the 16th ***TAMOXIFEN***thread

[MaryAnnSingleton]

...here we go again

Phew, dashing through.

Sorry to be brief, but I wanted to raise a virtual toast to MAS's brother and remember his day.

ILGC - so, so pleased for your lovely dd. Long may the good news continue.

Big hugs to amber and everyone else who needs one.

Triplets - i can't help either but i wish him and you all the best.

Love to all. Having said i couldn't shoehorn in any more work, I have just shoe horned some more in. Us freelances have to take it while it's there!

Sorry to read and run but i am thinking of you all. x

watercress is part of my daily diet -I shove it in everything -love it- is meant to have cancer busting properties.

ooh,good for you cakes - it's really hard to turn stuff down isn't it !

Hello all, have been on & off lurking for a week or so, biopsy last monday confirmed BC today. You are all so wonderfully supportive of each other and full of sound advice I didnt want to lurk any longer.
Obviously the very start of a long journey for me, but it would be great to have somewhere to talk. Seeing surgeon Monday, as two small BC found and these very hard to spot, a masectomy has been suggested to make sure no others. The word ductal was mentioned, medium grade (terminology could be wrong there?) and the scan of lymph nodes looked ok so trying really hard to concentrate on these few 'positives'. Have never been so utterly petrified in my life. Just reading some of your posts has made me feel stronger - thank you!

Summatontoast so sorry you find yourself in this situation, but a warm welcome to this thread.

You've had quite a fast progress from biopsy to diagnosis to seeing the surgeon - must feel like quite a whirlwind. But it's amazing how it's possible eventually to come to terms with things and deal with the treatment plan step by step. Good news about your lymph nodes -definitely a big plus.

Any questions, just ask away. Or if you just want to vent a bit feel free.

Thanks Dee, the warmth of this thread is just what I need.

Welcome summatontoast . Gentle hugs .
Traumatic time for you I'm sure .
Ask anything you want , nothing is sacred on here .
Don't lurk , just offloading and having a rant at the unfairness of it all can help .

Have you been introduced to your Breast Care Nurse yet? They co-ordinate treatment and offer support.

Also I've found the nurses on the helpline at breastcancercare really excellent with sound advice and lots of kindness. They have some good leaflet downloads whenever you feel like you want to research anything. A good starting point rather than trawl the internet (at least at first!)

Hi summatontoast

This thread has been so good to me, somewhere to ask questions, moan or just to chat with others going through similar times. It is such a shock at diagnosis. I found telling people hard but everyone has been supportive and fortunately my work has been really understanding.

I did write a post earlier but lost it! Can't remember all I said now and the thread has moved on but YIPEE for Smee's expanding boob!

amber Tail end of last years sloe gin for you. I think it's much nicer than neat gin :) Reminds me, I must go out with a container to pick some sloes soon. I've discovered a blackthorn hedge on the way to the station that is full of sloes at an easy picking height!

Saw Auntie walking today as the physio turned up at the end of visiting. They strapped her bad arm into the zimmer frame and she got up quite a pace on the smooth corridor. It is good to see the progress the other ladies on the ward are making too.

Thanks everyone. You're splendid.

Summatontoast, welcome from me too. Medium grade and ductal and no nodes and two small bits sounds like a 9 in 10 chance of success from my calculator thingy here. But I'm not the doc so take no notice of that unless it helps cheer you up a bit.
Lovely people here. Much warmth and wisdom.

Hello from me too summatontoast. Ask all/ any questions and as Topsy says, rant too if you want. It will get easier, I promise. Take heart from fact there are so many of us. Doesn't make it better, but solidarity definitely helps.

Thanks for cheering my breast, jchocchip. Have decided to be amused by it. Yet another of the absurdities of BC. Good to hear your Aunt's on her feet again. That's real progress.

Cakes, stop with the work. We miss you.

Topsy, would DH be amused by a scalectrix for mad races with DC?

