**TAMOXIFEN TEN***

[MaryAnnSingleton]

brand new shiny thread....our tenth !

The power is back on.....bill paid smee

I have fallen off a bit of a cliff today, don't know what sent me there, everything I guess. So I am going to pop off for a few days as I don't want to bring any of you down with me. Good luck and keep as well as possible to all having treatment and waiting for treatment. I will be back, when I have picked myself up and dusted myself off.

In the meantime, thank you for all being lovely

Sparkle, am glad you paid up. Could we persuade you to stay? We're here for ups and downs you know.

don't go sparkle - stay and we'll cheer you up

btw- just saw the actress Sarah Parrish in Sainsbury's

Was she looking OK? I saw a photo of her recently and she looked like a turtle - but it wasn't a good photo so am guessing that's unfair

Sparkles, it's when you are feeling down that you need to be here!!!! It's part of what we are for. Don't go off sad and alone

A turtle. I do quite like her, she looks fun and comes across as sane too. Though then again she's an actress, so probably bonkers.

I saw Colin Firth buying cat food in Sainsbury's once. It was years ago when he wasn't very well known.

Glad the leccy's back on Sparkle. Put the kettle on.

Please don't disappear for a few days. Stay here and share a and , have a rant and a moan, get it all off your chest (figuratively speaking of course) and you'll soon feel up to speed again. ((((((((Sparkle)))))))) I know this thread has helped me through the tough days and the support is invaluable.

The centipede is fab. I love his legs - he will be a great hit.

I like Sarah Parish too, ever since I saw her with David Tennant in Blackpool (the programme, not the place ). She does have along neck though so maybe that's why she is a bit turtle-like.

Back from FEC - only one more to go. I've had extra strong anti-sickness meds (in a drip) so should be okay till tomorrow.

Amber, I asked the nurse if anyone had ever bought frozen peas etc. for their hands and feet into the chemo unit and she's never had a patient do it in all her 6 years of working there. She asked a few others and none of them had either so it hasn't reached our parts yet. Mind you, my nails have escaped any side effects - I've only got a couple of ridges on a couple of nails and they hardly notice unless you run a finger across them. I hope they do the trick for you.

Well done figgy- hope you manage to keep the sickness at bay.
Sarah P looked ok- I like her too- nice slender legs - I saw her once before in there when she was expecting her first child -they live in a nearby village -my bookgroup ladies see her about as they live that way.

Figgy, I was the one who told our onc unit about the research on frozen fingers and toes - they really hadn't come across it either, so I think it's little known.

Sparkle, sending you ((((hugs))))

Figgy, hooray - one to go!! That's truly fantastic. Well done on getting through today. Hope those drugs work for you.

I think a lot of American women do the frozen thing. Seem to remember reading about it somewhere.

Ds has detention for not having his PE kit- apparently he has mislaid it somewhere- was cross for a bit,then calm again-which must be a result of meditation I think as I'd have really fretted if he'd lost it in the past...though am not amused at the prospect of replacing football boots,trainers,rugby socks,shorts,rugby shirt,and shin pads

I'm sure it will turn up MAS, especially if it all has his name in. Annoying though. I remember those days well. DS1 went to an all boys school and all his uniform cost a fortune from their school shop. Of course you couldn't buy it anywhere else. Looking back, we didn't have to replace too many lost things. Mainly, it was because he just kept growing.

yes-is all labelled ! lost property office only open on a Thursday,apparently.

Awkward - but at least tomorrow's Thursday - hurrah!

Yes it was the long neck that made her look like a turtle - her head was sort of pushed forwards and up, and the corners of her mouth were turned down. it was on a poster in a small Norfolk town - Amanda Holden 'and her celebrity friends' were going to turn on the Xmas lights. It had a great picture of Amanda and a truly rotten shot of poor sarah P, looking all turtley. I liked her in Blackpool too.

Figgy - well done. Take it easy.

Ah, neck makes total sense. I thought she'd grown a shell or something.

MAS, forgot to say congrats on yet another book. Remind us when it comes out, we'll need to virtually celebrate.

aw thanks !

Thanks for all the kind comments about centipede - spider or ladybird next I think.

Topsy - I hope today brings you some news of a new date - feel so annoyed on your behalf

Figgy and Amber - hope you are both feeling OK today, and sickness is being kept at bay, take things easy

Happy Birthday Little Smee, he'll have great fun with the basketball hoop.

MAS - I hope the PE kit turns up. DS left all his on the bus once (it was new - he'd just started at the school) - we went all round the houses to get it back, but did eventually. So hopefully your DS's is sitting in the LP waiting to be reclaimed.
Well done on the book from me too

I am embarrassed to say I've never heard of this turtle woman is she very famous - I googled a picture - didn't recognise her (I am so out of touch!)

I went toyoga yesterday then went on to meet DS in town for lunch and chat, - he starts his prison job properly today. He's had to wait for security checks to be done, done a couple of training days (how you have to keep your keys concealed all and keep the indented bit covered so prisoners can't memorise them. And also what to do if your are taken hostage by a prisoner - although he 'reassured me' that is rare . He is teaching maths and English as a second language today.

