TAMOXIFEN thread number 8 ********

[MaryAnnSingleton]

just in case we run out of space !

Hello ladies. Have had a busy day and then it all caught up with me and I had a doze this afternoon only to have to start again with dinner. Phew!!!

Woke up with a headache again but no backache. Hubby mentioned a few times how flushed my face was to I took temperature a few times and it's all normal so not sure what that's all about. Took our lovely bearded collie for a walk, got the ironing done, hubby made a picnic which we ate by the sea then tackled Asda by which time I was a bit short of patience and found myself being a bit snappy. Not like me at all so I kept out of hubby's way for a couple of hours. I think it's the headache getting to me. DH's been so supportive and luckily has been able to work from home on his laptop in the conservatory and take all his calls there but tomorrow he has another meeting at Docklands and I think he's looking forward to going out for the day. :)

LGF, well done on getting through the MRI. I think it was lovely of your DH to hold your foot for you - it's the sort of support you will need while you're going through this. Shame about your wig but I think, with a good cut, it will be more like you. I tried to get hold of my wig lady today but had to leave a message. Hopefully she will call me tomorrow. Also rang Headstrong and have an appointment next Monday to see the scarves etc. There were a few websites listed on the back of their booklet re turbans and hats for women who've lost their hair so I will take a look at those later. Can any of you lovely ladies recommend any sites?

Glad to hear your thyroid problem is being sorted KK. Hopefully the lower dose will make things much better for you.

Good luck wishes to LGF and LGJ for tomorrows chemo. Will be thinking of you xxxxx

Figgy - the flushing is a side effect of the chemo - so normal, don't panic - but always good idea to check your temp

Also I found steroids made me very snappy and irritable, so that may be affecting you. It's easy to overdo things a bit IME - then the tiredness tends to suddenly hit you like a truck.

Lovely that your DH is being so supportive - good for him

I got some soft cotton hats from this site - don't be put off by the scary plastic heads they use as models!

They've got some lovely little scarves and hats there, KK. Thank you for the link. I love the denim one with the beads - it will look lovely when I'm wearing my denim skirt. Also liked a couple of others. I will choose 2 tomorrow and buy them.

I'm glad it's the chemo causing the flushing. I'm sure there will be lots of other things it causes over the next couple of weeks too. Tbh I felt well enough to have gone into work yesterday and today, despite the headache. I only do 3 mornings. I think working with the children (6 year olds) might have taken my mind off it. I'll see how I go next week and the week after. Hopefully there'll be a pattern.

Figgy - yes I was always flushed too - I thought it was the steroids. They made me a bit hyper sometimes too. I'd got the hang of this by the very last dose and actually drove to Cambrudge and back before they wore off 3 hours each way - this is a BAD thing to do, but I got away with it and at the time it was jolly useful.

But usually (and depending on the drugs pumped in as mine did change for the last 4 months)I watched lots of lovely DVD box sets of favourite and upliftying TV, or read, or just stayed in bed on a few days and thought 'I don't Have to do anything and I might as well accept that and relax'. This worked except for when I was sick (about 3 times I think)

Anyway - you sound as though you're coping well.

KK _ I'm so relieved to hear it was an overdose causing your problems, ie something that can be corrected. Hooray!

Love to all.

Goodness Figgy you have been very busy, which is great to hear. No wonder you needed a nap - think I would after all that even without chemo!

Smee I don't think I would be cut out for Home Ed either, although I have to sympathise with your DS - 'people' is spelt in a pretty silly way, like many English words. My poor mum, with Italian as her first language, still tries to spell English words phonetically (but with an Italian accent ) so 'bread' is 'bret', and 'sauce' could be 'sorsa' for example. I love her shopping lists and have kept some to remind me of her

Kurri I am so pleased all your symptoms were down to your thyroid meds and hope you start to feel much better now your dose has been adjusted. That site you linked to has some lovely scarves and turbans, but what really caught my eye was this - haven't seen one of those for a while, very tempted

LGF I just wanted to come and wish you all the very best for tomorrow. Shall be thinking of you xx (And well done with getting through the MRI.)

