21st TAMOXIFEN !!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we are- how did that happen ?

Mmm bagels. And yes we need snacks for raid.

topsy so sorry for your friend- horrible news even if what they feared but hopefully they can do as much as they can to help?

figgy are you taking it easy? And youkurri- got your cranberry juice stocks in?

Sparkle- how is ds today? Poor thing .

1in8 - will school hols help ds a bit if has a break?

Nct lot round for coffee soon and my lovely mum here with nanny (who is back to usual reliable self but we will have a word) so I am feeling quite spoiled (and am ignoring the bottle bag I have to carry Round which is not up to neds standard of bag).

Then am going to read "saved by the cake" by Marian Keyes and maybe get some fbs ideas.

gracie mas ( at description of ds dancing) and hi to anyone I have missed.

ned slept ok - dreamed of bcn ! Feeling better really- just fretting that bcn might feel I'm a nuisance -gah.
fbs for the raid trolley are a good idea- will have a think.
Anyway, am off to do some work- waves to all !

Good morning - still sunny here. Makes the heart soar somehow. Can't post much today, as I still have extraordinary amounts of work to do, but just wanted to say hi.

Gig, I hate those bottles. Really gruesome. How long's it have to stay in for, have they said?

just thought i would pop on to say hello as ive not been on for quite a while,im not sure if it makes sense but i just needed a total break from everything cancer related for a while.
trouble is it doesnt really go away,its always there at the back of your mind.had to have another biopsy recently as ive been left with stomach problems and was found to have a small growth in my bowel which was removed but luckily turned out to be benign but to be cautious they are going to investigate futher.
but apart from that im so much better hope your all ok and hello to anybody new.

Yeay, Pink. Been wondering how you are. Couldn't agree more on the paranoia. We now have a virtual box for it. Come stuff yours in and let's weight it down for you.

Pink, what were your stomach problems?? Were they Tax related? Mine's not been right since chemo either. Getting better slowly, but I feel bloated a lot and uncomfortable. Never had anything like that pre-chemo.

hugs pink -we've missed you ! Glad that the bowel thing was benign,but horrid to have these problems.
How is drain today gig ?

Haven't had a bagel in ages. Mmmmm cinnamon, must remember those in next week's shopping order.

Topsy Yes I'm from 'over here'. Not bad day although I went off on school run this morning thinking it looks sunny, therefore it must be warm, no coat required. Blooming baltic. Got to the school and my friend had exactly same top on (in a different colour and another friend had yet another colour of the same top). We all stood together shivering whilst all the other mums gave us that old 'stupid women' stare. One even came over and said 'are you not cold?'. 'No we're fine, isn't this weather lovely

gig hope you are recovering well and your drain is comfortable.

kurri hope the tablets have kicked in and that you are taking things easy.

Yesterday the surgeon removed my bandage and said 'healing nicely', today the flipping wound has opened a bit at the top and is itching like mad. I was out this morning for coffee with a friend from church and I'm sure she thought I had fleas as I was squirming trying to scratch without scratching iyswim. Have called DH and asked him to pick up some steristrips on his way home. Did have a minor panic and put a call into the BCN's mobile - which on hindsight was a tad dramatic but she probably thinks I'm a bit mad anyway so hey ho.

Tesco delivery here soon so off to put my bra on again - don't want to give the poor guy nightmares.

Hi Mrs McNulty. My goodness what a time you have had. I'm only new to this thread as well. Haven't read your other post so don't really know what happened with your friend, but I do think when the going get tough you really do find out who your true friends are and the people that you maybe only thought of as acquaintances really step up to the mark.

I am only at the beginning of my treatment so have yet to experience chemo, etc, but as another 'new girl' everyone here is super supportive and really makes me feel welcome.

Look forward to getting to 'know' you.

Thanks gracie, it's sad that a friend I've been close to for 20 years is distancing herself from me, but I've also had people I only knew casually before become really lovely and helpful friends. As someone said cancer tends to sort the wheat from the chaff! Glad you're getting lots of support as you start your treatment.

Glad to see you made it over here Mrs
I had mastectomy and node clearence last June , followed by chemo and rads . Will start herceptin at some point , but Onc humming and haaing as to when as I have the bastard lung secondaries .

