TAMOXIFEN 9 *********

[MaryAnnSingleton]

Starts here !

Must be so hard to watch that happen to your child. Hope her DD moves on and gets rid once and for all. Had to be very serious if she's been hospitalised.

I wish I was sleeping better without the drink. Bit annoyed about that, as I was hoping I would. Hot flushes still wake me up. Was hoping not drinking might calm those down too.

Flushes still a bit of a git here, too. But I have found that my back problems are a bit easier, oddly. Well, maybe it isn't odd, as alcohol is meant to be inflammatory. My real hope is that I will lose weight. I have examined what I eat and apart from the chocolate, which I have mostly given up for Lent, it is pretty good, so I am hoping it is the wine that is keeping me porky. In which case, my jeans should start dropping off me any day now

I've been playing a new CD in the car. Boy, I thought I was pretty unshockable, and also fairly relaxed abut what dd hears, as long as she doesn't repeat it. But I was by this one. I've just lent it to a friend as she asked for it, with a note on it to listen to it by herself

Hello everyone - very busy on here today after a quiet couple of days - ah, Cakes is back

MAS - hope you have a lovely day. Am too very of seeing the watercolour exhibition - review on R4 sounded great. Have just googled and it's on until 21st Aug so think I should plan a 'treat day' myself! Ages and ages since I last went into London. When I first moved there after college I was unemployed for 2 years and every week or two would splash out on a travelcard and go to all the lovely private and free small galleries around Piccadilly/Cork Street etc. Cheap baked potato lunch from small market outside church on Piccadilly. Smee's right, need to plan some treats!

Smee - the castle building sounded much fun and very like the 'bridge building' days they do at DS's infant school. Drawbridges also involved. Masses of huge cardboard boxes. I remember the challenge was to build a bridge that could actually be walked across - some of them worked!

Kurri - everything seems to be going swimmingly with your puppet project so far, especially being treated to tea and cake! Do you also have arty background? Seems to be a lot of creativity amongst us with art and writing too...

Pink - did you take the steroids before or after breakfast? You are supposed to eat before taking them, don't take them on an empty stomach - did they tell you? It will be up to your Onc re cutting them down/out. They need to weigh the benefits (anti-nausea) against the downsides (wired/not sleeping and for me, anxiety/tears). Was told yesterday they could give me something else to help with nausea if I have to cut the steroids. I had a bit of constipation last time too, but found it eased after the first few days. Keep drinking the water! I fill a big jug (nearly 2L) every day and try to get through most of it on chemo days. Hate freezing cold water from the tap too, room temp is better.

Cakes - enjoy your tonight! Friday definitely weekend! Lots of cals in wine so should help with you (fantastic) weight loss.

Awful awful about your friend's DD - as Smee says, hope that was first and last time, and she keeps him out now.

And what lovely comments to treasure about your DD! Be as proud as you like! I still love to replay being told DS2's reception teacher had said "he hasn't a bad bone in his body".....so true and makes me and [tear] every time I think of it [sniff].

Yesterday went OK - the cold cap was the hardest part. Had to take a paracetemol, still hurt like hell, think it was a bit too low on my forehead for one thing. Couldn't wait to get the thing off. Felt a bit nauseous and think that was also due to cold cap - thought I might be joining the unique Smee in throwing up, but managed to deep breathe it away. Found my eyes closing whilst still on the F&C parts, had to stay for an extra hour and doze and wait for the nausea/dizziness to pass before I could drive home.

Today just feeling v tired and a bit yuk - mouth already tastes foul. Slept not too bad last night. Off to sofa and antique-y progs now.

Last word is for Figgy - so worried about you, hope you are OK, but thinking they are probably not as we haven't heard from you. I have an injection to take today which boosts white cell production. Can/have they given you anything like that, might help? Big hugs xx

What's the CD, Cakes?

Slight tangent, but we went to an art show recently, which contains a fantastic video piece, constructed out of moments in cinema related to time, so if you go in at 3pm, all the clips are connected to 3pm. Lots of fantastic old film, etc, etc. All good when you need a rest to slump in front of and perfect to give DS some downtime. So there we sit, watching and it's all wonderfully tame and funny, until there on screen is naked roll around sex. DS's eyes were on stalks..

Great to see you back Cakes - and what a lovely comment about your DD - I would have been really chuffed with the behaviour comments too - you can learn academic stuff, but it much harder to learn to have a sweet nature. She sounds a fabulous little girl.

Sorry about your friends DD - how awful - God there's some nasty pieces of work out there

Smee - the cake may have been a smoke screen - he knows I'm easily distracted by cake - Actually he's being pretty generous with the budget - but my instinct is to try and save and get the best bargains. DS did a deal with a market stall holder for cheap rate for bulk quantity stuffing. DS always haggles - even in shops - so it's good to have him with me when buying!

I stayed up very late last night working on the poster, I need to have it done by tomorrow, and am struggling a bit with where to put the beasties on top of the peach (have done all the background stuff)

So I'll be up late again tonight because I have to shop for Ds's DP's birthday (next week) this afternoon - we are meeting up on Saturday so need to have it all ready. She's not a hard girl to buy for, but I've been pushed for time.

I hope all the chemo ladies are feeling a bit better today. LGF trying to maintain as much normality as possible is the way to keep your sanity!

Pink -do ask for something for the constipation - I had movicol (lactulose works too) don't let them fob you off with 'buy some sennapod tablets' - they give you stomach cramps and make you have to make emergency dashes to the loo (voice of bitter experience!) If you can stand it prune juice helps too (it's not too bad if you mix it with a bit of lemonade)

Hope you are OK today LJ and not too shattered.

