**Tamoxifen** the 30th thread !

[MaryAnnSingleton]

Am wheeling the trolley over....

Forgot to say Happy Birthday to the lovely Gracie .
Hope you are being spoilt !

happy Birthday gracie - have a have a lovely day

Well done Ned on the solo - that's brilliant, - you are brave, - and you will be wonderful I know Enjoy your boot shopping.
Well done on the treadmill work - do a few minutes for me while you're there will you?

DD's choir has the first of a long list of Christmas/winter concerts on Saturday - she is playing nearly every night in December up to the 23rd - so she's practising hard!

Jchoc - have fun visiting DD

Waving to MAS and topsy - I am back from blood test I'll have you know young topsy, and I have a large mug of tea and a bowl of porridge. I asked the nurse what the blood test was testing for and she said 'glucose, and cholesterol' --- then she looked at me sternly and said 'and not just cholesterol, all fats and lipids in your body' - I've got to see her again in a couple of weeks for results and health check (so she can tell me I'm a short fat person)

Yay for Obama - I was also worried about Romney getting in, - I tried to stay up and watch the election results, but fell asleep after a couple of hours.

Good luck to mosschops today and also best wishes for herrena mum.

Happy birthday gracie

Well done on solo ned and what kind of boots are you after?

kurri hope you can have a big delayed feed after your blood test (I hate fasting as makes me obsess even more about food).

mas take it easy (and get some more meds) as topsy is right that need to do what can to look after yourself. Talking of which when are you likely to hear back about your skin specialist referral?

smee no wine is bad- you need to remedy that.

jchoc have only just got up myself so understand temptation not to but think that's an achievement to be up by 9. I have been listening to radio though and agree election result in us is good news.

Need to do jobs this Mornjng but cleaner here so always feel like I am in her way- then off out to see therapist later which is probably best place to discuss my not feeling myself/feeling useless issues.

Yay indeedy for Obama. What a relief.

Happy Birthday to Gracie. When's she coming round with cake??

mas, Topsy sounds wise to me too. Hope they sort your nausea soon. It's so lowering all of that.

ned did that snippy woman get the other solo then? Really well done. You must have a lovely voice.

kurri, sounds like you deserve a nice big breakfast. Does your DD get paid for all that work, or is it a doing it for the love sort of thing.

jane have a lovely time with your dd. Is she enjoying her course?

Hope mosschops is okay today. If you're out there moss, we'll be rooting for you at 12.45. I think herrena's mum is on Thursday?

Gig, you're right no wine is a shocker. Grounds for divorce I reckon. DS and I go shopping on Wednesday after school, so I think we might have to stock up..

Message for Kurri, but did your DS ever manage to remember his times tables?

Hi thank you all so much, I'm in a genetics lecture all morning so breast clinic might be a bit of light relief

Quick answer Smee - no he never did.

And he can't tell the time - at least with an analogue clock - has to have everything digital. (his concept of time has always been very peculiar)
Also struggled with days of week and months of year in order.

How is DS? - is he trying tables atm? - I'm not sure what to suggest that might help - ned might have suggestions. But my DS never really managed to learn them.

yes - DD gets paid - hooray - she can pay for Christmas

I meant to say, my poor DDIL has been having awful problems with gallstones. She's been in agony every evening, and DS has taken her into a and e a couple of times. They think she has stones and an infection in her gall bladder, - she's having a scan this week. So she has antibiotics and a no fat diet 9but neither seem to be helping much)They have told her she'll have to wait four months to have gall bladder removed.

Yes good luck Moss xx

Ned, meant to add that I think they're all useless about aftercare for Rads. It was the only part where I felt let down. They gave me hopeless dressings and my clothes stuck to the wound. Was horrid. Hope you get sorted soon. xx

Kurri, your poor DDIL. Gallstones are so painful. Four months is ridiculous.

