Tamoxifen 28

[Gigondas]

Another shiny thread

Onto a proper catch up. . .

gig sorry you're wobbly. Teething is a nightmare and sleep deprivation does not a happy lady make. . . Take it easy today and be gentle on yourself x x x

MAS belated happy birhtday! SO sorry I missed it. What lovelinesses did you get from DH and T?

YAY for the triumvirate of positive results! topsy, eight and Jchoc Am completely thrilled for all three of you brave ladies. Hope celebrations were had across the land yesterday in your honour.

amber sorry DS struggling at uni. Hope he can access good support and get over the initial worries. Hope you are OK x

gracie How are you doing, love? Have you planned an "end of chemo" treat of some kind? I hope so - you deserve it!

OTM HOw you bearing up? Hope you're OK with the hair loss. Hows the wig? Thinking of you lots x

Smee How's DS doing? Hope school have put some support in place to help him this term?

eight do you think DS might respond well to one of these? It might keep his hands busy instead of his mouth? I have used them a lot with all sorts of children in my classes over the years, for all sorts of reasons. Might be worth considering. Poor DS - hope he is OK x

kurri I actually love your daughter - she is a philosopher for the modern woman. "I shall go to the gym, therefore I can eat curry this evening. . . " It definitely works for me!

sometimes I also gave up wine during chemo, mostly because I felt so spaced out I didn't want to feel any worse!

Waves to anyone I have missed. Biggest hugs all round x x x

X post topsy I feel you are definitely wording it right

eight I meant to suggest the small size tangle things for DS, not the enormous one that looks like a python!

Bearing in mind that the scientists have only just found out how to make chemotherapy unstoppable, I reckon we really are entering a new phase of 'long term management' with cancer, rather than it killing people. We just need to get their science through the trials jolly pronto.
I get major science findings on this stuff just about every week - that's the speed of progress now they have understood the genetics.
Thus, old data is cr4p and no longer applies.

Blimey, have just caught up with all the chat on here - what a massively supportive lot you all are. And there's some seriously useful stuff here that I'm going to put on my To Do/Buy list, so thanks again, guys.

Special love to Amber for your son's wobbles, and to Gig for your own. It is so hard to stay strong all the time, I know. But it isn't necessary. sometimes you need to lean on someone else.

Amber, your ds's wobbles at uni resonated with me a lot, and I know he has more to cope with than I did. I actually caved after 3 weeks and changed uni, I just couldn't get it together. But I know that lots and lots of people were wobbling: they were just stronger-minded than me, and they all stuck it out and go it together pretty quickly (as did I, once moved). Mine was a radical step which I don't at all mean to recommend for your ds - am sure he'll be OK in a few weeks. And by Christmas he'll be sailing. Tough on his Mum in the meantime

Thanks for all kind words- ned your poem is lovely and thanks topsy but get some carbs down you . And also for dr amber as I know you are right and stats particularly meaningless when have something unusual (or indeed usual- none of us are numbers).

eight can you spray something like febreeze on tie to make it Taste less nice and give ds one of those distraction toys to help (thinking of the two pronged approach might help).

The uni thing is so tricky as it does take time to settle in - I really hope that they do find things easier.

And I am about your Hol announcement amber - when is it ?

Gig, sleep deprivation's a sod even without the treatment. Can you curl up today and catch up a bit.

Amber, you have honorary Doctor status as decreed by us. How's DS today? Any news?

Topsy, yay for feeling ropey. Best deserved hangover ever I reckon.

Ned, those words from your sis are lovely. How are you though? You've posted to us all and not said how you're doing, which is very you, but we want to know. And thanks for asking about ds. Not sure what's in place yet. I'm meeting a woman from Dyslexia Association later to go through his report. I want to ask her what a good school would/ should do for a boy with his profile before I meet the school SENCO. Any thoughts from a teachery pov v.welcome.

Sometimes, that must have been quite a time. Where did you start off at Uni? Was it a radically different sort of place? So very tough to leave home and friends. I was mostly okay, but then again I couldn't wait to leave, so that always helps..!

Sunny here, but definitely Autumn. on the go for all who want one.

Hiya Smee I started off at Sheffield and I just fell apart

I've always been a bit of a homebody and I think I just went to uni because everyone told me to, so I wasn't really committed when the going got tough.

I just went home and bashed on the door at Birmingham Uni enough times so they got fed up of stepping over the snivelling, snotty wreck and let me in. And I met DH on day 1 and the rest is history

Aw, how lovely. Was clearly meant.

ned I love your poem -

I think this thread is great because is represents all the emotions of this illness, some of us have sad news some happy, but we can celebrate and support and sympathise together. I don't think anyone should ever worry about putting their news on here - whether they are feeling shit in amongst a bit of silly banter, or feeling happy when there is are sadness and low moments around.
I think it's important to be able to share your feelings whatever they may be at the time.

amber - adding to the good vibes for your DS, - am sure he will find his feet. If we are telling uni stories - it took me a good term to settle in, -I didn't get a place in halls so was in digs a long bus ride out of the city, I was painfully shy, had been to an all girls school and hadn't a clue how to talk with boys, and I just drifted around on my own for ages, But once I got to know and make friends with folk on my course things started looking up, I managed to get new accomodation and things just gradually slotted into place.

DD was on the phone to me every day when she started, saying she didn't like it, but she chummed up with some people also doing music and started gong to music society events. We also got skype - so she could contact us more cheaply (!) and see us as well, and that helped.

I think when you are young, you think 'I have to stick thi sout even though I'm miserable. Changing my mind would mean failure'. But of course it doesn't, it's a brave step to say 't his is not for me, I will try something else' whether that is another uni, another course, or another route in life. All part of the growing up process, and learning to know yourself IMO.

