Tamoxigang -the 39th thread ***

[MaryAnnSingleton]

cooee ! we're over here - just in case the current thread hit 1000 without our noticing Bring the trolley !

MAS - I'm also taking some domperidone this week and agree that the nausea is largely heat related. My cuppa in bed in the morning is making me feel really queasy.

Malt I'm not sure it's the usual thing to do but as I'm no longer planning on more children, they're a source of oestrogen and he feels I may be at a greater risk of developing ovarian ca the sensible thing to do would be to remove my ovaries. I'm happy with this suggestion. I know it will put me into immediate menopause but I will feel a lot happier with them gone.

Hi Picture - I hope you don't mind me asking but why do you not think that Tamoxifen will cover you? Is it age related - are you still young ?
I (and I think Malt too) - have been told we are going down the tamoxifen route - no alternatives offered. I am happy that the advice I have makes sense but am interested to know if other options have been excluded.

hugs to all feeling nauseous - I am sure the heat will have made it worse. Today I feel mine has passed (exactly the same pattern as last cycle) so am feeling a bit less pathetic and will try to be less grumpy!!

Morning all - ?

I agree heat makes you nauseous lily plus if not sleeping well that can add to it.

Ione- am pleased that things seem to be moving on as you have had so much to deal with. Am I right in thinking dd isn't in ow dd class next year ? That is good news.

Malt how you doing?

It's apprentice day today - . Also operation reboot gig starts today. My hamstrings are agony so got to contend with that but have bought a exercise ball to help.

Morning all
Yes I've just been told after every thing else it will be tamoxifen
Gigs good luck with the exercise

I'm struggling to hold it together today, wish the kids were at school still and I'd just go back to bed and cry. But will get through it somehow as we all have to

Waving to Lone. Lovely to see you and with good news too. Yay!! Curative is a lovely word and excellent on DH too.

Scan ahead's a sod, Gig but you'll get good news and the re-boot can gain some steam. Wibble here though (obviously!)

MAS/ KitKat/ Lily/ Ruby too? all feeling sick. That's grim. I'd bet the heat isn't helping. Seems even worse today. Forecast says it might go down a bit at the weekend.

How are you today, Betsy? Hope feeling okay.

Arm sounds annoying Trice. I get a teeny bit and mine's up too. I hadn't thought of heat being the cause, but it can't be helping. Hope yours goes down soon.

MAS are you on holiday from Monday?? Maybe by the sea you'll get more of a breeze.

Any news in the post, Malt?? Hope you get confirmation for next week. You must just want to get on with it.

On ovaries, etc I asked if they'd take mine but they were hugely reluctant on the basis that Tamoxifen/ chemo had pushed me into menopause, so they said no need. I then managed to wangle a scan to check all was well and it was, so I've relaxed on that front now.

Down to pants again after walking to school. Better do some work, but on for any who want to distract me.

x-posted Malt. Can you send the kids off for an hour or so somewhere, then have a cry. Big sobs and let it out. I always felt better when I did. You don't have to be brave all the time. xx

morning all - just been for my blood test ready for my second round of chemo tomorrow. (I've been told tamoxifen too, but was going to ask about a ooph-thingy at some point, but not sure if it's of any benefit to me)

Sorry I've not been posting much lately, head not in a good place at the moment, I have be reading to see how you are all doing.

Hope everyone who is feeling sick feels better soon, I agree the heat isn't helping, but feeling sick all the time is grim :(

to anyone who needs one and to everyone else

throws some ice lollies on the trolley to cool everyone down (hope the kids don't notice I've nicked them )

am hoping sea air and no capecitabine will make me feel better !
I think tamox is the only thing for pre menopausal women, that's what I was told.

good luck betsy for next chemo ! Hope you feel less sad soon malt - I guess coming back from nice break and thinking you might be in Rhodes is what's making you feel miserable.
Apprentice !!! yay !

No news in the post so I rang and my appointment was on the system, chemo nurse on Monday and chemo starts next Thursday 25th, day before our wedding anniversary
Feel so many emotions but glad I have a date at last I think
Betsy sorry your heads in a bad place, do let it out on here if it helps
Bit breezy here today so hope that helps those suffering in the heat

ah Malt sorry you feel so down but at least you have a start date now. What are you doig with the nurse - are you looking at the cold cap?

Malt-sorry you are feeling so rubbish . Chemo won't Seem so bad when you get started. I was terrified but I remember kurri telling me this and she was right (as she usually is).

God it's hot. Kids gone out to swim and I am lurking in kitchen. Is it bad to have ice cream before midday?

I just had a mini milk which I think was a good idea !
malt am sure once you get started it'll all feel a lot less daunting.

