haven't had a mastectomy so couldn't contribute on the recon. issue either.

We had the sad news yesterday that a former colleague, who had cancer (ovarian I think) diagnosed only a few months earlier than me, had died. She was the same age as me and had taken early retirement about 18 months ago. I did not know her closely but a lot of colleagues had worked with her for a long time, so it was a very sad day. Makes you think again doesn't it. Sorry to put a sad post here. Lets keep our fund-raising efforts going this year to keep supporting the research into this awful set of diseases.

oh my,driver awareness course was ace ! enjoyed it very much-very interesting and brilliant course leaders - I think it also helps if the group is a good mix,ie people who want to participate- apparently some people don't make any effort,but it was fun. Nice coffee,bottled water and mints and very nice shortbread - I ate 3 !!
And my licence is point free,though am £73 poorer,but it was well worth it.
Puppy Poems was published today and when I got home there was a big bunch of beautiful flowers sent by publishers - yay for Macmillan Children's books
Happy birthday to SR's ds
Very sad news about colleague though- that always brings you up sharply,doesn't it.

am always fretful about weeing,as you know...have anxiety dreams etc and today was planning when I'd go during the course (3 times -before,at coffee break and after !!)

Congratulations on the Puppy Poems MAS - that's great!! And I'm glad you enjoyed the driving course too.

I don't think I have this weeing anxiety! I can get pretty desperate but I don't fret in advance IYSWIM!

Happy Birthday SR's DS, hope he's had a lovely day.

Very sorry to hear about your colleague, that is very sad.

MAS the book looks lovely - I shall buy a copy post haste, - I'm sure my little great niece would love it, she is dog crazy (both parents vets, house full of pets. )

I'm glad the driving course was a success, and the shortbread was good.

Apparently there was some sort of leak after a pipe was repaired - hence the lack of water. But it's back now, - I would have also started to urgently need cups of tea before long Sparkle

at wee wee family Cakes - that would suit us too, I think DD has inherited the panicky wee gene, my sister has it too, and my mum. (only the female line inherits I think )

Have a good weekend everyone

MAS, congratulations on the bood. How tremendous to be published, though I have a feeling it's far from your first. Glad you got good biscuits too.

Sorry to hear about your colleague, SR. Though it's galvanised me to realise I'm one of the lucky ones - I know, fingers crossed and all that. Who's teaching DS to drive then. [fear emoticon!]

Cakes, thanks for Tae Kwan Do info. I will investigate somewhere for DS to give it a go. Annoyingly, he tends to refuse to try anything new - he's getting better but I'll probably have have to find one of his friends to go too. He's mates with a lovely funky girl, and am sure her parents will be into it, so will make it my mission.

Kurri, you sounded very laid back about the water going - I'd have been far more stressed. does it happen a lot or something?

On the wee front, me too!! Do any of you ever manage to sleep through the night? I haven't managed that since before childbirth. Really annoying - even more so when we go camping..

Hope everyone's having a good weekend.

MAS, obviously I meant 'congratulations on the book'..!

thank you smee !

SR I am so sorry about your colleague, it is very sad to hear when someone has not survived the fight.

MAS congrats on the book, I shall go and google it now!

Smee I have to admit that I have not been able to go through the night since dd1 (second child!) those pelvic muscles were never going to make it after her!

Slightly shuddering that I have to gut two cockerels this afternoon. My dh dispatched them day before yesterday, and plucked them yesterday, now I have to get their guts out.....enough to make you a veggie.

eewww- you're brave sparkle ! keeping chickens must be fun though.

Blimey Sparkle, that's butch! I knew there was a good reason why we shouldn't keep chickens. Hope it wasn't too gruesome.

Whispers as can hardly believe this - I felt almost energetic today..

Good for you Smee (don't shout about it though or people will expect you to do stuff for them )

Our water does go off fairly regularly, - but we usually get a warning. Not as often as our electricity though, which leaves the building every time there's a slight breeze.

Going through the night without a wee??? - nope can't remember that state of affairs

Sparkle, hope the gutting went OK. How many chickens have you got? I've always fancied keeping those little fancy bantams, but DH is not too keen.

for MAS

Sorry to gatecrash

ah,thank you hippi ! (had lost a thread)
I can usually last a night without weeing,but mostly because I can't face getting up in the cold to trek to the bathroom -also Celeste thinks it's food time if I get up !
So I lie there thinking about needing a wee and hoping I might fall asleep...

Going thru the night without a wee? How?? It's a distant memory. DD always needs one (and so does DH) - it's lie Piccadilly Circus in our house at night.

Gutting chickens. Blimey that is a straightener. I couldn't, I don't think, which is hypocritical as I will definitely eat them. But you have my respect, sparkles. Forgive me, but I know your surgery is imminent now, what's the date? Hope you are feeling OK.

smee - I have to say that, if you can get ds to martial arts of any kind, he will love it, I am sure. It makes them all feel like superheroes, which I know is right up his street.

MAS - glad the course was good, these things are so much better if you take part, rather than just sitting htere, aren't they? ANd I think it is great that the publishers sent you flowers. And here's cynical old me thinking that nice touches like that were a thing of the past.

SR about your colleague. It really does pull you up short.

