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TAMOXIFEN 9 *********

986 replies

MaryAnnSingleton · 22/03/2011 23:00

Starts here !

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LittleGreenFr0g · 11/04/2011 17:36

Oh Pink, it is horrible when your hair starts to fall out. I used to find hair everywhere...drove me mad so had it cut very short, and my wig styled like my own hair. Eventually I had it shaved but not completely. I do still have hair there but I had a lot in the first place :) I generally wear my wig out and hats (or nothing) in the house. I keep meaning to buy some lovely scarves :) Everyone is right. You do get used to it.

KK - I have chemo on Friday. I am dreading it this week as I now know how sick it can make me :( Saying that I do seem to have got off fairly lightly compared to the other ladies on here so shouldn't complain.

pinkstarlight · 11/04/2011 17:41

figgy..im also not a hat,scalf or bandana person so will feel much happier when i get my wig sorted.i was quite happy when i got my wig but its to perfect if you know what a mean and its just not me.good news about your blood and injections.

mas...thanks hope your right.

aww well my 11 year old sons come home from school and took my mind off my hair hes been in trouble for fighting at school apparently the other kid bit him first and his first reaction was to thump him.my son has learning difficulties and recently we sat and watched all the rocky films,oops.

pinkstarlight · 11/04/2011 17:52

lgf...i did have really long hair but recently had it cut alot shorter,trouble is my hair is curly and thick and its falling out everywhere normally i straighten it but now dare not even touch it.im due my second chemo next monday im really not looking forward to it so i know how you feel,i was hoping to make the most of this week to get out and about.

sandripples · 11/04/2011 19:27

HI, all sympathies to you who are in the middle of chemo. That was me this time last year. Its a bit of another planet while you go through it really. Thank good ness you do come back to planet earth in the end. So when you're having a low moment, don't despair, you'll get through. Meanwhile if you have a good few days, yes make the most of them, especially now the weather is better.

I had a very happy time today in my garden shed/greenhouse. Firstly I was completely alone which after a w/e of guests esp Polish non-stop-talking- Asperger guest, was a relief. Secondly I was dry even despite the occasional sposts of rain. (It cheered up as the day went on really). But most importantly - smug emoticon- I planted courgettes, beetroot, spring onion, French beans, mimulus, nasturtiums. And I tended the seedlings I planted last week ie marigolds, tomoateso and sweet peas. Yes I lnmpw these are all easy things but I'm a beginner! So I'mmainly repeating successes from last year. I'm still waiting for the cabbage and caulis I planted last autumn to get going in any meaningful way - they're there but not doing very much so far!

LimeJellyforBrains · 11/04/2011 21:55

SMEE! Have an absolutely fantabuloso holiday in Morocco! You do realise we'll all be expecting some pics when you get back?!

Figgy well done on getting your 3rd chemo done. Hope those injections do their job, sounds like the first one did. Never thought I'd be congratulating a 'strange' woman on her white blood cell count, but I am! Smile

Figgy, LGF and Pink The indigestion/heartburn/nausea is a bugger, lasts a long time doesn't it? I am really lucky in that I haven't actually been sick so far, just felt it, and that is easing off a bit now (although something in dinner tonight is bothering me). Skipped salads for a couple of days, been eating more bland foods (and ice cream!). Am learning to avoid things with vinegar in too, anything acidic definitely sets it off. Ah yes, I put lemon juice on my broccoli tonight, that'll be it.

We have all been busy in the garden, haven't we? I now have some sweetcorn seeds happily sprouting on my windowsills too. Trouble is I'm finding it hard to work out which sprout is the root and which the stalk-to-be so will probably plant them upside down!

MAS those muffins look divine and I'm sure they wouldn't trouble my tum at all! In fact I'm sure they should probably be prescribed...

SpongeBobSparePants · 12/04/2011 11:36

Have a lovely time smee!!!!

I should just say that this is me (cakes) I fancied an Easter namechange, but could only come up with this, which has nothing whatever to do with Easter. I like it though. It suits the incorrigible knicker changer that I am.

KK I am liking the idea of the worm project. How is it going???

Figgy, the hair going awol is wayyyyyyy more dramatic than anyone can prepare you for, isn't it? I knew someone who went for a shower with a full head of hair and came downstairs totally bald (and with blocked plugholes, presumably).

Good luck for Friday, LGF.

I have just been to my Mum's, briefly. She is having all her radiators changed and they have found multiple dead harvest mice in the header tank. There is a blockage in the system somewhere, and I am thinking it must be a mouse or mouse part. Yikes!!!! and Yuk!!

EasterChickAndRabbitKurri · 12/04/2011 12:31

Hello SpongeBob (loving the namechange Grin) - eek about mice in your mums system, does she have to have it all taken apart to find the blockage? (I know nothing about how these things work).

I'm imagining Smee is in mid air on her way to sunnier climes, - Jealous - me??

