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Tamoxifen- the silver jubilee 25th edition

993 replies

Gigondas · 15/06/2012 20:41

New thread in honour if queen mas

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MaryAnnSingleton · 02/07/2012 19:35

have a wonderful time greylady - am Grin at remembering about the Turkish name thread !
topsy ok !!
Am exhausted after doing much flitting about to town/post office etc and trying to think of ideas for 3 different pictures ! Got my specs adjusted as they were sliding a bit,feel ok now.
sigh- dh now has a cold- bet he'll have to stay in bed,tsk.

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/07/2012 19:35

oh my amber that is seriously awful. Are they nutjobs ?

NedSchneebly · 02/07/2012 19:39

topsy Yes, definitely to the nail varnish. It stops your nails becoming discoloured. I favoured a very stylish shade of purple. Mine aren't too bad, although all fingernails are growing with a ridge in them, and I have lost the top layer of both my thumb nails.

I had very little nausea at all - I was on Emend days 1-3, and didn't need anything after that. I found I was a bit "looser" in the bowel department, more inthe second half of each cycle, so watch out for that. Blush

Usual tiredness crap and joint / bone pain, especially if you are on GCSF, which are the daily injections I had from day 3 to day 11. Do them yourself- it's dead easy. I found the aches and pains got much much worse when I had neutropenia infection, so worth bearing in mind if the pain seems unbearable. When I was not "infected" they were not too much of an issue and not in too much pain.

The skin on my hands and feet suffered in my 2nd docetaxol cycle, but not the others. They peeled and peeled and peeled some more, like how you used to put glue on your skin when you were a kid and let it dry and then peel it off. . . just me then. . . Anyway, get some nice handcream and apply lots. It wasn't painful at all, just looked like I had leprosy!

That is all I can think of right now - will come back with some more pearls of wisdom when I've eaten something!

NedSchneebly · 02/07/2012 19:41

X post amber maybe I am talking rubbish about the nail varnish then?! Blush sorry you're having a rotten time at the moment x x

snoopygirl · 02/07/2012 19:43

Yes topsy defintiley v dark nail polish nurse told me. Sucking ice cubes or lollies whilst you have it apparenlty help with mouth ulcers and nose ulcers!!yuk too. Hope you don't have to stick them up your nose hehe. What with cold cap may as well stick head in bucket of ice!!

amberlight · 02/07/2012 19:53

no-one knows re nail varnish. Anecdotal evidence only. Might work, might not. Can't hurt to wear it anyway.

Gigondas · 02/07/2012 20:24

I put nail varnish and am not on that regime just cos it makes me feel nice. I also like to put on a full face of slap on chemo days as might as well pretend to look nice.

snoopy I take 150mg of magnesium
Citrate at night plus 20mg zinc as both help sleep . I have valerian tea too.

Whilst we are on the full on woo stuff, I take aloe Vera juice (helps sooth stomach) , 1000mg propolis and a spoonful of Manuka honey morning and evening (last two help immunity).

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Gigondas · 02/07/2012 20:25

And Angry for you re your troublesome man amber. I will offer you one of my precious chocolate mascots whilst smee isn't looking.

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amberlight · 02/07/2012 20:32

oooo thanks!!!

Figgyroll · 03/07/2012 05:26

Crikey Amber, sounds like it's all going on at your house. Shock I hope he gets his just desserts.

Re dark nail polish, I didn't wear any and only lost a couple of nails. I remember the nurses at the chemo unit recommending it to me as they thought it worked but I forgot. It's definitely worth a go.

I found docetaxol far better than FEC, which made me very sick. My only problems were low neutrophils and subsequent infection which meant hospitalisation each time I had it so keep an eye on your temperature. The other weird side effect was that it triggered diverticulitis which I'd never had before or since. That was very painful but it's rare to get so I wouldn't worry about it.

Greylady, have a lovely holiday.

Basket and others, thanks so much for your kind words and advice re DS1 and his lump. He has an appointment tomorrow after work to get it checked out. MAS, that link you sent me was really useful - I forwarded it to him and he thinks thats what it might be.

It's pouring down here - the noise of the rain on the conservatory roof is amazing. There is plenty of Brew.

MaryAnnSingleton · 03/07/2012 07:29

figgy good for ds1 - hope it is just something like that-which can be easily sorted...let us know how he gets on.
Dr MAS has also predicted that dh will be home today with his cold.

