Tamoxigang - 41 and counting

[KurriKurri]

Morning all, new thread, croissants on trolley, and I'll put a brew on.

I have made bramble and apple crumble cake. I would put some on the trolley but I am a greedy guts.

I had tax last time, it made me achey and tired but less sick. My toenails all fell off which was a bit weird. They hurt like hell growing back afterwards. Fun times!

Beach, I am sorry to hear about what you are going through. Chemo is a bugger, but you will get through it. Good luck with your first treatment.

I am ready for the dcs to go back to school now. They keep wanting me to play top trumps with them. Which sadist invented that game?

oooh a Range Rover malt now that is a big car! Why not let DH chauffeur you :)

bramble and apple crumble cake sounds scrummp trice. I'm almost ready for DC to go back to school. They go back a week on Thursday, which is a bugger as that means the last few days of the hols are post-chemo days...We will have to make the most of the next couple of days.

Am very tired now after our galavanting today - we walked for miles on the beach and then went to the park after

wouldrather Welcome and loads of good thoughts to you for tomorrow.
ruby -lovely to have you back too !
Safe journey to Mr gig - lovely pics of mini and big,kissing Daddy Pig and the nails - Big looks like a religious figurine
Have been to Petworth where it was v hot, felt sick and weedy but it was a nice day nonetheless.
Sleep well tonight sleepless ones xx

I'm jealous , as Big Gigs has nicer nails than me

I know Betsy it's massive I'll never park it though it has got a reversing camera ?! I will stick to my little car I only usually drive his when he's at work and he asks me to take it to the garage or something.
Mas sorry you're feeling icky have you got anything to take for it ?
Love big gigs nails and the daddy pig pic

Feeling a bit sad as should be going back to work tomorrow, 2 teacher days then should be visiting all the new children at home

Lots of lovely days out all round then. We went to a local show and it was very hot - I had a nap when i got back but did get up to cook tea!!
Malt - that is a major car - your DH must be very excited - when do you get it?
I'm also very impressed with Big Gigs nails but the picture of mini has reminded me that we haven't seen the Mummy Pig t-shirt yet.

What's everyone got on next week? I see Beach is off for first chemo tomorrow - good luck - you will soon be an old hand at the whole process.

I am seeing my surgeon tomorrow but not until 6:30pm - am going on my own - should be just a case of finding out what he plans to do I guess. I have loads of questions about my aborted chemo but I don't think he will have any answers on that - I assume I'll need to see onc at some point to discuss. How long after the surgery do you think it will be until they report back on what they found? After my inital excitement of the chemo stoppping I'm kind of hoping they will finish the course as I'm now scared of not getting the full treatment.

Malt - are you stopping your old cap now or do you have enough hair to keep going (honestly it does look OK in your pictures).

Evening all

I had tax after FEC and I coped much better with it in terms of s/e - I was achy and tired but barely any nausea. I did end up in hospital twice with infections so do watch your temperature. I also had GCSF injections to do every day from day 3 to day 12. They're pretty easy to do yourself if you're ok with needles!

All the best for first chemo beach - it's def a bit of a waiting game with the side effects, so take all drugs offered. Steroids - like dexamethasobe - can make you very jittery and hard to sleep so try and take your last dose of the day no later thn mid afternoon, otherwise you might find your sleep is affected. Drink plenty - find a drink you like and get lots in. I drank lots of fizzy water, sometimes with lime cordial in it. Eat when you want, sometimes little and often is better if you feel a bit rotten. Big hugs x x

My DS was 4 when I was dx, so we just kept things simple, telling him hi things would affect him, what Mummy would be like, who would pick him up fom school etc. we also only explained things one stage at a time, sp it wasn't too overwhelming for him. He seemed fine at the time but did want to light a candle for me in a cathedral when I explained what the candles were for. I may have had something in my eye, making it water quite a bit. . .

gig your girls are so gorgeous! Your FB pics are great. Safe journey to mr gigs

MAS sorry you're feeling a bit ropey. Take it easy wont you, lovely?

kurri big mwah to you, lovely lady!

Hope everyone has had a nice weekend, as far as possible.

Big love x x x

'evening all.
Hi Beach
Wise advice from the others re the chemo. If you can get a signal on the ward, chat to us at the time if it helps? If it's FEC, the biggest surprise for me was the tray with the great number of bloomin' great big tubes of different coloured things that the machine slowly pumps in. It's quite amazing. But it's very effective stuff.

I did get back to sleep thanks. Sometimes I'm awake in the night. Just the way my brain is.

I have a Land Rover Discovery. It's stupidly big and tall and will fit into almost no car park anywhere, but I love it.

My Macmillan nurse told me today they may give me chemo in tablet form.
What's the difference?

Kitkat we are meant to get the car on Saturday but dh has his vasectomy in the morning so it could be Sunday!
I don't know whether I'll be carrying on with the cold cap I've got another 10 days till next chemo so I'll see if I've got anything left. It's so thin I can see and feel my scalp, sometimes I think I look like a ghost!

ladybeagle I have chemo in tablets (capecitabine - sometimes used in early bc I believe,but mainly for metastatic bc and colon cancer) It is taken twice a day,after food - the dosage calculated by your weight /body mass- some adjusting of dosage probably needed until it is balanced. Side effects are same as other chemos (nausea,diahrrhoea,plus possible sore and red hands and feet) but there should be no hair loss - poss. hair thinning,but haven't noticed any.

Can I ask something ? Do you think it'd be ok to ask bcn if I can def. see onc on my next appointment rather than onc registrar - I know that consultant obviously needs to see new patients when they are dx/begin treatment and I do see him but quite often it's reg. instead. I just wanted to check in with him with some questions which I don't feel like asking reg (she is v nice but he is more direct and decisive)

MAS - I don't see why you an't ask to see the consultant - even if they can't accommodate you they can only say no (but I'm sure they won't). How often do you go in?
In my case it was one of 'the team' - who I assume was a reg - who originally gave me the all clear so I'd be very reluctant to see anyone other than the consultant.

