**t*a*m*o*x*i*f*e*n** number 14

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

drift & jane you can ask your surgeon about the percentage of benefit from taking tamoxifen - it might help you make a decision. Have a breather and a relaxing time away drift.

Met a lady on the stroke ward at the end of visiting. Her husband is there for rehab although has not had a stroke but has a tumour on his neck. anyway good news is that he had rads this week and it made an immediate difference - shrunk the tumour and his ability to walk is returning already. So whilst not really understanding radiotherapy, it does seem that it does something...

MAS I have started taking it, but I did read quite a bit first and discussed it with my gp. I decided that given my particular medical history, on balance it was worth starting to take it to see how I got on. There are alternative drugs to try later, if necessary.

Looking forward to Leeds College of Art open day tomorrow :)

smee...thats always possible,my periods stopped just like that on diagnosis even before chemo started.

figgy...welcome back, i only have 7 more rads to go apart from a little redness and some odd twitchy feelings im doing ok and not really any more tired than usual.i was also warned it can hit you around day 10 or a couple of weeks after treatment finishes. nice to have the weekend off to recover a bit.

driftwood...its very early days and alot to get your head around,believe it or not your proberly going to change your mind 20 times before you make your decision. i had chemo first then had to make the choice between mastectomy or lumpectomy wasnt vey happy about it at the time but i knew for my kids sake i didnt want to take chances so chose to have the mastectomy and im going to go for reconstruction,now i dont regret it for me it was the right thing to do. i see it that even if its a slow growing tumor every second its in you it has a chance to spread there doesnt seem to be any rules when it comes down to cancer.

drift I think you should go away and enjoy your brief holiday . Try to clear all thoughts of cancer from your mind (I know , don't shout at me !) . Have as normal a time as you can .
When you get back , have you an appointment with your surgeon ?
If not , make one . Ask all the questions you can think of , be honest with your surgeon . Tell her/him that you are seriously thinking about your options and wondering whether surgery is for you .
If you are frank , surgeons tend to be frank right back at you .
My surgeon called a spade , a spade . And told me in no uncertain terms that my only option was surgery .

I have lung secondaries , so unfortunately my cancer is not ever going to be curable . But , with treatment , I can fully expect to have quite a few good years ahead of me .
And I think that is the crucial thing , that they will be good years . I won't be sick and suffering because of the treatment I am undergoing .
To be honest the chemo has been very straight forward for me . All sickness and side effects have been totaly managed by my Onc team .

Be prepared , surgeons will always advocate surgery . It is what they do .
Doesn't mean that they are wrong though .

Whatever you decide , be assured that we will stand beside you and give you all the support we can .

I hope this helps and you don't feel I have been too blunt .

topsy has put it really beautifully drift -sensible and wise advice.

jane what is your dd wanting to do at art school ?

Morning All , < yawn >

Another busy day ahead today .
Taking DC out for a little clothes shopping . DD in particular seems to have grown out of absolutely everything .

How are you all today ?
Drift are you alright ?
smee , hows the healing going ?
jane how is your aunt ?

Got pig/dog 3 new toys last night . Tesco had them on sale for 64 pence each .
All 3 are now dismembered on the kitchen floor .
Ah well , he had fun

Think Drift's left us for some time with her friends. Really hope she's okay. Topsy, I agree with MAS, you're v.wise.

Jane, have a fab day in Leeds. Great place. I have a v.good friend who lives there and loves it.

Woke up at 3am covered in gunk from my drain, which was lovely. Put on a makeshift dressing but couldn't sleep, as whatever we did it still leaked, so I called a cab and shuttled myself back to A&E to get them to fix it. Home now, and they were great, but what a waste of a morning. Still, sun's shining. Wishing you all similar - sun that is, not hospital trips!

smee thats horrid for you . I can't believe you get let out of hospital over the water with drains in and so soon .
Over here for a mx you are in for a minimum of 5 days . Hearing that you ladies have day surgery scares me ! You are not allowed the drains in for longer than 5 days either , no matter what the rate of drainage . They believe that you are at greater risk of infection the longer you keep them in .

Oh and I am not very wise , it was nearly 1am and I was drunk and therefore I let whatever was in my head splurge out
Mind you that greatest truths are often said in vino !

Waiting for DH to get home from work so we can drag him into town shopping . I just know he is not going to want to go , but the DC and I want to , so he is over ruled !

Morning all. I hope Drift has a relaxing few days.
Smee, sorry to hear about your visit to a and e last night. Hope the blimming thing stays put this time.
Topsy, enjoy your shopping trip.
Im popping out later too. Got DS1s 25th on Thursday and DS2s 21st on Friday. Have done an Amazon order but still need cards and some last minute ideas.

