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

[Lilymaid]

New thread!

speedy, that's lovely news. So good to have it there, all in writing.

biscuits, comments and questions guaranteed to make one cry... Some days just a simple "how are you" is too much for me. No easy answer. And anything to do with the children.... Recently ds1's teacher called me to discuss ds1's disastrous French GCSE oral (he just broke down and cried in it) and to ask if I was ok with the school putting in a "mitigating circumstances" note. Anyway, I cried on the teacher, which definitely alarmed him, but he's a nice man and I'm sure he will cope.

wine Thank you for making me giggle

biscuits Sorry you're having a hard time in the chemo unit. I didn't like mine either even though everyone was really nice I did find it difficult.

Anyone suffering from hot flushes post chemo? Don't start my Tamoxifen until 1st July. I put a post on the Macmillan forum and one lady said it was a sign that her cancer had returned which has worried me slightly

On a positive note DS1 passed his driving test today so celebrations in the wheel house this evening

Oh wren! Your poor ds :-(

Ds1(6) refused to do his half term homework as everyone else had gone on holiday, day trips or even the park "but I just went to holiday club again!" Can't blame him. Im either an inpatient so daddy is coping alone or im at home with no neutrophils like now and we can't go anywhere.

Wren, hope your ds (and you) are feeling a bit better now. Am sure the teacher will cope; beats being yelled at by an angry parent!

Mummy, am sure it is not that. Can't believe somebody would post that! Well done to your ds.

Biscuits, am sure it is difficult for all of you. Am lucky that the boys go to their dad's. I bet he had a good time at the holiday club really. Sending you a hug and a big kick for those neutrophils.

mummy I've been having hot flushes too (and don't start tamoxifen till tomorrow) im pretty sure it's just caused by a lack of oestrogen caused by the chemo - the same reasons your periods stop.

Worth checking with your BCN tho.

Hugs to wrens and biscuits DCs

Mummy. Wine is right, check with your BCN. When I read back my post sounds a bit dismissive and wasn't meant that way, sorry. I also didn't read it properly and thought the lady had suggested that it was a general sign and not pertinent to her- must read carefully! Am sure what wine said about hormones is probably more relevant to you.

Yes, I had horrible hot flushes just after chemo but they have pretty much stopped now. Wonder if that means my period will return soon?
27 degrees here today - trying hard to keep out of the sun but it's so nice!

Thank you ladies, I knew I would be better informed here. I will of course have a chat with my BCN. wine The lack of oestrogen makes sense. I'm glad your hot flushes have stopped wee the warm weather just seems to make them more unbearable.

Speedy Didn't find your post dismissive at all - no need to apologise

Hugs to all the poor DC who are caught up in this horrid journey.

Im starting my tamoxifen tomorrow and strangely enough really dreading it and worried about the possible side effects.

Any tips please? In particular, the best time of the day to take it.

Have got setting up appointment for rads, next Tuesday.

Wine Not everyone has nasty side effects from Tamoxifen - those who don't have any to moan about don't post that they are not moaning on forums etc. if you see what I mean. You might be super lucky, you might have some side effects - you'll just have to wait an see. I had a lot of hot flushes and night sweats to start with, but over time they have decreased in frequency and severity and are very tolerable now.
I take mine a couple of hours before bedtime.

Speedy Hot flushes are everything to do with surges of oestrogen and absolutely nothing to do with recurrent of cancer. My MO says that he expects periods to reappear about 9 months after the end of chemo. HTH

Uk - glad you can clear that up a bit for mummy and for me. I have no idea as am still doing the chemo bit. My period is late so maybe after four fec they are finally going to give in.

Thanks UK, I know I'm probably worrying unnecessarily - I just feel I could manage all the rest, chemo, surgery, rads etc, because I knew that feeling crap would pass, 10 years of tablets just seems a long long time.

onwards and upwards.

I have no side effects at all from tamoxifen and I've been on them for 4 months now. Of course I worry that means they're not working we can't win !

