********The 37th Tamoxifen Thread, Fun and Tears in "Cancerland" *****

[Copthallresident]

Trolley Rolled over and "Its a small small world" playing on the ipod on repeat.

Present for you on our Facebook page Mas !

Topsy, DD2 wants to re-arrange her wedding, originally ear-marked for June 2014 as she is worried I won't be well enough. I will do anything to ensure I am. If that means stealing the chemo and self administering the damn stuff then that's what I'll do.

It's as much about the sickness as anything as I suffered terribly with morning sickness with my 3 pregnancies, all the way through, not just 3 months or whatever, and I can imagine, in a weakened state how awful it could be.

I do keep hearing positive things on hear though so that's keeping me going.

Is there an average amount of chemo, ie maximum and minimum times a week/month.

Oh hurry up 4pm x

My chemo was 6 infusions , every 3 weeks .
I too got terribly sick on the first one . But the hospital gave me a syringe driver for 5 days post every chemo from then on .
It pumps anti sickness meds into you 24 hours a day for 5 days , and worked like a dream .

Others (Mas) have tablet chemo . Which you administer yourself at home . I believe that's a regime that you keep up for as long as it works , so it's open ended basically .
Mas will be able to tell you more about that .

They really are jolly good at stopping sickness, as Topsy says. If plan A doesn't work, they have another half dozen options that do. Not all chemo options cause sickness, either. Some don't.
I had chemo in eight lots, delivered by IV once every three weeks. But that was for my particular form and stage of breast cancer.

Morning all,

Happy birthday MrGigs and hope the doctor is helpful gigs good idea to take the antibiotics if they're the same ones you always have. Not like mad woman I met on the train one morning, snotting and sneezing all over the place and ranting that it was a virus so doctor had refused her antibiotics so she had taken all the leftover antibiotics she had in her house

MAS I think it's sensible to tell them any niggling pains etc. as it's better they have the whole picture! I'm sure they don't think you're paranoid and if anyone has a right to be a bit paranoid anyway it's cancer patients :) I hope the work is going well this morning. The party looked fabulous.

amber any chance you can sneak some of the work outside to do or not? Otherwise I hope you are able to enjoy the sunshine later :)

earth best wishes for today's appointment, I hope it is helpful.

malt mope and cry if you will find it cathartic, but if it is likely to make you feel worse then try and distract yourself instead :) are you all packed for tomorrow?

topsy no reason not to have pesto pasta for breakfast - was it yummy? :)

castella welcome! I'm glad the thread has been helpful to you :)

notJ I'm sure DS will have a brilliant trip.

Waves to everyone else, this post is getting rather long :) have a good morning y'all x

EMIN I had really bad sickness in the first round and Dr W told me they have nine types of anti sickness they can use for chemo patients so there is no reason anyone should have to suffer nausea. I have four types at the mo and I rarely need to use all four, and certainly never need more than those four, so I should think nine would be capable of stopping even the most extreme nausea :)

Not a chance on outside work, alas. But DH is having a worse day - he's stuck on the M4 which is completely closed due to an oil spillage. Might nip along and take him some sandwiches at tea time...

I was ok on sickness too with chemo but took anti nausea religiously even if felt ok.

At drs waiting for surgeon to call backs wound so infected I need to be admitted apparently

Oh crap Gigs that's not good .
Let us know where you end up won't you ?
We can keep you company .

Thinking of you gigs x

Thanks. To be fair the wound is a mess but I don't feel so bad as yesterday. And at least will be sorted.

Am sat in drs waiting for surgeon to call as better to see him then some random but think could be quite a wait .

Morning all - happy birthday MrGigs - I'm guessing 21 again?

EMIN - good luck for this afternoon, will be thinking of you and hope you get the information you need and answers to your questions.

malt - I expect the lead up to your op.tomorrow is making you tearful, - actual treatment makes it all seem a bit more real, so you are bound to feel emotional. Have as relaxing a day as you can, we will all be rooting for you tomorrow.

I think you asked why some people have chemo first then op. - I think it is partly just differing hospital policies, but another reason (I would guess) is that they try to shrink the tumour so that you don't need such extensive surgery - maybe it means some people can have lumpectomy instead of mastectomy. (As I say guesswork by me - am sure sme ladies on here have had the chemo then op. style of treatment so they will be able to correct me! )

Copt - I will look out for you and your red card make sure you wears something very loud and lairy so you are easy to spot (ditto your DD)

castella - welcome - so glad you delurked, and also that you have found the thread helpful - its great to think that there might be others like you who read but don;t necessarily post, who find it supportive

The allergic reaction to chemo must have been a bit scary, - but great that you have finished now (apart from the herceptin, but generally that is not as bad). The rad. burns are a pain - do badger your practice nurse for dressings etc. if they seem to be taking too long to heal. (I found mine healed quite suddenly after looking as if they were going to be disgusting for ever!)

