Tamoxigang thread 50 with summer sun, sangria and maybe even some sand

[foofooyeah]

Welcome to thread 50 .... Yes FIFTY.
Lots of us are rising 50 so rather apt!

Nice to hear from you pickle, you have been mentioned a lot, but sorry that you have been so poorly.
speedy excellent news about the disappearing node, I can imagine finding out about the additional chemo wasn't such good news (perhaps, just a small dance routine required), but don't leg gnat dampen your spirits that you are nearly through this.
8miss sounds like you a suffering from a lot of disorganisation, and you have obviously had bad experiences previously that isn't helping. Lots of us have had the full node clearance(I don't think partial is quite the same, do you know which you need?) mostly alongside a MX or BMX. Not going to lie the after effects can drag on, I still have slightly restricted movement in that arm, but all doable. I am still confused (as you must be) about where this has spread from into your lymph nodes, if your breasts are clear - so not surprised you are wanting to get rid of everything. I sm sure your medical will need to answer ghost question for themselves, which might reassure about the health of your breasts.
curious it is what we are here for! great news and good luck.
Thanks for all the wishes and support, not much progress for my mum but her mood has improved.
I drove up and back to Gloucester from Cornwall today, for an interview. Same company, but it is the role I have been waiting to come up for a while. Bad timing but hey ho! Went okay, hope I have done enough to get to second interview. Shattered now, though.
briteside I hope you are feeling a bit better, or that the sickness has improved, at least.

Hello everyone, I am doing OK. I have't been sick since that (horrific) first day but feel very nauseous & weak. It is hard to know how much is the chemo and how much is not eating properly! I will definitely ask for Emend at my next appointment. The hardest for a control freak like me is not knowing how I will be feeling on each day. For example, I actually felt OK yesterday and even managed a walk around the block. Today I could barely find energy to stand up!

Pickle - wow - you sound like you have had a really tough experience but have come through the other side. Now take it easy and do not rush back into normal routines or work.

great, great news curious I am so pleased. Is there any follow-up appointments or treatments needed?

glad your mom's mood has improved biggerbuns and I really hope your interview went well! fingers crossed

Thanks mummy. I have had two tax and my hair was growing well so was a bit disappointed to see a nice covering over my pillow!

Buns I did do a little dance and am feeling better about it today. Penultimate one tomorrow and the end is in sight.
Glad your mum's mood has improved and fingers crossed for getting a second interview.

Briteside glad you are feeling better compared to first day. Once you have got through the first one it is easier to manage as you sort of know what to expect. I have to sit down after I walk upstairs at the moment! Hope you have more energy tomorrow.

Hurray for Pickle! I am glad you have survived, which I am sure was not easy. You have been though some tough times. I hope it gets easier.

I have a new niece to . I never thought I would live to see her born. I hope we get to know one another, as I love my other six nieces and nephews enormously.

Trice, congratulations on your new niece; lovely news. What a joy nephews and nieces are (there really ought to be a collective noun). The older ones in my family have been such a tremendous resource for my children through all this misery.

That's lovely trice congratulations on your new niece :)

Congratulations on the new addition trice.
And hello pickle - we've missed you. Glad you are on the mend now.
Miss kitty - I had node clearance on both sides 12 weeks ago now and think I'm nearly back to normal. My surgeon went in internally so no scarring on the outside but I think that was only an option as I was having a bilateral mastectomy too.
Summer holidays and three small people won't let me take it easy, but DS1 goes back to school on Wednesday. DH and I are having a rare night out to see Michael Marshall Smith at the Edinburgh book festival,so looking forward to that!

Lovely news trice. I am so looking forward to being able to babysit my twin nephews again.

Lovely news trice, I hope you get to see lots of her.
pickle welcome back and home, it sounds like you've had a dreadful time and very scary.
speedy good news and frustrating news, I'm sure you're desperate to start feeling well again. It will nearly be the last one.
miss so sorry you are fighting the system again, hope you get answers quickly, waiting is the worst thing.
briteside I hope you're feeling better today.
buns thinking of you and your mum still, I hope she continues to improve in mood.

Can I just share a little joy? Dd2 got her AS results today, I was diagnosed a week before her exams and we kept it from her until she had finished which wasn't easy. It was awful to destroy her post exam euphoria. She got AAAB and I am bursting with pride this morning.

hello all, I have been directed to you after starting a thread about chemo.

