*** TAMOXIFEN * 12 ***

[KurriKurri]

Tada! A shiney new thread - get me with my fancy asterisks

Just packing so I am home in time for the dreaded GCSE results, I will get a phonecall at about 10am tomorrow that will decide whether I want to go back to work in September! So break it to me gently, is it really pouring with rain? Central south of England.
Happy anniversary MAS and best wishes to Earth and amber.

Stop sniffing me, weirdos!!!! Thanks for the vanilla-ish vote of confidence MAS, but I fear it would have been sweat and pain I smelled of last night owing to a toughish Pilates class. It's L'Occitane Peony perfume today, so probably much nicer. No-one in RL to sniff me, though, as DH has gone to London and dd has opted to stay with her cousins for a further day. But on the off-chance I have human contact today, I will be fragrant.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to MAS and Mr M. I hope he realises how lucky he is.

Sorry I also missed the cake. Sob. I bet it was a home baked corker as well. Sigh.

ILGC - it has rained here (Midlands) but I think we are all still waiting for the forecast deluge. Good luck with the results.

Earth and Amber - lots of good wishes from me, too.

Topsy - it was a Horrible Histories link but I can't really do links. Try pasting the link into your browser, I have checked it and that works for me. But basically it is the Horrible Histories Kings and Queens song from Series 3. Genius. I may go and watch it now, in fact.

There is more cake! I shall leave it here on the table for people to help themselves

Scoff

I'm back! Short and not very sweet Cancer is in 9-10 places in my breast and also in my lymph nodes so they have to go top. Surgery is 7th September and I will need radio therapy treatment as well. Feeling quite shell shocked at the moment and in need of a damn good cry

Of course you do. Go ahead and have it, it really is the best thing.

That is a lot to take in, but at least now you know. And now you have a treatment plan, and a date not so very far ahead when it will start, which is a very positive thing, you need to get the bastards out.

Virtually everyone has the radiotherapy, it is standard practice just to blitz any lurking nasties, and it is massively effective at that.

I promise you that the surgery won't be as bad as you probably think. They are very, very good at this now.

Did your lovely dd go with you? How are she and DH taking it?

Treat yourself like a queen over the next fortnight as an Up Yours to cancer. Try to show it that life can - and does - go on. Bastard, bastard thing.

apologies for all the swearing...

DD and Dh came with me, she was fantastic, he was useless bless him

Consultant told me op only takes about an hour and I will probably be discharged the following day. One thing worries me though, during our chat he suddenly remarked "your thyroid gland is enlarged, it will need to be checked out" No idea what that means but on top of everything else its praying on my mind

I bet it is.

They are super cautious and they don't pull any punches, with the result that they say exactly what they are thinking and make you worry like this. Try to take one step at a time though, and be reassured that they are this thorough, and will be going over you minutely just to be sure. I know it puts the fear of beejasus up you though.

If it's any consolation they managed to persuade me that they had made a major booboo in not taking off a mole at the same time as my surgery. They have stopped talking about it now, it was just something that they latched onto as a possible danger area.

Thyroid problems are very common - thyroid cancer not so much. So even if you do have a thyroid problem, it is likely to be unrelated.

I am so glad they both went with you. Even if they are rubbish they are a big help. A big YAY! from me to dd, and massive sympathies to DH, who will step up to the plate when it matters, I am sure

Earth - it'll be fine,honestly-it's a shock to hear what's going to happen but really it won't be half as bad as you imagine- trust us ! And we'll be here every step of the way.
As Cakes says,the thyroid is prob. nothing to do with bc - KK knows about these things. I have a mole on my breast which I rather hoped they'd remove too but it's obviously not a bad one -I don't care for it,but it's not a problem.
Thanks for kind anniversary wishes - it's also 21 years to the day since we met,aww.

ILGC - is cool and rainy here in Hampshire...lots of good wishes for GCSE results and decision about work

You have that damn good cry Earth - it will help, - I had plenty, - you need to let it all out. Cakes is right, - everything they say sounds super scary at this time. But it's good you have your surgery date, and that you won't be in hospital too long.

Try to do nice stuff in the following 2 weeks, treats aplenty - It is a bastard of an illness, scary and horrible, but you are getting the treatment you need to make you well again.

As for the thyroid, - they check everything - ultra cautious, - thyroid cancer is rare. - I'm having my thyroid checked out in a couple of weeks - thyroid problems are very very common.

Your family sound great, - very supportive which is just what you need, I'm glad they were able to come with you.

Happy anniversary MAS and Mr MAS, have a lovely day

ILGC - its raining here - East of England, not sure about down south, - but I suspect it might be - sorry - it might be an idea to have an aran sweater to put on over your shorts and vest top when you get of the plane

Sniff sniff - what's that? - Oh it's the Fragrant Cakes, - I can smell you from here. L'Occitane Peony perfume sounds lovely - I really like their stuff.

We're driving over to DS's tonight, - need to chat about what I've got to do for the next production, some sort of floating sprite heads I think.

Well done with the uniform and shoe shopping Sparkle - so glad I no longer have that nightmare!

Good vibes for later amber.

Earth, arrgghhhh! Hugs, prayers, cuppa, whatever works...
Grr re uselessness of dh too. Next time maybe take a sensible friend as well - I do.

