**TAMOXIFEN 17 **

[MaryAnnSingleton]

blimey- we're almost up to our limit...so brand new shiny,sparkling thread.

aw,that's sweet kk !
poor knee though
Dh has hoovered at my parents house as their cleaner is unwell-I shall sluice the bathroom a bit before arrival of MIL (parents get cross with me for being quite so fastidious, but I want it all to be nice for guests)
Have dusted at our house too.

Aw, that is sweet Kurri. Glad to hear farty man was more in control, though not good that you've hurt yourself.

No time to post to all, as am just running in from my disorganised attempts to organise Christmas. Still have to bake the cake, so that's this evening's task. I think you're right MAS and positives outweigh negatives. I'm emotionally honest on here and do say things I wouldn't to others, but that still doesn't mean people could work out who I was, so am happy with that.

We could all post false clues to our true identity. Here goes.. so Smee has a blue face, a pet gazelle and likes nothing more than eating haribos whilst abseiling.

Oh my God Smee!!!! - I know you in real life

Oh my word! We know each other too, Smee! I'm the one who covers herself in green daub and has a pet Elephant, though I gave up abseiling in favour of bungee jumping of course

Hi, thanks for contacting MN, MAS. It reminded that I also found this thread when I was googling just after dx!

DD arriving shortly so in a rush but hello everyone and Merry CHristmas if I don't get back on here till after 25th. This week has been sooooooooooo long at work - strange having a full week there with the way Christmas falls. But next week will be nice!

Topsy - well done on your half way rads! I hope you're feeling Ok with it all.

KK - hope knee improves.

MAS - keep breathing. There is a level of pressure around but just rememebr - it'll be fine.

Love and merry hugs.

Oh my ID - I forgot. I have fantastic auburn hair- really thick. I'm 5'6'' , age 45 and have 4 children. I'm a pilot. Bye.

Good evening ladies, managed to wrestle the kids off the computer for 5 mins and update with the thread (maybe santa will bring me a phone with proper internet access!)
marmite very sorry to hear your news, you will find so much knowlegde, experience, positivety and warmth on this thread, it has been a great comfort to me since DX Nov this year. My mastectomy was early Dec but I remember my consultant asking me if I had any holidays planned or anything special I wanted to get out of the way before surgery as a few weeks would not make any difference in the long term, I found my BC nurse great at putting my mind at rest (as much as possible) in between appointments also.
Glad Rads are over for Amber and half way for Topsy - and Figgy yipee for your new prosthesis! I was secretly pleased when my GP asked me which side I had my surgery on today before I had taken my t shirt off, I am obviously getting better at arranging my 'softie' .
drift how is the cough? better I hope and hi to 1in8, hope you are feeling good & enjoy the circus.
My opposite armpit still swollen but GP reassured me it is nothing to worry unduly over, thinks it is most likely stress/slight infection/body overcompensating for itself...he was lovely and told me to go back at anytime if I needed reassurance.
Right, have opended the , raising a glass to all, have a lovely evening...smee we sound very similar, only my sweet of choice when absailing has to be skittles

Hello again,

Thanks all for your lovely supportive messages. It really does help to hear from people who've been through the same thing and have come out the other end - still with a sense of humour . Am hoping that if I hang out with you some of your bravery will rub off on me.

I spoke to my BC nurse today about the delay. She was reasonably reassuring but I'm worried at the rate of growth I've seen in the last 8 weeks so... I'm hoping to have the op done privately next week. We aren't rich by any stretch of the imagination - but having already had quite a bit of delay in the process I don't think I could wait another 3 weeks [festive cowardly face!]. Will be v sad to say goodbye to right boob - has done such excellent breastfeeding (and raised such lovely chubby DCs). I can't believe it's ill!

Anyway, off now to kick off the present wrapping proccess. Ginger wine anyone??

at Kurri and Amber knowing me..! Amber do you bungee jump with the elephant?

Summat, Skittles I just don't get somehow, so you can keep those. I'll stick with the Haribo and scatter them to all others, as I abseil past. Sorry you're still feeling a bit battered. I'd bet the swelling is a reaction to the stress, etc. Mine's still making me feel like the elephant man too. Ho hum..

I'll have a Ginger Wine, Marmite. Can see you'll fit in well round here already. Good to hear you might have the op sooner. It is hard waiting and at least then you'll be one step further through it all. Ask us any and all questions - quite a few of us have had mastectomies so we should be able to help.

Waving to SR. Happy Christmas to you. xx

Right, Christmas Cake is still just a mound of ingredients. Better set to it..

Is it a traditional fruit cake Smee? - I made made on Sunday, the mixing doesn't take to long, - its just the cooking time - haven't iced it yet though. We've just put the tree up - its a little tiny one but quite sweet.

I've been peeling chestnuts all night, - I'm making chestnut and cranberry wellington for our Christmas lunch, thought I'd do it tomorrow and freeze it to save work on the day.

Also waving to SR - happy Christmas to you, and to summat - I'm glad your GP was reassuring

Marmite - good luck for your op. I hope you manage to get it done next week - we'll all be thinking of you .
Don't ever feel as if you have to explain your choices, you are not 'cowardly' you daftie. The thing about this bugger of an illness is, it's your body and it's you going through it, so you make your choices on what feels right for you, - others can only tell you what happened to them, - but ultimately it can never be completely relevant, because everyone's experience is different and personal. xx

Ooh a great big wasp has just crawled across the carpet, where on earth did that come from?

