**Tamoxifen** 27

[Gigondas]

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Poor pig dog - but I have to say there is never a quiet moment with him

Oh - poor pig dog, - he'll settle down though and I'm sure he'll be fine.

DS has come over - he bought a book in a second hand bookshop today called 'Victorian inventions' - we have been having a good laugh over them - things like the hat with a camera in it, so if you are approached by a "robber" you can lower your head and take an incriminating picture

Victorians also seemed to be keen on shoving a few hundred volts through themselves for 'health purposes' (many strange machine for this kind of activity )

Ooh Kurri, one of my friends has one of those electric shock machines. His dad gave it him for Christmas one year.

No time - been to Cardiff today for work and have too much to do, off to friends for weekend tomorrow, so won't be around for a bit.

Just wishing all calm dreams, healed wounds and no icky sickness or other irksome side effects. sorry this is so v.rushed... xx

Have a lovely weekend Smee, - Cardiff and back in day is a long trip - you must be worn out!

Can I ask a quick question ?
Is methotrexate (chemo drug) FEC or Taxotere ?

I ask as I have been prescribed flucloxallin for my wound infection (swab came back positive ) and it says not to take if on methotrexate .

Have googled and doesn't seem to be FEC or Tax , but just want to make sure !

I don't think it is topsy - I think it is a different drug - but ring NHS direct or OOh doc if you are uncertain. I think it is OK though - have had good google like you.

Thanks Kk , it didn't seem to be one of my chemos from what I had read . But sometimes you just need wiser heads than your own to have a look

Right . Drink coffee , load car up , get on the road .
Holidays !
See you all in a week x

have fun topsy !!
H appy birthday to jane xxx

hello to all, had visitors yesterday and they seem to have worn me out. totally shattered in a can't get my bum off the sofa kind of way. also feel so sick, yuk. taking all the meds and craving mashed potato and stuff like that. Very weird.

trying to do some stuff as we are shipping dd13 off to friends on holiday tomorrow. she will have a great time and i can puke in peace!

Take it easy overthemill and beg for some stronger anti-sickness stuff next time. They should be able to give you something to stop you being sick - emend worked for me - but they seem to be reluctant to give it on your first cycle.

Yes another vote for emend here-also I have a bunch of stuff i take for first couple of days after.
Eat what you fancy and when you fancy- normal meal times and convention go out the window when you feel sick.

overthemill - make sure you take your meds before you feel sick - i.e. in antcipation, don't wait until you are actually feeling sick - they won't work as well. But yes - I agree with everyone else - don't put up with sickness - ring your unit and ask for something better.

Take it easy - you are just moving into the 'completely shattered' phase of your cycle I reckon as your WBC count is dropping. Lots of rest and plenty of TLC

Is it Jchocchip's birthday today? - many happy returns Jane

I got on better with those sea band wrist strap thingies and sipping ginger beer as well as taking the antisickness tablets. Worth a go as a combo.

Hi all. Climbed huge rock today on holiday without falling off or getting too exhausted. Hurrah!

(my sense of balance has been rubbish since chemo...odd)

That's good about climbing and holiday amber

anyone? Had lie in then cleaned out my kitchen cupboards.

Friend coming over later but am enjoying letting my mum fuss over meand realising that mini gig won't be letting me lie in when she is home

thanks all for tips re sickness. will ask for better stuff next time. definitely ginger helps, had bottlegreen ginger and lemongrass which helped but kids liked it too so its gone! just eating stodge really except had amazingly healthy salad last night with all sorts of good veg in which sparked up my tastebuds (which are odd, tea tastes weird now).

had very tired weekend and am going to take it easy today - watching tv etc. need to overcome feeling of sciving I think! how long does shattered phase last? also, when my consultant said no takeaways did he really mean no takeaways at all or did he mean avoid dodgy kebab shops?
amber well done for the climbing - olympics 2016???

overthemill, yes - things tasted really weird on chemo. I did an experiment with those Jelly Beans to find out how many flavours I could still taste, and it was about a third of them.
Shattered phase lasts differently for each person. Most find they're a bit hyper when on the steroids, then 'arrgh' between days 5-10, then gradually better until the next time. Week 3 is normally do-able for many people.
I had takeaways. Make them from really trusted places. He means avoid anything that might give you food poisoning, whether at home or out.