Waving and love to all - off to do some more gardening, - I have been wrestling with a giant plant that DH planted and it is getting vast and taking over, - it's a bugger to dig out though. (It's not staying, I determined about that, - it's hideous)

Oh GIgs - just seen you might have to be admitted - what a pain, - hope they get it sorted out asap, and you aren't in too long xx

Oh - meant to say - there is a survey on genetic testing (near the top of the general health section threads). - It's quite interesting (I did it a couple of days ago) - mainly concerned with the ethics behind finding and revealing information to people, - just in case anyone fancied doing it and hadn't spotted it.

Thanks everyone. Nervous wait now for passenger transport. The actual appointment time is 3.45pm but I know if the clinic has been full or slow it can have a knock on effect of making your appointment much later.

Here's hoping for a quiet day there today

Gigs, for you whilst you're waiting? Or ?

KK, yup re the chemo/surgery first debate. If it's a fast growing rude sort of lump that is just a bit too big to allow a safe lumpectomy, some teams will offer chemo first. Three lots of chemo, then measure the lump to see if it's shrunk. 50% do. 50% don't. If it shrinks, the person can be offered a lumpectomy. If it doesn't, it's mastectomy. The shrink rate is also a great statistic for calculating survival odds. The more shrinkage, the better the chances. If it doesn't shrink much/at all, they know to tailor treatment to different things, not just keep relying on that one choice of chemotherapy.

Oh gigs what a pain :( at least it'll be sorted out soon though. Fingers crossed they get hold of the surgeon quickly.

And poor MrAmber as well, that doesn't sound like fun, I hope he gets moving soon.

I'm meant to be logging onto my work laptop to check my annual leave records, I'm not allowed to do anything at all work-like but I've really been looking forward to logging on and hopefully chatting to the girls on the office messenger thingy. But my passcode for the final security log on thingy isn't working :( I'm ridiculously disappointed about it!

dear gig - how rotten- hope they can sort it out for you quickly xxxx
earth My chemo is definitely doable- I have had some nausea and tiredness but it is relatively straightforward though relentless,and as topsy says is taken until it no longer works BUT you can have time off for good behaviour once the regime is established !

Thanks for the info about chemo before op, I have seen it mentioned before ( on the bcc site ) but only for really big lumps. Just questioning my treatment I suppose
I've managed to walk to the co op and back, thought I'd be fine as long as I didn't see anyone and didn't see a soul I knew so the kids can have their fav spag Bol for tea now before d day tomorrow
Ruby what a pain about the password can you ring and get it checked out
Hope mr amber gets moving soon
Kurri hope you win the battle of the plant !

Meant to say did you all see in the news today that Michael Douglas is saying that his throat cancer was caused by oral sex, can imagine lots of men using that as an excuse now !

The triffid giant plant is no more - had to stop myself shouting 'yes' and fist pumping when I got the last bit out

How exactly is MD linking his throat cancer to oral sex????? - ((actually don;t answer, I don;t want to know) - must tell my friend though - she has had had throat cancer and will be highly amused at that!

Hope MrAmber is making some progress and not at a total standstill. - Hot day to be stuck on the motorway

Ruby -what a shame about the password (it is disappointing when you've been looking forward to doing something) I find many of my frustrations in life are caused by computers! I hope they can give you a new password quickly so you can get chatting with your friends

DD is playing in a charity concert tonight at some big posh house/mansion. Apart from her and the opera singer she is accompanying, there is someone who is something high up in the royal household (master of the queens pageants or something????)giving a speech, so DD is fed up that she'll have to sit through that (v. anti royal ), she will get fed posh nosh though.

gigs rotten to have to go back to hospital, and all the waiting, but at least they can sort it out. Your balcony gang assembled and ready to go, to behave badly and leave lots of crumbs in bed.

KK and malt sometimes they can get a bit silly about bright colours, stripes and patterns, messes with their cameras, shame little Copt isn't coming as you can always spot her in crowd last time we went to see it we did get shown reacting with incredulity to something Sophocles had said , remember him! complete prat. I'm really hoping for Margaret, who I lurve. < Girlcrush> I used to see her sometimes in British Library

mas I know what you mean about worrying you might be being needy with doctors but that is what they are there for and if they forget that then they are in the wrong. It is important you do tell them everything. I remember when I was having my wisdom teeth out a young doctor made some crack about me whining, which I had not been, and he probably got me mixed up with glamour puss opposite having her tattoos and Breast implants out and moaning endlessly about drains (since I was so flat chested it looked like I had had implants removed). I was mortified as try to be stoic but Nurse totally jumped down his throat and said he should never forget what his patients were dealing with and though I had been stoic if I had wanted to moan and worry that wouldn't be a problem either. And sometimes those moans and worries are actually clues that there are problems that he needs to respond to proactively so he should listen instead of moaning himself. One red faced junior doctor and she practically got a standing ovation if not for the obvious problem! Sadly some oncys and surgeons never learn that.

Your Dads party was lovely, I bet he had a lovely time

malt the waiting and anticipation are horrible but the nearer it gets the nearer getting it over and done with gets, and believe me you will be glad to have the thing out of your body.

Bit of gardening before we set off.

KK well I'm not telling what sexual exploits led to my breast and cervical cancer but obviously both were related to the fact that I am so amazingly gorgeous and men find me irresistible...... arse!

I am enjoying the prospect of details of embarrassing affair emerging and leaving egg on various smug faces.