TAMOXIFEN 9 *********

[MaryAnnSingleton]

Starts here !

Morning MaryAnn and all.

I hope everyone's well today and that Sally hasn't got a headache from too much celebrating.

It's another lovely day here, the tortoise is unhibernated and having a stroll around the garden, I'm about to take the dog for a walk and will have another relaxing day once the ironing is out of the way.

Wow, lots of good news to be celebrated here. A stone for SR and, best of all, lumpy boobs for sally!!!! I am so very pleased for you. I hope your head isn't too sore from all the

I'm like KK - can remember all my A-level texts, and also all my degree ones, but God knows why as I hardly read any of those Not even Piers Plowman, and I did a whole module on that - again. God it was crap (at least, the bit I read was). I liked Chaucer, could just about cope with some Shakespeare (saw Ian McKellen and Judi Dench's famous Macbeth), but Wordsworth! Just tedious. And long-winded. Not a man I'd invite to a party.

have a lovely day all, it is a very beautiful one here. Oh, and thanks again, MAS for starting the shiny new thread; the last one went in a flash!

beautiful here too- am off to contact lens check up (am a bit fed up with sore eyes from them- am blaming tamoxifen) and then to buy chicken wire to keep Celeste from going under the back gate -then the joy of Sainsbury's,followed by piano ....
figgy- tortoises are so sweet- we had 2 as children-in fact I've just drawn one for a picture I'm doing.
Hope sally is still celebrating her fab news !

I've had sore eyes as well, MAS - do you put it down to tamoxifen? Hadn't thought of that. I'd be interested to hear what your guy thinks. interestingly, mine have been better for about a week, now, and i can't account for it at all.

Dd is being a little git at the moment, so rude and moody, which isn't like her at all. Maths homework (always a flashpoint) went majorly pear-shaped yesterday and it has just continued ever since. She always says she can't do it, expects me to tell her the answers, gets shouty and cries, and writes it all down in as slapdash a way as possible - and yet she is NOT struggling. I really thought she must be, but it turns out she has just passed the test to be rated at 3A level, which would be good for the end of the year, especially as she is one of the youngest in the year. So she is doing really well , and her silly behaviour is making me absolutely FURIOUS .

I DO know being furious isn't helping, by the way

maybe it's just a growing up thing cakes- well done to dd for being so good at maths- a subject I really struggled with and ds too.
I have to have new lenses -bah -mine are 4 years old and probably pretty scabby- am also developing an allergic reaction to the preservatives in the solution,so must rinse them with saline before putting in. He said the tamox. would cause dry eyes,but am suspecting now that my problems are with elderly lenses and the irritation to the cornea. £80 - but at least it's half price as I'm in their care scheme...phew.

I lost my temper with ds this morning over fractions equivalence, which he knew two years ago, cos he asked me and I taught him, but he has forgotten now as school is so ! and I know losing my temper with a 7 yr old isn't helping either! not his fault is it.

SR I won't offer you a to celebrate your 1 st loss, seems cruel when you are doing so well. Fab news, well done you.

I had my lens changed 6 months ago, my old ones were getting pretty tatty, an apparently old technology. I have never had so many porblems with my lens since the new ones, they are a nightmare, I hate them, and I keep losing them and at £60 a lens it is a expensive business.

Too scared for laser eye surgery though

Have you tried the daily disposables? I'm on a contract with Specasvers and it's only £15 a month. But I need to cancel as I can't wear them for distances AND see close up any more - I need reading glasses now so don't see the point of wearing lenses and glasses.

mm,did think of daily disposables but am used to my hard lenses - will see how these go. I need reading specs for reading/drawing with them,but when lenseless I see close up really well..it's all very pesky. Fortunately I like my glasses so wear them a fair bit.
Ds just panics when faced with difficult maths- he is very bad at asking for help. If dh helps him there's always shouting and huffing..same as when my dad tried to help me !

Goodness we are clones of each other or something!

I too lost my temper with DS2 last night - he pulled down the floor length curtains and the pole in the dining room. The pole is now split so will probably need replacing, can't use it as it is. He did the same by accident about 2 weeks ago and apologised so touchingly I forgave him instantly. Then he did it again last night by messing about (wrapping himself in the curtain) even though he knew it was fragile, so I lost my rag . Feeling the strain in my broken wrist trying to pick up and fold the curtains didn't improve my mood. No way I'll be able to lift them to re-hang them, DH will have to do it, I hate being 'incapable'. Big nuisance the whole thing. But DS2 was so sad at bedtime I felt awful

And Figgy I'm in the same boat as you re lenses. Have almost given up wearing them now as when I do I also need to wear reading glasses on top for close up . Like MAS I also found I was becoming sensitive to the soaking solutions (also find eye make-up is now a problem) so had to switch to dailies.

Lenses are a pest here too. I use monthly disposables, but nowadays have to put make up on before I put them in, as I can't see to do it with them in, then the lenses get make-up on, or the solution makes my eyes water and the make-up run... groan. I think we are all getting old, ladies

I hope the new lenses help, though, MAS. It is interesting that tamoxifen makes eyes dry, that explains quite a bit.