Gig, yes please for . How was it with your friend?
Has everyone else left us?

I found tea tasted weird too- was never strong enough. Seems to have gone a bit now. About no takeaways , it's more as amber said about food safety but I was never mad keen on taking risks with food poisoning anyway.

For me first two days after chemo then about day 7-10 I am most tired. I found that there was a cycle to it and as amber says last week is usually pretty normal.

My friend was lovely- had a nice gossip . My mum also here so watched most of closing ceremony together.
Now got to wait in for nurse to do my dressing so might do some of housekeeping jobs I have been ignoring.

Assume you have nice Plans for day as aren't you away amber

ok that makes sense about takeaways then. obviously dont want to take risks but dh trying to work ft and i am so tired. am on day 6 i think. have chemo again on day 15 (fortnightly) so hoping to feel better mid week is possible? hoping to go to stay at elderly mil sat night as she is worried and cant travel.

everyone has gone quiet haven't they? lets hope that as they are doing interesting things! i am looking at french property websites in between watching online tv!

Few people are on holiday aren't they (like topsy).

Have you kept a rough diary of symptoms (eg days you felt most sick, tired etc). I was told to do this as they go over it when go in for next chemo to tweak drugs if necessary. I would have thought you would be ok by weekend but play it by ear.

Where you looking at houses?

just looking (honest ) in charente maritime (so near to royan if you know area). we planned to move there a while back but plans had to change. we are registered with everyone and i had one sent to me today which gave me the urge!

I am applying for early retirement on ill health grounds from my former profession which was very high powered and one of the options with pension is to get it early if you wouldnt be well enough to return to THAT job (which i havent in any case done for 12 years) within 1 year. I plan to go back to teaching which is stressful too but totally different (and I love the kids) - old job was 7am to 1 am kind of hours with weekends and holidays regularly interrupted by work stuff. Really crap job tbh but excellent money but incompatible for me with family life. so i gave it up.

if they agreed, i'd get lump sum which won't be mega but which could pay for 2 up 2 down kind of place in france maybe and i'd get a few hundred quid a month pension. we could use it for holidays and friends could borrow it too. all things we are considering...of course what I OUGHT to do with any lump sum is reduce our mortgage here!

this is the kind of thing i'd like:
near the coast but it's a bit expensive!!!

I'm here. Had a busy couple of days. Nothing very exciting but just not a lot of time to Mumsnet.

Mum taking the kids and I out for lunch today. I can't really be bothered going as I still have a sore mouth so nothing is really tasting like much but I sort of feel obliged. So I have to do a quick clean and hoover as the nurse is coming to have a look at my picc line this afternoon.

overthemill my tastebuds are pretty much shot to pieces. I am a huge coffee lover - stronger the better - but I have gone off it for 2 weeks out of 3. Drinking is one of my big problems as I really struggle to get something I like. DH keeps bringing me something different home, I take one sip and pour the rest out. Complete stodge is what I crave, burgers, chips things I wouldn't really have eaten (chocolate, cake and sweets were my weakness). As for tiredness I feel hyper when on the steroids then a massive low for 3-4 days and then I seem to recover quite quickly.

Stayed up and watched closing ceremony which I enjoyed. Mother has already been on the phone telling me how rubbish she thought it was - can you tell my mum is very much a half empty person. I feel I am much less tolerant than I used to be. I fear this is affecting our once extremely close relationship.

Right must go and do some cleaning. Catch up later.

about a possible move to France. DH wanted us to emigrate years ago - he has a brother in NZ and uncle in Aus but I wouldn't go as I couldn't leave my mum on her own (I'm an only child and my parents split when I was a teenager and I have no uncles, aunts, cousins).

gracie having cancer kind of makes you r-evaluate everyhing doesn't it? I used to get irritated by the littlest things (eg someone putting teaspoons in wrong section of cutlery drawer) and now, while by no means a saint, i feel hardly any f it matters. as long as we are together and relatively healthy what else is important? i cant call my dad because he will go on and on about his very minor health gripes (he's old and frail but ok honest) and it will upset me.

I think this happens to older people - not all - but lots- my mum can be hugely negative about things which I find incredibly irritating and annoying- I try to be very much looking on the bright side..mind you,she is troubled by quite serious health issues which have changed her from a very active,fit woman into someone very frail so that can't really help.