Tamoxigang thread 49 when Sumer is y cumen in and we get out the Pimms

[Lilymaid]

New thread!

Maltz, sickness has eased but I tried to sleep last night without a sleeping tablet and just painkillers for the seromas and had a crap night. I just can't get comfortable as they are huge. I don't want to rely on sleeping tablets but I do need to sleep.

Poor you Wee, that doesn't sound like fun. Are they going to drain the seromas?

Malt- the children do come out with things and make you emotional! Hope you are not too overworked at the moment.

Off in a bit, must remember to take the emend. Have a lovely day everyone.

I've been on the tamoxifen for 10 days now and so far no side effects. Don't know if they might still appear. I have 1st meeting with oncologist next Tuesday who will organise rads. I assumed they would all be mon-fri but it sounds like they can begin midweek?

Yes they can, mrs. I can't remember what day of the week my last rads started on, but my 3 weeks spanned the double bank holiday last year. Radiology was closed on the Monday but open on the Tuesday. So even if I had started on a Monday, I would also have finished on a Monday. My "slot" would then be free for a new patient beginning on Tuesday.

Yes mrs, mine started on a Tuesday for some reason.
They won't drain the seromas till rads are done, so I've got strong painkillers and sleeping tablets and will just have to cope.
On a brighter note, saw the physio today and she's very happy with my progress.
Zombie, was it today you were having your ECG?

Yes, it was, wee. Echocardiogram ticked off the list for a few months. I'm back at Breast Clinic in the morning to have Serena drained for the 7th time. I can't even begin to imagine how much pain you're in. I may also (fingers crossed) get my MRI results tomorrow.

Looks like a lot of us are at or about to begin the radiotherapy stage at present. I had a call today to say I would start on 30th June.

Can I ask those of you who are taking Tamoxifen which brand you have? I have read recently that some brands have less SE's than others.

What a sweet child malt I can understand you being emotional.

Seromas are horrid I do hope you get some relief from the pain soon wee

Good luck with your MRI results tomorrow zombie

mummywheel my brand is Tamox.

For those of you starting or currently going thru Rads. Senior Radiologist in my hospital pushes calamine tea very strongly. Make up a cup, leave to cool, apply with cotton wool. Repeat several times a day when skin is itchy or getting sore.

I had 26 rads and 8 boosts, and my skin didn't breakdown at all. Not sure if this is unique to my radiologist, so thought I'd pass it on.

And the other tip I will pass on is to ensure you use the tea/moisturiser over suffient area. I recommend entire area from neck to nipple down underneath breast, and all the way under arm and down your side. I

My tamoxifen brand is Wockhardt. I don't know how this works, do you just get whatever the chemist has in or does the gp choose the brand? If one continues to suit and you then get something different can you ask to change back?

Thank you for the tips about rads and I'm very glad the camomile tea is for external yes only! I'm hoping mine will start within two weeks to give me some recovery time before holidays.

I do believe you can request a certain brand from your pharmacy mrs

Will add camomile tea to my list, thank you Mom

wren your seromas sound grim, poor you.
Very grateful to this forum for info and advice yesterday, had my pre chemo discussion with nurse and onc (hope the actual treatment is a bit better organised). Chemo was planned straight into vein, I had real concerns about the quality of veins on the back of my hand, showed them to nurse and an appointment for PICC line to be inserted was arranged immediately - would have never known this was either an issue or a possibility without you lot!
If any of you remember the TAC vs FEC-T question, I asked my onc yesterday. Apparently there has never been a study directly comparing the two but they are considered to be fairly synonymous in terms of success and side effects. TAC just happens to be the preference in Plymouth. Only notable difference is that Taxotere is administered right from the start with all the fun and steroids that entails.
CT and blood tests today - fun, fun, fun!

wee, hope you've been sleeping better, I've just got a seroma on one side which is bad enough, but seems to be getting smaller. They've said they won't start my rads till it has which means I don't think I'll be done before the schools break up (that will be fun dragging boys up to London every day!)

Good news re pic line considerably, there are certainly things Ive learnt from here that I wish I'd known at the start of my journey. (Lucky you being in Plymouth, I lived there for 3 very, very happy years in mid-80s)

Will put camomile tea on my list mom - I've found the moogoo cream great even before the rads start as the crop top holding my boobs on is rubbing in this heat.

Fingers crossed for your MRI results zombie

Hope everyone else is having a good day.

The MRI confirmed that the area on my liver they were worried about is from the breast cancer. The MRI also revealed another very small area nearby is also from the breast cancer.

This means that I am technically Stage 4 so incurable. However there is hope.

The plan is to do the 6 cycles of Docetaxel as scheduled. They will scan me periodically to see if the liver tumours are shrinking. Once I have completed all the chemo (which should be at the end of September) there will still be the option to refer me to Birmingham for an operation to resect the affected area.

For now it's just a waiting game.

On the bright side, they could only milk Serena for 80ml this week.

Zombie- that is rubbish news. Fingers crossed everything shrinks and you get referred for the op. Glad seroma is playing more nicely.

for zombie. Here's wishing you lots of shrinkage.

Hugs from me too Zombie. Let's get through this chemo and have loads of shrinkage.

zombie that is pants. Some more fingers crossed here for the blighters being blasted.
I had my first (of many, I suspect) down days today but your news puts me being fed up with being prodded and poked for 4 days on the trot in perspective.

Big hugs, Zombie. Absolute bummer. Let that docetaxol do its deadly thing to those rogue patches.

More hugs here zombie,here's to massive shrinkage.

So sorry to hear your news Zombie. I got my mets diagnosis in May last year - it was a terrible shock having my worst fears realised. I was pretty poorly for a while and I didn't like doing chemo again one bit! But I have had a smashing spring this year.

I do hope the chemo is as effective in your case. Xx

Thank you all.

Zombie WILL get through this. She is officially considering herself a chronic cancer patient. Not acute. Not terminal. Maybe not curable but definitely controllable.

Every year the doctors can manage and control it is another year for new treatments to become available.

I will never, ever give up. xxx

Good to hear that, Zombie.

Great to hear such positivity zombie what an amazing lady you are

Sorry to hear your latest news zombie but pleased to see you are planning to see it off again with your usual defiance.

zombie never, never, never give up! There are so many people living full and long l ves with mets, and you will be one of them.