I am very interested to see that a few of us have had meltdowns with the dcs. I think they catch you when you are tired, or sore, and it just blows. Dd shouted at me last night when I was really trying to help and ignore the histrionics, and my face must have been a very impressive shade of red because as soon as she saw it, her eyes widened and she apologised. I still delivered my best lecture on 'never ever speaking to me like that', which elicited very real tears. She was a little git for the rest of the night.

I think you are surely right MAS, it is a growing up thing. Just so maddening, when she is so good at maths, which she hasn't got from her dad or from me. It's from my dad, I think.

ds very grumpy a lot of the time- he snaps out of it very quickly and is quite easy to get round. Recently when he was shouting at me his voice went all squeaky (it's breaking) and it made us both laugh. He does door slamming and muttering under his breath and much eye rolling. When he's being nice he is a sweetie. I do love it that he still has an imaginary world going on in his head and parallel universes - it's very endearing.

That's reassuring to know. In truth dd is usually quite easy to get round as well: it's just that sometimes I can't be fagged and let her stew.

A bumble bee just flew into my office. Spring!!!

I have the French doors open. Spring!!!!

My cat is nowhere to be seen. Spring!!

SR, a stone's fantastic. How much more are you aiming to lose?? Are you nearly there?

Figgy, glad you're not feeling too bad. Spring will most definitely help am sure. We had a tortoise when we were little. Can't remember what happened to her either.

LJ, curtain drama sounds a pain. My DS would have done that too am sure. In fact, I might have done it too - I pulled similar down at my SIL's playing with my niece and nephew. Not sure she's ever forgiven me.

We have the door slamming and general grumps here too. Must be something in the air.

i have remembered something I studied at A-level. Pope's 'Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot'. I know you don't care, but it made me feel better to have remembered it.

Hi all,

Hope everyone is feeling well today. I went to yoga this morning but took it very gently with my shoulder. A new woman has started - and she is good fun - made me laugh a lot!

Then went on to the 80th birthday lunch which was lovely - and the birthday girl was looking very sprightly

Figgy - how old is your tortoise? - My parents have one and the vet reckons its about 80, - they've had it for about 45 years. It has to be hand fed because according to my mum its lost its claws and can't hold its food. I suspect it is just incredibly lazy - but Mum insists this is not the case

DH had an e-mail today at work saying 'a very important visitor is coming tomorrow, so don't use the front entrance let yourselves in at the back' - DH says this means 'we don't want a VIP seeing riff raff like you'. We don't know who the VIP is yet - probably someone totally obscure.

There must be something in the air for temper losing (I was cross with DH last night because he's going to a conference in Canada and I am terribly jealous - - but I want to go - poor DH )

how exciting about VIP ! or maybe not ! Can dh not take you to Canada too ?
Am glad to hear you took it easy at yoga
Chicken wire now under the gate, but I suspect tht Miss C might shimmy underneath that...
I love watching tortoises eat- their tongues are so pink and fleshy !

No - no chance of going to Canada - unless we win the lottery - he'll just have to bring me back a big present

Don't get too excited about the VIP - it will probably be some very minor politician or an ancient member of the royal family no one's ever heard of!

Oh meant to ask MAS - can Celeste not climb over the gate as well - or is it too high?

hi smee told me to come say hello , im at the begining of a long journey and i need to find some positivity from somewhere and a bit of cheering up.

Hello pinkstarlight and welcome, - I was just about to post on your other thread and saw you were popping over here . I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis - it takes a bit of getting used to doesn't it?

I think journey is the right word - we get used to going to the doctor being given something and then getting better in a fairly short time. But this is a bit of a longer haul. But it is doable, it really is.

You're bound to feel anxious about the start of your treatment - it's a step into the unknown.

In very general terms I would say take it day by day. You will have good days, and days when you feel a bit rough. Try to pace yourself, and if you don't feel up to doing stuff, then rest.

Accept any help that's offered, someone making a meal for you, or picking the children up from school or whatever can be a big help.

Chemo affects everyone differently - people get different side effects. So play it by ear - once you've had your first cycle, you'll have some idea of how you will feel during your three weeks in between

Don't feel you have to constantly put a brave face on things and be cheerful all the time. Having cancer and the treatment for it is a big thing to get hit with, its OK to have a cry or feel angry and upset. (And feel free to come on here for a rant or a moan - we all do it )

If you've got any specific questions, or there's is some aspect of chemo etc. that is especially worrying you, just ask away, - hopefully one of us will be able to help.

take care xx

welcome pinkstarlight -haven't seen your post but will go and look.
The fence and gate are too tall for her at the moment,plus there is a Rhodesian Ridgeback next door (not scary when you know her) - I am being ridiculously anxious about letting her out- was never ike this before.

Hi pinkstarlight,

I just wanted to say I know how you feel. I only started chemo 3 weeks ago and it is terrifying BUT I don't think it will be as bad as you really think it may be. Ok, so I have only had one dose but I can be here to hold your hand? These ladies her are also great and would really recomend staying here :)

I'm off to bed now. Very tired x

thanks for the welcome and for the reasurance about having chemo,by the time i have had my op and radiotheraphy i would have proberly drove you all mad.

don't worry pink- we are happy to help (I can only speak from experience of surgery and radiotherapy though)but from what I've observed from my chemo friends it's all doable and not so scary once you're started