**Tamoxifen** the 30th thread !

[MaryAnnSingleton]

Am wheeling the trolley over....

Hi Frank sorry that you find yourself here, but we are a proper fab bunch to hang out with, wait around with, rant and cry and shout with, laugh and share ridiculous nonsense with, and generally pass the time from one day to the next. and you have brought too, so you will fit right in!

COLD today - very bored of being cold, and it's only November. Boo. Talking of November, DH is growing a moustache for Movember - looks very daft, I'm afraid. . .

ILs phoned today, to wish me happy birthday. Were very put out when I told them it wasn't today no, it's OK, FIL, I do actually know when my own birthday is. . .

Glad T back safely MAS photos on FB look awesome!

amber have missed sending you off safely, but hope you have a lovely time!

jchoc good work on building up your hours. Hope you can plan something lovely to do with your flexitime off.

kurri what a shock for your driving instructor. DHs grandfather died suddenly overnight a few years ago - big shock for everyone. Hope she is doing OK.

smee how's the work going? Hope everything falling in to place. How's DS? enjoying half term? Hope you have remained ambush-free this week!

Nothing for it, I shall have to light the log burner. . .

Hello Frank and welcome aboard (though sorry of course that you find yourself here in the club no one wants to join!)

Are you near the Marsden - or does your rare DX mean you have to travel a long way for specialists?

Terrified is normal, so come on here any time you want to rant, rave, cry or laugh - there's always someone going through something similar to empathise

Wine is essential, and I see MAS has provided cheeselets - the snack of Kings, - any cheese footballs out there? I can only offer a few squashed liquorice allsorts which DH found in his pocket after his train journey yesterday.
But help yourself from the FBS (FatBoySnacks) trolley and settle down - there's plenty of room on the sofa.

Liquorice Allsorts are all pink and different these days it seems - no brown ones in there at all

DH declared his conference 'a load of old bollocks and a total waste of time' - he's now wishing he hadn't been specially selected

I made the mistake of taking an amytriptiline for my shingle pain last night (It's come back to annoy me because I've been under the weather with this cold I reckon) and it knocked me out - didn't get up until 12 so I've done nothing constructive yet apart from answer the phone which has been going constantly for some reason.

Lovely to have T back MAS - hope he had good weather and had fun looking at all the sights - he's becoming a very well travelled young man

• Happy Birthday

Am of your log burner - it sounds really cosy.

will hang on to your birthday wishes until it actually is my birthday! I suppose at least the ILs were a day early, rather than a day late?!

The only problem with a log burner is that it needs, well, logs. . . And there are only two left in the house. Therefore, I shall have to exit through the back door, into the COLD, to get some more. Bugger. Feeling even colder, given that DS is sitting around watching TV in a t-shirt

Thank you for the lovely welcomes.

Kurri, I am literally just over Battersea Bridge, so thankfully no travelling really, just 20 minutes on the bus from the Junction. Yesterday was all a bit of a whirl, seeing Doctor this and surgeon that. Felt like half my blood supply was removed by the phlebotomist too. Massively impressed with the whole set up though, I felt very comfortable with all the people I saw and, while I am nervous about the following weeks, I know that it's all got to be done.

More feared about the radiotherapy than the surgery to be honest, but will take advantage of the doing nothing bit for a few weeks! My older three DC are 19, 18 and 16, so self sufficient really, DD1 is at uni now. I've got a 3.5 year old DD too, but she happens to be doing well on the benign neglect parenting route , so we shall muddle through.

When IS your birthday though Ned?

Birthday is tomorrow frank Glad that you feel comfortable with the staff you met at the hospital etc. It does make such a difference. My breast care nurse, surgeon and oncologist are all pretty great. It has got to be done, I found it much easier to cope with once I got started on the treatment journey. Stick with us and we can help you through it x x

Great that you have older kids who can fend for themselves Frank, - take up any offers of help people come up with for amusing your little one. It's good you feel confident in your care team - that's really important, and < cliche alert> take it all a step at a time, - get through the surgery, then that's ticked off on the list of treatment, and you can go forward into your radiotherapy.

It's scary because its a leap into the unknown, but once you start on a particular treatment, you will get into a kind of routine and know what to expect.

Hate to say it but you will get used to the world and its dog jabbing a needle into you to filch your blood every time you go near a hospital!

Will you have to stay in hospital long after your surgery? make sure you have lots of stuff to make sure you are comfortable while you're in there (juice, sweeties to suck, wipes etc - others who've been in more recently than me will know the essentials)

Ned - can little Ned lift logs? - it could be his 'special job' (oops I think I may have outed my parenting methods for jobs I couldn't be arsed to do )

Is it tomorrow then the birthday? - any nice plans?

