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

[Gigondas]

Shiny new thread

Yay for smee - am pleased.

Am impressed with the Kirsty's homemade action with topsy and hnd. But also sending you love for tomorrow hnd and candle will be lit for you. And I am pleased counsellor is standing by for you . If you want I can distract you with my dss issues .

copthall am impressed at 10 foot tree (mini gig has her eye on our smaller one - I am worried it won't make Xmas so am frantically watering it). But I suppose there is something festive about tinsel fur balls...

Physio was brutal but effective I think as got more mobility just when there- have exercises to do. It can go with The huge pile of ou stuff to read. And work rang to ask when I was going back politely see how I was doing...

ned hope you are ok lovey.

mas sorry about the hands - is boy done with his mocks? And I blame you for making me want some sherry.

But it has just occurred to me topsy - has pig dog made it onto Santa good list?

Afternoon all

Doing OK here - bit wobbly again yesterday, but plodding on. Slept all the way through for the first time in a couple of weeks last night, so not so tired.

Dr Lovely couldn't make it over yesterday to see me (3 docs off sick!), so I don't know when I'll see her, as am a bit mega busy this week. Going to a spa day tomorrow with good friend, courtesy of my DB/DSis who got me a voucher for my birthday; into school on Thursday morning, then DSs Christmas play pm, and off to London for DBs wedding on Friday. Don't want to bother her and ring when she's busy so will wait to hear back from her, I think. Maybe not til next week. . .

Smee this is news! 2 years is a definite milestone and great to have got such good news. for you tonight, I think? Thanks for your FB message x x x x x x x

gig glad physio effective, if brutal. Are you planning to go back to work soon? Hope the buggers are not putting pressure on you?

MAS sorry that your hands continue to cause you strife. What are the medics saying? Thinking of you x x

DS demanding food so must go, but will be back, and will catch up properly.

Hi there, I'm going for my Paget's op tomorrow (essentiall a lumpectomy of the areola area). Although the doc has said it's it's superficial - both literally and medically - I'm still quaking at the thought. Any words of wisdom you ladies can offer me in the circs would be gratefully received.

loma will be thinking of you tomorrow and sending soothing vibes your way- will you be allowed home in evening ? I think lots of rest after a GA is good advice as it hangs on a bit.
smee so pleased for you I shall toast you with sherry or ginger wine -brilliant news xxxxx
ned sorry you're still a bit wobbly - it's normal am sure. Really hope you have a fab time at the wedding- I'm excited about it !
Hands have woken me up before (though it was cat scrabbling at the door at 2.45 am that woke me last night) And my tummy is really playing up - yuck.

Thanks MaryAnn - yes, I'm meant to be home by the evening. I think I'm on the morning list as I've been told to be there for 07:30. Best that way. I don't want to be hanging around.

All the best wishes to everyone else.

yup, I was in by 7.30 but was last on morning list...hope you are speedily through...beware the paper knickers
Well done on physio gig - I hope work people are considerate and understanding. Sorry about sherry
T has finished mocks but geog. exam coming up in new year so Christmas revision required.

Thanks MaryAnne. My mind is duly boggled trying to imagine what I should beware of. I won't ask.

I have another question to any of you who've had lumpectomies. I'm told I won't be able to take the dressing off for a fortnight. How'd you manage washing? I was thinking of showering waist down and using wet wipes elsewhere. Any other tips?

Loma

Smee that's a fabulous milestone !
Might have to toast you with my ridiculously alcoholic truffles .
Think I might have been a leeeeeetle heavy handed with the rum ...

Do you know , I have never tried sherry ?
If I were to buy some , which type/make should I buy ?
And should I drink it from a pint glass ???

Hi Loma
Re washing post surgery , try a shallow bath .
Make sure you take it easy post surgery , as the others have said GA really can take it out of you .

No laptop stinks. So quick pop on to wish hnd and loma good luck for tomorrow.

mas really hope your hands improve. Wonder if La Roche Posay (I hope that is what it is called) would help it really is the only thing that soothes my DDs sore lips.

That is great news smee. I can see why you are delighted.

Hopefully Dr Lovely will be in touch soon ned. Sounds like you have a busy time ahead.

gigs Hope you aren't too stiff and sore tomorrow after the physio today. Did you give work any idea of when you are going back? I am avoiding work like the plague as I don't want them to ask but my line is up 31 Dec.

Waves to everyone. Thinking of you all.

Thanks topsy I have every intention of putting my feet up and taking it easy. (mind you, those who know me in RL will be falling on the floor laughing at this statement. But I did say "intention" .

Oh and thanks gracie! And crossing fingers for HND too.

Echo what other say about ga loa -also think of it as positive to remove bad stuff.

topsy fino is nice if you like dry wine. I luff rum.. Can I have a truffle?

Loma, take care tomorrow. As MAS says, watch out for the paper pants and the GA. The rest's not so bad and you'll feel so much better once you're through this bit. We'll keep a few fbs for your return. Sounds like we'll need Amber with her duct tape too.

HND, I'll been zooming out all positive vibes at 2pm. Deep breaths and onwards. Still hoping for good news here, but whatever it is, you'll get through it am sure. xx

Ned, that's a sod about Dr Lovely not coming round. Have you thought about keeping a diary to look for patterns and triggers. I've found that quite useful in the past.

