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Original poster

Tamoxigang New Year, New Thread, *46*

990 replies

BetsyBoop · 16/01/2014 06:42

Hands round a Brew for everyone.

OP posts:
malteserzz · 21/01/2014 08:35

Morning all

Tiny I had my last chemo on 7th November gosh seems a long time put like that !

Paul I hope you get an appointment let us know how you get on

Goodness ouch hope it goes ok

Wren good luck with the dentist and oncologist do you know when you start chemo yet ?

Really how are you feeling today ?

Love to all, I'm back in bed with a cuppa Smile

PaulMcGannsMistress · 21/01/2014 08:41

Got an appointment at 10.30. Feel like I could take on the world now Grin just thought, what do I wear? I normally wear dresses but that's probably not going to work, is it?

Wren48 · 21/01/2014 08:42

Malt, I'm waiting for my annoying breast wound to heal, but I think there's a good chance I'll be starting chemo in two weeks. It was meant to be next week, but not a chance. I obviously don't want it to slip too much later. I find myself endlessly looking at the diary and trying to work out which parents' evenings and so on I might be able get to. Pretty pointless, I know, as I have no idea how it will hit me.

Wren48 · 21/01/2014 08:43

Hey, well done, Paul. Good work. And nope, a dress is definitely not the way to go!

honeybeeridiculous · 21/01/2014 08:45

paul I would wear a t shirt or shirt/blouse on top for easy access! Good luck

weebarra · 21/01/2014 09:28

Thinking of you paul.
Was supposed to be going to LGFB this afternoon but have woken with stinking cold, so best not.
Also have the joy of a mammogram today before onc appt on Thurs.
Good luck goodness and hi to everyone else!

foofooyeah · 21/01/2014 09:32

Aww wee sorry your missing LGFB. Try and rebook as itsfab: great freebies Grin

I'm off to clinic today to have the bit on my my back where the "great cyst of Berkshire" was removed. Am also going to ask about wigs Sad

Had huge row with not so DP this morning .... He is an arsehole. Just needed to share that.

Tiny100 · 21/01/2014 09:51

Morning All

Goodness - I thought the Jap water thing was some sort of spa treatment, obviously not! Good Luck with it, glad you have your Mum going for moral support.

Malt - Seems like only the other day that you finished chemo, can't believe it is over two months already. Also glad to hear that hair re-growth doesn't take too long.

Well done on getting an appointment Paul, let us know how it goes. BTW ladies, as KitKat and I found out, going into your Doctor's with a bald head will mean you get an appointment straight away. Might be a bit of a drastic move, if you are not on chemo! Grin

Wren - Chemo definitely hits everyone differently - no good for planning I know.

Wee - Hope you feel better soon.

Men usually are Foo! Gutted for you that you have got through chemo and are now having to look at wigs Sad

Am off to buy some baking equipment this morning and will be baking cakes with my son this afternoon.

Tiny100 · 21/01/2014 09:54

Wren - Meant to add with EC (similar to FEC), I found I had one week bad (straight after chemo), two weeks good. Tax on the other had seems to be a different kettle of fish altogether - not sure what to expect from one day to the next.

kitkat1967 · 21/01/2014 10:10

Morning all. I'm still lazing in bed - have been listening to the radio but about to watch the final Private Practice episode (ever - sob).

Good Luck to everyone with appointments today.

tiny I have my mirena coil removal appt tomorrow - the one I made with my bald head Wink

kitkat1967 · 21/01/2014 10:15

Oh forgot to say that I might start taking my Tamoxifen today - been told to take it as soon as I am mobile after my Op (was never not mobile actually but have been delaying.....).
Can't decide what time of day would be best - the hot flushes I get at night (due to Tax) are reducing so am keen avoid them kicking in again as I wake up with them.

reallyreallyworried · 21/01/2014 10:39

Hi

Feeling a bit better than I was yesterday malt thanks for asking. Bone pain still there, not quite as bad, or I'm just getting used to it. I managed to do the school runs, and am now sat with a cuppa!

I emailed my BCN to see if I could go in for a chat. Been feeling really down the last few weeks, (you might of noticed) and feeling like I need a really honest open chat, about how I feel, about all this! Think I have spent long enough worrying about how my family and friends feel, maybe it's time for me to share, my thoughts and feelings!!

Right back to do some work! I find sitting around makes the Bone pain worse! Did anyone else find that?

Hope you all have a good day. Good luck with any appointments today. Sorry I can't keep up! My attention span is rubbish right now! Xx

Updatingmywill · 21/01/2014 11:02

Hi everyone, my op went well yesterday. As malt reminded me, they only took 2 sentinel nodes and the initial results are good. [Grin] such a relief. I'm going to apologise now for any weird typos - I thought I was good at swyping on my tablet but it appears not so much!

Thank you Wren and everybody who reassured me about node removal. I was that little bit less stressed going into surgery because of you all. I am curious though Betsy, I haven't heard anything about lessening the risk of lymphodema. Do you have a link you could share?

Harriet, step away from Google Grin Its difficult I know!! Fortunately for me,Dh needs to know and doing the research is his way of coping. He just gives me the highlights! I find that once I have done all I can to progress things then i can put off worrying (so much) until the next deadline.Good luck for Friday!
Paul, I'm glad to hear you have got/had by now? an appointment. Fingers crossed for you.

