Tamoxifen 28

[Gigondas]

Another shiny thread

Yes sofa's staying. The whole sofa-gate saga started when I was diagnosed and moaned my head off about us having a two seater sofa which I couldn't curl up on. It's taken us this long to get a new one. Next battle's over cushions..

Hope Topsy's curled up with Sir Tom.

Night all, MAS I hope iPad's not for googling.. xx

arf ! iPad is for indulging in iplayer !

good morning all - sorry to be so crap at posting - in very tired phase of cycle.

wanted to say hi to newbies and well done to MAS and gracie (I think, chemo brain really hitting me now, could remember word for breadknife yesterday!). for brilliant scan results - well done you girls

i am so slobbing at the moment - have totally got into the routine: sleep if tired, watch TV if not, sometimes knit too. Go to bed at 8.30 (rubbish time, eh?) and cope by letting everyone else in house just wait on me hand and foot. Did have curry last night as sister in law (GP) suggested getting one from well known trusted local restaurant we eat in and it was very disappointing! Couldn't taste the individual dishes, just an overpowering aftertaste of cumin (I think). So at least I know to wait for another 4 months before bothering again... back to fishfingers and chips.

Am waiting for boy to abandon tent at local campsite where he camped last night with girlfriend, hope he packs up tent before torrential rain hits! big girl back at Uni yesterday (will miss her but not her mess) and daughter outside in summerhouse thingy with a mate fast asleep after sleepover!

Morning all - I got up early and went for a slow run, - it was rather nice - very quiet and peaceful (apart from the sound of me panting and wheezing obviously )

How is everyone today, - did you manage a decent nights sleep MAS? - any pesky niggly side effects yet? - I hope not too bad.
I'm glad you were able to tell your mum, she will want to support you

Hope you enjoyed the Marc Bolan play Sometimes. I loved MB - great songs.

I plan a day of gardening, felting and reading, and generally mooching about.

Had a phone call from Mum yesterday - she is putting her house on the market next week. She's seen a sheltered flat she likes, ground floor - but steps up to it so would need a ramp put in (bit daft to have steps on a sheltered flat I thought ), anyway - it's given her an idea of what she's looking for even if she doesn't get this one - depends whether she can get a quick sale on the house, which probably isn't all that likely atm.

oops x posted OTM, - sounds as if your kids have had a busy weekend.

Losing taste/everything tasting unpleasant is a pain isn't it? - You will have to treat yourself to a great curry after your chemo is finished. I found I went right off food on chemo - it wasn't so much I lost my appetite just that everything tasted yuk. I went through a phase of eating poached egg on toast with baked beans every day and only drinking apple lucozade.

gracie - so glad you are home, how are you feeling now?

MAS - ipad sounds fab!

topsy my lovely - I have PM'd you.

Food is a disappointment. I finally feel hungry but my mouth just tastes of metal. Spaghetti hoops and lucozade are becoming the staple oh and pickled onion monster munch cuts through the metal taste. I'm gearing up for cycle 2 week on Monday it's much easier when you kind of know what's coming.

Nutella pancotta sounds amazing.

yes TheBarnes - it is metal - horrible. I don't think it matters if you eat the same thing everyday, as long as you try to eat something - but meal times definitely lost their appeal for me. Lemon sorbet was something I quite enjoyed - the sharpness cuts through the nasty taste temporarily.
I think a fair few people on here have said they went for fizzy drinks while on chemo - even if they weren't something they normally had - so they are worth a go.

Oops clicked too soon - meant to say good luck with cycle 2 tomorrow

Ooh lemon sorbet sounds good your right its good to have stuff that cuts through that metallic taste. Cycle 2 is Monday week so using this week to get house sorted and ready for it. Dh is v good but everything needs to be in easy reach as finding things not his strong point.

PM got and replied !

I am unusual as I never went off food at all during chemo .
Don't know what it would take to put me off my grub

I craved curries and Mexican foods and anything stodgy and starchy . (Basically the same as normal !)

But I fully recognise that I am not the norm in so many ways

Off to granny's for lunch now .
Then DH is off to ikea to pick up DDs new bed .
And maybe a little more room clearing so we can start the decorating .

I too am extremely interested in Gigs Nutella pannacotta ...

Lovely ladies - thanks for all your help. My friend is due to have 6 rounds of chemo, one every 3 weeks starting on Thursday. I have bought the ginger root supplements (thanks Amber), some ginger cordial, ginger tea, ginger chews (thanks Gigondas), some good books and ordered a soft cotton sleep hat. I will speak/text regularly, will be collecting her little ones from school one the days she would normally and have them to play often. Anything else I can get or do?

curly you sound like a great friend- I might add take a break problem
Pages have helped give me and my friends a laugh on many occasions when was doing chemo.

I am obsessed by food generally and chemo has made it worse. Have odd taste quirk and need to be but careful about indigestion but am kicking myself that have avoided wine and curry so far as had both this weekend with no ill effect.

Any tips for keeping big gig in bed? 5.35 was up and wanting interaction (mini gig will play with her toes , a muslin or a box so is far lower maintenance plus its par for course when that young). Am I wasting cash if buy one of those kiddy alarm
Clocks ?

