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Original poster

**TAMOXIFEN 29**

994 replies

MaryAnnSingleton · 26/09/2012 11:16

crikey !

OP posts:
overthemill · 09/10/2012 09:58

kurri I agree it is absent mindedness caused by busy-ness.
topsy and gig you need to rest up, i agree have a day off today?

MAS - chemo is horrid but i think possibly worse in the anticipation than in the reality once you learn to go with the flow - and i speak as one not used in the slightest to going with the flow, total control freak, me. hugs to all

Sometimesiwonder · 09/10/2012 11:20

Another vote for absent-mindedness here, too, KK. You can't possibly engage with everything when you have several things on the go at once. And good luck with the driving lesson. You'll soon get the hang of it again.

Hooray for a chemo-fee week, MAS. make the most of it (and that doesn't mean whirling like a dervish to get stuff done )

Woop woop woop for your shiny new motor Ned - enjoy!!!!

Love to all who are feeling tired and/or emotional. Rest up and have Brew galore. And iPlayer.

Had a total meltdown with dd today - she just sort of sits there in the mornings and expects to be waited on hand and foot. It's my own fault for doing it I suppose. But today, the worm turned, I shouted and she is in a huff Grin

Shame really, she wasn't speaking to me and stomped off, so I didn't get to wish her well (she's reading a poem at the harvest festival service in church today). But I imagine she'll forgive me in time to mug me for new football boots later Wink

Original poster
MaryAnnSingleton · 09/10/2012 11:47

I'm a bit of a control freak Grin and am sure you are right,the anticipation of things is always worse.
Am sure dd will have forgotten all about it later sometimes,esp. if new football boot buying is in the offing !
Have a good lesson kk - am sure you'll remember everything when you're in the driving seat.
Looking forward to hearing about ned mobile.
Hope you have survived pushy mum visit gig

OP posts:
JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 12:40

As usual I am not very good at keeping up with everyones posts. Sorry about that.

I have been cleaning and tidying madly. Just in case.

Tomorrow is pre-op and just read I could be there for 2 hours Shock so need to speak to DH when he is out of his 6 hour meeting to make sure he can be on standby to get the kids.

Thursday I know where I am going but not what will happen.

SparkleRainbow · 09/10/2012 13:05

Kurri - I hope the lesson is going well!

Sometimesiwonder · 09/10/2012 13:30

Pre-ops take a bit of a while and can be a strain, Fab - take a good book or magazine and just don't fight it. It'll take as long as it takes, so try to relax and treat is as a bit of extra downtime. That can work for me.

Waving to Sparkles! Smile

JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 13:48

I have been told the pre-op is when I will be checked I am fit enough for the surgery and will be weighed. There must be more to it if it can take up to 2 hours so can anyone tell me more what is involved please?

Original poster
MaryAnnSingleton · 09/10/2012 14:06

they go over any medical details, height,weight,check your heart,blood pressure (I think) measure you for lovely stockings, ask you whether you have any false teeth or crowns,that kind of thing. it's fine really,bit of waiting about.

OP posts:
graciesmall09 · 09/10/2012 14:22

Hope you have managed to usher your pushy friend out the door gigs. She has a bit of a cheek in my opinion.

justfab they may also do some blood tests and a chest x-ray for your pre-op. Hope it goes ok.

Hugs to those struggling at the moment. topsy and otm do you both need some duct tape? Slow down will you. No wonder you are tired topsy.

Hope the driving lesson going well kurri.

Feeling tired today as had DD in with me last night. I am really unsure what I should be doing with her. She is struggling a bit. Last night she came in saying she was dreaming that DH and the boys had gone somewhere and I had taken her to the park but someone took me away forever and she said she was lying crying beside my car in the car park Sad. She just seems so stressed and she is clinging onto me at school time and keeps telling me she is going to miss me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but I think deep down she is scared I am going to die Sad.

JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 14:24

Thank you very much MAS. I am still on shock I am having "surgery" so I would have passed out if I hadn't been prepared about the stockings, etc.

KurriKurri · 09/10/2012 14:25

good luck with the pre op JustFab - I think MAS has covered everything the will ask, - they'll want to know about any previous surgeries you've had and the dates roughly that you had them, but it's not the stuff they do that takes the time, it's the waiting around because you may have to see several different people and wait for each one. So yes - arm yourself with a good book!

Well aaaaaaaaaaargh to driving lessons, - I'm sure I made a complete nincompoop of myself, I seemed to totally forget how to steer Confused, and of course I have learnt a lot of bad habits, so am doing things wrong. But she was a very nice woman, about my age - so sympathetic to my slow old brain Grin She's recommended a good book and I'm having another lesson next week - hopefully I will do a bit better Blush.

Hello Sparkle Smile - how you doing lovely?

My computer is doing mad stuff again - trying to move stuff around and cut chunks of text - I've obviously pressed something I shouldn't have.

JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 14:26

Shock chest x-ray? Confused. Why? The pre-op is not related to the breast checks I am having on Thursday btw.

KurriKurri · 09/10/2012 14:28

Oh gracie - x-posted, - poor little DD Sad all the medical stuff must affect children so much, - and scare them. Do you think it would help to talk to someone like MacMillan about how to discuss things with children? And see if they've got any suggestions about how to help her cope?