I saw my consultant yesterday, I have so far had a total hysterectomy and omentectomy. He said that I had had cancer in the womb and one ovary, which I knew. The ovary had burst during the hysterectomy, the omentum was clear of cancer. CT scan was clear.

He said I was stage 1c, there were no signs of cancer anywhere else but he advised I had chemo anyway. I have to see a chemo specialist in September.

I was hoping so much that he would say no chemo but I know I am really lucky to not have any spread. Can I join in here for support and wobbly moments?

Hi Scarlett, I'm sorry you're having to look for information and support here but you will find it. I can't help myself with chemo, but nearly everyone else on here will be able to and will be along soon. It's a very busy thread, no question too small or insignificant.

Welcome Scarlett sorry you've had to join us, but good news that the surgeries have been successful and that no spread has been found.

Most posters on here have/had breast cancer, where chemo is often given before surgery. I've had bowel cancer, stage 3c, and had the chemo after surgery. My surgeon assured me that he had removed all traces of the cancer. The chemo was just to catch any cells that might've escaped.

I was also not expecting to need chemo, it hadn't been mentioned up until that point. I hadn't been bothered by the diagnosis or the surgery but the prospect of six months of treatment is a bit grim, I know, and I did have a bit of a cry when I realised how much of an impact it would have on work, my social life etc.

But chemo is doable. You will get through it and you will hopefully have lots of good days in between the feeling ill ones. At first it seems like it will take over your whole life, but it won't. Most people are able to do 'normal' things some days of their chemo cycle. There are also lots of drugs that can be used to manage side effects, if you get any.

difficultpickle welcome back! It's lovely to hear from you but what a time you have had I'm so sorry you went through that, and your family too, and very thankful that you've made it through. I struggled going back to university, on a fairly low intensity course, a couple of months after finishing my bog standard chemo so I think you are more than justified in taking extra time. Good that your work are being so flexible, allow yourself time to heal before you consider going back. There's no point rushing into things and then burning out in a month or two :)

briteside sorry that your first chemo was so unpleasant. I hope you start to feel better soon :) personally, I found that there was a point I would reach where taking antisickness wouldn't help and I'd just throw them up, so if I felt like that I would wait and take them afterwards, which usually stopped a repeat performance. I couldn't have Emend though so hopefully this will all be irrelevant to you. It has been very effective for lots of other posters so hopefully your next cycle will be much better :) if you continue to have problems this cycle, contact your team as they should be able to either prescribe something themselves or get it from your GP before next cycle, if you need it.

trice congratulations! What lovely news :) have you met her yet? I hope you have lots of time to get to know her x

mrs Congratulations to your daughter. What wonderful results; no wonder you are a proud mum.

Just got back from chemo. Usually Sunday it all starts so will potter for a couple of days.

Welcome Scarlett. Chemo is not fun but it is doable, especially with all the wonderful advice you can get on here. I have had so much support here and am now one more chemo from the end.

Back from my appointment with my breast surgeon. It isn't as gloomy as the breast nurse made out to me on the phone. There is still a chance it's cancer but it could also be damage caused by radio iodine ablation i had for the thyroid cancer. I already have a damaged salivary gland because of that which is on the same side of my body. I've to get a few axilla lymph nodes removed for analysis. It's a day surgery but have to be there for 7.30am !

DH was given a list of house jobs i can't do for 2 weeks until my dressings come off and i'm healed.

First time i've met the surgeon and I have to say he was rather good looking ! LOL

Mrs Rhod that's great news well done to your dd

Scarlett I'm glad you've come over, please ask us anything. And share any wobbles we've all had them

Miss kitty I'm glad the news doesn't seem as bad now, though I bet you can't wait till you know for certain

Congratulations to your dd MrsRhod!

I am going to have some snuggles with the baby this morning.

I had a text last night from my neighbour asking if I had any spare tamoxifen as she had a visitor who had forgotten her drugs. I had to laugh as I have a cupboard with every drug under the sun or so it seems!

Aspirin and hormone related cancers. After reading what Amber has linked and also recent reports in the press this week I have just spoken to my BC nurse about this. The basic theoryis that there is a link between inflammation in body tissue and cancer growth, taking aspirin reduces inflammation and therefore may reduce cancer recurrence plus makes hormone therapy more effective.

