***Tamoxigang - thread number 40!***

[GoodbyeRubyTuesday]

Hello all! New thread as we have almost filled the last one. Help yourself to chocolate chip muffins from the trolley! :)

Welcome lady hope you find everyone here as helpful as I have
Like Kitkat I'm just at the start of this crappy journey so can't offer much advice but can offer tea and a listening ear

Hi Ladybeagle. Welcome from me. As Gigs says, many now live with it as a long term nuisance rather than an 'eek it's the end!', especially with the new tailored therapies. As you've not had chemo before, they should be able to find a really good new set to combat it, and some genetic profiling to allow them to add in targeted stuff.

Positive story - friend of mine was given three weeks to live, er, nearly three years ago. Still chairing half the committees in the Midlands and gardening and visiting family and planning breaks and going to the theatre etc. Chemo keeps it under control. One example. So, much will depend on what the final results say and what they can match you to.
Meantime, we're here and you are amongst new friends.

Thank you everybody.
It's wait and see I guess.
Ill be back, I'm a bit emotional at the moment but I'm glad I've introduced myself.
I'll know more after the weekend.
Speak to you soon.
xxx

welcome lady but sorry you had to join us. I'm a relative newbie here too (just done second chemo for bc) - but I'm sure some of the lovely ladies on here can help with any qu you have, in fact some have already chimed in :)

malt I've made my GP bloods appt straight away after chemo so both times I've managed to get the 0800 (first) appt - last time I was waiting for them to unlock the doors and by the time I came out 4 minutes later there was only one person in the waiting area.;)

Yep my cousin still here 5 years on.. That was after wouldn't give her til Xmas.

I have managed to liberate you all from your hiding place Thanks for advice KK geek

Lovely chinwag with gigs this am / lunchtime, a Reuben's brownie may have been ravaged and can report gigs was already ravaging a pizza when I arrived, so operation reboot gigs is on the road and rolling. We also sorted out the world, you may have noticed.... We also discussed the merits of various Tescos, forgot to mention that you could do a pilgrimage to that mystical Morrisons . Just need to get tomorrow over with so you can go on tour. Will be thinking of you.

Forgot to mention that Big Copt told me recently that at one of those sixth birthday parties Mary Poppins told her she would have to go and sit in a corner if she wasn't going to sit quietly, after she had wound her up working out the tricks and shouting out the details to the rest of the party

KK Will also be thinking of your Mum. I am sure it will be a huge relief to get her settled.

I also have a lovely shaped head lily or at least that is what everyone said when I first went public with 2mm of hair whilst trying to stifle the thought that I looked like a lesbian Actually malt when I shaved off the last stubborn wisps and looked at myself bald and boobless in the mirror, it was rather cathartic, I realised how little both hair and boob mattered in the great scheme of things. My favourite headwear was a cosy bright blue fleecy mountaineering hat, especially in bed. In my defence my treatment stretched from September to February and I really felt the cold. Absolutely no question of being a baldy in pants....

I hated having to go into the GPs for blood tests, my wbc never climbed above 2 without the injections, still hasn't ,so I used to spend the wait edging away from anyone who looked remotely unwell. The alternative was a one hour drive though.

Big Copt is trying to sign me up for this, Basically they are trying to get everyone to share their medical records online in useable data form so that they can use them online to conduct much wider ranging clinical investigations, combining genetic, medical and environmental information. It will allow them to conduct much bigger studies than eg the current 150 000 strong study of Breast Cancer risk (which is donating it's data) It all sounds very good but not sure how our fab NHS will cope with that sort of request. I am going to bounce it off Dr Geek though as he loves that sort of thing.

kitkat spent £000s on the Copettes teeth, neither wears the retainer, both now have gaps and cite Georgia Jaggers gap to claim it is cool

Topsy I see the wine is open, holds out Will be thinking of you on Wednesday

Also putting on trolley Hestons popcorn ice cream (at your Waitrose now MAS, rather nice)

Copt - fortunately both DCs teeth are soooo bad they do at least qualify for free treatment. Before DD started she said she wanted to keep her gap (and it is trendy at the mo) but now it is closed up she is keen for it to remain like that.

Sorry Lady Beagle I missed your post but that is rough. I'm actually 12 years on from mastectomy and chemo but wasn't given particularly good chances so always feel lucky to be here. However you are in good company on here and I have also met women at the hospital who are still going 18 years after discovering secondaries. They are getting better at treating it as a chronic disease. It has been interesting for me to see how much better chemo is managed now. I had a bit of a battle with the side effects but there is a group having chemo now who seem to be having a much safer and more humane experience.

Just a quickie from me, what can I do about heartburn ? Been lying down since I ate which I think didn't help so have been moving around and having some ginger cordial and it's eased a bit but is there anything else I can do ?

Milk, peppermint tea.
Ring your unit to get drugs tomorrow as chemo will cause heartburn as damages digestive Tract. You want something proper (omeprazole or ranitidine) as it needs to be dealt with.

I had it during chemo but was fine as soon as it stopped.

Evening all,

LadyBeagleEyes welcome but very sorry that this rubbish illness has brought you here. Please feel free to ask anything you like, nothing is off limits, or to vent if you need to. We are all at different points in our "cancer journey", but we will do our best to support you :)

I'm getting a bit worried as my skin is just not healing. I've been using the steroid/antiseptic/anti fungal wonder cream that the doctor gave me for a week now and no improvement at all. Plus it feels like I'm rubbing Tabasco onto my broken skin, super owchy. And none of the painkillers I'm on are really helping. Luckily am seeing my lovely GP on Wednesday so hopefully she will be able to help :)

Aside from that whinge, all is good here.