MAS, do you take something for your tum? Sounds grim feeling so icky. Could you call the unit and ask for something else to try? Good that T's through his exam though.

Gigs, physio sounds a bit ouch, but then it's good to get going again I suppose. How are the little Gigs now they're christened? Has it made them angelic?!

Bit wiped out here, but I have had a beer to quietly celebrate. DH away, so he's said he'll bring a lovely bottle of something special tomorrow. Will drink to you Loma and HND too, and of course to the rest of you reprobates too.

loma it might be different with your op but I had no dressing, just a glued together wound. I showered the day after but very gently - also dried carefully and used v mild shower stuff etc.
@ topsy with her pint of sherry ! I have some pale cream sherry which Is not too sweet or too dry - the dark stuff is v sickly sweet.
smee loperamide is what I was given - dj says I 'm having too much yogurt which he reckons is the problem, but am sure yogurt is soothing for a troubled gut.

Afraid DH might be right this phrase pains me Mas
Dairy isn't good for upset tums .

Oh dear ...

Topsy's right, MAS. I got put right by GP, when I was spoon feeding DS yoghurt when he was teeny for an upset tummy. Call the team in the morning if it's still the same and let them tell you what's good.

Topsy, my grandmothers used to drink Sherry when they arrived for Christmas lunch. I remember sneaking some to try when I was about 7. Tasted like cough mixture, so a pint glass not to be advised unless you have a sore throat.

Just dashing to work but want to wish loma and hnd all the best for today. Thinking of you all hope your day is good. Xx

but I loves yogurt...
Good luck to loma and hnd -thinking of you both

Another vote for no yoghurt (I am meant to eat it but hate the smell so it is an endurance test for me). It is very good to eat once you are over the upset tummy- so maybe look forward to that mas.

ned another thing I was advised to do was to write out my worst fears/blackest mood. It then helped to talk through and deconstruct them with the therapist. Also when I did what mood was and trigger points , I was told to put a scale next to mood and also a name (eg fear, anxiety, sadness etc) so you could start to separate out all the different issues. I also wouldn't be shy in ringing the dr- your need is as great as anyone else's (probably more so if you listen to my dad griping about half the stuff people go to the Gp about).

Happy 12/12/12 people

I choose to see this as a good omen .
So HND and Loma , this means good things for both of you for today's appointments x

Blardy freezing today .
Everything is covered in a thick white layer of frost .
Think I shall stay inside all day .
Darn it , have DDs Christmas concert tonight ...

MAS The bit of yoghurt that is good for upset tums is the probiotics that you get in live yoghurt, but agree with others the dairy isn't. When things speed up you lose the good bacteria out of your gut and they may help you with digestion and absorbing nutrients, all of this is perceived by the medical profession as somewhere between mumbo jumbo and not yet proved. I think chemo must be bad for the good bacteria anyway as my nutritionist was very keen on them during chemo, and it stopped things rather than speeding them up. Anyway this is what Dr Wikipedia has to say [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic]]. You can get probiotics in health food shops but I don't know whether they are any good. DD1 always did everything on speed dial, including that and doctors always advised root vegetable purees, boiled potatoes, rice, toast, apple purees and very diluted fruit juice (most whole fruit is acidic) In China they added bananas, papaya and ginger to that.

Wishing loma and hnd all the best. I was like gigs and was just desperate to get rid of the bad stuff out of my body, I tried to think of it as a slightly overdramatic trip to the dentist, something to be got over with.

smee yippee . I too felt great relief when finally the tests showed I was definitely post menopausal (they showed me as peri menopausal 'til after tamoxifen). What with the Cervical Cancer (in situ), horrible periods, infertility, and then a strongly E+ tumour I had come to the conclusion hormones were not my friend, and I had got the two good things I wanted out of them..

Ned The thing that helped me most during the night worries was replacing the bad thoughts with visions. I know you have to confront and deal with the bad thoughts as per gigs excellent advice which I wish I had had but that is for during the day. At 4am I used to replace the bad thoughts with some quite personal visions about what I wanted to be happening / happen. In my case sitting on a terrace with my closest friends grey haired and wrinkled with a glass of champagne and looking at a view as the sun set (they had an issue with the grey hair and wrinkles ) laughing at all our trials (the subsequent diagnosis of one of my closest friends as bipolar and all that has gone with it makes my trial look quite tame TBH), standing on a mountaintop fit and healthy with my support group, lying on a beach, and admits to inner geek a full blown battle in Middle Earth with Orcs and other ugly misshapen things as my Cancer and Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, and David Wenham (aussie actor who was Faramir but also starred in the lovely romantic series friend sent videos of from Australia that I loved watching during my chemo) on my side I think Wagner may have been playing .... In all cases I would take time to dwell on all the good feelings associated with my vision, warmth on my skin, sounds, hugs etc.

Prebiotic supplements aren't advisable when on chemo mas .

The visualisation idea is good . I used to sing (in my head ) "hit me with your best shot" or imagine that bit where Death Star blows up in Star Wars to imagine cancer cells going (I hasten to add when I was doing treatment - I don't generally think this like some soft rock sci fi Saddo).

Freezing here but I am waiting at Gp with mini gig as have decided two weeks of broken nights with cough Etc too much.