There doesn't seem to have been a large conclusive study to prove this, rather several smaller ones, but it is looking very much like this may become a recommendation. May BC nurse has just said this to me and additionally said that if she were a patient she would be taking low dose aspirin, the coated type that protects the stomach, apparently it's absorbed lower down.

She was aware that this is very topical and said they haven't yet been told officially to prescribe it but was very encouraging about me taking it. I'm going to get some but also speak to my oncologist in two weeks to see if he will prescribe. She said the benefits, given my age, type of cancer, no other health issues out way the risks. Just wanted to share.

Useful feedback, Mrs: thanks. The recent (non breast cancer) studies showed benefits only kicking in after five years, but I reckon it's worth it anyway.

Trice, maybe we could start an online drugs business? I have cupboards fulll of medicines and dressings that I hope never to need. Enjoy the baby snuggles (reading that made me want to borrow a baby).

Scarlett, welcome and sorry you have to be here.

Wren, yes I think you do need to take it for a good number of years, but at 50 and only diagnosed three months ago I seem to be at about the right age to be starting this. The thing I'm not certain about is how many to take, every day or just several a week. Everyday would be better, I sometimes forget if I've had my tamoxifen with breakfast so I'd be hopeless remembering alternate days! I'll speak to the oncologist. Every little helps.

Outweigh, blimey, my mind really is giving up.

A lot to catch up on, hope I don't miss anyone out

Scarlett sorry you've had to join us here but you'll get some great advice and support.

Misskitty it sounds like you're having a rough time with all the different diagnoses but I hope you get a date for surgery soon and you can find out once and for all

Speedy it sounds like you're so close to the end now, well done :)

Mrsrhod fab news on your DDs results that's something to be really proud of

Weebarra hope you enjoyed your rare night out!

Trice congratulations on the arrival of your niece, it's so lovely to have baby snuggles

Briteside hope the SE are starting to improve

Buns good to hear your mum's mood has picked up and good luck with the job interview

Curious fantastic news that you've had the all clear you must be so relieved

Pickle wow what a time you've had but I hope you settling back into home life of and going from strength to strength.

So I had my first chemo on weds. I have to admit to shedding a tear as I watched the epirubicin go into my vein - up til then I'd felt so well and the cancer wasn't happening to me. But that point marked a turning point :(

I'm not enjoying the SE. The nausea on weds just kept building and whilst I wasn't sick I did retch several times over the loo. It kept waking me up during the night too. So like briteside I think I'm going to ask for stronger drugs next cycle

I spent most of yesterday dosing in bed and then had another dreadful night. I'm not eating much but seem to be suffering indigestion and reflux which is not great.

Had to go in for my CT scan this morning which I could have done without but it's over now. Starting to feel a bit sorry for myself at the thought of going through this another 7 tines..

We all feel your pain minty and you will get through it just like many of us have. Do ask for something for your indigestion and reflux. While the SE's aren't very nice there are lots of things to help you manage them so don't be afraid to ask. For me each cycle followed the same pattern so once you know what to expect it can be manageable.

I have just dropped my BCN a line asking her opinion on Aspirin and will also be asking advice from my Onc at my next appointment.

Congratulations Trice on the arrival of your Niece!

Well done to your DD Mrs

Hope your Mum is improving Buns such a difficult time for you on top of everything else.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Low dose aspirin is 75mg daily.

minty I found certain foods triggered indigestion. Chocolate and biscuits, spicy good were main culprits. For a day or two on each AC cycle, it seemed all food caused it. I found sucking on Foxes Glacier Mints helped.
Also, my indigestion passed after a few days, and followed similar pattern each cycle. I kept a diary of SE each cycle, so I could anticipate SEs for future cycles.

Good news is that it didn't give me any problem during Tax.

(very early) Morning!

Huge congrats to your DD mrsh and on your niece Trice, hope your mum is feeling stronger buns.

Thanks also for info about aspirin mrs

Just having a cuppa before setting off for the New Forest for a weeks, much needed holiday. It's been a bit of a year and we all need a break. I've even got my swim suit and swim boobs!!

Hope everyone has a good week, not sure if we'll have wifi but will pop in if. I can.