When she is up at this time it is hard to
Tell who is more bad tempered by late afternoon - me or her!

think dn was given a rabbit kiddy alarm and was told she couldn't get up until it went off...
I slept well,went to sleep listening to something on the radio on iplayer-dreamed quite a lot too.
So dismal here -rainy and cold.
curly you sound wonderful- such a thoughtful friend.
Lots of good thoughts for those having treatment this week x

Hi everyone. Please ignore me but I do wish you all well (I've been on here many time for those who don't know me, but not for a while) I'm just trying to send a PM and can't recall how to sign in so thought if I posted it might work as a 'sign-in'...

Hi sandripples - how is ds getting on at
Uni?

Waves at SR !

Gigs may I suggest duct tape for Big Gigs ?

Gigondas does she have black out blinds? We tried bunny alarm but ds was scared of it. She is five now but was an early riser for a while we did try later bed time but in the end she just got in middle of us and went back to sleep. 5am is painful hopefully it's just a phase sorry that doesn't help much.

I am tempted at times - also when we have the incessant loud chat

Hi all! Settled in front of "Matilda", under fleecy blanket with DS, wood burner lit. . . Very cosy!

I found that I needed to eat salt and vinegar crisps when my taste buds were buggered by chemo! It is a passing phase, though, luckily.

curly you sound fabulous - your friend is lucky to have you! Hope everything goes well for her x x

gig DS went through a similar stage - he now has a big display digital clock and a light alarm clock like this Basically when he wakes he looks at the digital clock and if it is after 6am (has a 6 at the beginning of the number iyswim) then he can turn his light on and play quietly. Once the light alarm clock goes on "wooly the sheep wakes up" then he can come into us. We worked getting him steadily later and later by a few minutes every few days. You could do a sticker chart to reinforce? Is wretched being up that early, I do feel for you x x x

MAS how you doing today, lovely? Thinking of you lots and lots x x

kurri hope your mum feels positive about moving? Does this mean you might be making the trip to dorset again soon? Would love to meet up again x x

Waves to topsy, thebarnes, sometimes, OTM, smee, sandripples and anyone else around this afternoon x x x

I like the sound of your cosy fleecy blanket and film ned, especially with a cuddly little boy

I think mum is feeling more positive about moving now things seem to be progressing. It's a big thing at ninety, but she will be much safer and have more independence if she's in a smaller place in town.

I may well go down and give her a hand with packing etc. when the time comes (hoping for her sake she manages to sell reasonably quickly) and when I do I'll let you know so we can meet up and scoff large puddings and do healthy stuff

Curly - loads of good wishes for your friend. She is lucky to have you, I think you will be an absolute Godsend for her if you can help out with the kids on the days when she is feeling grotty or exhausted. That and just being there to chat and laugh about normal stuff - the way you did before she was ill, chemo cna make you feel as if your whole life revolves around cancer, and you become a 'cancer patients' - it's nice to be able to be yourself and not have to think about it all when you are away from the hospital.

Gig - I had an early riser too. We got him one of those little fisher price cassette player things (probably CD players now) which he could operate himself so he could sit in his room and listen to his story tapes and songs. Also a little lunch box with a snack in it and a drink - so he didn't bother us because he was hungry

Waving to SR

waves to SR ! kk am sure your mum will feel more secure and safe and you'll feel happier about her too...still,a big change.
ned am fine thanks- finishing a few pictures- and have a new card to start too- think it helps to be busy.
Dh has just made the most lovely maple syrup flapjacks - help yourselves -i've scoffed too while still warm...

two

Gig, put a cheap string of fairy lights on a timer and tell her she can't get up until they switch on. If all else fails, audio books are a great idea. We did that with DS. Still do

MAS, how are you feeling?? Hope okay-ish. Must be unnerving not knowing how it's going to kick in.

Kurri, has your mum told mad-sis about the move yet?? Least this way she won't get her claws into the house.

SR, you click on 'Message Poster' on the blue bar heading each post. It should let you e-mail someone direct. But yes, how's DS. Has he gone??

Amber, any news on your DS too? Is he settling in a bit more yet?

OTM and thebarnes, the mouth thing's horrid. Seem to remember I found it hard at one point to even swallow water. Pineapple juice was okay-ish for me so might be worth a try.

Curly, you sound like you're so lovely. Just keep doing what you're doing. Tell your friend to hop on here if it helps. A lot of us will have had similar chemos. I had 6 x 3weekly.

Waving to all I've missed. Hope you're all curled up warm. Ned, you've inspired me. Off to pursue DS with a rug and steal his warmth..

Mad sister knows about the move, and other sister has just phoned me to express worries apparently mad sister (MS) has told mum there aren't any places for sale nearby (a total lie), so we think she is trying to delay things. we also suspect that MS's DD and her husband (who are filthy rich) might be trying to get the cash together to buy the house off mum, so MS and her tribe can all move in.

Not sure if nice sister and I have any say in who buys the house or not. House was jointly owned buy my parents, and Dad left his half to us 3 girls, mum owns the other half. So effectively nice sis and I own a sixth of the house each. Not sure what our rights are though regarding the sale.

I did warn my mum when I was last down not to trust MS, and not to let herself be intimidated by her, which she didn't take very well, but I felt I had to say something even if it makes me unpopular.

All very complicated, - mad relatives are so unfathomable!

MAS - maple syrup flapjacks sound really, really nice. DH bought some maple syrup cookies back from Vancouver last year - they were very morish.

DD is baking cheese and onion bread, so will plonk some of that on the trolley when its done.