***TAMOXIFEN number 19***

[MaryAnnSingleton]

ta daa !

Morning all, hugs here for those that need, hope amber and Ned doing 'ok' and gig hope you will be home as soon as you are able.
Topsy, hopefully your weekend will sort out the knee, perhaps some alcoholic anaesthetic?
Thanks for the coffee MAS, I had a v late night with my Valentine :)
He loved the poem, said I am very talented (dubious!) And that it had really touched him aww.
I got a dozen red roses and some wonderful kisses. :) just what I needed, feel really special!
Dd in holiday club today so I'm going to snooze today, lucky me. One more week then should be back to work.
Fbs today wispa bars if anyone needs a chocolate fix. Signing out, the loved up holsten!

Am getting out

Holsten am so glad you had a lovely night .

Waves to everyone else

Aww holsten that's ace. . . No need to send the tamoxifen girls round then. . . Really pleased that you had a lovely evening with your bloke- he sounds like a cracker to me!

Yay gig that's awesome that you get to go home! Bet you've missed DDs so much. Take it easy, won't you? Don't try to do too much too soon. I did that, and suddenly had 2 days where I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.

Will watch out for the tingling undercarriage with the steroids topsy thanks for the tip off! Dont think I would have asked nurse about that particular side effect if I hadn't known

Glad to hear your friendship appreciated MAS big hugs x x

Hello there! Sorry to barge in on this thread, but I was wondering if you ladies could help. My BF had breast cancer last night and had a double mastectomy and a reconstruction (done at the same time). It was all caught early and so she didn't need any other treatment (radio/chemo). The op was 6 months ago and her risk of BC is now lower than that of the general population and she looks brilliant. She has me and I will chat to her til I'm blue in the face about anything and everything - but as I haven't been through it there's only so much that I say that is going to hit home to her compared to someone who's been through it.

So my questions are:

Six months after the op (and all clear) would you expect to be OK physically/emotionally?

I think she feels that she 'should' just feel (or other people expect her to feel?) that she should just be grateful and relieved (which of course, she is).

I kinda think you just need to go with how you're feeling, acknowledge it, talk about it as much as you need to (or not if you don't) and don't think about what you 'should' be doing. And I think 6 months must still be really early days to deal with the fall out?

I've been looking for blogs/books about surviving cancer/breast recon but haven't really found anything particularly right. If any of you have any ideas then I'd be v grateful if you could point me in the right direction.

I have mentioned you ladies on here to her - but she's a bit of a non-technophile. Thanks very much...and sorry for the long post and interuption!!!

gah....not last 'night'....last 'year'!!!

Bees -Hope some of the others would be able to help more but on the being back to normal i am not sure that there is a normal. Just an acceptance of life as it is and 6 months isn't a long time.

Ned - I promise to be careful . Have had lectures on that and hygiene (bet you had that too Holsten) . Not quite sure what they think I will do at home

Is it normal to have mood swings post op? I was quite down again last night (saw some unfortunate things in news, sis made a bad joke re size of my tumour) . I an glad that all send to have gone well but I know more to come so that worries me (ESP oncologist trip as that did unsettle me).

Hi Gig, post op mood swings defo normal here. I was up and down like a yoyo for first 2 weeks, pretty even keeled now. Just allow yourself to feel whatever it is you are feeling, it really is ok to cry/get cross/sad whatever. People will understand. Yes, re hygiene lectures! I still have to shower after loo. Paranoid re infection. Oh, and Hurrah for going home!!

Bee - there will b some more knowledgeable people here soon, sorry to hear about your friend, but she has a good friend in you obviously :)

Holsten, so glad you had a lovely evening

Topsy - there is no reason to think your knee is cancer related I don't think. I imagine that is (understnadable) paranoia. A week is a long time to wait though.

Beesknees - welcome. I think you are right. it is great that your friend is physically much recovered, but six months is no time at all and she should probably just give herself time. However she feels is OK - unless it is terribly sad and depressed, in which case she needs a helping hand and should talk maybe to her BCN; but definitely someone.Talking helps a lot, which is why we are now on thread 19 There is a big shock to be got past, especially if it all happened very quickly and she had no time to mourn her boobs before the originals went.