We took dd to the zoo yesterday (her lovely aunt bought us all a year's unlimited entry so we will be going a lot). There was a fab chimp there who raced up to the glass when he saw us, put his arms over his head, executed a perfect pirouette, and then placed his fist on his chest and patted it twice in a gesture that looked like pure affection. It was really, really funny. And dd missed it, because she was talking (obv)

ds did karate from aged 4 until he was about 7 - he did it his own way,thanks to the kind indulgence of his teacher as ds does have difficulties with spatial perception etc - it was lovely to see him progress through the belts even though strictly speaking he probably didn't completely fulfill the requirements, but he always gave it a good go !
Last night I did get up to wee (2.38 am) think it was because dh was restless and it woke me up so I felt like going. Then i had a weeing anxiety dream !

Me too. Was it the chair one again? (mine was! )

Your ds sounds so sweet. I think they should be able to put their own slant on some of this stuff. it makes life so much more interesting. I always like watching the ones with their own style (distracts me from the more -ahem- vicious ones).

SR - in answer to your earlier question: we have the same kind of bin as you, from the sounds of it. Our bin men are just * awkward.

MAS - I missed the bit about you getting flowers - how lovely

I'm glad DD enjoyed the zoo Cakes- what a nice gift getting an unlimited pass - she'll be able to see all the changes in the animals over a year. I do like the sound of your DD - chatting so much she missed the chimp
Whenever we took DS to the zoo he'd spend his whole time looking for a more interesting family to go round with!

DD went to a Norwich Premiere of the new Disney film (it's Rapunzel but I don't think that's the title), her friend won tickets in a competition. Anyway she said it was good, if anyone is looking for a film to take the DC to. (although I saw on another thread someone thought it had some scary bits, so maybe not for tinies)

She contemplated wearing a ball gown and tiara in case there was a red carpet, but in the end opted for jeans and hoody (just as well because there wasn't a red carpet )

Hope everyone had a good weekend - it is bitterly cold here - more snow on the way maybe?

Dentist for me tomorrow (hooray - more expense no doubt!)

Oh joy, the dentist. I have my onc check up on Thursday so it's fun all the way to the weekend here, too.

Feels mighty cold here too, but the forecast is for much warmer weather. it sure isn't here yet, though. Brrrrrr.

How grand to go to a premier, even if it is a provincial one. Jeans and hoodie definitely best, especially in this weather. I'd like to take dd to see this and so many other films, but she says the cinema is not really her thing. She is either really spoilt (all too possible) or she just can't handle the being quiet part (very possible indeed). Instead, I am trying to drum up a party to go and see Flawless next month: she'll be OK with that because it'll be noisy enough for her to talk a bit incessantly.

By the way MAS - i now have the picture of my Mum I needed so I'll get it scanned and over to you shortly. Have abandoned the deadline so it's not a rush job

The chicken gutting went fine, I am aparently tougher than I look! Couldn't ever kill them though.....not made of that stuff.

We have one cockerel and four layers, and we have just done our first two eaters. It tasted lovely, because we ate one last night.....sorry for any veggies present. We will breed some more layers when the weather is better, and are aiming for two pigs to fatten up ovre the summer. We don't kill those obviously, they go to a slaughter house at the back of our butchers, and come out all jointed up and ready, so muc less traumatic, for me, obviously not quite as hunky for the pigs

Surgery is on 24th Jan, so I have a couple of weeks. I am currently beginning a battle with education authority as they have just told me that they don't care about ds's physical disabilities in terms of moving him to another school outside his catchment area, to the local school designated for those with physical disablities, I can apply but I will get refused because they don't care about children with physica disabilities only educational learning disabilities. I pointed oput that was discrimination, but was told it isn't yet because you haven't applied yet.

Sorry I am having a rant and not being sociable.

Kurri -I am glad your dd fitted in with jeans rather than standing out in a ball gown, she would have got noticed that way for sure.

at stress wee dreams

Bloody hell sparkles, they really are bastards, aren't they?

Can you get your local councillor on your side? I am not sure if it would do any good as I have no experience of fighting with the LEA, but ours has been quite good on other matters. May be worth a go.

Sometimes they are just hoping to discourage you from asking for things: if you keep being a pain you may get them. But it's a tough old way to have to live your life, that's for sure.

wasn't the chair one but some horrid bathrooms and was a similar kind of dream - all the stuff that would distress me greatly if it really happened.
Agree with Cakes about the bastards sparkle - it must be so demoralising and exhausting to have to keep fighting the system.
Ballgown would have been very chilly for dd KK

They are aren't they.......if it was something for me I would just give up, in fact i would have given up long ago, but because it is for ds you have to keep on going. I am fed up, am going to go and have a jolly good cry about how crap the NHS, DWP and DLA and schools and LEA's, and that is enough initials for anyone!

I don't have wee dreams, but I do have knicker dreams......what does that say aout me? before I cry.

oh sparkle- have a hug from me - do tell us about knicker dreams (shudders slightly at the prospect)

All about my knickers falling down at the most inappropriate moments, or forgetting to wear them all together.....had them since I was a fairly small child......major inhibitions coming out now..... Need industrial elastic on my knickers just to feel safe.