*tamoxifen* 31- in the bus shelter with the cheap booze

[Gigondas]

Shiny new thread

Drains are a complete PITA so have a lot of sympathy for HNDs suffering. As soon as the drains are out you automatically feel better. I was lucky enough tp get mine out really early - one while still in ICU and the other one came out the next day. Hang in there HND - you wouldn't want to just be recovered from this only to face jail sentence (for doing what a lot of us who've experienced the Mad old Ladies would love to do).

Well pizza stayed put - amazing really as it had anchovies on it. Woke up feeling a bit nauseous. I find that it lessens if I don't move around a lot. Had 2 slices of toast with Ginger Marmalade.

I'm still at the experimental stage but am keeping a day by day diary to refer back to during successive sessions.

Hope everyone has a good day whereveryou are whatever you're doing.

Well my surgery has been brought forward to Tuesday next week. Better than it being delayed I guess.

I am absolutely terrified of the surgery as complications are terrifying and high chances of getting some. 50% of people have problems with calcium levels afterwards.

Well this time next week I will be on the road to recovery. I am trying to keep positive.

Penis- I know three people who have had throat surgery for cancer. I won't lie- all of them found surgery tough but all of them made a full recovery. In some ways I think your background provably feeds your apprehension. But you are in good hands .

Oh and j- I would never underestimate radiotherapy or surgery and how debilitating it is. And as mas says all are welcome here- it's not like brownie badges where more treatment = more worthy. I like fact so many different experience but so much to share.

Try not to worry Pen. They have to tell you the worst complications - they did with me too and it is very scary.

But the surgeon will have done hundreds of these ops and they do not take chances or risks.

You'll be so busy between now and Tuesday that hopefully you'll be able to get some relief from worrying.

It's a hard thing to submit yourself to but as you said above - it's the sfirst step on the road to recovery.

Rang to find out what time my next chemo top-up appointment is next Monday. The day unit were not aware I was due in

Now bothered that even if they give me an appointment time the medics won't have been informed I will be there - so it could be a wasted trip.

All this after dealing with 3 ridiculous letters from the DWP telling me I have insufficient NI to claim ESA - after a working life of 37 years up to last Christmas. They also want absolute proof that I'm undergoing invasive chemo. I only have sick note showing unfit until mid Feb following op. Without proof of invasive chemo and because they wrongly think I don't have sufficient NI I will be placed in the group that will be expected to work.

So now have to chase up all this will feeling very pukey.

Ironivally I know I don;t qualify for ESA as pension is too high and also don't need any more NI stamps to be paid as I already have enough for full statement pension as confirmed by another arm of the DWP who can't seem to communicate with the arm of the DWP that has the duff info about my NI

I'm tempted to tell them to stuff it as I'm only trying to get my NI stamped in case the weasly poliicians change the NI qualifying period at a later date and I'm shafted.

I'll give them a fortnight and then send the whole lot to my MP to sort out - as he's done for me before.

They don't make it wasy do they?

AtoZ put it all in the hands of Macmillan .
They have a financial dept that can deal with all of this for you .

Poor HND - that is a long hospital stay, I imagine that is more for the recon surgery than the actual mastectomy? - but probably just as well if you have young children. Drains - horrid, but hopefully you will get rid of them long before you come home, so won't have to carry them round with you in a stylish hospital drain handbag!

AtoZ - I echo what topsy says - MacMillan very good at sorting all that kind of thing out - makes me cross when people who obviously have a serious illness keep getting messed about and have to go begging for their rights.

Pen - complications of these things are scary, but chances are you will be fine, and its good that its been moved forward - less time to worry If its any help, I have a very good friend who has had 12 ops for throat cancer, and she has come through and is fighting fit - her voice is slightly husky, and she lost it for a little while after each op. but got it back after a few weeks.

Ned - hope day one back at work was a good one and you are not too tired, - well done you, its a big step - have been thinking about you all day

jane - you are not a fraud at all, you've been through cancer that's the big old curve ball we've all been thrown - treatment is different for everyone there's no top trumps treatments , you are very much part of our little family.

Now - guess what - DH has got his winning streak back - he came home from work and said 'I've won you a late Christmas present in a prize draw' - it's a Kindle!! - I'm so excited, can't wait for it to arrive. Will have to send him out for lottery tickets on Saturday

Hello friends old and new!

Happy New Year!

I've been awol since before Christmas but I've been thinking of you all lots: and here I am back again to give you a New Year smacker each. Mwah!

I can see some unfamiliar faces already, so forgive me that I don't know your stories but I'm here rooting for you now, along with everyone else.

xx

Waves madly at sometimes lovely to see you back. Hope all well with you.

Oh so wise topsy is right atoz macmillan are great at sorting those things out. They are very helpful.

pen it is normal to feel anxious but definitely better to get the op over and done with than hang around waiting.

Hope your first day back ned went ok - I'm sure you are ready for bed .

Onc appointment this evening where I went with a list of questions. I asked about vitamin D and he is going to check my levels on Friday when I have my Herceptin. I am also having a full body MRI to follow up on the query with bone and liver mets and I am having my echo between this Herceptin and the next so looks like I will be busy. My nails, which were perfect throughout chemo, have now started to peel and break which he thinks is due to the chemo.