I have a blog but it so far only has two posts owing to pressure of work . Another is brewing and may arrive this week. If you pm me I will direct you there, but don't expect Shakespeare

Bees, hi. Yup, takes a long time to get over stuff like this. I'm just through my first year of treatment and into the second year and I'm still emotionally up and down. Very normal indeed.

New carpets in the house, which is good. But feel very peculiar today. Ok, more peculiar than normal

Beesknees welcome - agree with sometimes and amber - I think the fallout after a cancer diagnosis is something that can go on for quite a while- the speed of diagnosis and treatment means that it's all a bit of a whirlwind then you're pretty much on your own (except am sure there are follow up appointments) I think she needs to allow herself to feel whatever she feels and not expect herself to be over it if she doesn't feel like that. Other people can expect you to be over it and not realise that it isn't like that. You sound a brilliant and lovely friend

Holsten you valentine's day sounds as though it went brilliantly - he does sound lovely- awww
amber am sorry you're feeling more peculiar than usual but pleased that carpets are down.
Gigondas hooray for being out !! Mood swings sound perfectly normal I reckon.
topsy a hug for you- am sure knee is just fine- maybe reaction to damp or cold ?
We did brilliantly at hospital today- ds quite anxious so we did Mindful breathing (handy phone app !) - consultant pleased with him-no problems-will see him in the adolescent haemophilia unit (he hasn't got that-it's just called that) next May. We need to be aware of gallstones though.
You would all be proud of us during the blood test- and I even photographed the blood being taken (he has his camera with him all the time) which meant I had to look and remained upright -yay !

I'm posting about my BF and need a bit of advice.

She's 54 and in good health , but went to drs today because she noticed something odd about her nipple ( one side). Dr says she has got some cysts on the areola. My friend also says she has an ache in her arm pit so dr says give it 2 weeks then go back if no better.

BF is in a bit of a worried state as she has just come of 3 months HRT- was making her fibroid grow so she is taking a break from the HRT.

She has private insurance so I just wondered if her GP is right to say leave it for 2 weeks, or if she ought to ask for a mamogram referral now- it's only about 9 months since her last routine one.

she has no history of anything with her breasts but she doesn't have children, so slightly higher risk of BC.

Any ideas?

hello ameliagrey - not sure what I'd do really - I think if she is going to be very anxious then I'd suggest going privately rather than waiting, because the anxiety is always the worst bit really. Sorry to not be more helpful though.

amelia, hi. I can add nothing to the wise words of MaryAnn. Though two weeks won't make much difference to the outcome, it saves two weeks of sleeplessness if there's a private option.

Evening all

Went to Hix's in Lyme Regis for lunch with PILs: deep fried monkfish cheek for starter, crab and pumpkin curry, and apple fritters with cinnamon cream for pud. Yum yum yum. . . And am out for supper this evening with a lovely friend. May have to have a light salad

Hope everyone is OK this evening. . . Anyone who wants my fbs portion is most welcome

Will read and answer properly tomorrow. . . Off out now x x

Thanks.

I am sure it is nothing and she is slightly more worried than she would be normally because she has a gynae investigation next week- colposcopy etc.

I just wondered if anyone knew if nipple cysts were a sign of cancer or could be cancerous and if the GP had made a correct diagnosis.

she said her nipple left itchy, and she also had a slight ache in her arm as well as soreness under arm pit. I really think there is an "innocent" cause of this but if 2 weeks is not relevant to the outcome maybe she is best just waiting.

Hi amelia, I really don't know anything relevent except to say that as amber and MAS said, waiting is the most stressful and awful bit, so if your friend has ability to go private then I would.
Thanks all for good wishes re my Valentine date :) still smiling!
Gig how's things at home? If you feel down at all remember you can share with us here , we have all been there x
Ned I want your lunch for my supper, im drooling here.
Hows topsy and amber doing? Feeling any less peculiar amber?
Waving to sometimes , onein and everyone else

Ohoh I meant to say so glad your DS hospital trip went well MAS , you were brave! I can't look at blood tests and I'm an ex-nurse :) x

thanks holsten !! we are feeling very pleased with ourselves !

not heard of nipple cysts before amelia and don't recognise them as a sign of cancer. Pain under the arm might be as a result of glands being up- because of infection. I reckon if gp was worried she'd have been referred straight away to breast clinic.
ned oh my, your lunch sounds heavenly- and you're out to supper too - yum !

