TAMOXIFEN**33**

[MaryAnnSingleton]

new thread - bring the trolley over here....

Ah okay sorry to hear that smee :( thank you, I will definite ask about that! :)

They check where it is with a scan. And agree with spero you do learn to live with it(you don't have the issue of small kids trying to poke it ).

With the infection I didn't even know til Got a fever- the nurses blamed fact that I had it put in somewhere else (as usually they do it in hospital) and this place is notorious for giving infections. That is unusual tho as most people have no issue. And it is a lot less faff than a Canula once in.

I get my dressing changed weekly and they cover it up very neatly with a dressing, I have never worried about the cap coming off - but yes, you do have to warn children off poking you!

sorry to just jump straight in, some of you may remember me from when i had a scare (core biopsy, suspected DCIS) nearly 18 months ago now.
I have just been to my first family history clinic since then, and was not expecting anything.
I knew I had a lump/thickening from follow-ups last spring and thought it had been checked on the last mammogram in may last year.It had not been biopsied though.
Anyway, today, he feels it and is not happy.I do think it's a bit bigger but as it had been mamoed I thought it was ok. He said I need to go to the main hospital for a ultrasound scan in the next week or two, then if that doesn't look good ,a mammogram. If it does look ok he still wants me to have a mammogram but not till may(policy,1 year).
it's suprised me. I now am dreading telling my dh as his mum had BC last year and his dad died from a brain tumour the year before.

Hello l4k and thank you for just making my mind up for me. Reading your post I just realised I don't want to go through all of this again if this lump changes any way ( both my mammo and ultrasound appeared normal).
My head is definitely erring to surgery, but I thought perhaps I was making too much of this. However, my friend RL said the same as all you lovely ladies get it cut out and know once and for all. I will speak to my mum tonight and then contact the practice manager tomorrow.

hi 14k I've just had my 18 month appointment - I remember you. My lump didn't really show up on the mamo but was easy to see on the ultrasound. Odds are it is nothing sinister but they are keeping a close eye on you and that is a good thing.

Hi lone My lumpectomy was not as bad as I thought it would be and healed up just fine quite quickly. I guess if you just have the lump removed and the pathology is ok, you wouldn't have to have further treatment. Would the surgery affect your other condition?

waves to everyone - I do turn the pillow over and throw the bedclothes off, but then I get cold

Hi to both of you.

Lone- I would say peace of mind is everything. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Hope you are well jchocchip, I don't think I had an ultrasound in may, I don't think I'll be happy till they biopsy this area now. But that was so bloody stressful and scary. I don't want to do it again.
My poor dh. He doesn't even know yet as he's working late.

Oh no, l4k. What a sod to have to go through all that anxt again. I reckon Jane's right and they're just keeping a very close eye on you. Hope you get your referral quickly.

Lone, good decision. Better just to do everything.

Hope you're okay Sparkle and maybe a bit further ahead with your decisions.

Waving to all. Me and DS have just been making World Book Day preparations for tomorrow, so Charlie Bucket has his golden ticket and even a bar of my Green & Blacks, with a Wonka sticker over the top. What's the betting that doesn't make it back home...

Hello to everyone - sorry I can't keep up with all the posts but wish you well with the issues on here at the moment.

KK - good news about your DD's work!

I really just want to say to ASH that I am a massive Picc-line fan! I grew to hate cannulas with a vengeance as my veins were pretty wrecked after 3 months of first chemo cocktail- nearly fainted as they were dealing with me the next time (and I never had a needle phobia before all this) so I decided to get a PICC - it was a bit of a faff getting it inserted but totally manageable (and quite funny actually as it went up my neck by mistake the first time so they had to retract slightly and then make me do odd things with my head/chin to make it go into the right place. None of this hurt. Bit uncomfortable while they put it in at first but then fine - which surprised me.

Anyway once it was in I was scared of infections etc but am glad to tell you I had no problems at all, it transformed the next 4 months while I finished chemo. So although I know some people have the bad luck to have problems, it can also work like a charm and I would have another any day rather than cannulas. I called mine Lenny and grew quite fond of it.....chemo didn't bother me after that and I could even drive myself there and back on my own.

hello 14k - so sorry you have this worry hanging over you - am sure they are just being very vigilent and keeping a close eye on you - stick around for hand holding.
smee excellent choice of WBD theme- we did Charlie Bucket one year - I made a pretend bar of the choc with a golden ticket too

hi , can I just nudge the door open a little ...

You ladies are incredible in supporting each other.