Hope everyone has a lovely day.

poor smee

Well done topsy - I agree with everyone else - you've said it very eloquently.

at your pig-dog destroying the toys, our old scruff used to do that, but toys have been lasting much longer since she had most of her teeth out

Smee- yuk, poor you, - it's so annoying to have to go and wait about in hospital, especially when its the weekend (and even more if it's lovely and sunny like it is here) Hope you are feeling OK now

Figgy enjoy your birthday shopping, - your's are like mine - birthdays very close, (although I do have a week between, rather than a day!) Anyway I hope they both have great birthdays

Also hoping Drift has a relaxing break, after a very tough week. Drift, you know we are all here for you

DH and I went shopping this morning, - he had birthday vouchers for HMV from my mum, and bought himself The Complete Tony Hancock shows, Amy Winehouse and Train CD's and a Johnny Depp film - so lots of watching and listening ahead of us.

I wanted to get bulbs, but couldn't find any in town, will have to go to the garden centre tomorrow.

DS is coming over tonight to bring DH's present, and have a meal with us, so looking forward to seeing him.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

MAs and Kk I think I managed the pm bit but not found your group on fb yet.I hope driftwood is managing to relax a bit and get things in perspective.we all know the first 'run and hide' reaction to dx.I remember wanting to get in the car by myself and just drive as if I could leave 'it' behind me.

pranma - I'm not on facebook yet, but I'm sure MAS will direct you to the group when she's here.

pranma- if you let me know your fb name I could invite you, otherwise look for Tamoxifen Ten - it's a closed group - hope that might help x

Hello everyone hope you are all doing well. I have not had time to read the whole thread but from what I have seen you are all your upbeat and compassionate selves. My poor dd has had a rough time, they are going for a cure so it is very aggressive. Her hair is already going and she is unable to eat much but she is attending as many lectures as possible and her friends are giving her notes etc from any she misses. My other two are being absolute stars and doing loads of housework, cooking etc. So roll on March when her treatment will hopefully finish. Thinking of you all.

waves to all. chocolate anyone? So sad to watch someone you care about suffer. Can't stop now must tidy up in case cousin stays here tonight. ds just turned up from uni unexpectedly. Had a nice day out in Leeds with dd1 looking at foundation course. Also hadlunch in tiled gallery and saw the damien hirst exhibition.

poor drift
I hope she's ok and at least trying to enjoy herself, even just a little bit.
I really hope she makes the right decision for her and not one she may regret later if it's too late to change her mind (don't know if that happens - someone here will know).

hope your drains are ok now smee ?

I had a lovely moment yesterday when I thought my lump had disappeared. Then I realised it hadn't. It just feels a bit smaller (if that's possible). I'm almost looking forward to results day so she can tell me it's nothing really.

I just hope that if I get told the worst I have it in me to carry myself with the same dignity that you all are

will be hoping for the best outcome for you forpity
ILGC how fab that everyone is rallying around, but so hard for you. DD sounds wonderful - thinking of you all.

Yes - we'll all be rooting for you when you get your results forpity

ILGC, - lots of love to you and your DD, she sounds a remarkable young woman, and it's great that she has good friends and a loving family to support her through all this.

Glad you had a good day out jane, and hope your aunt is recovering well.

DS is here for the night, and dressed in gorilla feet slippers and superman pyjamas. He gets his sartorial elegance from me!

Well Kurri that sounds great to me both my DD wear onesies and despite both being size 8/10 look like tellytubbies!

ILGC I am in awe of your DD , carrying on through all this . Don't forget to tell her we are all cheering her on .

It's amazing the link this BC thing gives us all . My good friend and neighbour has a friend in another country , who I have never met . But she is going through her 2nd course of chemo and never fails to ask how I am doing .
An amazing link that I wish we all never had , but still cherish , if you get what I mean ?

pity when are your results due in ? I will light my candle for you . Power of positive thought is a wonderful thing .

I have only been back in my house about 30 minutes . Had such a busy day .
Went into town (a wet and windy Belfast Saturday !) and bought my DC some badly needed new clothes . Dh got some new trousers and a top . DD ransacked Claires for earrings (she so loves a bit of tat !) , and DS got a new game for his Nintendo DS .

I slipped and fell in House of Fraser and bought a pair of earrings . They are little gold apples on a silver dangly chain . On the back of them they have a little silver bite mark taken out of them .

We normally go to Grannys on Sundays for lunch , but both Granny and Granda have awful tummy bugs . It's only this year that we have seen such a difference in them . They have gone from being totally able , active people , to a pair of really quite vunerable 80 plus year olds . I know DH is really worried about them .

Anyway , that's my usual late night ramble over .
Have root vegetable crisps and chocolate eclairs if anyone is interested ...

are you ok topsy ?? earrings sound very sweet
I know what you mean about that link
Poor grandparents - it's quite a shock when loved ones become old suddenly- it shocked me when it happened to my mum (my dad always seems young to me !)
I should go to bed- am tired and have a ton of things to do tomorrow.
I think the horrid smear bruised me because it certainly feels very sore.
gah !

root vegetable crisps I love- bought them this week - all gone now- started on my barrel of cheeselets instead- yum.