Kurri The prices and postage costs on that site are SO reasonable, especially compared to some others I have seen recently! Have ordered two turbans which I would be happy to wear with or without hair! Thank you so much

If you can't wear one of those when you're having chemo LJ, when can you?

Glad you both like the site I bought most of mine from there - and the nurses in the unit used to comment favourably on my headgear

I'm very relieved about the thyroid, at least I know I'll start feeling better soon

KK - that is good to know- at least your dosage can be sorted out-what a relief !!

You'll never guess what RWU is up to that girl never ceases to amaze me !! Will let her tell you....

Btw - mum is coming home on Friday or Monday- she is fine and looking good. They have more or less confirmed early Parkinson's disease which would account for the tremors on her left side particularly.
LGF - lots pof love for today,and figgy-hope you are doing ok.

Morning Mary and all, Feeling not too bad this morning. Still got the headache and a bit of a backache but I took the last of the steroids last night and didn't bother with the anti-sickness tablets and don't feel sick so that's good. They're there if I need them though.

Pressed "post" too soon.

Thinking of LGF today. Hope it all goes okay xxx

KK - i am pleased it's the thyroid. Relatively easy to sort.

MAS - and good news on your Mum. The early Parkinsons is a bit of a downer, but if progress is slow it may not cause too many serious difficulties for a long time to come.

LJ, I am glad KK has been able to sort you out with some reasonable headwear, as I just can't remember where I got mine from, and I can remember some of the pricing was horrendous. I just bought four or five cheaper ones and just handwashed each day. They lasted the duration, and even saved me money on what I would have spent on haircuts!

Well done LGF and Figgy. Thinking about you both and hoping for minimal side effects.

Smee - you should know that school work equals meltdown. It does in our house, even though dd is a right swot at school. She resents us making her do anything like that, or suggesting she is wrong not quite right. Last week I had to check on the internet what a right angle triangle was because she was so adamant I was wrong I started to doubt myself . Hope he is better soon or your nerves will be shot

to all - especially RWU, as i am keen to tempt her on to fill us in on the latest happenings....

Kurri, that's great about your thyroid. Well not so great as it's made you ill, but brilliant they can sort it. Must be a huge relief

MAS, so pleased your mum will be home soon. Sad to hear about the Parkinsons, but as Cakes says it could easily take years before it's a problem. How does your mother feel about it? Quite a thing I should think to suddenly have that label. Can't imagine it's easy for her or for your father.

Figgy, LGF and LJ, I used Kurri's site too - also used this place. This is my absolute favourite ever beanie. In fact I was wearing it this morning. Maybe not appropriate as summer's coming, but still. www.hats4heads.co.uk/hairloss5.html

Figgy, really good to hear you're not being sick. I found the first ten days are when things are a bit up and down. I kept a diary of how I felt every day, which made it easier each time as I could look back and knew what to expect. Here's a rebellious thought, but if your hospital told you not to take pain killers, you could choose not to listen. They say it as it artificially reduces your temperature (if you have one), but I took paracetemol throughout to dull the headaches. If you're worried about fever, just stop taking them for a few hours to get an accurate reading. Am a bit scared now as everyone on here might shout at me.. Have to say, your DH sounds lovely - picnics by the sea.

Cakes, your DD sounds so similar to DS. The other day he came back singing an alphabet song, but kept forgetting the 'u'. When I mentioned it, he said it doesn't exist. I threw a few 'u' words at him, to which he stomped off hurrumphing, insisting it must be a different alphabet.

Thinking of you LGF - brilliant you got through the MRI and sweet to hear how DH held your foot! I hope you're home quickly and feeling okay. Let us know how it went when you can.

Better do some work - bf's birthday today, so I'm taking her out for tea and cake later. mmm..

Smee - they are little sods, aren't they Your approach sounds very like mine!

FWIW I wasn't told not to take painkillers. In fact I was just told to take whatever i would usually take, whenever I needed to. With paracetomol it does artificially lower your temperature of course, but you'll quickly know if you have a straightforward chemo side effect or a bug that needs dealing with.

I feel quite soppy about LGF's footholding DH.