Floating sprite heads??? Bloody hell

I must be so unimaginative but I would have NO idea where to start.

MAS - 21 years to the day since you met? Awwww..... Where did you meet? DH and I met in a film studies lecture of monumental tedium. Bet yours was more romantic.

KK - have a sniff of the Peony one next time you are in there - it's very gentle and flowery but also green and sappy. Gorgeous.

earth - have a bloody good cry and a wallow too . You have been hit with just about the biggest sledge hammer you are ever likely to come across .
Once you have assimilated todays visit (take your time) then phone your breast care nurse and ask her all the questions you are bound to think of over the next few days . And you know you can come here and ask us ANYTHING !
Are you having a mastectomy or lumpectomy ?

ILGC - good luck for Thursdays results , and cloudy but dry in Belfast today .

kk - Sprites ??? Hmm , Harry Potter style water sprites maybe ?

I have a friend arriving shortly , she will be bringing lunch . Very welcome visitor
And then insurance man comes at some point this afternoon to assess my vommitty carpet , lucky man !

And a very happy anniversary MAS !

If carpet is still pongy, an open bowl of cider vinegar left near the scene of the crime overnight seems to draw in all the smell. Could be worth it until insurance money comes in.

thanks topsy !
Would bicarb help,on vomitty carpet I mean- doesn't that suck up odours ? Am sure man gets to see all sorts of stains on things- ick !
Sprite heads sound intruiging KK - will look forward to seeing what you come up with
L'Occitane is lovely shop and lovely smells - my dad loves the shower gel for men,so it's often on his present list.

Oh Earth. such a lot to contend with, I am sending big hugs. It is a bastard disease, but you are well on the way to beating it now they have a plan of action.

ILGC, still glorious sunshine here in Staffordshire, third lot of washing drying on the line, and veggie garden slowing dying of drought!

Just been speaking to the local council about blue disabled badges. Ds' gp said we should get one and he would support. They have told me they no longer want gp declaration, they make up their own minds based on their "criteria", and will ask a OT for input if they don't know. Bloody hell, it was so simple, now what are the chances of them recognising ds unusual condition and how it affects his mobility.....ehhh none, and the OT will know nothing, I have a friend who is an OT and she readily admits she has no expertise to offer and never come across the condition. Bugger bugger bugger, why is nothing simple,

Oh earth so sorry but don't bottle up how you feel today, you will feel better for expressing your distress. BCN's are great but comparative strangers at the moment, I saw my gorgeous GP a couple of days after dx and he spent a long time( over 45 min, his later appointments must have been going mad ) explaining everything to me. Like you I had multiple tumours and the consultant was concerned about glands in my neck but it was nothing sinister, they are incredibly thorough. You have got your family and don't feel that you need to be the strong one, they will want to support you. My DH was also useless but incredibly loving, his greatest moment as we walked out of the hospital was to say "What a year first Pompey relegated then this!" Despite this he was a tower of strength, just couldn't help himself!!!!!! Seriously though you will be surrounded by people who want to support and help you, take them up on this, you need them and family and friends need you to let them show their love. Thinking of you xxx

Good post ILGC.

Sparkles. It really pisses me off. We have a guy in our road who has got himself a blue badge, and a line painted on the road outside his house on the grounds that he is disabled. He regularly goes hiking up mountains in Skye. He went past here half an hour ago with a rucksack on his back for one of his regular yomps over our fields here. One of his nearer neighbours than me 'dobbed him in' as i think the phrase now is [doddery emoticon] but apparently it is now too late and it can't be rescinded. So it makes me sick that you have to work so hard at this. As you say, bugger, bugger, bugger.

@ your yomping neighbour Cakes- outrageous
Earth - am hoping you don't think I was brushing your anxieties and feelings away and glibly saying it'll all be ok -I just wanted to reassure you that after the initial shock and taking in,things will seem a bit easier. BCNs in my experience are total gems and your dd sounds wonderful- am sure dh will be a star too,once he gets used to it all.

On more frivolous note- I met dh on a blind date - I thought he looked very young and boyish (he did -as he is 7 years younger !) We ate pasta and talked a lot and I invited him to supper after my hols (I was going away a few days later). The supper wasn't romantic as my housemates were also there,plus an extra friend who had come to live in the house for a short time- poor thing must';ve been terrified. (I think I made a stuffed courgette thing )

That is quite a romantic meeting though. Anything involving blind dates that go well is romantic. Even stuffed courgettes are romantic (if a trifle suggestive)

That is so annoying Sparkle, how you keep your patience and keep battling on, I don't know - you are an admirable woman.

Hope the insurance meeting goes well topsy.

I met my DH at a party when we were at university. My friend and I thought it was fancy dress, - I was wearing a corset, french knickers, suspenders etc. Of course we had made a mistake and were the only two in fancy dress. DH pushed through the dancers and shoved past my friend to dance with me. 'I liked you as soon as I saw you' he says. - He's a simple man.

DH and I have been invited to a friends inauguration as a professor at Liverpool University, in October. So thought we'd make a little break of it and do a bit of sight seeing.

Yours is much more romantic than mine MAS

Yours is quite funny though, KK. At least you knew what you were getting

A sightseeing break would be lovely KK. So much of interest in Liverpool (though it's ages since I went) and all around in Cheshire too. What is he/she a professor of?