Hope hnd recovering well and hasn't resorted to violence towards old folk.

kurri I love my Kindle. Get DH down to buy a couple of Euromillions tickets quick.

Yes love my kindle too so well done kurris dh. Gracie- my nails have been breaking off too - it is a chemo thing but most of em ok once broken. Nail varnish helped.
Hi sometimes

Atoz get Macmillan on case.

Therapy helped as gave me some perspective .

Right back to midsomer and . Why anyone moves there let alone goes walking at night beats me.

Just back from visiting HND
She's knackered , poor thing .
She has tubes coming out of every orifice , and they are not letting her out of bed yet .

Hiya Sometimes , good to see you .

Gracie my nails are shot to shit at the moment too .
Flakey and cracking all over the place .
I try to keep them really short , and use nail varnish all the time to try and strengthen them .

Any hooo , off to do some useful stuff
Night night all x

Poor hnd- send her a kiss and can I suggest her dd designers a drain cover or customise it with stickers like big gig did.

Oil is good too on nails- rub into nails and cuticles. I like coconut oil (good for skin too).

Just traumatised myself by watching Attenboroughs Africa program .
Am distraught at poor baby elephant ...

gosh this moves fast!

SOMETIMES!! Great to see you

just popping on briefly as am ready for my bed. First day back went OK, no major mishaps anyway! Kids fine, just pushing it a bit, but have the measure of most of them, I think. Tomorrow will be harder as I am teaching a full day - only morning today - but I do have a TA with me all day, so bit of support there. My ankle is very swollen with all the standing up, but will strap it and dose with ibuprofen tomorrow. Nice to be back doing "normal" stuff outside of my cancer hamster wheel. . .

kurri I lurve my kindle! Well done DH!

Sending healing vibes to HND

Sorry not to comment on all, but will try to catch up tomorrow evening properly. Sending hugs to all in need, and anyone who wants one, just for the hell of it. Luffs you all loads x x x x

Well done ned but sorry that ankle is troublesome.
Yay for lucky old Mr kk
Lovely to see you sometimes - we missed you !
Hope hnd has a comfy night

Poor HND - give her our love topsy.

Sometimes lovely to see you - hope you had a good Christmas and NY and are not too inundated with work (or that you are inundated if that's what you want!)

ned - glad first day went OK, can't remember if you are on Tamoxifen, but one of the side effects is swollen ankles - mine got very swollen for a while. make sure you put your feet up in the evenings if you can - so that your legs are raised slightly higher than your bum while in the sitting position (does that make sense? - basically put your legs up on a slightly higher chair than the one you are sitting on)

Waving to greylady - nice to see you

gracie - I don't think my nails ever really recovered from chemo - they are quite ridged still. I think loads of hand and nail cream is all you can do really.

Haven't watched Attenborough yet - am worried about baby elephants coming to grief now

I did watch Midsomer though - who'd have thought a small village would be home to a mad chess notating serial killer? What are the odds?

I glad everyone is saying they love their Kindles, - I'm really looking forward to getting mine - its nice having a husband who wins stuff even if he is quite annoying

Morning all - ?

Thinking of you hnd x

Yes kurri wondered if you would be watching- what are the odds of a murderous chess club in midsomer? Also why did that girl not know the first rule in midsomer is never go walking alone at night especially near/in woods.

Massage (pm if you want details copthall) then Pilates later - big gig back to school today.

I did it! I have had my 12 chemos!!!! happy happy happy

and tired, and sick, and freezing cold!

hello to everyone

well done otm xxxx

Well done otm xx

Hope Ned's day is going OK.

I watched the Attenborough thing, too - the baby elephant was distressing, but what really got me was that baby bird that looked like a dodo. The bastard mother bird had two chicks, a big one and a smaller one - when she came back the little one ran up to her, and she ignored it because she'd decided to only rear one chick (and it wasn't him). Sob!

Glad to see Mr KK is still on a winning streak

Hi Ladies can I join in as well? From the land of cider, so I can provide proper scrumpy. Five year survivor,with two years more to do on Tamoxifen. I have had lymphodema since shortly after having my mastectomy. Does anyone else here have it?

Well done OTM - 12 is a lot - it feels like you'll never get t the end (I had 12 too and by about 8 you are thinking 'enough already!') so good for you, have you got treats planned for when you start feeling a bit better? xx

Sometimes - nature is so harsh (my sister had a nest of barn owls near her house and two of the chicks 'did away' with the third one because they were so greedy!)

Hello Meg, and welcome to the thread, sit down and have a
I don't have lymphodema, but have a friend who has suffered quite badly with it since her mastectomy, - do you have to go and get yours drained? is it painful for you? - my friend is pretty fed up with hers.

Midsomer is a dangerous place to live Gig, especially if you have esoteric hobby

Off to my art club shortly, hope everyone is having a good day, and that Ned is happily wrangling primary schoolers

Congratulations OTM - that's a terrific achievement!