Also hope MAS is having a lovely day out in London - I'm sure she is

Have a good weekend all if I don't manage to get back on today. xx

Hi LJ - enjoy your sofa and antiques! i also had those injection thingies, and managed to stave off infection mostly, so would also recommend to Figgy if she isn't already on them.

This cold cap thing was just not offered at our chemo unit but it does sound a bit of a challenge . Bloody well done for driving yourself, though

How nice about your ds only having nice bones . I think those are the comments to treasure because, really, you mostly know if your kid is trying hard, and if they are finding the work OK or not, but you have less idea of how they behave when you aren't about. And being a good person is pretty important, far more so than being a super genius. Certainly at dd's school there are some fairly mean things that seem to go on: I am really, really pleased to hear that dd doesn't seem to be taking part.

Ooops x posted . Sounds a bit of a tough session yesterday LJ - the cold cap is pretty painful isn't it? (I only had it a couple of time because it didn't work for me) But if it does manage to save your hair that will be great. (Rubbing your tongue backwards and forwards along the back of your top palate (the soft bit) is supposed to ease the cold-headache a bit)

I am more crafty than arty - I can sew and design stuff, but I'm less good at drawing/painting - so tend to panic a bit over doing any!

Am also worried about Figgy, was it Tuesday her temp. went up? - I hope she's OK.

Ooh, two cross posts!

smee - it is an old PLan B one called something like 'Who needs actions when you've got words'. Track one has a few sweary bits but is quite nice, then track 2 really lets rip with some quite jaw dropping stuff . I loved the story of the film your ds saw: reminds me of an episode of 'My Name is Earl' I watched with dd. It was pretty raw but I was laughing too much to reach them remote

KK - the puppets and posters etc sound truly impressive. I would love to be arty and crafty.

I am very jealous of MAS's day out: but I hope it is truly fab.

Who invented orange Club biscuits, and why did they put them in my cake tin?

Oh hang on, I think that last part was me

I dreamt there was a Mars Bar in my kitchen drawer - I was pretty disappointed when I woke up and the cupboard was bare.

what a disappointing way to start the day

Cakes, I misread and I thought you invented Orange Club Biscuits. My jaw was dropping with awe Had quite forgotten about them. Mmm..

Plan B is a bit er. DS loves him, but I must admit I've edited the tracks a bit.

LimeJelly, I like the sound of the bridge building. Might suggest that to DS's teacher. He seems to be up for a challenge. The cold cap horrors sound sadly familiar. So very hard to keep going, but brilliant that you managed it. Maybe see how much hair you lose this time, then weigh it up from there. I had those injections too, but for some reason not until they changed me from FEC to Tax. Bit weird injecting yourself - stomach worked best for me. Hope the tv distracts you from feeling rough. You take care of yourself.

Kurri, your son does know his mother from the sound of things, but why did you have to mention Mars Bars?! I now want Orange Club Biscuit and a Mars Bar..

I have had the orange club biscuit -and also some Cadbury's toffee and chocolate fingers which really are not safe in this house. When dh finds out we have these, dd will be trampled underfoot in the rush. Unless I eat them all before he gets home

Well done you for doing building stuff with a class of six year olds. Sounds a challenge.

The Plan B track is worse than anything I have ever heard. It seems to be all about rape and abortions and men doing unspeakable things on digestive biscuits. Seriously NOT to be recommended (and i speak as someone who hasn't bothered to edit the other Plan B cd for dd )

And also, what a waste of a perfectly good biscuit [anger]

Am guessing it didn't have chocolate on it though, Cakes.

I am in envy of your biscuit box. Must go to shops..

Have just realised that I have never tasted a Cadbury's toffee and chocolate finger.

No no Cakes, by far the safest thing of all would be to send the fingers to me and Smee!! We will save your DD from trampling, your DH from guilt of trampling, and your good self from...um...er...ah yes, calories! No diet here, am on chemo (has to be a good excuse for something!) I've never tasted a Cadbury's t&c finger either - sounds like a Twix? Have some Twix fingers.... think that's just what I need to settle my tum. Better than a ginger crunch no doubt. Waffle waffle chemo brain waffle

You sound quite lucid to me LJ. Excellent advice to Cakes. All biscuits gratefully received.

They are a bit Twix-y, but I am not a Twix fan, and I LURVE these.

Good to see you off the sofa, LJ, but there is no need, chemo is a perfect excuse for a wallow occasionally. I think chocolate should be included in your big bag of TTHs after a chemo session, to be fair.

Kurri if you can "sew and design stuff" you are definitely crafty and arty! Art is just creating 'nice' things - any media. Sorry about the missing Mars Bar, how dare it not be there

Cakes is trying to get me back on the sofa and eat my own chocolate to distract me from the non-appearing Cadbury bars which she has no doubt already eaten, isn't she Smee?

How could she refuse a woman on chemo, LJ?? We should bar her from the thread.

Cruel, just cruel. And she just out and out ignored our safety suggestion Smee, it's shocking! We could send her to Coventry (having just complained about missing her chat, and welcoming her back). Or does she already live there? Someone here is Midlands...

Have eaten Twix bar and taken steroid (just in time!) Have eyed the washing up and walked away. Chemo recovery is going well!

Now I am really wanting chocoltae fingers, orange clubs, mars bars.....slightly gone off the idea of digestives though.....wonder why?

Pretty sure cakes is in Coventry, you may have to send her somewhere else...I suggest Staffordshire if she still has any orange clubs left......she can bring them to me and I will sacrifice myself for her.