Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

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

992 replies

foofooyeah · 17/07/2014 18:38

Grin

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

OP posts:
malteserzz · 16/08/2014 08:38

Have a lovely time wine Smile

Minty how are you today ? Treatment does seem to be so long but honestly you'll soon start to tick them off and you will get your life back. Have you got something to watch for those sofa days ? Downton kept me occupied !

Briteside how are you today ?

I will ask about the aspirin too, no one has mentioned it to me

mrsrhodgilbert · 16/08/2014 09:24

Morning all. It will be interesting to compare the responses of our different cancer teams re aspirin. My BC nurse was very encouraging whilst my gp on Tuesday, whilst saying she was a big fan if aspirin, hadn't heard of it being used in this instance. She did ask me to speak to my oncologist though, so not totally dismissive. It's not allowed during chemo though, just in case anyone is thinking of getting some, but I'm sure you're told that.

No one told me about it malt, it was a post of Amber's plus a bit of googling, just like no one told me to get my mirena coil removed.

Wine, I hope you have a lovely week and the weather picks up a bit, it's like the middle of autumn here in Yorkshire.

Speedypenguin · 16/08/2014 09:31

Minty. Hope you Re feeling a bit better today. After the first cycle it does help to know what side effects you might get and you can manage them better. I used gaviscon to help with the indigestion and now I am on the tax I don't really get it now.

Wine have a fab time away.

Quick question. I had my chemo on thurs but went to friends last night for a meal as SE don't really kick in until tomorrow. I have just had a panicked text as she thinks her son has chicken pox. I didn't see him as he was in bed and I have had chicken pox. She also said she had miltoned the house yesterday. Do I need to be worried about getting anything?

beccajoh · 16/08/2014 14:17

Great news pickle. I think you were just going off for your transplant just as I joined this thread.

I'm doing ok. My wound is finally healing. The surgeon used the words "I think we've turned a corner". Up until now he's always been quite cautious, not negative exactly but perhaps erring on the side of caution when talking about my situation. My oncologist has said "I don't think you're going to die".

I'm also now the somewhat reluctant owner of a book entitled 'Everything you need to know to help you beat cancer' plus a list of foods that apparently have cancer-fighting properties, both given to me by friends. People seem obsessed with what I'm eating, everyone except the doctors that is. They've told me to eat well and keep my strength up.

I don't know if I'll read the book. Has anyone else read anything they've actually found helpful? My oncologist thinks my cancer is partly genetics (I've got melanoma but they're interested in the fact that my uncle had testicular cancer) and partly bad luck.

I've got an appointment with my oncologist on Monday.

If I'm not around much it's for no other reason than I don't really want to think about 'it' any more than I have to. I have to think about my illness twice a day when I take my tablets, and that's enough for me. I'm quite at peace with everything at the moment and I feel like a certain amount of normality is gradually returning to my life. I will drop in from time to time but in the mean time I wish you all well with your various treatments and procedures!

mrsrhodgilbert · 16/08/2014 16:11

Beccajoh, what lovely words to hear, hang on to them. I think you're very wise to be trying to think about this disease as little as possible. I think I'm still too consumed by it, despite saving finished treatment but like you taking the tablet every morning reminds me how fragile the future is.

The only person watching what I eat is DH, like a hawk, or so it seems. He has bought some books but I haven't read them. If I suggest red meat, bacon, alcohol or dairy his eyes narrow. None of the doctors or nurses have told me to cut anything out, moderation but not deprivation. I feel guilty enough for having this and feel I've not looked after myself properly despite being fit etc etc. but I do feel an element of bad luck is involved.

I think, hope, in two weeks when the schools go back life will get back to normal, a daily routine will be re established and I hope like you, I'll start to feel at peace.

Wren48 · 16/08/2014 20:22

Speedy, I'm no expert, but I think it extremely unlikely you have anything to fear from the chicken pox. As you say, you've had it, and even if your immune system is depressed, you will only have been exposed to a very small dose.

Lovely to hear positive news from you, Beccajoh. There is a lot of rubbish talked about cancer and diet. I think it easy to over focus on it as it is one of the few areas over which we have any control. I got fed up with unwanted advice. Also where there is evidence, it's not necessarily the same for different cancers or even different timings of cancer. For example, a talk by Breast Cancer Care I went to recently pointed out that there was some evidence linking alcohol to BC, but that once you'd had BC there was no evidence linking alcohol to a recurrence - quite the reverse in fact. She also said that even where lifestyle risk factors were known about for BC recurrence (eg exercise; bmi) they were about 150x less important than other factors.

