********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.

Hi all - weel the phone here was red hot yesterday and I now have a full week of appoitments ahead of me:
Mon: Echocardiogram (just because we can i think);
Tues: Dresisng removed and wound check by consultant;
Weds: picc line fitting and visit to chemo nurse to get fitted for cold cap
Thus: chemo;
Fri: day 2 injection post chemo.

Enjoyed the double firing - did not see that coming but it's always entertaining.

That sounds like normal appts schedule for chemo- probably be a blood test in there too kitkat. Piccline fitting isn't too bad -tAkes about half an hour then check its in right place by x ray etc .

I loved apprentice too esp as double firing. Jason did ok and was so nervous when called back. Kurt USA sexist twit. Dr Leah annoying too- her pouting whine obviously doesn't just annoy me.

? Hope you are tucking into nice big breakfast before you go in smee- will be thinking of you. Got to get dressing on pump changed later.

Morning all
Slept well again going back to the docs today for more sleeping pills
My results are not till next Thursday
Kitkat it's moving really quickly for you which is good but must be a bit scary too ? What op have you had ?

waves to sparkle -am envious of cherries-they are so delicious but bloody expensive :-)
Thinking of you today smee
Loved the Apprentice- pouty pink lipped Leah is irritating but love Jason.

Hi Malt - I had a lymph node biopsy as i am having chemo first then Op so that biopsy was done seperately. Plan is to shrink the tumour so we can do a lumpectomy but now we have all the histologies back I have been warned it is likely it won't shrink with chemo but we'll have a go.
As for speed of appts yes - got diganosis on 23rd May and since then have had CT scan, MRI scan, biopsys on additional lumps shown in MRI, lymph node biopsy, repeat visit to consultant, 2 visits to oncologist and the list above ready for next week. Would have started chemo this week but need to have 10 days post Op to make sure the wound was healed.
I've decided not to stop work but am working from home so fitting that in around all my various hospital trips.

Gig - thanks for the info re the picc line - I was begininning to wonder what it would be like. Once it is fitted are you aware of it all the time or do you just forget about it?

k.

Gosh that is brilliant I was dx 1st may had to wait a week for more detailed biopsy results then 4 weeks for lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy now 2 weeks for results ! Chemo has been talked about but only in that I'll need to have it, no details yet
Good luck smee for today

Just popping on before work to wish smee well

to everyone else, will catch up eith rest of thread later

Malt - I was quite upset/scared when I got the details of my first oncologist appointment through - for me that was the lowest point - but already it has become quite 'normal'. Obviously I've not had any chemo yet but he has made it seem straightforward - we'll see!!
Have you not got any info about your histology or lymph nodes yet then? I had my sentinal node biopsy done on Friday (late afternoon) and the results were available on Tuesday.

No I haven't had any results yet it will all be next Thursday once they've got the pathology results from the lump etc too, so much waiting around !
Yours seem much more on the ball
Good luck, I think often it's the thought of things that are worse than actually having it.

Morning All

Sparkle that's good that you get a multi disciplinary consult . They do have them over here , but it's done behind closed doors .

Kikat it's all go for you !
Are you having the picc in your arm ?
That's where mine was . They just put a tubi grip over it . I never noticed mine once it was in .

Smee sending you big hugs and positive thoughts for today .
It will be over before you know it !

Gigs Dr Leah is what is commonly known over here as a Belfast Princess !
Her voice is soooo whiney , I want to smack her

Right , I'm off for coffee .
Any one want one ?

Kitkat- picc can a bit sore for first day or so (not majorly sore) and you do notice it if you brush against it but you soon get used to it. You should also be given a plastic sleeve to fit over it for shower/bath. It makes the chemo and blood tests a lot easier.

First chemo cycle is toughest as its emotional and also you get the idea of what side effects there are ( dont suffer but ask for drugs). But after that you should have Idea of your good days and sick days so can plan work etc around that.

Waves to ruby- onc pleased even of he is still a twat.

yes picc line in upper arm. They had a look at my veins and said there was no way they would last 6 cycles so let's get it put in before we start as I will need one evenutally.
Hopefully it won't bother me then as it's going to be there for some time

when I first met the oncologist we did not have all the results in so he ran me through the 4 possible regimes - now we have the info it looks like I am getting the least arduous of the 4 options and he promises me he can control any side affects and if I feel the sick (or am sick) the first time he will fix it for the second cycle. (Can you tell I like him )

We loved Jason too. I'm not sure he should be discounted either, a bit of a Tom without the inventions, and we don't know what his business idea is. Not sure if I picked this up at Your Fired but sulky alpha woman Dr Leah has a business that does fillers and Botox, doesn't that make sense....... But I can't see Lord Tate and Lyle going for that business idea So even worse than all teetering on heels, simpering to men and bitching at each other they all have business ideas to do with fashion and beauty one of these days they will have an Apprentice for older candidates and we will show them......

Morning all, I slept all night long.....so looking forward to actually getting lots done. It's even supposed not to rain much today but it is already failing to behave as per BBC forecast.

Wishing smee well for today and waves to Sparkle though she must by now be sleeping

kitkat Sounds like your Oncy is going to be a nice diversion from the poison lucky you!

Interesting about the capecitabene Ruby. I was told to take them with food. I never drink fruit juice but I do eat fruit. I will ask in case they forgot to mention it.

I have peppermint oil capsules to help with the stomach cramps but they can't be taken within 2 hours of heartburn medication so I have to choose which of the two side effects is bothering me most.

Dd is still poorly. Rang gp but next available appointment is a week on Friday. They wonder why everyone ends up in a&e! Dh will take her to ooh doc later.

Sorry to hear about your mum 14k. It is horrible being dragged back into this cancer world when you hoped you had escaped.