Elderly relative is having a lumpectomy next week to take out 7-10mm lump and lymph node, then probably radiotherapy, possibly tablets. How much will they remove in addition, is it usually one incision or two, and what is recovery like. Do you have any other practical tips to share please?

Hello LIZS - I posted on carpejugulums thread, - I managed in my usual idiot way to misread your post and thought it was you who had BC, - I'm very glad it isn't, but very sorry to hear about your relative, and of course you are very welcome on this thread.

I had a mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy, and for that the recovery time was about 3 weeks of feeling fairly sore at the wound site, and with lymph node removal there can sometimes be a bit of nerve damage, - they rummage around a lot. So it's really important to religiously do the exercises they give you in hospital - they really help a lot.

How much they remove will I think depend on what the margins are, - they will want to get a clear margin of non cancerous tissue, so that may all be a bit of an unknown factor until they actually operate.

My aunty had a lumpectomy and RT last year - she was 88 at the time, and is still going strong and making good progress, - she also had lymph node involvement. She told me the thing she found hardest was the tiredness, especially from the RT, and she struggled a bit - her sons both stayed with her for a while to help out. - Does your relative have anyone nearby to help with household chores, cooking etc? Also it is nice to have someone to go with you to RT - as often there is a bit of waiting around, and the whole hospital business can be a bit overwhelming.

Very best of luck to her

Lone - you have made your decision by the sound of it, and I would have ,made exactly the same choice in your position, - good luck with the op. xx

I4K - so sorry to see you back ( I mean it's lovely to see you but, wish you weren't here IYSWIM), - I'm sorry you have all this anxiety again, what an absolute bugger

Asho - If I'd had the offer of a picc line I'd have taken it, and if it happened again, I'd insist on one, - my veins were shot to hell and really painful (mind you I am old!!) but chemo is such a battering to your poor old arm, - and I had problems when I needed IV antibiotics while on chemo - my veins kept breaking from the damage, and they couldn't tell how much had got into me. definitely worth considering if you are offered it IMO.

SR - hope all the family are well, and DS is getting on with e njoying uni life after the GF problems.

Smee- love the sound of DS's costume - you are brave to trust him with your G and B's

Waving hello MAS, Jane, Gig and everyone else I've missed, hope all are well. I have a cold - the kind that means you have a constant river of snot coming out of your nose - delightful!

Lizs- cant better kurri post on your aunt and I do think practical help prob best. It is all the kind of thing you might offer someone who had a c section (cooking, errands, cleaning etc).

Course today was on diet - lady cleared up a couple of points about bc and diet that I know have been raised here.

Milk and dairy is fine but organic prob better- in fact if you have calcium issues they recommend.

Soy is ok in food but not in milk or supplements - study just out says that soy foods have no effect on hormone positive breast cancer rates.

There was also some interesting stuff on selenium and vitamin d but will save that for amber when she pops in as I know she knows a lot about this.

Hugs to all- back later but trying to finish my essay by Monday and curse topsy for Introducing me to some silly fb game.

@ Gigs
It's bloody addictive isn't it ???

Welcome Lizs
Will be back to post properly later , off to DDs parent/teacher meeting now ...

I need you all to tell me not to be a mad supersticious fool

Was sorting my undies draw and having a cull - lots of my bras are too small now, - I've gone up to a 38c from a 36c, so throwing out old bras. I just found two virtually brand new bras, size 38c in the back of the draw. I remember buying them when I started to suspect I had something wrong with my breast, I bought a size larger because I wondered if my bra was squashing my nipple

so they are effectively my last pre cancer purchase, and I never wore them because they aren't mastectomy. But they would fit me now, and I have the pockets to converts them. I need some new bras, but I'll be having my recon. op hopefully before long, so will be back to normal person bras.
So I should use them shouldn't I?

Oh FGS - I just found under all the pants, a piece of paper with some mathematical calculations on it in my Dad's writing, which has made me sad.

And also a 300 yr old piece of liquorice, which has made me vom.

oh kk - seeing your dad's writing- that must be terribly wrenching - it's little things like that which are unexpectedly tear making.
I'd wear the bras- though do understand as I have a cardi which I wore a lot during initial dx etc and can't really face it now. I also have some really nice trousers which I bought the day I got my results and thought I may as well buy them and wear them before the tamoxifen makes me fat (they were a 10 would you believe-far too plump for them now - might give them to my mum as she is a wisp)
Hospital today and saw consultant who went over the scan with me and showed me very clearly that the nodules had shrunk- the biggest ones,which looked huge in first scan definitely smaller - he said he was really pleased and that 40% of people respond well to my drugs and am obviously one of those So as long as it keeps working I guess I'll be on continuous chemo with a guess occasional chemo breaks.
So sorry to hear about elderly relative Lizs - kk's post is v sound advice. My aunt had a mastectomy at 86 and is full of beans at nearly 90 - she proudly says she was sitting up in bed in full make up/hair done the next day