Goodnight, I hope everyone sleeps well :)

malt have you been given lansoprazole in your bag of goodies? Definitely mention to your team so they can sort you out. Not much use now but in the morning might be worth buying some Rennies as they really help. I hope it goes away soon :)

Malt - my onc gave me indegestion pills so def ring up and get a prescription. I also got stuff for constipation and a strong mouth wash as standard but as mentioned before my onc has had chemo so trys to cover everything up front.

Thanks both not sure now if it was heartburn or indigestion or both, have had a few rumbles and burbs sorry if tmi and feels bit better
Just scared me a bit as 1st proper symptom and felt a bit out of control
Don't think I have those meds will check
Ruby sorry you're still sore hope you get something to sort it

Night 2 in the soggy tent. DS snoring away and strangely his grandparents refused my offer of swapping with them for their comfy caravan, so Mini Jaffa cakes added to the red wine.. Blimey you lot are chatty. Can't keep up, so just nipping in to heap vibes into the ether for Gigs tomorrow. Will be thinking of you and sending no more treatment vibes xx

Sorry not to post more to all and not too sure when I'll be back. Packing tent up tomorrow and moving on to stay in a friend's Mum's garden shed. The glamour of my life is boundless right now... Hugs to all those on treatment and Topsy will shift vibes to you from Gigs for Wed xxx

Malt, I had tons of indigestion and then upset tum, so you might be in the upset tum bit next. I lived off Rennie indigestion tablets in the middle bits of chemo cycle and took anti diarrhoea medicine when needed.

Ruby, manuka honey? Might be a big tricky to apply and keep in place (!), but supposed to be a wonder for helping heal skin. Or Aloe Vera gel? Hope GP can help.

malt - I always got heartburn/indigestion the weekend after my chemo (which was always on a tuesday) - it may be something I've made up, but I used to feel as if the chemo and killing of the cells sort of worked down my digestive system - because I would get sore throat then heartburn, then diarrhoea in that order. But I think the burning indigestion feeling is caused by the mucus membrane cells being stripped in your gullet etc.

They may very well be able to give you something for it, as Ruby says - lansoprazole works well.

Welcome LadyBeagle - I'm sure we have 'met' on other threads - I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this horrible illness again, what an absolute bastard it is. As you say you will know more after your next appointment, and will find out what your treatment regime will be, which at least is something to focus on. There are several people on here living and dealing with secondaries, so I'm sure they will be able to help you out with information and support. xx

Ruby - hope you can get the sore skin sorted asap - you have had to put up with it for a very long time (((hugs)))

waving to all, - off for a bath now - as DD would say 'thank God for that, you stink' - aren't daughters wonderful?

Swinging by to wish gigs lots of luck for results tomorrow and also to topsy for scan.

Sorry you are here lady hope we can be some support.

ruby not sure if it is anything similar but I had anal fissures caused by chemo pain like I have never felt before followed by hours of spasm. I was given GTN cream which was the only thing to help. Gives a wild headache but eventually healed the skin.

malt I was given Omeprazole which was great but you can buy Gaviscon in the supermarket until you get something else. Milk can sometimes help.

Waving to all - hope it doesn't rain too much smee

smee Hope the shed isn't like these ones twitter.com/50ShedsofGrey (love the vegazzle!!)

For kk too

Hi Lady, sorry you are having to deal with secondaries. Cancer is such a cruel thing.

I was diagnosed with lung secondaries at easter. I felt really rubbish and had lost 2 stone and looked ghastly. I was using a wheelchair and generally felt crap. I am now on my fourth cycle of capecitabene and am walking 5000 steps a day (according to my pedometer) and am feeling amazingly much better. I put on 3kg last month. In a previous life this would have made me gallop to weight watchers but now I am really happy not to look like Skeletor!

Good luck with scan results Gig.

Hope you get your skin sorted Ruby.

Malt, I use gaviscon advance for my heartburn, it is a bit thicker than the normal stuff. I get it on repeat prescription from my gp. I drink it by the gallon.

Smee, this week you are doing extreme camping. I take my hat off to you. Wet camping is only fun until you get cold and you can't light the stove because everything is soggy. I have been there.

hello- apologies for absence... smee - v glad you survived the tent ,garden shed sounds a teeny bit better
malt I have my bloods done each time the day before my next round of meds but go to the GP surgery as the blood letting people are good there-also it's opposite my house -I make an appointment each time I've been to see onc. for 3 weeks time. No one has said anything about germs - I think you can probably risk it after all you'll be in germy old hospital next day !

LadyBeagleEyes -welcome and as amber says you have new friends on this thread. I was diagnosed with lung mets in September last year -3 years on from bc - I had a very sharp intense pain in my chest and was sent for an xray which spotted shadows and a CT diagnosed multiple nodules across both lungs. I had no other symptoms so it seems to be thanks to vigilent young GP who sent me for x ray. I am on 3 weekly rounds of oral chemo meds- Capecitabine-like trice and 2 subsequent scans show that the nodules are shrinking,think the largest is now 1 cm - side effects aren't too awful and it's relatively easy. As others have said mets can be managed very well these days and secondary bc has a whole arsenal of treatments ready to have a go.
Might drop T off at swimming pool later - and I might start a bit of work

kk sending lots of good vibes for your mum's house progress xxx

? Slept ok but bit achy so drinking tea and waiting for painkillers to work.

Thanks for all crossed fingers for later - anxiety ok for now but building up as day goes on I expect .

Mr gig has gone ahead and booked a tesco trip next week (on basis that we should be able to work round this even if do need stuff done) . It's to York (so those pub etc recommends too welcome Copt and anyone else). Will do Paris tesco following week.

Am tentatively excited so lets hope nothing dire at meeting (I am half resigned to needing more stuff on aches but if that helps I can live with that. Am thinking of how chemo helped you trice).

Thinking of you today gigs fingers crossed for good news later.