I can't see any harm in asking either Mas. I suppose it depends if they can fit you in. I just see one of the team, my actual onc came at the end of my 1st appointment and shook my hand and said hello that was it.

Night all hope everyone sleeps well

Am in every 3 weeks . Will ask bcn.

Thanks all for your advice. I've explained to ds 1&2 as they are older and very perceptive, they are 14&12, I don't want them to get a shock when my hair falls out. I've explained to ds 8 and dd 5 a little bit less but don't want them to be surprised etc.

I've no idea how I'll be after and don't like not being prepared. Got in a supply of ginger biscuits and some lemon & barley squash. Will let you know how it goes.....

good luck wouldrather

MAS - I would think its fine to ask to see your onc. - but it might be that you have to have an appointment when he does his clinic days, - mine never seemed to be there on chemo days

Hi lovely Ned - hope you had a good bank holiday, is school starting back soon? - do you have to go in for a few days before the children start?

car sounds very snazzy malt - and big!!

That cake sound yummy trice- friend of mine was boasting on the phone today about huge blackberries in her garden - I may have to steal some form her

Morning all- look how bright eyed and bushy tailed I am as slept all night (wonders if its coincidence that steroids being dropped help).

Good luck would rather- my kids very small but I am of topsy school of explaining as I go along what drs doing and what to expect (eg I am in hospital, this hurts etc).

New car sounds lovely malt. Don't feel too sad about job as I am sure this time next year you will be back. Plus I can shamelessly pick your brains about big gig who can be a bit of a pickle at school .

Mas I think it's a very good idea to see onc. I know you can demand that particular drs do procedures so I don't see why can't ask to see someone.

Tomorrow I have a blue badge assessment . Applied when could barely walk but feel bit of fraud now am feeling better. Am bit nervous about it but there is no doubt time it would help.

my lovely reflexology lady coming later too so that will be nice.

good luck with blue badge gig - several ladies in secondaries group have them.

Onc is always in on chemo days and seems to see everyone fairly regularly,it's just that one never knows when you might se him or registrar- am pretty sure I can ask but I always worry about being demanding or a nuisance.

golly MAS I am sure you are not a nuisance - get on and do your asking - when is your next appointment?

Good luck would rather today, let us know how you get on.

Gigs good luck with the blue badge and yay to sleeping all night

Mas sometimes you need to be a bit of a nuisance and ask, I'd probably still be waiting for chemo to start if I hadnt !

Still feel sad that I should be at work today, I also know they'll all be asking how I am and I hate people talking about me !

Need to go to sainsburys this afternoon, will go on my own as the kids are both out with friends. Am pathetically worried about this incase I have to face someone I know in my wig or if it falls off or slips while im walking round. I hate the way that cancer has taken away my confidence

Moan over

thanks malt and kitkat - will see - not really sure what I want to ask (well I do really, alonng the lines of what will happen next sort of thing) but sometimes it's reassuring to check in with the head person.
Feeling a bit queasy again so have taken domperidone.
Anything needed for the trolley later ? am still very keen on the toffee filled waffly biscuits...

Good morning,

Good luck today wouldrather, I hope all goes smoothly and quickly.

Fabulous that you slept through the night gigs, I hope the assessment goes well. You're not a fraud and you've had lots of problems with mobility so seems perfectly reasonable for you to have a badge.

MAS definitely worth asking. I always make a list of questions but when I get to the appointment I often find that some don't seem important anymore and I think of new ones on the spot, so hopefully you'll find it all becomes clear when you get there :)

I have my period, mixture of it's come back and :( because it seems to be messing with my pouch and now I need the toilet every time I move and keep getting waves of pain/pressure. I am planning to spend the day either in bed or perhaps convalescing on my swing bench as it looks like a nice day! :)

Festival was fun and so pleased I managed camping! I'm covered in insect bites which I'm taking as a good sign as until now insects have been steadfastly ignoring me probably because of my poisonous chemo blood! :)

Waving to everyone! I hope you all have a lovely day x

wow Ruby - you have achieved a lot to survive camping at a festival. Such a shame you're stuggling today but hopefully that won't last long and you'll be back on track in a day or two - it will be annoying if you suffer like this every month though. Enjoy a quiet day in the sun.

Gig - i agree that you are no fraud - think back to only a couple of weeks ago and you were really struggling to get about.

Afternoon all - its taken me all morning to do my online shopping as the site went down -I am feeling very frazzled - have loads to do do day and that was a job which should have taken an hour, - instead it took 2 and a half

Ruby - hooray for return of the missing periods (even if it is a bit of a pain) - it shows your body is getting back to normal after the battering its taken this year! Well done on the camping - hopefully nice weather meant it wasn't too muddy or cold

MAS - forget any nonsense about being a nuisance or whatever - that's what they are there for, you are a patient - patients are not a nuisance they are their clients, if you want to talk to your consultant you've got every right to do so.

Gig - good luck with the blue badge application, I see no reason at all why you shouldn't have one, it will make life easier for you. Not a fraud at all. DD's friend has one and her condition is one which is sometimes fine ad sometimes not, so periods of feeling a bit more able don't make you a fraud.

malt - dates like 'return to work time' if you are a teacher, are hard, but think how far you have come in the last few months - you are well along the road to getting better, and you will be back at work before you know it.

Waving to all - must dash, I've got a meeting tonight I have to prepare for, and I have to do something to my awful hair, and wash some clothes so I'm not naked