I am sure friends don't mean to be unsupportive , they really just don't know what to say sometimes .
I had someone do a double take when they spotted me in tesco and actually turn round and walk in the opposite direction !
Nob

Gracie are you a city girl or a country one ? (don't want you to out yourself if you don't want to)
Do you go to the empathetically named CANCER CENTER ( ) for your treatments ?
Tell me to mind my own , I won't be offended , if you want to keep your annonimity .
Just excited at having a "local" to speak to

Hi topsyturner, why are they humming and haaing over herceptin? Is it because you can only take it for a year?

Can't believe someone walked away to avoid you, it's a bit of a revelation what some people can be like when something like cancer happens to you.

Not so much humming over whether I will have herceptin mrs , more the timing if it . They are saving it for when my lung nodules start to grow again , and then probably giving it to me along side some more chemo .

Hey mrs mcnulty - glad (but sorry) you have found us. And completely agree re cancer sorting out who your friends are. So far I have been lucky- only health visitor (I have v young dd) been funny with me but that is their job.

I had a sarcoma (soft tissue tumour) in my bum which has been removed with margins but wound is taking while to heal (hence why have a drain in). Due to start rads in a couple of weeks.

Have repeat ct scans as have small equivocal spots on Lungs which they think may be pregnancy related but can't be sure ( I was dx when dd about 3 weeks old) so got that to worry on (isn't that life post dx) although generally happy they cleared main tumour and recurrence risk low with rads.

My dd1 nearly 4 so can sympathise with the coping with kids bit .

Pink sorry you are having such a time of it. Fwiw I know a few people who have had both benign and malignant bowel stuff removed and all have gone on to recover.

Itching could be good sign Gracie that healing up. It's a bloody awkward spot tho (i had blocked duct thingy removed 3 years ago so remember well how hard it is to keep wound still ).

Dh just sent me this- a likely story

I am crying with laughter Gigondas - love the "definitely not due to a sex game"!

Don't you find yourself falling on veg?

You can see what a Serious thread this is

Blimey, a potato?! I can see a carrot, or maybe a courgette, but a Potato?!

Hello again MrsMcN. Glad you're with us. It keeps you sane(ish) this thread. I was dx two years ago, mastectomy, nodal clearance (was in 4 out of 22), then chemo, rads, tamoxifen and decided to go for it and have preventative mastectomy last year too. Am now 46 and also menopausal.

Gracie, stop scratching or we'll send Amber over with the duct tape. How are you feeling today??

just had DS's parents' evening which was sweet. Better cook some tea now.

arf at vicar's potato story
Welcome MrsMc - am glad you have joined us but sorry too.
I was diagnosed with 2.4 cm grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma coming up to 3 years ago (end of april) no nodes. I'm very old with a 14 year old son.
Bakingly hot here in Hampshire...toasted teacake anyone ?

were they pleased with ds ? am sure they must be smee

I'll have a teacake MAS. DS is apparently bounding along and doing v.well. Nicest thing is to hear her say how lovely he is to have in class and how kind and well liked he is. Still can't spell though.

aw,good for him- so lovely to hear those things.

Evening all, just catching up with today's posts.

Welcome MrsMcNulty, - I'm glad you've found us - it sounds as if you've been through a lot, but good to see that you've got through your surgery and chemo, and onto your rads now.

I was DX 4 years ago, I'm 52 ancient and have 2 grown up children - 27 and 22, my treatment was pretty similar to yours, although I had my surgery first - mastectomy then lymph node clearance, then chemo, rads, herceptin and tamoxifen. I'm just waiting for an appointment with plastic surgery to talk about reconstruction.

I sympathise with the weight gain - several of us have had the same problem. Sorry to hear about your friend being unhelpful, - people can be quite odd in their reactions I find. Anyway you are very welcome here, it's a very supportive thread

topsy - very sorry to hear that your friend's news was not so good - MS is a horrible illness.

Gig - at the vicar, 'definitely not a sex game' - No one's going to leave him alone in the church at Harvest Festival now are they?

Refreshments definitely on for the raid, - ned you are elected catering manager

Lovely to see you Pink - we've missed you - sorry to hear you've had stomach problems, but good that the growth they removed was benign, and that they are keeping an eye on things. But it's great to hear you are feeling better in yourself - good for you

I feel a bit better today, back not quite so sore. I've been guzzling cranberry juice and plenty of water (and consequently weeing constantly!) but didn't take it easily, - went to yoga where we practised hand stands and I had a driving lesson in the afternoon - reverse hill starts, and 3 point turns today, and an unplanned emergency stop when a deer ran across the track!

Love to all xx