Going out for meal with DH to favourite michelin starred restaurant tonight, ILs coming for lunch tomorrow, then to London with parents and siblings to see "phantom of the opera" in west end next weekend. Parents both have birthdays in November too, so joint birthday treat for us all. Should all be quite fun!

Ooh sounds lovely - have fun

Thanks kurri

Welcome frank sorry you find yourself here but we are an ok(ish) bunch. Hope your op goes well.

Glad your doctor is acting quickly topsy. Hopefully your dermatology appointment will come through quickly. I was at Ravenhill last night. DH had booked the stand for a change so I was looking forward to sitting - he just failed to tell me we were in the very back row. A mountain goat would have been knackered climbing to the top. Blooming freezing too - I needed chips just to keep me from freezing to death . I am always up for a perv quick glance at Daniel Craig. Let me know when you are feeling up to a coffee.

Good luck this week with your chemo mas. Must be lovely to have T home.

Aw kurri your shingles are really causing you some problems. I take Amitriptyline every night but it is only a low dose but my GP told me to take it before 9 pm so that I wasn't too tired in the morning.

Happy birthday for tomorrow ned. Log burner sounds lovely.

Enjoy your cruise amber.

sounds as though birthday will be fab ned Impressed by your Michelin dining...details when you get back please...
frank kk is right, once you start everything soon feels manageable- the unknown is scary but soon becomes familiar.
Nice to have the boy back,though he's bck to normal grumpiness -was very loving and cuddly yesterday

bh about pesky shingles kk

bah

Crossposted - wow birthday celebrations sound fab. Hope you have a great time ned

Hi to frank

waves grabs nibbles and runs away back to deep cleaning the bedroom - have dismantled the bed to clean underneath, if it ins't back together by bedtime, I'll be in trouble...

Hi Frank and welcome !
As its already been said Gigs is our resident sarcoma expert .
But anything we can help with , we will .
I see you are from around my old neck of the woods . I was Chelsea (lots road area) , but now living in Northern Ireland .

Ned can I come on your birthday shenanigans ? Sounds wonderful

Saw the pics on Facebook of Ts adventures in Italy Mas . Seems to have inherited his mothers love of animals

Took DD horse riding this morning , she has graduated to jumps now !
And afterwards my friend and I spent a lovely hour window shopping .
I always see so many lovely things when I'm skint
Got a nice long list of things to buy at the end of the month though , sadly they are mainly Christmas related for DD !
(Though I did take a photo of a dress and a wrap that I would like for Christmas from DH !)

Just reading and being here :)
On page one there was mention of Dorset apple cake-is there a recipe please?I love to bake and that is a new one on me.
Hang in there my lovelies-the Land of the New Normal can be ok once you know your way around :)

Hi greylady 'twas my mention of Dorset apple cake! Not sure which recipe my mate used who made it for me, but you could try this one It is moist and yummy!

Limping in, having overdone it a bit mixing half term, work and a teeny bit too much wine with lovely friends last night. Will try and catch up, but just quickly, nice to see you back, Greylady. I think I might try that recipe too.

Bit of Amber, but then again I get sea sick on a duck pond.

MAS, DS's trip looks fun. Bet it's nice to have him back.

And hello from me too, Frank. I'm a BC person, but Gig'll be along in a bit with Sarcoma tips am sure. I've had several ops, chemo, rads. Lots of us have, so natter away and let us demystify it all for you. I find that really helps.

Ned, Huge Happy Birthday wishes for tomorrow. Your treats all sound lovely.

Am going no further than the sofa tonight. Last night was a bit epic, so am looking forward to it.

An also limping in as back from France and knackered (not helped by big gig having been up and down as has had tummy bug for last day or so).

Welcome frank - we did chat and will be back properly to answer questions . How "big" is your surgery - day procedure or over night and presumably ga job?

Waves to everyone else

Hi Frank, I am new to this thread too but just wanted to say that I was given a 60% chance of surviving BC 11 years ago. The Marsden helped me and so many others I know beat the odds and I am sure they will do the same for you. Great hospital, and fantastic doctors.

Waves to everyone else at the start of it all, it's a bugger but there really does come a time when you stop thinking about it everyday if you manage to avoid the ubiquitous pinkness everywhere Completely allergic to doctors and hospitals though!!

As to the Tamoxifen, chemo had thrown me into early menopause and I felt great on Tamoxifen, it was only when I went off it that I started with all the post menopausal angst!

On armpits, the feeling is back almost everywhere now except for one small patch at the back which has that odd numb sensitivity, but no one ever told me not to shave! I actually use an epilater or is it epilator?? 11 years and no horrible consequences yet ....

I just printed off the recipe thanks Ned :)

Interestingly re armpits...the hair never grew back there for me after chemo which is useful-wish I could say the same about my legs :)