I have just seen a magpie attack a blackbird in the garden, it was vicious. The blackbird got away but I went out to look and there are feathers strewn about on the lawn.

I can see I need to stock up on iced gems for the picnic. I only eat the icing bit - so someone else can have the biscuity bit off mine (or is it only my sister that's willing to eat slightly chewed iced gem biscuit? )

Hi KK. DS's job sounds a bit alarming. Don't watch the new Louis Theroux thing about Miami Super Jails, that's all I am saying.

Really, I am sure he will be well looked after by the staff, and that he will enjoy it. it will be a challenge, and also excellent on his cv.

The magpie thing sounds sad. I often find quite serious collections of feathers here as well. I hadn't considered it might be magpies - we have a completely lethal sparrowhawk who comes and sits on our fences and i had always blamed him, but we do get magpies too. Hmmm..... A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in the garden near our blossom tree and there was an almighty kerfuffle, and then this stripey bird landed on a low branch near enough for me to touch. I thought it was a thrush at first and then realised that it was the sparrowhawk, which had chased a little bird, which had made for the safety of the tree, and knocked the sparrowhawk off balance so it had to make a crash landing. It didn't hang about near me though so the intended victim lived to fight another day. Clever bird.

Quite often we can be standing chatting to our neighbours, and the hawk goes hurtling through the gap between our two houses, just a foot or two above our heads

Sarah Parrish - is she famous - well she is quite well known, I would say. She was in that hairdressing programme (was it called Cutting It), and also in Blackpool a few years ago with David Tennant and some other guy who is really good. Chemo brain. She is pretty good looking despite my earlier comments, which were more about the photo than the person [ grin]

lots of luck to ds KK - am sure he'll be fine !

Magpies are sinister and I'd be v upset to see one menace a bl;ackbird-but I suppose it's nature.
I ache all over-well,arms,neck really- am wondering whether to see the doc ? I hate being examined and am sure he;ll say it's probably tamox. I am not usually and achy person and haven't had any real tamoxifen side effects though- so not sure. I am loath to make any kind of fuss though.

Have you been sitting working for longer than usual? That often does it for me.

I hate to say it, but I have had lots of stiff neck and shoulder things on tamoxifen. I do a couple of stretch classes a week and they keep it contained. maybe a few upper body exercises would help? Nothing organised, just a bit of yoga type stuff on the floor in the living room might be all it takes. Bloody boring though

It is likely to be the tamoxifen. FWIW I'd probably try a few exercises, take a total break from the desk for the BH weekend, and then go to the docs if it's no better early next week. x

good thought Cakes- I haven't been doing anything different from usual - same amount of time drawing/at computer. I could try some mindful yoga -that might help

We don't usually get magpies, but this year we seem to have been invaded. The blackbirds are little family - with 2 babies, and we like to watch the babies getting fed. I suppose with sparrowhawks at least they are hunting for their food. (although it is horrible to see them snatch a little bird) This magpie just didn't want any one else sharing the (enormous plenty for everyone) feeder

MAS - it could well be the tamox. , or possibly a virus - they can make you very achey.

I think I watched Blackpool, but I remember very little about it - was DT a sort of detective in it? anyway still don't remember SP, although obviously I ought to

Other actor was David Morrisey, Cakes. I think so anyway. He's v.good.

MAS, aches don't sound good, but it probably is Tamoxifen. Swimming helps with my various aches - I'm not sure if mine are Tamoxifen. Thought they were, but my Onc said it could just be chemo still leaving my system - apparently it can take up to a year. Hope DS finds his PE kit today.

Kurri, vicious blackbirds here too. They amuse me though as they taunt our dopey cat. Cakes, that sparrowhawk sounds a bit unhinged. Amazing it flies so close though.

Kurri, DS will love working in the prison. Everyone I know who's done similar seems to become quite evangelical about it all. Does sound interesting.

Here, I have heroically been playing Lego Ninjas since 6am with my very excited birthday boy. DH is away, so it was just the two of us. He was also given some electronic drumsticks, which are really bloody annoying a real treat.

David Morrissey! That's him! Thanks, smee.

The thought of chemo still in the system is sobering isn't it? I was told the same thing, though I should be clear by now. Still achey though. Of course, it could just be old age in my case.

I am glad smee jnr is enjoying his birthday presents, although the drumsticks sound horrifying. Is it half term where you are, then? it's next week for us.

We have spent every evening this week individually handmaking invitations to dd's party next month. I told her she would get bored, but she insisted on doing it her way. It's a swimming party and she has written every invitation and drawn a picture of a swimming pool on each one, then I have had to check all necessary details are included, and stick on a little metal frog in swimming trunks that we got from Hobbycraft. Boy was i bored. (It was also an extremely expensive way of doing it )

Nope, half term's next week for us too, so he's at school now, which he was happy about as they're allowed to take cake in if their birthday's on a school day.

Your DD's very diligent. How brilliant. I can't imagine DS sitting for long enough to write even one. Swimming party's brave. DS chose to go to the Circus instead of having a party, so we did that last weekend. Joined up with another of his friends whose birthday's soon too. They took one friend each, so it was easy and stress free. Quite enjoyed the circus.