Gigs you must have the ice cream thank you, I've been on the bcc site and now expecting every side effect known to man !
Kitkat not sure about the chemo nurse, I'm sure a tour round was mentioned ( dh says what's the point ! ) and will talk about the cold cap and the nitty gritty I think. Not sure why that couldn't have been at the same time I saw the onc last week really ! Chemo is at a different hospital to where I had my op and parking is a pain, I will stop moaning soon promise ! In laws have offered to do something with the kids next week which is good I'm worried about them seeing me ill and being upset

Blimey I do go on dont I ! You all managed / are managing without all this drama !
Off to sainsburys will bring back lots of ice cream and lollies for all

Malt - your kids will take it their stride. I know they are younger than mine but my DS (9) has been amazing - really patient and tolerant - he has amazed me by saying lots of things like 'we can't do xxxxx today but we will make up for it when you feel better Mum'. He really gets the feel S**t for a week and then everything can go back to normal for 2 weeks. DD(12) is just ignoring things but think that is a teenage thing (she's almost 13 now).

Going round unit will help you feel more normal about it malt. And kitkat is right- kids will cope.

And if I eat the mini milk , mini gig will bite me.

Kitkat thanks I hope they'll be fine, they have been so far though still not told ds it's cancer
Mine are 10 and 14 so not little

ah - very similar age to mine then. We told both of them at the outset and DS in particular has been very pragmatic. He understands what has to happen to get this fixed and kind of likes to keep track of where we are and how things are going. He has been put in charge of finding a new holiday and has got various options lined up depending on what time of year we can go

gigs you are going to be gentle with yourself? Your reboot programme isn't based on this I hope watch.accesshollywood.com/video/bionic-woman-workout/1309499093001?utm_source=accesshollywood.com&utm_medium=referral I am speaking from creakyland as all the talk and the sweat sent me to the swimming pool yesterday and although I no longer have a competitive bone in my body I did a Pavlovs dog (I swam competitively at school and uni ) and got a bit carried away winning in the middle speed lane (filled with splashy macho prats who think they are Phelps, it was just too hard to resist flexing having some technique). I realised I had overdone it when I didn't have the strength in legs or arms to get out...... I had to do an ungainly whale flopping out on to the side and then tried to look nonchalant and cool swaying unsteadily out of the pool on jelly legs. I can confirm this morning that swimming uses every muscle in your body, and this is Day 1, it's always worse Day 2..... A day of stretching I think today. Still feel have started Operation reboot of fat Copt as well.

So possibly I am not the best qualified personal trainer, except through demonstrating what not to do!

malt picture kit kat I think the usual path is for people to be thrown into menopause by chemo / tamoxifen and obviously surgery is something they avoid if they think it won't give additional benefit. My surgeon and oncologist kept an eye on my Estrogen levels as after my periods stopped, in the second or third cycle (I had some humdingers before that, all I needed when already being poisoned), I did have one every year or so on Tamoxifen. They don't really understand how and why people's bodies react differently to Tamoxifen but it is thought to mimic Estrogen and attach to the Estrogen receptors preventing it from feeding off your bodies Estrogen so that it will still work even if you are still producing Estrogen. I was classed as peri menopausal whilst on Tamoxifen as blood tests were showing some fluctuations in my Estrogen levels, though nothing like the levels pre dx. Dr Geek kept saying we would review what happened next if it didn't all calm down after Tamoxifen and it did. He also ordered vaginal ultrasounds when I had heavy bleeding just to make sure it wasn't a problem in my Uterus and Ovaries. Like smee I now feel that since my Estrogen levels are way down and I don't have one of the genes that put me at risk (and they will only test for that if you have multiple close members of family who have had Bc, mothers, aunts,sisters) then I am not worried. My Consultant is very clear I am more likely, indeed I strongly suspect from his manner, bordering on convinced, to die of a heart attack especially if I carry on feeling I have to beat arsey men

malt sometimes the unfairness of it all does come back to you, especially as you are still facing the unknown in terms of chemo. It will feel better once you are getting the chemos out of the way and know the reality rather than your fears. Plus distract yourself planning your next trip to Rhodes, Trip Adviser can be your friend here, there are bound to be reviews that say your hotel is a filthy flea pit with thieving staff so you had a lucky escape?

Hugs for all feeling ugh in the heat.

I won't (sounds like you need to be careful too). Exercise ball arrived and was duly nicked by the kids.

Strewth ifs hot today! Just come back from hospital after blood test in preparation for chemo tomorrow.
Had a rather dispiriting Skype message session with DS1 who is working out in the tropics. He's just had his first bout of malaria (bitten going down river through rainforest in open boat - I kid you not!)
So in our little family we now have one parent with cancer, one DS with leukaemia, the other with malaria, DH with continuing problems getting his hand back to normal after an op and a demented MIL. We don't do illness, usually.
Enough moaning - here's some chocolate tiffin (chilled) and elderflower and rose presse -also chilled on the trolley.