I have horrible hot flushes - they started when I started Tax (still had periods on FEC) and have continued whilst I take Tamoxifen - been 8 months now . I'm hoping that they are reducing a bit but am probably kididng myself - get at least a dozen a day. And haven't slept all night in all that time so it's rather wearing.

kitkat sorry to hear about the hot flushes. I have had them at night randomly for a couple of years but I think I'm peri menopausal and they are miserable.

However wine since starting tamoxifen two weeks ago I havent noticed anything different. No sweats during the day, a couple at night in all that time, but as I said that's probably normal for me and it's also very warm at the moment. I held that first tablet in my hand for a few moments before taking it, with some sort of dread wondering what it would do to me. But it's been fine, good luck. Ten years is a long time. I've been told 2-3 then 2-3 of something different if I go through the menopause soon.

My onc said to me yesterday that it is looking as though tamoxifen is as effective as chemo, so I'm taking my tablets with relish. Only one week in, no side effects yet. I was also cheered by my husband's conversation last night with a key cancer campaigner who was talking about the extraordinary level of breast cancer research now underway, with new developments all the time.

Yes to wren, don't mean to be insensitive but a lot of you are able to take tamoxifen and it will help you. Because my cancer is triple negative, I can't, and my prognosis is comensurately more negative.
Anyway 3rd last rad today, meeting with onc tonight and a day off tomorrow as the machine is having a maintenance day. And it's still sunny!

yes Wren - my onc said that Tamoxifen was more important that chemo for me (8/8 for ER).

Wee - on the other hand the chemo did next to nothing for me - so swings and roundabouts I guess.

Kitkat - didn't realise that, poor you to have all that yuck to little effect. As you say, swings and roundabouts and I hope I didn't come across badly.

of course you didn't wee .

wine get it coloured at hairdressers for the first time or two. They usually have organic dyes available. They will also be able to mix colours to get the final result you want.
I'm going back to hairdressers today because my roots are showing through. Dd2, 10, is keeping careful watch on my hair progress and advised me to get hair coloured again because she could see some grey again!!

Re sweats, I got them on Taxol. But have been fine on Tamoxifen. I did read on this site that people react differently to different brands, so if you suffer, ask to try switch brands. I take my tamoxifen when I get up, as that is time I'm least likely to forget it...

General question - how bad is it to be sun bathing 3 weeks after rads? I'm covering up the boobs, and sticking to 20/30 mins in the sun. I just can't resist it.

Thanks mom, loads of people have suggested that AFTER the event . Another tip, using a colour remover does not work, it just makes your hair go luminous blonde with a fetching orange tinge. I've given up now and am just washing it 3 times a day!

So, I've taken my first tamoxifen and am sitting here waiting for a hotty............

Hugs wee I must admit, before my journey, I always assumed there was only one type of breast cancer

Wee, I'm sorry. I did pause before writing that as I'm really aware that tamoxifen is not available for all. Next time I'll be more sensitive. I guess the comment from my onc mattered to me as I'm stage 3c, and it's the first cheerful thing she has said to me.

The hospital have come up trumps and I'm going for rads planning on Monday then I begin on 7 July. That will give me a week free before going on holiday. We'll have some horrendous traffic to contend with for the first week as the Tour de France is coming to town followed immediately by the Yorkshire Show.

mom advice from my bcn re sun bathing. She's told me to wear factor 50 over the area that will have been treated and said to take white tea towels and drape them over the area to reflect the sun and not to sit out in the hottest part of the day. Also to cover up and wear sunscreen under clothing when walking around in the sun. But she and surgeon did not say stay out of the sun completely. All sensible precautions and I'll be happy to comply. Maybe the radiotherapy nurses will be a bit stricter?

Wine I've just bumped into a doctor friend who asked how I was doing and said if tamoxifen was going to cause side effects you would know pretty much immediately so good luck with it. I take mine with breakfast.

Wine when you next try a hair dye, I don't recommend Daniel Field. I bought some hair dye plus shampoo and conditioner. Colour not very permanent, despite following instructions to keep it on for an hour. Also it is very dull - though instructions do suggest you add lemon juice to make hair more glossy. The shampoo and conditioner seem to be pretty much the same as value ranges in any supermarket/Boots but at a higher price.