**tamoxifen** number 15 ****

[MaryAnnSingleton]

can you believe it ??!!

I too have twinges and a hard scar area and my surgery about 10 months ago...and nowhere near as esstensive as most on here...try not to worry DeeScent.

Kurri, what a lovely photo, she is so beautiful and such a character! Hope you are feeling ok today, sometimes we all need to shed a tear into our cup of coffee. Big hugs.

MAS at idea of your dh sitting in a tent at the office!

Smee I too did not sleep last night. I spent most of yestyerday on computer updating our finances, so I spent most of last night with my brain still buzzing on it!

Dh rang me a little while ago, he never rings me from work, he sounded really sad, and said he just rang to hear my voice so he could carry on there....I am so worried about him.

I was told to take my dressing off after 2 days I think, I wasn't brave enough until 3 days had passed, then I couldn't look fior ages... such a wimp! My surgery was only to remove the mass though, nothing very major, no nodes or anything.

Poor DH Sparkle, hugs appreciated here, and am sending them right back for your family. Redundancy is such a horrid thing to happen, and bound to make him feel demoralised even though he knows the reasons were nothing to do with performance.

Drift, - I was given spare dressing's and changed them at home, - the nurses at your surgery should be able to let you have some extra ones. They might last a week, but IIRC, I think mine started to get a little bit tatty by then. The surgery nurses will dress it for you if you are unsure about doing it yourself.

That is a good idea Kurri! Drift I would go to the gp and get the practice nurses to chnge the dressing for you after a couple of days...a week seems a very long time to have the same dressing on.

Thanks for the hugs back Kurri, I needed that

Thanks, Kurri. Once I'm through rads I will do that massage, good idea. So reassuring to hear everyone's experiences so I don't feel like I'm The Only One.

It's so difficult seeing loved ones suffering and weakened, isn't it?. Life can be so tough. Your Dad sounds spirited though, wanting to get up, a good attitude always helps with recovery. Sounds like your mum is going to be a good motivator too.

HUGS to Sparkle and her dh.

Drift, the GP organised the district nurse to visit me on day 2 - perhaps that's a possiblity - she could see to the dressing. I had glue (!) and steristrips which have just disintegrated gradually.

Laundry beckons - rather enjoyed the three weeks of DH and DD on washing/drying/ironing detail, but back to the grindstone now!

DeeScent Thank you

I had stitches and steristrips over the stitches, and was tiold I had to take the steristrips off too after 2 days...isn't it amazing as to how different the dressings and advice the NHS gives are......

I have to do ironing the afternoon, if there anything good trashy to watch on the tv?

I've just been watching Grand Designs on my computer this morning!

oo I like Grand Designs, just another form of my fave property porn!

I love seeing the dramatic landscapes the buildings sit in as well.

special hug too from me for sparkle

Nearly half way through rads 9 done 11 to go - seems to have gone quickly :) Will be glad when it is done. Really must find time to do some of the exercises...

Dd (1) age 17 when pressed was really vitreolic about the UGs 'totally unjustified fashion trend' was the politest bit... and she objected to the cost. Hmm she didn't object to the cost of her green DMs but she is in luuuuurve with them. Anyway, I have to live with her so ugs were not even considered...

I had a dressing on over the sterristrips but the gave me a spare to replace after a bath. Think I kept the big dressing on about 4 days and then let the steri strips soak off in the bath a few days later.

Sparkle, it is so tough on you and Mr Sparkle right now. At least he is talking to you. Sending lots of virtual hugs

Thank you all,

He is on his way home, or at least he is supposed to be on his way home after a meeting with HR....we will have to see what they had to say I guess.

Try and reassure him. You will get through this.

Sparkle - also meant to say mmmmmmmm carrot cake!

jane - I meant to say earlier, your poor friend - that sounds like a horrible fall, hope she is on the mend.

Nearly halfway through rads is good, - you can see the finish line from there

Oh Sparkle - fingers crossed the meeting with HR went well - at least you can greet him with a cuppa and a piece of carrot cake

My new tumble dryer has arrived - I'm so chuffed, - it was supposed to take 10 days but its only taken 2

Kurri I only got my first tumble dryer 2 years ago when we moved here and I looooooves it so much. One of those "luxuries" that become a necessity.

Sparkle, such a stressful time for you and dh; I hope there will be some light at the end of the tunnel for him that he can move towards even if it seems a long way off right now. Somehow he's got to retain some hope. Maybe HR had something encouraging to say?

Hmm supposed I ought to save him a piece of carrot cake...... [winl]

Good grief , this thread moves fast !

I spent much of the morning asleep on the sofa . Only to be awoken by DS school ringing to ask me to come and get him as he had been sick . DH picked him up and brought him home , and he has spent much of the afternoon asleep in my spot on the sofa .

I had stitches and sterisrips over my (mastectomy and node removal) wound . And seperate steristrips and dressings over my 2 drain sites .
Had district nurses come out for 5 days to change the dressings on my drain sites . But was told that my steristrips would soak off in the bath or shower . And my stitches were desolving ones , so they just disappeared on their own .
My scar is still twingy too (surgery was June 2nd) . But only in places as I still have a fair bit of numbness .

It's great to "see" you drift , and I'm glad things went smoothly for you

sparkle I hope DH is home now , and that there is some light at the end of the tunnel . He is lucky to have you .

I feel a bit more cheerful now , think the sleep helped .
The GP gave me sleeping tablets when I was first diagnosed , but I never took any . Am seriously thinking of useing them over the next couple of days to try and get back into a good sleeping pattern . But I am a bit worried about feeling wiped out the morning after .
Has anyone used them ? How did they make you feel ?

Spag bol for dinner tonight . With homemade garlic flatbreads . Got no salad stuff in the house though . Surprisingly low on veggies for some reason . Must restock . (and it means whilst in the supermarket I will have to buy wine , which I am also out of !)

topsy - I was given sleeping tablets when I was DX, - they do tend to make me feel tired the next morning, but I think part of the solution to that is to take them earlyish (say 9.30 - 10.00 ish and then go to bed)

I think it also depends partly on which ones you take, - I had zopiclone, - they are supposed to help you get off to sleep, then your own sleep takes over. I found that I got used to them though and had to up the dose to get the same effect. But for a couple of nights to get you back into a good pattern I think they'd be fine.

My DS has had tamezapam (sp?) in the past, which do make him very groggy the next day (but are pretty effective at getting him to sleep)

Poor DS - hope he feels better soon - maybe he was coming down with something yesterday when he wasn't feeling too keen on the swimming?

Tamazepam is what I have kk .
I am just worried I will be too groggy to pack the DC off to school in the morning . DH leaves for work at 7.30am , and last DC leaves at 8.30am . So I will have 1 hour to be responsible parent !

No , he just hates swimming kk
He is back dozing on the sofa now , so definitely something wrong . He hasn't even tried to take his laptop back off me

After dx last month I went to gp for help with the anxiety, which was worse in the small hours/night when I would wake and not really sleep after 2am. I was prescribed beta blockers which do help. I have also been prescribed my first ever sleeping tablets "just in case" and they are zopiclone but so far have not used them. If and when I do, the directions say only take 3 times a week, any more and they're not effective. Thanks for all the warm wishes today. I'm keeping up the painkillers and exercises. DH took a photo of my wounds after my shower this morning (at my request), think I'll do that every other day. I'll check with the bc nurse about the dressings, as you say 4 days seems plenty of time.