Kitkat, was all that efficiency on the nhs? It takes months for anything to happen here. I am very envious. We have to wait for the mri lorry if we want one of those.

I am going out today to a "shopping event" where you have to pay to go in. I think it is bonkers to pay to go shopping, but friend has invited me. I hope I can spot some christmas presents as I normally have them all sorted by now!

Trice sorry dd is poorly what's the matter with her ( may have missed in all these posts!) I rang my gp at 830 and have an appointment this morning for 1040 and that's just for sleeping tablets and a sick note. You shouldn't have to wait till next week that's awful ! It should be the same everywhere though
Hope shopping event is good
Friend and her dd coming to see me later I've said can we please go out it's lovely everyone coming for coffee but I'm sick of the sight of my 4 walls !

trice - no not NHS. Was NHS for inital referal and to get inital results but decided to go private for treatment. I realise the treatment is exactly the same (in fact same surgeon and same onc) but as i have paid all these years I thought I may as well (company scheme so they are managing all the payment side for me). The big difference seems to the speed of test and results and I get a choice of appointment times etc. Also (and I'm sure you ladies will understand this) it means I don't have to go back to the hospital/clinic where I got the initial diagnosis (along with the 2 hr wait time!!). So basically same doctors but in posher rooms!! Oh and get everything phoned through so do not have to wait for letters.

Sorry I'm not asking about you guys - I'm just trying to catch up on what everyone is up to at the moment.

I did the opposite Kitkat, when my gp referred me to the breast clinic I had a meltdown and couldn't wait 2 weeks so got into a private clinic that night ( £1000 to tell me I had cancer !) after that moved over to the nhs but same consultant and BCN !
That will explain why yours all seems to be going quicker then

Just planned nice family day out to cadburys world on Sunday

So Malt did you have the lump out and the sentinal node biopsy at the same time (was it last week)?

I'm on NHS and moved about same speed as kitkat. Found the lump on the Saturday, by the next Friday I'd had CT, bloods, call from bowel nurse etc. Discussed at Friday morning MDT then given diagnosis Friday afternoon, met surgeon on Tuesday, op next Wednesday. Only delay was chemo as had to wait for egg freezing and then semi emergency stoma reversal! I think it was because my tumour was on its way to blocking my bowel so they had to move fast to begin with.

Feeling grim ths morning. Hmph. I was feeling fab yesterday from all the fluids and steroids and glucose. Did get a bit ragey in the evening though

copt I totally agree, you'll be pleased to know I responded with "thanks, it looks like we've finally found the right dosage" up yours Dr W grr at your onc. Unfortunately I don't think they'll ever change as they're so good at their job no one wants to upset them and lose them! Plus think you'd be fab on Apprentice, is there an age limit?

trice grr at lack of appointments, do they not have emergency appointments?! What a nightmare. Hope OOH can help and that DD feels much better soon :) and I hope the shopping event is fun. Now you've mentioned the C word I'm tempting to start my planning too I'm torn each year as I love being organised but also love the last minute rush!

MAS my feet are definitely better this morning, all the dry flaky bits have gone

malt family day out at Cadburys world sounds fantastic! :)

kitkat I don't think I got round to welcoming you so welcome and sorry you're here. I'm the baby of the thread at 22 and I'm having chemo at the mo for stage 3 bowel cancer, I had op first, and nearly at end of chemo now, just begun cycle 7 of 8 don't worry most of posted mainly about ourselves at first, you'll soon find you're an expert and able to start answering questions, plus you'll soon get to know everyone's stories :)

Topsy and gigsI s Dr Leah the blonde one who looks like she's been slapped in the face with a wet kipper? Do not like her one bit! Haven't seen all the weeks but loooooved the pop up item, shan't say what it was in case others haven't watched yet :) plus very grr at "eye candy"

gigs god luck with dressing change, will there be cake afterwards? :)

sparklesunshine glad the onc was positive, jchoc's glove idea sounds sensible, also will stop wetness making your skin very sore! Hope you enjoyed the cherries and that all s well with you :) steroids make me angry and crave grapes - big no-no for bowel! So then I get angry that I can't have grapes

I will leave it there as I'm rambling away but waves to everyone I've missed :)

Yes she is the one ruby ( ruby knitted a gorgeous badger for mini gig) and the baba is very well loved-meant to thank you for it .he was on the top of the toy garage in a precarious position when I left. He has also been to school taught by big gig and her toy cats.

poor you tho if feeling rubbish ruby - one more round .

Trice- hope dd feels better and get some luck with ooh.

Ooh good, glad he arrived safely and mini gig likes him :) the pattern was for Brompton Badger so I'm not sure if he's a character from something, which would explain the satchel and books, cat school sounds fun! It was great to have something to work on :)

I'm trying to decide what my next project will be now!

And yes one more round scary too though. Dr W said next appt we will make the plan for the next year I knew that would be coming but it seems so soon, I'm sort of scared of not seeing him every three weeks even though he's horrid! It's such a safety net :)

Yes, cherries are expensive. I've been splurging on fruit since I'm (mostly) off the booze. Too bad the grapes are a nono Ruby! Can you smoothy them or is that bad too? There must be something to the steroids - rage and all I craved was fruit. Strange combination!

Welcome and sorry you have to be here Kitkat. PICC fitting is not too bad, I just got fed up with not being able to bathe properly nor swim plus my kids kept bumping it. You might want to think about a port (under skin so trickier to get in but you can soak in the tub:) just so you've looked at all the options. Great you like your oncologist, it makes a big difference!

Trice, I'm seriously in awe of Christmas presents done by June. I'm nowhere near so organised. Hope your daughter's feeling better soon.

I'm starving! Should be in about 3. Paper pants ready and waiting. How are you all? Hope good.

All good- fingers crossed in and out quickly and no reaction to meds smee.