Sparkle, are you lurking? Hope you're a bit better today too.

Am trying not to giggle here, but DS v. excited as today was the first time his class got to go swimming. Getting ready for bed, I realised he'd still got his swimming trunks on under his trousers. He said he'd left them on as he wanted to be first to get changed...

No news from Drift yet. Hope she's okay.

Summatontoas I was you this time last month when I had my biopsy confirmed as grade 2 invasive lobular carcinoma and to say that I was frightened was an understatement as you understand. The ladies here have been so understanding to the gibbering wreck that I have been. Eventually I felt stronger and more accepting. What a process that is, personal to each of us but something that you will work through in your own way and come out the other side. Fast forward to last Monday when I had a wide local excision and sentinel node biopsy, (a lot of recovery has happened in just a week), to today when I went back for the results. My worst fears were not confirmed I am happy to say. The tumour was removed with "clear margins" and my nodes were not involved. I am over the moon to be told that I will only have Tamoxifen and rads. I take my hat off to the ladies here that have the full range of treatment and retain a sense of humour and I know deep down that if that was my situation then I would take all the help on offer and bit by bit come through as others do. Take it bit by bit, the waiting for appointments is wearing but as someone told me, once things start happening you will feel more confident the process.

Oh bless re DS and the swimming trunks

Thanks everyone for you good wishes, hugs all round.

Drift bloody marvelous news !!! That's about as good as it gets eh ?
for you tonight

Smee snigger at DS and his trunks ! And yes DH has been trying to persuade the DC for years to get a scalextric , and neither of them have wanted one
If we got one now pig/dog would probably eat it !

Doc Martin in the Bahamas shortly .

Thanks Topsy - are you in the Bahamas?

Woo-hoo for Drift!! Excellent news. for you.

Wonderful news Drift - I'm so pleased for you, what a relief

Summatontoast -so sorry you find yourself here, but a warm welcome to you . It has all happened very fast and you will need a little time to get used to the diagnosis. You definitely have some positives in the info. you've been given, so try to hang on to those.

As others have said, Breast care nurses can be wonderful at talking thing through with you, and letting you express your fears. And of course you can say anything you feel like on here, - there's no rules, nothing's of limits

Seveal of us have had mastectomies (myself included) so if you have any questions about the op/recovery etc. just ask. xx

Smee- at DS and his swimming trunks, he's such a little character.

Still haven't finished my book {grrr} but watching Murder in Paradise now.

Hurray for Drift's clear margins and nodes!! That deserves a celebration :)

Crikey it is 2 months since I joined this thread which was on the day I got my path results. Now I'm 3/4 of the way through rads and after 2 months of tamoxifen, no serious side effects to report.

:) at Smee's ds and the trunks.

Going to watch murder in paradise on +1 'cos dh is watching something else and I forgot about it...

Wish I was drift !
Referring to Murder in Paradise on BBC1 , reminds me of Doc Martin

Time really flies doesn't it jane ? My surgery was 2nd June , and I joined this Merry Band a couple of weeks before that .
God , I am nearly 6 months post surgery

Thanks so much everyone, it is very comforting to know you are here, hugs and all, and knowing I have somewhere to go and chat with women who are experiencing/have experienced similar will be priceless.
Have met BC nurse and have folder of info to read through...at the moment I just cannot imagine ever thinking about anyting else 24/7 and ever been able to stop the morbid thoughts...sorry, I dont want to be depressing, I promise all my posts wont be!
Drift - fantastic fantastic news x

Driftwood - hooray! Lovely to hear your happy news . Brilliant. We're in a similar position I think. I start rads shortly having had a lumpectomy, then Tamoxifen. I think I remember you saying how reluctanct you would be to have a node clearance and how you love swimming (I think?) so it's all looking very positive on that front. Really delighted for you.

BTW when are you starting Tamox? I've delayed a while but wondering whether to start alongside rads or do it afterwards. Apparently different oncs do it different ways. Mine seemed very laid back about it.