**Tamoxigang heading towards hearts and valentines - thread 47**

[BetsyBoop]

roses are red
violets are blue
sugar is sweet
but cakes are better

Morning

Pickle your cleaner sounds very unprofessional I wouldn't like that at all especially as you can't get away from him

Mummy wheel good luck for your 1st chemo you'll be fine

Updating glad yours was mostly ok, did you have a blood test a few days before? I always had mine on Monday before chemo on the Thursday

Had a good time at ikea yesterday purchases included a lazy Susan, washing up brush, coffee table, bedside lights and lots more ! And we had meatballs of course. Also went to see Cuban fury which was really good. Rads not till 120 so not up yet today hope everyone has a good day

malt, that is so impressive! We need lots of those things. But Ikea is a shop that makes me row with my DH so perhaps domestic harmony is more important for now than ds' bedside table.

Good luck today, mummywheel. I'm gearing up to ask my oncologist for emend at the consultation today; I was horribly sick last time and want all the help I can get.

By the way, has anyone picked up on new research/ interest around fasting before chemo?

Yes Wren, DH and I always tell each other we love each other before we enter Ikea, because we know we won't feel the love when we're there!
Good luck with chemo today mummywheel!
Had look good feel better yesterday, was great, lots of tips and lots of goodies. Was the youngest by about ten years though.

Hello, not been around for a while, so not up to date with you all, but hoping everyone is doing ok. Hello and welcome to the new people too.

Things progressing well for me, now 3 weeks post-chemo (when can I expect some hair huh? Huh?), portacath removed last week, and 2 rads done. Buggering hot flushes still going on and still unable to sleep properly, but other than that, am pretty much ok.

So to those of you with chemo to come, it is doable. I was mega-anxious about it before-hand and also wept buckets when told I needed it (grade 3 IDC, I'm 43 so also in the 'young' bracket), but you will get through it.

Morning all,

malt shopping trip sounds good, I need bedside lights, but our nearest Ikea is very close to where DP works so don't think I will persuade him to drive there while he is off.

Back to see surgeon this afternoon. Still got 2 drains in and don't think they will be removed today.

handbags I still get ht flushes 6 weeks after last chemo, however hair def growing ck. I had a number 2 buzz cut the other day and I rather like it.

Very jealous of your no.2 Foo, I keep dreaming about having hair. Stupid isn't it? Baa to the hot flushes still going on though; I'm going to book some acupuncture as one of the rads nurses said it can be quite effective for the flushes. And also baaaaaaaa to the drains - they are gross and uncomfortable. Such a relief when they come out.

malt I'm impressed at your purchases.

Cleaner has been spoken to. He's Tunisian and I think failed to understand the reason for the aprons. Another nurse had explained that red aprons are to show that the patient in the room could infect them and white aprons are to show that they could infect the patient. I think he'd confused the understanding of 'to show' with 'for show'.

On a positive note he came into my room afterwards complete with gloves and apron, didn't speak to me and gave me a filthy look. So a win win! Lovely Mrs S will be back tomorrow.

Handbags and foofoo are your hot flushes a side effect of the chemo? I can't imagine that's very nice. I'm lucky that that isn't something I've had to contend with.

pickle glad to hear the cleaner has got the message. You'll just have to contend with his dirty looks now!

The hot flushes are kicked off by the Tax part of chemo (the second phase of the chemo for breast cancer). For many women (me included) their periods stop and the hot flushes start as a result of this drug. I have no idea of the science behind this! I would love it if someone could explain though (anyone?). My onc said my periods could start again, but as I'll be taking tamoxifen for the next 5 - 10 years, I'm hoping the periods will stay away. I think the hot flushes are a given with tamoxifen though.

Ironic that my periods have stopped just as poor dd1's have started.

Handbags I finished chemo in November and had enough hair to ditch the wig at the end of jan, I did cold cap though so didn't lose it all. Now it's grown back curly and so thick ! Hope yours comes back soon

Foo foo hope you do get rid if the drains, evil things

House looks great now with all of the ikea purchases !

Have just had a detailed examination of my scalp under a bright light and I do appear to have some fine fluff covering most of it now. Not that I'm obsessing or anything.

Malt I love Ikea but have to avoid as I always end up spending way too much on bits and bobs that I really don't need. I also love those bags of mini dime bars they sell. So bad for your teeth but so yummy!

Handbags - i finnished chemo at the end of November and ditched my wig about 3 weeks ago. Once it starts growing it seems to grow really quickly.

Did it grow back the same or different?