Speedypenguin · 16/08/2014 20:55

Thanks wren. My friend was so worried but I thought it would probably be ok. Beginning to feel a bit grotty now- think an early night needed. If only I could skip the next few days! Just have to tell myself this bit is nearly over.

mintyneb · 16/08/2014 20:59

Thanks all for your concern and tips. The nausea I'd much better but I can see I'm going to suffer with indigestion - but then that's always been my downfall. Just seem to be completely exhausted and get whoozy if I try to do too much. Reminds me of when I had glandular fever. Hope I start feeling better tomorrow.

I haven't yet been given any 'helpful' advice yet from people yet but I hate the thought I could have brought this on myself :-(.

mintyneb · 16/08/2014 21:05

Too many yets! - typing on my phone. Oops

trice · 16/08/2014 22:33

I have decided that raspberries and strawberries, dark chocolate and curry are magic against cancer.( It may just be that I really like eating them.)

Also taking long walks with good friends and hugs from loved ones are terribly good for me.

I have enough pills and radiation and implants in my life. The other stuff has to be fun.

foofooyeah · 17/08/2014 09:23

Hi there, just back from a week away here I ate and drank alcohol copiously.

I also have a partner who worries more about what I eat than I do. I am trying to eat healthily as I am very overweight and my stomach looks ridiculous without breasts to distract the eye. But I have been fat for nearly 50 years so don't hold out much hope.

Lovely to hear from pickle

Start radiotherapy tomorrow!

OP posts:
malteserzz · 17/08/2014 10:09

A little bit of what you fancy does you good I say Smile

It's easy to play the blame game but it's really not helpful, I think we've just been unlucky

Wren48 · 18/08/2014 07:39

Good luck with radiotherapy today, Foofoo.

Speedypenguin · 18/08/2014 09:30

Foo foo hope rads goes well today.

weebarra · 18/08/2014 09:57

Hope rads go well for you today Foofoo!

foofooyeah · 18/08/2014 12:21

Why thank you, but I got the day wrong! It's tomorrow. Dozy mare.

OP posts:
beccajoh · 18/08/2014 13:42

Definitely unlucky! I've got skin cancer and I've never been on a sunbed and on a hot sunny day I'm most likely to be found sitting in the shade. What a bloody joke eh...

My mum is driving me crackers Angry She's trying to micro-manage everything to do with my treatment (she attended a meeting with my oncologist recently). She wants me to see X person and have X treatment and wants to know every detail of my appointments, and just a bit RAAAAARRRRR! I know she's very worried and it's her way of dealing with it all, possibly an element of guilt because skin cancer is most often caused after being sunburned as a child. No one can recall any episode of significant burning, but it's not to say it didn't happen of course... I wish she'd just back off a little bit, that's all.

malteserzz · 19/08/2014 07:47

Morning all Smile

Good luck again foo foo Grin

Becca I'm sorry your mum is driving you mad, think I would try and just nod and smile and try and ignore as much as possible

Had a lovely birthday yesterday had my hair cut and coloured and went for a curry. Bit different from last year when my hair was just starting to fall out !

Hope everyone has a good day

wineoclocktimeye · 19/08/2014 09:45

Morning from sunny Dorset Smile

Belated Happy Birthday malt.

Becca, sorry your mums driving you mad, I guess it's her way of trying to 'help'! DH was a bit like this at the start, said it made him feel less helpless about it all.

Hope everyone has a good day, hope first rads go well Foo and that you're feeling better minty

foofooyeah · 19/08/2014 14:29

Rads were fine, staff so lovely. All done and dusted by 9.30.

OP posts:
Mummywheel · 19/08/2014 17:55

Glad your rads were fine foo my rads team were fab! Smile

Just had delicious afternoon tea at Beamish Hall with SIL - need to start watching my weight. Tamoxifen + too much Cake = growing waist band Shock

Glad you had a good birthday malt

My mum drives me mad too Becca feels like an interrogation every time we speak Angry

Mummywheel · 19/08/2014 18:10

Forgot to mention that I have been in touch with BCN and she was encouraging about Aspirin (a small dose of 75mgs). It appears to have many benefits. But not good for people with stomach ulcers.

Wren48 · 20/08/2014 18:24

Hoping everyone is ok.

Are you having a good holiday, Wine? I hope Dorset is staying sunny for you. I'm off to Suffolk tomorrow, but it looks as though it will rain. A lot. Have to get all resolute and British about it I guess. Childhood memories of picnics are all about the drizzle and the thistles for me.

Malt, it sounds as though your birthday is a positive landmark given where you were this time last year. Yay to hair you can cut and colour! Smile

MomOfTwoGirls2 · 21/08/2014 13:33

Just back from hospital. Had my port-a-cath removed this morning. Yay, another step forward. It was a brilliant device, but I hope I never need one again.

weebarra · 21/08/2014 14:18

Mom, I can identify with that! It seemed like such a big step when it was removed!
It's babybarra's first birthday today - it's been some year!