Worm is sort of coming together - I've made a paper model, - to see if the pattern pieces I made fit together in a 3d way. Its a bit more complicated that I thought

MaryAnnSingleton · 12/04/2011 13:18

aiee about dead mice !! I love Spongebob Cakes ! Tell me about your knicker changing Grin
Hope worm progresses well KK. My drawings are moving very slowly.
Not sure what to do this pm- feel we should go somewhere,but don't know where- ds says he's quite happy to stay home drawing ! I suggested a trip to Basingstoke as he loves the journey (not so keen on the shop bits)
hmmm...

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SpongeBobSparePants · 12/04/2011 13:20

Loving the 'don't panic' scenario I now have in mind Grin

I'm not sure what is going in with the heating system or what has to happen, I have beaten a hasty retreat. I'll go back later and find out what's what. Fortunately, they aren't in the drinking water tank.

I have just had a one-on-one hypnotherapy and NLP session to make me more of a grownup and less of an idiot (it was focused on my frequent fruitless attempts to lose weight and get fit). It was absolutely amazing, so we'll see if i can follow it up with some sensible diet and exercise related action Hmm

SpongeBobSparePants · 12/04/2011 13:22

Hi MAS! Knicker-changing? Well, I do it at least twice a day and sometimes more. I'm not sure why, I'm not incontinent or anything, I just feel more confident in super-fresh pants. I can look the world in the eye if my nether regions are wafting Fairy freshness Grin

EasterChickAndRabbitKurri · 12/04/2011 13:42

hypnotherapy sound good Cakes - I have the same problem with constant attempts to lose weight, so let me know if it's successful.

Is your DS very artistic too MAS? - I would just let him get on with his drawing if I were you - there will probably be other days when he's looking fro something to do.

DD has just shrieked as she walked past me 'what's that in your hair mum?' and it was a three inch long ginger hair, growing out of the middle of my head. Where did that come from - I have brown/grey hair??

EasterChickAndRabbitKurri · 12/04/2011 13:43

fro instead of for is my most common typo - no idea why.

SpongeBobSparePants · 12/04/2011 13:46

Disastrously for a public relations person, mine is 'pubic' for 'public' Grin

Stray ginger hair is unusual! But 'freaky' is harsh.

MaryAnnSingleton · 12/04/2011 17:13

I wonder where the ginger came from ?!
SpongeCakes (so I know it's you) excellent to hear that the hypno was good -btw there's a thing on hypnotherapy for weight loss in that Psychologies magazine (I bought it once,was quite interesting)
Ds loves drawing but actually I think he spent the afternoon on the computer..I went into town for some fresh air/to get prescription etc

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EasterChickAndRabbitKurri · 12/04/2011 17:28

No idea where it came from MAS (DS is red haired, but he gets it from his grandmother on DH's side).

DS has just phoned me to say he's got the prison job he was interviewed for - teaching literacy/numeracy/IT and drama. It's good pay, and they are going to pay for him to do college training, so he's very pleased, and its basically supply work, so he'll still have plenty of time for the theatre work (which is mostly evenings anyway)

I've made cheeses scones and coffee buns, and sewn the worm's head this afternoon, so am feeling quite smug. Grin

sandripples · 12/04/2011 20:23

Can't keep track of all your name changes! But well done to KK's DS - that very good news.

Grin at Spongecakes changing knickers. Hm, I do fairly often change mine when I come from work as it refreshes me (!) but not otherwise - too much washing!

Have spent time today trying to find work experience for DS - he wants to do chem. engineering now at uni so seems a good idea he should go and see what its all about. Rang loads of places and did find one nice chap who thinks he can sort something out for us. So then got DS to prepare his cv and a covering e-mail and send it off to this nice contact I'd found, plus about 5 others who said he should e-mail and they'd see. I think chem.eng can lead to all sorts of different things - does anyone have any knowledge of this? Think I need to speak again with the nice lady I've found who is a Chem Eng careers adviser as I've thought of lots of questions since discovering her yesterday.

By the way have I told you that all my stiffness in joints has disappeared? I was blaming the Arimidex but its quite clear it was the overweight. Well at least that's somehing I can (occasionally) control. So quite a discovery really. Haven't lost any more this week but I'm down 1stone 2lb now.

EasterChickAndRabbitKurri · 12/04/2011 20:31

It's brilliant your joint stiffness has gone SR, - I wonder how many of my aches and pains are do to excess weight. I greatly admire your will power and determination, you have done so well Smile

I don't know about things chem. engineering can lead to. But a school friend of mine went on to do chem. engineering, and he is doing very well for himself - it's a pretty good career as far as I know. (My friend used to work for Cadbury's, but think he has moved to a different company - I've rather lost touch with him).

DS still has to have all the security checks done - but they've asked him to go in tomorrow to get an idea of the job.

Figgyroll · 12/04/2011 20:56

Well done on the weight loss, SR. It must be lovely not aching any more. I've lost just over a stone - not on purpose, just the shock of losing mum and then my bc diagnosis. I can't say I've noticed any less aching but then I'm still overweight and have a few more stones to lose.