Hi all, just checking in briefly, so forgive me if I don't comen on everyone's posts

Welcome new ladies - Bees, I would say totally normal for your friend to feel as she does, - yes there is tendency for others to imply you should feel on some sort of big high after your treatment finishes and all seems to be well - it just doesn't happen that way IME. Perfectly normal to feel sad or angry that this has happened to you, to have an emotional backlash to holding yourself together while you get through treatment, to be frightened for the future, and to feel a sense of abandonment and fear because you are no longer in such close contact with the medical team.

This is an article I have posted before (so apologies to those of you who have seen it!) but it is very good IMO and covers a lot of topics, hopefully it will be helpful to your friend Bees and to some of the people newer to this thread (worht clicking on all the sections and having a read through - I think he really hits the mark about how you feel after a cancer DX)

amelia - I'm afraid I don't know anything about nipple cysts. I agree that physically waiting 2 weeks for a referral will make no difference. But its only fair to point out that after referral she might have to wait another 2 weeks
for an appointment, and then a further 1-2 weeks for results of any tests they may decide to do. So - that's a lot of waiting, and if she thinks that will be a strain for her, then it might be worth returning to GP and saying seh's decided she'd like a quicker referral, or looking into a private appointment if that's a financial option for her.

Gig - hooray for getting home, bet it was lovely to cuddle up with your DD's again - take it very easily, and get as much rest as possible.

Holsten - so pleased you had a lovely evening - you really deserve something to boost you after all you've been through. He sounds like a great person

Well done to DS MAS, - and to you for taking photos - brilliant, you are getting very blase about this blood business

Waving to everyone else. Went to my book club today, then bumped into a friend and one of her friends that I don't know, so we all had coffee together. - V nice. But am terrible flaked out now, have been struggling to stay awake this afternoon.

excuse typos - sorry!

watching britains favorite foods on tv explaining why chocolate is scrummy.

swimming, shopping, knitting, work, cooking and veg out in front of tv. Gosh I'm tired. Sorry I'm neglecting you all again.

Hope you are all having a good evening with plenty of fbs for those who need them. and :)

Goodness jchocchip you sound super busy! Hope all OK with you?

Another chemo question, sorry - how crap might I feel the day after? Just trying to sort out school runs etc, and don't know if I'm likely to feel awful and unable to move or not too bad and tiredness kicks in later? Rubbish practical things to get sorted out!

More cinnamon bagels on offer for anyone who fancies? With proper butter? And a ?

morning all...am seeing friends today -hooray ! we're going out to P Express,they're coming up from our old place (we were next door neighbours- her dds and my ds grew up together) must dash to sort ourselves out before they arrive !

Have a lovely day MAS, pizza sounds good.
Ned, sorry have no clue re chemotherapy, after my surgery I was lucky to have other mums do a school run rota for me. Saved any will I, won't I be able.
Jchoc have you got a quieter day today? I'm still on a go slow , today just dd to dentist and some lunch out
I have a pain in my back and I'm doing the cancer paranoia! Madness!
Much love and fbs to all

Morning all, have fun today MAS

Ned - sorry to be a bit vague, but the first chemo is a bit 'suck it and see' I'm afraid. Day after was not my worst day - although I did feel very tired and a bit nauseous - and I could have managed a school run if I'd needed too.

But for some people they feel very sick soon afterwards and on the next day, - I think topsy has experience in this direction, so hopefully she'll be along later (unless she's bouncing up and down on her suitcase, trying to get the lid closed )

Also the steroids they will give you can make you feel a bit strange (kind of jittery and hyper in my case) and you take them for a few days immediately after treatment IIRC.

Its horrid when you are a person who likes to plan, and have some control (which I am, and of course you have to be if you've got DC) - wish I could give you a definitive answer. More recent chemo ladies will be more helpful to you I hope. By the second/third cycle you will have much more idea exactly when you are going to feel yuk.

I've got some very exciting housework lined up for today , -top up?