I'm very achy today (thanks Davina ) and I'm still wndering around in my PJ's took a pill last night as shingles was tingling, and it knocked me out as usual.

Ned - lovely words. I shall copy them out and put them in my diary, to read on my good and bad days.

what lovely words ned - your sis sounds fab - and am so happy that this thread seems to mean so much to us all.
Am in a bit of a rush as have to hang up laundry and get sorted for hospital visit (chemo chat today)
Had such a fab birthday - ds got me 2 cds (one is coming on 24th when released -Mumford &Sons -the other is First Aid Kit - young Swedish sisters- beautiful voices..) some scent and a watch from dh (Givenchy's Dahlia Noir) and a box of rose & violet creams and some All Gold chocs...
I didn't leave home to go to art school as I went to 2 London one- though it might've done me good to live away from home. I thiunk I'd've been horribly homesick though. I wasn't happy the first year as it was very competitive and I was a small fish in a big scary pond, but once at Chelsea I found my place and absolutely loved it.
Righto,must dash- help yourselves to violet creams and there's some cake left.

Ah, well, warm fuzzy wishes being sent from here to accompany you for the chemo chat, MAS. Hope you don't have to wait too long and they treat you right. Am sure they will (let us all know if they don't and we'll be round).

Ooh violet creams Mumford and Sons are great MAS - I really like them. Haven't heard of the Swedish group, - but it sounds very much my kind of thing so will look them up.

Good luck at your chemo meeting today, is DH going with you? Hope you get a plan in place so you can feel you are moving forward. Treat yourself to a nice cuppa afterwards, sending good vibes and hand holding your way

Old lady dog has absent mindedly chewed the corner of a blanket, and is now making vom noises. DD has begged me not to buy any more of the beef in gravy dog food

hello everyone. hope you are all doing ok. i am in a mad rush as trying to get myself and household ready for my chemo tomorrow. have to leave at 7am as friend taking me and i don't want her to have to get up too early Am doing massive pile of ironing so dh has enough shirts for next week or so and stuff for everyone else. have cleaned downstairs and also want to change sheets. getting v tired now though...

ned lovely words and also your sentiment. i cannot express how important this thread is to me - it kind of holds me together when i am wobbly and even though i don't post much you are all in my thoughts. thank the lord we got sick now and not in the 19th century!

Meant to say, inspired by Ned's poem, I like this from T.S Eliot

'?This is one moment,
But know that another
Shall pierce you with a sudden painful joy.?

I find it comforting a difficult times.

Probably going to sound more mad as a badger, but since I was DX, I've started collecting little quotes, poems and sayings in a notebooks. Sometimes it's kind or sensible things people have said to me. Just stuff that I find uplifting, or profound, or even funny. I like to read over them sometimes - makes me feel peaceful. ned your poem is going in my book

OvertheMil, sit down, woman!
Have a

MAS, keeping everything crossed for sensible chemo plan. Let us know? They should know that chemo has to involve four different agents for cancer to be fooled properly, so they need to add a new one to replace one of the last ones.

DS seems to have recovered. He's texted me to say he's in Primark buying cheap clobber for tonight's paint party . And he's found the gym and how to get sky and internet.

Cruise will be in early Nov. Hurrah!!! Don't care if we're in the cattle class bit and being thrown the odd ship's biscuit - we'll love it!

You don't sound mad as a badger, Kurri though clearly we all know you are... That makes me think of something Jo Shapcott said (poet who wrote a collection 'Of Mutability'; largely about BC without mentioning it once.) She said she has moments of extreme joy after BC. Sort of like everything's heightened. Am paraphrasing as I can't remember exactly, but I know exactly what she means. Kind of a plus amidst the negatives.

OTM, hope you're feeling okay-ish about tomorrow. Another ticked off is good.

MAS, thinking of you. Hope Onc's lovely and you get answers to all your questions xx

posted a message but it has just disappeared.

belated Happy Birthday MAS

Tis a lovely sunny autumn day here, with little piglets snuffling around the field.

That's a lovely idea about poetry - I have a little book of things to tell dh and girls I write in (there is a fairly lengthy rantsection based on relationships for the girls) . I like it as let's face it I may forget and they probably won't listen whatever happens.

Have managed to go out to Pilates and now have mini gig asleep on me as is too sniffly to sleep in the cot. Let's hope she doesn't top this mornings achievement of being sick on me without even waking up. And you lot have helped me feel that am turning corner (ESP flatulent dog tales ).

otm calm down but Do you get the feeling that you have to do certain things and it must be just so pre chemo so you can forget it after?

mas good luck today

But probably more relevantly and ESP for the hungover miracle topsy forgotten heartthrobs

KK - we all know you are totally mad I collect quotes in a special file on the pooter

Smee - i get the euphoria thing as well, I know just what Jo Shapcott means.

Amber - a cruise. How can that NOT be lovely, whatever class you go in?

Well a quick scan of the forgotten hearthrobs shows me they are not so much forgotten as never heard of - and not very hearthrobby either. Too much hair and too many teeth

Sigh. I suppose I may be too picky.....

Well having had a quick scan......I have only heard of 7 of them.....over half of them look like they were only 12 in the 1980's anyway! I am sure we can find some better heart throbs now-a-days!

Topsy - know I said it on fb, but "Woo Hoo" blardy marvelous!

oh on the subject of FB - if any of you tamoxifen 10 ladies have said anything at all to me via FB - sorry. I'm not ignoring you, I have just decided to take myself off FB. I have to wait until the end of September because of a client -but I am not going onto the site, so forgive me for not replying. (I have quite a number of notifications, and am not sure who from)