That all sounds v. familiar on time and everything. DS's school are v.into him knowing his tables, but we've tried and tried and he seems to know them, but then a week later he's forgotten. He's actually good at maths in that he gets it, but he just can't retain the numbers in his head. On the plus side, I went to a talk at Dyslexia Action for parents and there was a woman there who's dyslexic herself and a maths professor. She said she'd never managed to learn her tables.

Hooray for your DD being paid. Christmas will be jolly chez Kurri.

Actually have just realised Copthall, you said you were dyslexic. What's your view on tables?? Did you ever manage to learn them?

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear gracie, happy birthday to yooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Big birthday hugs to you x x

smee I would have been well and truly buggered after rads if it hadn't been for our lovely sometimes sending me her stash of amazing dressings. Dr Lovely seemed at a bit of a loss as to what to suggest, but if not better soon, I will get in touch with BCN again, and maybe get an appointment to see the consultant. The problem is that I am rubbish at not scratching it, so possibly making it more sore, although the relief from a good scratch is mind blowing. DH offered to find me some sandpaper the other night!

Other solo went to another lovely lady, not the one who was giving me death stares - she didn't even audition! One of the altos who was muttering said to me "you can make quite a sound, can't you? You can't belt it out like that in the choir - how do you hold yourself back?"

Times tables are a bugger smee Will give the matter some teachery consideration. . .

Sorry to hear DDIL having problems kurri I think they say that gallbladder pain is the worst ever, so i really feel for her. Good news that DD is so busy with her playing - accompanying is a very specific skill and I am in awe as I am a sh#t accompanist. Bet she's fab at it!

So I am waiting now for my appointment this afternoon to see the surgeon to get the results of the core biopsy done on my breasts last week. The Dr doing the ultrasound called the lump Indeterminate I asked what that meant and he said he can see no features of it being benign.... this has freaked me out. Also it must be bad news if I have to see the surgeon if benign would they not just call or send me a letter with my results?
I am so very scared.
Bernadette

Hello Bernadette, - you must be feeling very anxious at the moment, that is very natural. Can you take anyone with you to your appointment this afternoon, - it often helps if you have a second pair of ears as it can be hard to take everything in.

I don't think they necessarily would just send a letter if it was benign, - I think they would call you in for an appointment whatever the case, because they would want to explain to you exactly what is causing your problem.

But waiting is very hard I know. If it turns out to be bad news, then they will start sorting out a treatment plan for you straight away, and you will have a breast care nurse to talk to - they are always very good at helping people through the early stages of DX. Do stick with us, we have all been through this and can hold your hand and talk your through it all.

But don't assume the worst just because you have been called back, - I would say that is standard practise.

xx

Hi Bernadette. Glad you made it over here. Of course you're scared. Who wouldn't be. I was terrified when I went for biopsy results; couldn't even walk in a straight line. I wouldn't necessarily see Surgeon consult as a bad sign though. I think if they've done a biopsy they always meet you to talk it through. Is anyone going with you later? Take a note pad and piece of paper to jot down what they say. Seem to remember I was so nervous I forgot everything the minute I'd left. And ask you want to here, as one of us will know the answer am sure.

If it does turn out to be bad news, well lots of us have been through Breast Cancer and are now out the other side. BC's undeniably horrid, but it's mostly treatable, which means curable too. Keep talking here. It helps, I promise.

Hi Bernadette I think I pointed you in this direction so hope we can help. I had a Breast lump due to bf issues - was also called in, scanned etc and even though it was benign had to do repeat visits as it still needed treatment (in my case aspiration and eventually an op).

Thank you - it has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. Hard also to get my head around as I can't even feel a lump etc it was my 1st screening mammogram. My dh is coming with me thank god.
Thank you for the replies it is a great help.
B

Ned - the itching sounds horrid. I have itching where my mastectomy scar is - from rads I think, although it feels as if the itch is under the skin IYSWIM.
Its extremely annoying.