It's poignant (but heartening) to hear of hair returning, however fine the fluff. At 2pm I'm getting mine cut short short short. I know it's sensible, etc etc, but I can't help feeling a bit sad. Not that my hair is a crowning glory, and I quite like it cropped, but, well, I know you understand..

Wren hope the haircut isn't too traumatic. I quite liked the sensation of having my head shaved. My hairdresser cried though (I've known her for years). I can't say it was my best look - it made me look like my brother. You'll be fine - it's a temporary thing, and as you say, sensible to have it short short short.

pickle my hair is growing back nice and thick (it was thick before) but is odd colours (but of course I had coloured it for years anyway!!) and as far as I can tell at the moment it is straight whereas it had big waves before.

Hi all room for one more??

Have been thinking of joining you for a while, all your posts are giving me hope I can get through this!

Found my lump at Xmas, had a lumpectomy & node removal (2 nodes affected) mid Jan but not enough clearance so second op on Friday -fingers crossed they get it all!
Been told chemo, rads & tamoxifen so feeling I have a mountain to climb.....

welcome honeybear - sorry you have to join us but we're a friendly bunch. I had BC but have finished my treatment now and this is my second week back at work but there are lots of ladies under going treatment at the moment. Good luck on Friday - I'm sure they'll get it this time . Any questions about chemo, rads or tamoxifen just ask - there is bound to be someone who can help.

I've just bought a bundle of vitamins to see if I can improve my sleep - I don't know if the hot flushes are still due to the chemo (as that's when they started) or the Tamoxifen but whatever I'm waking every 2 to 3 hours at night and although I do get back to sleep it is tiring. I was already taking B12 (for the peripheral neuropathy) but now have Vitamin E, evening primrose oil, glosomine and condrotin (last 2 are for aches I think) . Thankfully it was 3 for 2 in Boots!!

Honey welcome :) good luck for the op on Friday

Kitkat hope all of that does the trick !

Really if you're reading how are you? Hope you're feeling ok

Hi Honey! Welcome, though of course it's not a support thread that anyone hopes to have to join. Lovely people, though.
It's less of a mountain to climb and more of set of hurdles, with a rest in between them, many find. Doable. But with treatment that isn't always a lot of fun. What sort of chemo do they reckon, and how many? Are you able to say what size lump it was? Just gives us a starting point for saying cheering things

Hair; mine was straight and grew back frizzier than the Jackson Five at their best. It took it two years to straighten out again. Everyone's hair responds differently. Soon starts regrowing again very fast after/during chemo for most people, though.

It sounds like you're well supplied there, kitkat! Go for it. It'll be interesting to hear how much your bundle of goodies helps.

My hair is now short and I like it. Let's see how long it stays on my head. .

Welcome, honeybear, I had an extra op after my lumpectomy to sort unclear margins, so I sympathise. I hope it goes well. I've just started my chemo, but also have the joys of rads and tamoxifen to come. And hot flushes, clearly, from recent comments!

Welcome honeybear lots of honey's around the place!! good luck with your operation on Friday
DF had an ultrasound scan on his neck today, hes all geared up to start the radiotherapy in 2 weeks time, has had his mask fitted and CT scans etc so this last uss was abit out of the blue, apparently they just want to check out a node in his nexk, they did a needle biopsy. Hopefully it's nothing sinister as they told him the cancer hadn't spread when he had the CT scan. Always something to worry about eh

Hello Everyone, feeling fine after my first chemo so far I requested emend as it had been recommended and does seem to be doing the trick. No sign of nausea or maybe I'm being a little premature. I read somewhere that it is very expensive so not always given.

Any sign of your hair falling out yet Wren? I get the impression lots of people start loosing it around their second treatment

Glad you're feeling good so far, mummywheel. One down! My hair is hanging on, but it's two weeks since chemo 1 tomorrow and it won't surprise me if it starts to go soon. In the meantime I am very surprised every time I catch sight of myself with new short hair in the mirror.

I hope you get answers to the needle biopsy soon honeybee.

Hi everyone
had a few days away with the dfamily in the new forest - no wifi, no phone signal, rather pre-historic but did me the world of good getting off the internet I think! Good to catch up though - well done everyone who's getting through their first chemos, glad so far it's not so bad for updating and wren and can't quite believe pickle's being chatted up in her hospital bed - you couldn't make some of this stuff up could you?
only news here is that my genetics stuff is dragging on - can't find right records, so spending nights sleeping but kind of dreaming about what my outcome will be, surgery wise. Breast Clinic have rung to ask me to come in on Monday though so that's good - I guess I'll find out then.
Drains still in foofoo? How's the swelling in the armpits?