Enjoy your tea and cake, Smee. Thank you for the link to the hats. There are some great ones there too. I can see I'm going to be spoilt for choice, aren't I. It's a bit awkward at this time of year - still cold enough for a warmer hat outside but not for much longer if the weather picks up. Do you remember me saying I promised DS2 he could help me choose a hat or a scarf? Well, I shall show him the two sites I've bookmarked and let him choose me one when he gets home from college. Fingers crossed there aren't any pirate or Disney ones in there. .

I hope everything is going smoothly for LGF today

Figgy I'm glad you haven't been too troubled by sickness, that's great - I also agree with Smee - if your backache/headache gets really uncomfortable, I would take a couple of painkillers. If you take your temp first and its normal then it should be fine. don't put up with anything you don't have to is my motto

MAS its great your mum is coming home, but sad about the parkinsons DX - was it's something that had been thought about or was it a bolt out of the blue? - as if you all hadn't had enough to cope with over the last few weeks Hopefully it will be very slow in progressing. Is she being given any medication to help with the tremors?

My DD was an 'I know it's right' sort of a girl Unfortunately DH has the same personality, so when he tried to help her with her homework sparks would fly

I'm also anxious to know what RWU is up to now that girl never stops!

Birthday tea and cake sounds yummy Smee - have fun

There is a huge pheasant stomping up and down my garden - the dog can see it from the window and is bouncing up and down with rage - she's so cross no barking will come out - just little squeaks

Ooh good - so glad you're not shouting at me Cakes.

I agree - LGF's DH foot holding is lovely. Seem to remember my DH sitting outside reading the paper. Though he did agree not to go and watch the footie that night and cooked me a lovely meal.

I got DS a camouflage bandana, Figgy - I thought it might stop him stealing mine, as he loves dressing up. But his favourite was my favourite too - a leopard skin scarf, that a friend gave me. He looks like a trannie in it. Very cute.

arf at junior smee the tranny !!
I kind of knew it might be Parkinson's only because I overheard my dad talking about it a few months ago (it was suspected then) but mum didn't wnt to tell me and my brother (this is typical !) because we'd worry- so she hasn't said anything to me-though dad has 'officially' told me ! I mentioned this to my bcn when I last saw her and she said she thought mum must have it when she briefly met her at my strawberry tea party but hadn't mentioned it because I hadn['t said anything !! Think they have sorted out some drugs for the tremors.

i'm cooking a steak and kidney pie....

BUT this morning i was addressing 183 people (inc. welsh assembly members) on social reform in Mid-Wales focusing on housing, care and regeneration. Part of my new job, however i've just been offered a new position at the housing association that arranged the forum this morning- for a considerably higher salary than the red cross is capable of (and frankly far more than i am actually 'worth' iyswim)

I am however shattered, the adrenalin was amazing, and the bach rescue remedy did actually help. Spent most of last night writing the speech before remembering that my smart suit trousers were still caked in mud from a dash up to the farm to see a new calf being born, so i bared my legs and wore the shift dress

Follow the money RWU, you know it makes sense.....

i think i might.... it's not a full gone conculsion, i shall have to apply, but the position is not being advertised and the chief exec's words were "we'd really appreciate an application from you.... and i am fully prepared to give you a reference based on your performance today" never been headhunted before

woop!!!

Fantastic!

Go for it, it'll be fab.

Hello ladies, just checking in to see how everyone's doing. I have huge guilt for not being around, but time has zoomed by with half term and so on. Have not been on line very much at all.

No news very much, other than to say that I have been busy making a replica of Big Ben for ds1 to wear to world book day. They had to go as a nursery rhyme and he chose 'London's Burning', hence a flaming Big Ben - the trauma in our house as a result of this is impossible to describe!

I am going to sit down with a and catch up with everyone's news over the next couple of days hopefully, hope you're all going along happily and well.

Brilliant RWU - you must have really impressed with your presentation. I'd say go for it if you think you'd fancy the job - ore money's not to be sneezed at

Hi Phil - lovely to see you - Big Ben sounds very impressive (I am so glad World Book Day did not exist when mine were at primary school )

My DD has just rung to say she is coming home tonight for the weekend - so nice surprise

more money - goodness knows what 'ore money is'