Things I have tried in the past include, Dermol 500 cream (like topsy's 600 I imagine but a lotion - from the GP - it's antibacterial and moisturising so double whammy!) also aloe vera gel (from health stores) and aqueous cream with calamine can help (I used that for my shingles at times - its is very gooey, but quite soothing). But definitely see the consultant again if you can, constant itching is very aggravating.

Who knew choirs had these snidey people in them? - Just ignore if they make comments, they are jealous!

I think DS has been sitting up with DDIL every night - he said neither of them were getting any sleep and he doesn't want to leave her on her own in pain, so he sits with her and rubs her back. First time she went to the doctor, she had to see the practice nurse, who said 'it's a back strain, take paracetamol' .

Poor Ddil kurri - sounds like gallstone wait is standard as another friend was also in agony but had to wait a couple of months for the op.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE - hope there's cake and lots of treats for you xxxx
Welcome bernadette - will be thinking of you this afternoon -and moss
Poor ddil kk - gallstones do sound very nasty - we have been told to watch out for them with ds because of spherocytosis - think my mum had hers out when her spleen was removed, mine still there.
I am proud of our ned being chosen - the altos sound very snippy and jealous - will you get dh to record your performance ?

gig hope therapist is helpful this afternoon xxx

Hi again, was very quick didn't even get to sit down and drink coffee whilst reading homes and gardens!

Anyway mammogram was fine, consultant examined and said he could feel lump and wanted to scan. Scan showed lots of glandular tissue (which apparently is normal at my age) and then sent away
Excellent service all done in half an hour!

Wishing you all lots of love and luck in your journeys and a big thanks for supporting me so much in the last 24 hours.
What a lovely thread you have here, those who slag MN off should take note!

Bernadette If it is any consolation the way I felt prior to diagnosis in terms of panic and anxiety was probably the worst I felt in the whole process, it is the uncertainty and your brain working in overdrive as to what it might be. Once you know what you are up against you can deal with it. I would absolutely reinforce what others have said about having someone with you because you cannot possibly take everything in, in fact that is what your mind does to help you cope with these situations. Also remember even if it is Cancer, and it may well not be, there are many grades and manifestations, Cancer isn't just the Big C of people's fears , it is actually a lot of different illnesses. In fact there are some manifestations of Breast Cancer they are not sure would ever go on to cause you harm. I bet everyone of us on here had a different manifestation of BC, and other cancers. As Smee says we are evidence that there are treatments that work. Good luck!

smee NOOOO!!! When I was a twenty something I went for an assessment for a job and they fed back to me that I had scored in the bottom 2% of the population for a mental arithmetic test, it was one of those 100 questions in 5 mins things but in the top 2% for Analysis of trends (graphs and statistics), they were a bit puzzled but that is Dyslexia isn't it? I had a classic dyslexic career path, in marketing, cashing in on my creativity and ending up in strategy development, being able to see the big picture. I loved putting together models adorned with lots of numbers, but thankfully there were computers to work out 78! In fact when I was working with DDs on tables and the answer was fresh in my mind I fired 78 at friends at a dinner party, including a Head Of Equities in an investment bank and an FD and a couple of Mathematicians and no one but me could answer it

My DDs have fared better because they now teach so many good strategies to help with mental arithmetic and that has helped me too, so things like 9 =10- the number. and going to the nearest bit of the table you do know and counting back or forwards. 7*8 is easy now I know I eat and eat til I was sick on the floor. It is great that they are now allowed to count on their fingers too. Hopefully DSs teachers can appreciate that this is the way they learn? DD1 has A in Maths at A2, and does Maths modules as part of her Science degree, but "the only problem is that she makes silly mistakes" was a bit of a refrain from her Maths teachers.....

moss great news! If you want to minimise lumps there are dietary things you can do, cutting down on caffeine etc. It all on the University of Google...

moss - that is great news - so pleased for you