Thanks MAS

great news about your scan - it sounds as if the drugs are doing a good job. I have another friend with mets and she does get chemo breaks every so often, so hopefully you will too (although she has bone not lung mets, so poss. different drugs)

I am always coming across little things of Dad's - its because I couldn't bear to throw away scraps of paper with his writing on them at the time, and I tended to put them out of sight in draws etc. It's sad, but also nice to see them.

Hi MAS it must have been reassuring to see the difference in size yourself, and fabulous news you're responding well to the drugs

KK you could try the bras on and see how you feel? I completely understand. I have a dressing gown my mum bought me for hospital. I save it for hospital visits but I will never wear it apart from there as I have too many horrible memories of struggling around the ward with my drain bag tucked under the belt and someone carrying my catheter box thingy! I also have a whole box full of different stoma supplies at my parents' house because I won't get rid of them yet in case I tempt fate and have to have another temporary stoma

topsy hope the meeting goes well

LIZS I'm sorry to hear about your relative.

smee I hope your son enjoyed world book day. I remember the first year we did world book day at school! It was so exciting :)

Gig the course sounds really good. I only eat organic dairy now, as I read that the growth hormones in non organic dairy can encourage cancer growth - is that the same reason they gave in the course?

How did you find out about the course? I've been looking for something similar round here but haven't had much luck.

I saw the GP this morning and I asked if she knew of any support groups locally as I hadn't found any on the Internet. There are some breast cancer ones in nearby towns and a brain tumour one, but nothing more general. The local bowel cancer one seems to have closed down. She didn't know of any and we discussed how important they are so we decided I should look into starting one myself! it will be nice to have a project and to be able to help other people. I'm going to be busy reading all the information on the Macmillan website :)

Apologies to anyone I've missed, I hope everyone is having a lovely day :)

KK I remember Gracie (who had all her chemo at home) having the room she had her chemo done in redecorated as she couldn't stand the sight of it .
So , no , you are not bonkers !
Wear the bras .
Burn the bras .
Do whatever feels right for you

Mas that's brilliant news !
I am so happy for you .
Keep it up please

Been to DDs parent teacher meeting
All is as it should be .
DD went to her teacher and asked her not to give her a main part in the class assembly they are doing at the end if this month , as "I always get good parts and I think someone else should get a chance"
She's such a sweetie !

Better than my poor friend who's son asked the teacher what her porn name was ....

Fantastic news mas so pleased to hear that.

I am feeling better today than yesterday. Went for a lovely beach stroll and wore out the hounds who were going stir crazy and even giant hooligan puppy behaved himself and is now snoring away. Cuppa and chat in friends beach but was just what I needed.

2 weeks today I can resume my meds. Will try to catch up tomorrow with the thread properly.

Still lurking in corners here kicking self for stupidity at odd intervals

thanks for the welcome back,can't really concentrate so will be back another day.
kk- i'm sure knicker draws are secret mythical hidey- holes,I've got about 30 baby teeth wrapped in tissue (4 kids) in mine and they can get me wistful and teary at times.
Bin the bras, put the liquerice in dh's draw and put the math calcs back under your pants.

at porn name! Well done to mini-Topsy. Of course she's a total sweetie. Look at her mad mum.

YEAY for scan, MAS. That's brilliant news, but am guessing still hard to take in what you're going through. It's all been so quick and the idea of long term chemo must be quite something. Hope you can celebrate tonight. I will raise a toast to you!

Kurri, about dad's notes, though I'd bet he'd be amused to be found amidst piles of pants and old liquorice.

On the bra think, I vote for chucking if it feels weird. I didn't want mine, so DS and I made all sorts of things out of them. In fact he still has a kind of rope made out of two of them dangling an action man in his bedroom.

LIZs, sorry to hear about your aunt. Can't really add to what's already been put, but come back and ask anything you want.

Ash, starting your own group's a great idea. Watch out for fruit-loops though...

Gig, your talk sounds mighty interesting. I've started taking high dose vitamin D3 relatively recently and genuinely think it's made a difference. How much did they say you should take??

Need wine, but really must work for an hour or so more. Have a Monday deadline and am nowhere near reaching it atm. Ho hum.. Wishing everyone a wondrous weekend.