No, the elephant won't bungee jump. I've asked him and he claimed union rules of some kind

Marmite, nothing brave about me - I spent weeks as a gibbering wreck, but sooner or later it gets a bit boring gibbering all the time and it becomes the new normal, somehow. Humour really helps, I have to say.

Great big wasps are hornets. They're fairly friendly if you move slowly.

That's good amber - I always move slowly, if at all

waves festively to SR
marmite lots of good thoughts to you for your op - you must do what feels best for you,that's the important thing. Ginger wine would be lovely by the way !

Amber's right NONE OF US ARE NOT BRAVE!! Honestly, please don't think you need to be. A big part of why we're all here is because we've all been/ are terrified. It's totally okay to be scared. Be very strange if you weren't. Wibble away with us if it helps. At the very least we understand.

Amber, that Elephant is missing out. Can just imagine ears flapping as it falls..

Kurri, yes it's fruit - Nigel Slater recipe and delicious, so has to be done, but is on hold yet again as DS was outraged I was going to do it without him. Last year, he did half a stir and ate all the glace cherries before sloping off..

Just a quick pop in as got to get showered and dressed for rads .
But amber what you said about the "new normal" really struck a chord !
You are a wise old bird aren't you ?

I am 5ft 10 , willowy of figure , I have a head of long blonde flowing locks , and piercing green eyes .
I am able to drink vast amounts of white wine whilst maintaining a witty flow of conversation .
Anyone recognise me ?

I recognised you immediately topsy !
dh off to collect his mum,staying overnight and bringing her back tomorrow.
Last rads for a bit topsy - yay !

Less of the ';old' if you please

Ah, Topsy! We used to work together, if I recall correctly, doing modelling for Vogue!

'new normal' - that's an excellent phrase amber, spot on.

topsy good luck with last pre Christmas rad, - treat yourself to some lie-ins!

I'm pretty sure I've seen you and amber on the cover of The People's Friend Vogue

I too am well over six foot tall, with size 12 feet and a beard. My hobbies are embroidery and smoking a pipe.

Oh well if we are on with introductions, my hobby to tightrope walking whilst singing very loudly and out of tune. I'm only 5'3" with tiny feet and green hair

dh's grandma has deteriorated since August. Yesterday she came down with no top on, today she has her trousers on inside out. She is losing her swallowing reflex and doesn't remember anyones name...
We are back home today, sad to leave mil - she is having diff time at the mo.

Time for a and then to go...

jane

Oh dear jane - that is very difficult for you all.

Jane, ooo eck... Sounds like social services have some major assessing to do there to give people a hand?? Keeping it in thoughts...

Oh Jane that sounds so hard. It was horrid watching it happen to my grandma, so I can empathise. Big hugsxxx

Can I just emphase that I am neither brave, or courageous, but rather teary most of the time these days. I am blessed with lovely mn friends though.

I am also 5'11" with flowing blonde locks to match Topsy's. I have a film start figure, which I have no problems maintaining despite copious fbs. I have legs up to my armpits, no crankles in sight and am lucked and preened to perfection. I like to lunch with the ladies, and spend every afternoon shopping and having high tea at the Ritz. No abseiling, as would mess up my hair, but I delicately applaud those who do.

I am glad Helen wrote back to you MAS. I can see that point of view, and I definitely feel that we need to be accessible to those in need. I had a good look at the SEN thread, and that doesn't have the fb button though, I guess because it is deemed as too sensitive. What got me about this thread was the idea that someone could fb link us by liking" us. Whilst personally I love all of you , it seems poor taste to click that like button. Anyway I am not going to go anywhere, I would miss you too much, and only a very few special people on here know who I am, so I guess that anonymity protects us all.

Anyway, begrudgingly dh helped me wrap presents last night, god he did belly ache about it, but I managed to wrap one child (so to speak) in the time it took me to wrap the other two, and other random gifts [sighing emoticon needed]

The gp surgery has lost my inhaler prescription, so here's hoping I don't have an asthma attack before 28th when they open again! But (poor ghrammar starting a sentence with a connective sparkles slaps her own hand, and carries on regardless) I have picked dh's citalopram (sp?), so he should have a happy christmas. Shall I crumble up an extra tablet a day and make him chemically enjoy christmas this year..... [panto esq wicked step mother} laugh.

My SIL and niece will be arriving shortly, so Christmas starts soon. For us the first day of celebration is tomorrow, putting up the tree, eating stollen, drinking mulled wine......so incase am not back on again until later in the week. Merry Christmas to all.

Oh dear jane , doesn't sound good . Hard to watch aswell I would think .

sparkle I was thinking of slipping DH a couple of my citalopram too . Knowing my luck he would just go to sleep

Who has a good and easy cookie or biscuit recipe for me ? DD has decided that Santa needs home made cookies/biccies on Christmas Eve , sigh ...
The fewer ingrediants the better , as I have already experienced the 7th circle of hell which is M&S today . And I so can't face going back there again !

Day 14 of rads done today . 4 day break now . What's the betting I still won't get a lie in ?