Mine were older when I was ill, so my experience is limited but I know lots of others had little ones when they were DX and probably have more useful advice than me xx

JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 14:28

I don't want to see lots of different people

KurriKurri · 09/10/2012 14:33

Oh Justfab Sad- didn't mean to scare you, - it will just be a nurse who does all your details, then you might possibly see the surgeon or one of his/her minions for a quick going over what they will do, - but you might not, sometimes they leave that until the day of your op.

Don't panic, - it is nothing awful, just waiting about for weighing, seeing the nurse, having blood done etc. Take any meds you are on with you (or write the details down) because they'll want to know about them and dosages etc.

JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 14:38

I'm not on any meds at the moment, what about vitamins?

Sometimesiwonder · 09/10/2012 14:40

Poor Fab Sad

It is fine, honestly, just a bit dull. If it's anything like our hospital you have appointments all over the place and you have to trail from one to the other, holding your notes, and waiting in queues to be seen each time. IME it's a lot better than it was, though, and you just get comfy each time when they call you in, and you lose your place in your book again Hmm

KK - driving lessons are a trial, there's no way round it. Hopefully you won't need too many (especially as they cost the flipping earth)

Sometimesiwonder · 09/10/2012 14:41

As regards vitamins - just try to have a bit of a list of them. I don't remember that being relevant for surgery, but the process seems to vary every time I go through it, so it may be

graciesmall09 · 09/10/2012 14:45

Oh justfab I didn't mean to scare you either. I thought chest x-rays were fairly normal pre-op. I have always have a pre-op chest x-ray. I think it is just to check for a chest infection pre anaesthetic but I may be wrong.

kurri I did think about calling into Macmillan this morning when I was at hospital for rads but I didn't get a chance. Will maybe call tomorrow. The boys seems to be coping ok but DD is very close to me. I think she is just at that inbetween stage whereas the boys understand what is going on. Glad driving lesson wasn't too stressful. I'm sure your steering was just fine.

JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 14:50

I wish we were given more information so we are prepared. My gynea appointment was nothng like what the nurse had said and I just wasn't prepared for how invasive it was. The doctor was very kind which helped. It wouldn't be so bad but some staff expect you to know what is going to happen and what they mean by everything but they forget they might do X every day, patients don't.

Sometimesiwonder · 09/10/2012 14:59

No, I know Sad

I remember getting confused over the paper pants thing on one occasion, and not putting them on because I hadn't been allowed to before. This time it was a different ward with different rules, and when they found I hadn't got them on the nurse made me feel like a bit of a perv. Shock Often, though, that's just us being oversensitive, they don't mean anything really Smile

Try to hang loose and not get stressed is my only bit of wisdom for you. Oh, and remember, they'll never remember your face i they see you in the street Grin

JustFabulous · 09/10/2012 15:09

I felt crap when the nurse didn't tell me to take my pants off when I was about to have an operation on my c-section scar and the male surgeon wasn't impressed.

DH took his pants off when he had to put scrubs on as he wasn't told specifically what to take off either. Might seem a small thing or obvious to hospital staff but it isn't to us.

Original poster
MaryAnnSingleton · 09/10/2012 15:24

oh the paper pants - I don't like those- tell yourself that it will soon pass JustFab -and it will. I had a chest x ray before surgery,and blood test -I assumed this was just to check on health generally,nothing to do with breasts.
After my pre-op I suddenly remembered that I have pathetic circulation in my fingers if my hands get cold and rang them to tell them this vital information !
Hugs for gracie's dd
kk don't worry about the driving,it'll all be ok- I probably have appalling habits which driving instructors would blanche at.

OP posts:
topsyturner · 09/10/2012 16:00

Fab you will likely have bloods , a chest X-ray and possibly a short heart trace done .
They will do your heIght and weight too .
All of the above are for the GA , nothing to do with cancer . Anyone having any op will get these done .

Gracie the hospital has social workers within the dept who can come and speak to you about how to deal with DDs fears .
They came and spoke to me right at the start .

invicta · 09/10/2012 16:08

Hi all,

Thought I'd check in and say 'hi'.

One or two people have asked how my rads are going. I'm over half way now, and they fine. I'm now beginning to get on 'hello' terms with other patients as I'm seeing them everyday. Tomorrow I have a weekly review as well. Last weeks was fine, except for the appointment was after 10am making it alot harder to find a parking spot in the car park! i quite used to flashing my boob at all and sundry now, and to think previously I'd never been topless! My boob is feeling a little sore at times, but I guess this is the side effects.

I discovered today that cancer patients get free prescriptions, so a big thank you to Macmillan for campaigning for this.

I've also got a genetics appointment. Someone said to me that this can affect future mortgage applications or life insurance. Anybody heard of this?

Hope everyone is feeling okay.

  • Hope the new car and driving lessons are okay.
  • My pre-op consisted of asking questions, blood test etc, taking swab to check for MRSA etc
  • All the baking sounds good
  • Sounds like we've all been too busy and not taking it easy. Perhap we all need to sit down and watch the boxset of Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth version) to calm us all down