You know I said I was coping in French - well it all fell apart when the hospital psychologist came for a chat!! I couldn't understand her and she couldn't understand me. She left me her card though!! [Grin]

kitkat1967 · 21/01/2014 11:03

Glad you're feeling a bit better today really. Take it steady though - those bone aches can sneak back!!
I think talking to someone would be a great idea as so far you have concentrated on protecting everyone else. I'm pretty sure others on here will have advice on how to get it organised and whether it helps.

gigs - I just finished PP and am gutted it has ended. I have ended up prefering it to Greys as you predicted. I still hate Sam though!!

Right - will finally get up now Blush

Original poster
BetsyBoop · 21/01/2014 11:35

updating glad your op went well. Here is info in lymphoedema and calculating your risk. Your risk should be pretty low if you only end up with needing just SNB.

OP posts:
Original poster
BetsyBoop · 21/01/2014 11:55

To all the new TAXers, if this helps... My experience was that I didn't "bounce back" after tax in the same way I did after FEC (On FEC the cycles were all pretty similar, one really crap week, two weeks of feeling ok). Tax effects seem to be cummulative for lots of folks. I had an awful first cycle painwise, but coped better with cycles two and three as I knew what to expect and I had better pain relief (I also had prophylactic antibiotics after an infection on tax 1). - start painkillers before the aches started the last time and keep taking them until it's over, as it's much easier to keep pain at bay than try and get it back under control. Also as much as you don't feel like it, walking around does seem to ease the pain. (heated wheat bags are wonderful too) I felt a bit worse for a bit longer each cycle though.

Also don't expect that three weeks after your last tax you will be "better". If you are great, but I was probably a good two months before I felt anything approaching okay, I walked with a stick for a few weeks, it can really whack you hard. - I still have some peripheral neuropathy (my last chemo was 11/10/13) though it is going slowly. (I'm hoping it will go completely, as I'm told whatever is left after 12 months is probably permanent.)

All that said it will get better, you will get through it. I hope I haven't worried anyone, I just thought forewarned is fore armed and all that. :)

OP posts:
Original poster
BetsyBoop · 21/01/2014 11:58

oh and really - talking to the BCN sounds like a good idea. And the attention span thing is normal (as you can see!) - it's called chemo brain and it's supposed to get better (I'm still waiting....Grin)

OP posts:
harrietv · 21/01/2014 11:59

Hi Updating - well done! Op done, I hope you get to rest a bit in hospital and that you can do ok without your French psychologist. Fab news that the nodes look good for now. I have my fingers firmly crossed for you.

I have my pre-op tomorrow. At least that feels like I'm moving forward and should know on Friday the final date for my op. Can't get this bugger out fast enough for my liking I'll be honest.

Hello Paul - I hope today goes well.

And everyone suffering with aches and pains, I hope they get better. I def don't really understand all the tamox stuff yet but am so impressed by how you all keep going. It's inspiring.

Really - have you had any opportunity for counselling? I'm going to ask my BCN about it this week. Feel me and DH could really do with some although sure DH won't really want to. I've always been very pro-talking and advised friends to seek people to talk to, but never been in the situation of needing any myself. I guess I've been very lucky in life up till now.

Trying to keep myself sane with a bit of focus on today, not the future. It's hard but keep trying.

kitkat1967 · 21/01/2014 12:00

Betsy - I've been taking vitamin B12 for a couple of weeks as it is supposed to help with the central nervous system. My peripheral neuropathy had already virtually gone so I don't know if it helps but it might be worth a try. (What I do get is tingly hands and feet in the late evening. Hmm)

foofooyeah · 21/01/2014 12:01

Private practice!! Was wondering what to with when I had completed greys.!! Can see fom the pic that ts a spin off with Addison.

harrietv · 21/01/2014 12:02

i meant to put !!!! after the psychologist sentence!

Original poster
BetsyBoop · 21/01/2014 12:02

and I can't remember/find who said about tingly fingers from their first tax cycle - do remember to mention it to your onc - they will want to keep an eye on it, as it often progresses. I had didn't get the tingly fingers and toes until tax 2, but then had awful PN after tax 3 (by that point too late to do anything of course...!)

OP posts:
Original poster
BetsyBoop · 21/01/2014 12:13

kitkat - yes I've been taking vit B complex since December and I think it is definitely helping, it just takes time... (when I think how bad it was just after chemo finished, I can barely notice it now!) Bizarrely mine is worst when I first get up, once I get moving around for a bit it is much better.

OP posts:
kitkat1967 · 21/01/2014 12:21

foo - Private Practice is great and Addison is fab in it. I am very sad it's finished.

I'm on season 5 of Breaking Bad but DH has started watching that with me so I can't watch it in the day (or during the night!!).
I don't know how I will keep up with my Netflix/Box sets when I go back to work!!

Betsy - my tingling may be due to the diabetes rather than the chemo so I'm just hoping it will go soon - mind you it is much much better then a few weeks ago so I'm sure it will be gone soon.

harrietv · 21/01/2014 12:28

is it impossible for me to get a handle on time scales - is everyone's treatment completely different?

The treatment order i've been given is operation/radiation (4-6 weeks) and then chemo. How long does chemo last or is that entirely personal. People ending chemo, when did your journey start?

:) thank you