Gigondas · 03/07/2012 09:08

Hope day at home makes dh feel better .

figgy that is an early start.

hair starting to shed but not in clumps... Is this how it begins (assume so) as wondering when to get dh to do my marine style buzz cut.

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NedSchneebly · 03/07/2012 09:49

Mine started to go gradually gig and then I got the buzz cut. Once I'd had that, it went really quickly in the shower/ bath, particularly when I gave it a good rub! Once it started going I really wanted rid of it. I was completely resigned to it going, and felt better to take control and go for the buzz cut. Depends how you feel, I guess.

How is your scalp feeling? Mine was quite sensitive and prickly, but it settled down once the hair had gone, which was another reason to get shot of it quickly.

figgy you're up early! Good that DS1 is getting himself checked out.

MAS hope DH OK and not too poorly x x

Gigondas · 03/07/2012 10:12

I feel same ned I am resigned to it going so would rather shave and manage it. Scalp feels ok- I might wait a few more days. It's not coming out in handfuls- more odd strands.

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NedSchneebly · 03/07/2012 10:37

I only went for buzz cut because it was all over my pillow and down my neck, and was v irritating! Hold off if it's not bugging you just yet!! Hope you're feeling ok x x

topsyturner · 03/07/2012 11:18

Morning All

Thanks for all your chemo tips .
Am hoping it doesn't make me as vommitty as the fec did .

What about herceptin ?
Who wants to give me the scuttlebutt on that ?

Figgy you were up early today !

Gig mine came out very quickly , so I did the buzz cut quite quickly .
I looked like I had wandered out of a post nuclear war film set so it really was the best option !

I never was overly bothered at losing my hair . And I quite often went out bare headed . (despite my sister telling me I looked like a Lesbian Social Worker Grin )

Bank update ...
I am now updated to 26th June .
But can't quite get my brain to figure out what should have gone in or out since then . So I still don't really know how much money I have available !
Ah well , getting there !

MaryAnnSingleton · 03/07/2012 11:43

arf at lesbian social worker image topsy !

Gigondas · 03/07/2012 11:52

Just been to sports day- resisted urge to do mums race. But am amused by the mothers who turned up to run it in wedge heels...

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topsyturner · 03/07/2012 12:17

Only a sister could get away with that comment Mas Grin

Gigs after seeing my sister in law (in full business suit and heels) fall over during the parents race , and land in dog poo , and her sister was standing at the finishing line with a video camera screaming "I got it !"
I will never , ever , enter a parents race again .
Grin Grin Grin

Gigondas · 03/07/2012 12:36

Very true topsy. One of my sisters gems was " mum will be jealous as your cancer is bigger than hers."

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MaryAnnSingleton · 03/07/2012 12:39

Shock @ y'sister gig (have emailed you a rough just now)

SparkleRainbow · 03/07/2012 12:59

Topsy - don't know what is funnier, running in suit, heels, falling over or what she landed in!

I have great dignity.......and don't ever, ever EVER take part in such things, I would be the one who fell and made a fool of herself. Grin

How is everyone doing?

Gigondas · 03/07/2012 13:30

She did have the grace to apologise- I love the Rough but getting my mum to check it.

I so don't feel like moving but need to go out to get my shoulder strapped up.

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topsyturner · 03/07/2012 14:22

I have a friend with MS and we often play "who's disease is worse" with each other .
And if anyone asks me to do something I don't want to do , I just say "I can't do that , I've got Cancer!" Grin

It's got to the point now where my friends complete the sentence for me .
Do you think I'm using it too much ?
Grin

graciesmall09 · 03/07/2012 14:33

Just waiting for the nurse to arrive to redress picc. Was at the Look Good thingy this morning and feel very pampered. It was great and wow what a goody bag. Lots of things I couldn't normally afford so well worth it if anyone hasn't been.

Would never, ever do any form of race as they would still be waiting for me to finish at dinner time.

Grin at lesbian social worker. Perhaps I'm quite lucky then being an only child.

figgy good that DS is getting checked out. Hopefully it will be nothing.

greylady hope you have a fab holiday. Enjoy the sun and time with your family!

gigs my hair started to go after about 17 days but my scalp was very uncomfortable. I stuck it another week and then got DH to clipper it off. Once off it was much more comfortable.

Boy am I suffering from night sweats. Is this normal? Every night I waken up and my pillow is soaking. Funny that I have no hair yet that is the only part of me sweating.