I've had a horrible afternoon. After visiting my brother and his wife this morning, doing the weekly shop and a couple of other errands, I found myself bursting into tears when I met a friend I hadn't seen for a while and had to tell her my news. I haven't blubbed like that when telling anyone for quite a while and thought I was better at it. Obviously not. Then this afternoon I've been getting the awful indigestion again and, coupled with the painful visit to the loo (constipation - sorry if tmi) I resorted to my bedroom for a while and another blub. I wonder if it's the chemo and the combination of steroids and anti-sickness pills. It's a lot of drugs. I've been drinking Movicol but obviously need to up to 3 or 4 a day to get me going. I'm worried it will trigger my newly diagnosed diverticulitis which flares up, gets infected and makes me neutropenic.

Sorry for the moan, I have been trying so hard to try to be as normal as possible and get on with my life but every now and then I feel like I've been hit for six.

EasterChickAndRabbitKurri · 12/04/2011 21:12

Oh poor you Figgy. It is hard when you meet someone who doesn't know, and you have to tell them, emotions can catch us by surprise sometimes, it will get easier, I promise - but it does take time to get used to and every so often something will trigger off tears quite unexpectedly.

The combo of drugs, steroids and anti sickness do cause constipation, - which is miserable when your not feeling well generally anyway. I would have a chat with the hospital about it, maybe there is something that would work better than movicol for you, - lactulose or something perhaps. It is hard if you have an underlying bowel problem because chemo does effect the bowel so much (or it did me) I hope they can come up with something that will make you more comfortable without making the diverticulitis flare up.

I ate a lot of dried apricots, and tinned prunes, also drank prune juice (mixed with lemonade because its not that pleasant!) hot water with lemon juice in it is supposed to be good (a cup each morning I think) but I haven't tried that one.

I hope you feel better tomorrow - don't worry about moaning that's what the thread is for, - everyone needs to vent, and you wouldn't be normal if you didn't feel a bit fed up sometimes. Also steroids can make you feel pretty down in mood I found, so that might be playing a part too.

take care xx Smile

LittleGreenFr0g · 12/04/2011 21:24

Figgy - sorry to hear you are feeling so low :( No wonder though what with everything that has gone on and then to have to explain it to someone else. Big big hugs xx

Smee - too late for you to see, but have a lovely holday :)

SpongeBob - great name change.

Well had my consultant appointment today. My neurophils are low so have to go back on Thursday morning to have my blood retested :( The consultant is confident that they will be ok by then but I do think that this will happen everytime now. Is that likely? I have felt ok too. apart from that, all ok. He is changing the anti sickenss tablet and giving me some extra steroid for day 4, as both times I felt very tired on day 5. He thinks it will help. Fingers crossed?

The most positive news is that the lump has shrunk a lot so its all worth it Grin

MaryAnnSingleton · 13/04/2011 07:06

fab news about ds KK !! and as for worm's head, coffee bun and cheese scones (which I love vvv much) -yum yum ! Am toying with trying to make brioche - trying to involve ds who seems to just want to hang out at home not occupied by anything apart from drawing,prowling about the garden or drawing.
SR - good luck with finding work exp. for ds - and am so pleased to hear that aches and pains are gone-hooray for weightloss ! Grin
Poor figgy -am sorry you are feeling so low and bunged up too- you are very much allowed to say how it is for you -that's what we're here for too. Hope things are a bit brighter today- and for you LGF - hope bloods will be ok and yay for shrinking lump Grin

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SparkleRainbow · 13/04/2011 08:13

Hi everyone. I will catch up properly later, just attempting to negotiate a new laptop. Dh took old laptop apart on saturday morning to clean lint out f heat excahnger and promptly dropped the cpu.......I bought a new laptop yesterday!

In the meantime, love the name changes and big hugs for figgy, LGF, LJ and Pink.

SpongeBobSparePants · 13/04/2011 09:45

'Spongecakes' is great MAS! Grin Thanks!

KK you are way too industrious and clever. Stop it now.

Figgy and LGF - poor you. I hope today is a better day. LGF it is great that the tumour has shrunk lots, that's the most important thing. Everything else will pass. My advice is to tell the hospital about all your symptoms and feelings, that's one of the reasons they see you so often, and give you all the phone numbers. They really can do loads to help - but only if they know.

SR, I am so in awe of your weight loss and glad that the aches have gone.

Sparkles, i may have missed this, but how was the new school. Will ds be going?

SpongeBobSparePants · 13/04/2011 10:00

MAS - I'll go and get that Psychologies - thanks.

I have high hopes from yesterday's session - we did a thing where one hand represented my inner child and the other represented my critical adult. I had to sit still while he talked to me and they moved together of their own accord. I thought it would never happen to me, but it did. And all the time - my eyes were open for the process - I could see everything with a luminous line around it, and strange patterns moving across. Very Twilight Zone!

MaryAnnSingleton · 13/04/2011 10:05

wow ! that sounds pretty amazing !

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