**Tamoxigang thread 51**... no more sangria, but maybe some mulled wine!

[MarthaCostello]

Hello all,

The old thread has nearly run out so I hope no one minds me making a new one. And am I allowed to mention the Big C... Christmas?! our last thread was started in July so I reckon this one might take us into December.

In honour of that, I will lay out some mulled wine, mince pies and I have wrapped myself in tinsel.

A warm welcome to jomidmum, but sorry you've had to join us. No one wants to be in this club, but this thread is a rather nice place to be. Wishing you a speedy recovery from your op, and hoping the pain eases soon.

Massive hugs to beccajoh

A big yippee for Marshy, what utterly fantastic news.

Sitting on the paranoia box for ConsiderablyBiggerBuns, I hope your MRI results are good - when will you hear?

Waving and sending love to everyone else.

I wonder if seeing as we are on a new thread, it might be worth just giving a bit of history for new posters? I will put mine anyway, and then others can if they want to. I am coming up to two years since my bowel cancer diagnosis (grade 2, stage 3c, T2N2M0R0). I had major bowel surgery and six months of chemo.

I will share it with the damsels now firethorne. There are lots of us there thinking of you and your family, Becca was a big part of our online community and she will be missed and remembered. Xx

I hope the regular ladies on here don't mind me posting this, I am so sorry James. I knew Becca through the Handbag wedding forums years ago when we discussed our weddings, and I met her at a meet in London in, I think, 2007. I am so sorry for your loss, and thinking of you and your children.

Lovely though also very sad to see a photo of Becca thank you James. Of course we don't mind anyone posting here, you're more than welcome.

How is everyone today ? I'm working almost full time this week so busy both with end of term concerts, parties etc and getting ready for Christmas and holiday. But not complaining as it's much better than the state I was in this time last year x

Good morning malt bit bored at work if I am honest, would much rather be at home where I have a ton of things to do.

firethorn Lovely picture of becca. will be thinking of you on the day.

Welcome to gilly and cleanasawhistle Good luck with your Op this week whistle.

I'm at work (quiet here) until Thursday. DS1 has just told me that he is currently on strong antibiotics for a bacterial infection - possibly e-coli! He is returning from his developing country on t'other side of world at the weekend. I've checked with my oncology ward - nurses just said to go for strict hygiene regime (impossible in house with three men). He's booked in with the GP next week to see how he is (probably going to have to provide sample ... yeurk!)
I was hoping he would help with the cooking, but I've rather gone off that idea ...

Morning all,

James, what a lovely photo of Becca. I'm miles away from you so won't be there but will be thinking of you on the day. I hope you are all doing as well as you can be.

Speedy and elporto, are you are feeling ok today? I saw my counsellor for the 2nd time on Friday and cried a lot, though not as much as the first time (as mummy wheel predicted). I do feel less tearful generally so that's good. I went for my gp review appt this morning and discovered I was supposed to have been there on Friday - oops! Felt bad for messing them around but just got it wrong!

Foo and malt I hope you manage to squeeze the time in for Christmas prep. I'm gliding through it with things still to be done and very little excuse for not having done them!

Lily, my daughter was back from Morocco yesterday and it's so fab to have her home. I bet your looking forward to seeing your ds, though maybe not the bugs as well!

Gotta dash - have an opticians appt. Hopefully got the right day!

Hi all.

Am feeling a bit more together the last few days thanks marshy. I guess it's just ups and downs. Glad you are feeling less tearful and counselling is helping. Visit to oncologist tomorrow and I have an big list of questions. Looking forward to Christmas though, even though I won't have boys Xmas day.

Lovely photo James. Sorry I am too far away to be there but will be thinking of you all.

Hope you get through the manic last week of term Malt. I am enjoying being there for some of those things. Have decided to go without scarf or hat and last years class just commented that I had had my hair cut .

Lily- hope your son gets better soon. I don't think I would want him near the cooking either!

Good luck with your op Whistle.

Roger- was meaning to post about your delayed mammogram. That's a pain you had a wasted journey but at least it should be more comfortable after Xmas.

Hope you get all your Xmas prep done Foo.

I haven't been on this thread for more than a week.

James, I'm so very sorry to heard about Becca. She was in my thoughts since her last post. My sincere condolences to you, the children and Becca's family. And thank you for sharing this sad news with us.

I am so sorry to hear the sad news about Becca, my thoughts are with you and your children James. xx

I seem to have spent almost every day of the last two weeks at the hospital. Today the decision was made to go with chemo first. My first round will be on Friday. I have to have a line put in on Wednesday and am sick with nerves.

Had a CT scan today and they didn't warn me there would be a needle and a drip in my arm during the scan. So I had a panic and almost bottled it. I hadn't taken anyone with me; everyone I would ask was busy anyhow.

Afterwards I sat outside feeling hot and faint with my arm out stiff 'til they could come take the thing out. Luckily I hadn't eaten so I wasn't sick. No idea how I'm going to cope with a line sticking out of my arm for the next few months! And there's no-one I can ask to come with me for that either :(

firethorn/james I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. xxx

Thank you Speedy.

Thinking of you Gilly x and everyone x

Right ,so my operation is on Thursday...I think I am starting with a cold...it won't get cancelled will it ??

I believe it will only get cancelled if you get a temperature. I would say not to take echinacea though as apparently it's not recommended before surgery. I got a little cold before mine and opted for vit c and wine which worked well. Cheers

I took arnica after the op and I healed brilliantly.

Shame I have to go through it all again as the surgeon has now recommended a mastectomy. Anyone else picking new boobs for Xmas?

Clean - my oophrectomy was cancelled a few weeks ago as I had the beginnings of a cold and a slightly raised temp. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Thank you both for the replies,just feeling slightly off tonight and now I'm worried.I have a dentist appointment at 9am tomorow too...I just can't be bothered with all this.

Save so sorry that you have to have more surgery,take care x

Gilly I'm sorry to hear about your day :( did you tell them you were worried and did they offer anything to help ? Do you have to have a line if you don't want one could you not just have a cannula in your hand for the time it takes to go in ?

Clean I hope your cold comes to nothing

Firethorn/James, I'm another Damsel, and will be thinking about you all on Thursday.

Hello All,
james what a beautiful photo of Becca, so young, what a ridiculous waste, I hope you are coping.
gilly I was incredibly nervous about having my picc line in and it was actually very painless, what is a pain is then having to wrap your arm in cling film for the next 3 months every time you have a shower but, in my opinion, so worth it for the ease of administering chemo drugs. Do lay off using a ball thrower, I managed to dislodge mine and ended up with a numb arm.
Good luck to everyone with pre-Christmas rush. I stopped work on Friday, to give myself 3 weeks before returning to work properly on 7th January. Got a mountain of things to do and could do without the hour and a half round trip to hospital for rads, still, nearly finished. Last rads is next Monday - yeah!
Thinking if all of you still having treatment and surgery planned before Christmas, hoping you are well enough to have a nice time.
clean I had a little cold before my BMX, I think it is temperatures they are worried about.
Festive hugs all round.

RIP Becca. Much love to your beautiful babies.

I hope you all don't mind me posting. James, Becca was part of a long running group of us on here who had babies due in January 2013. I have shared your link with the other ladies in the group, I hope that's ok. Please take care of yourself, we are all thinking of you and your beautiful babies.

Gilly I had a PICC line in and it made such a difference. I thought it would be horrible when they did it but it wasn't that bad at all and it saved having to have a needle every time I had chemo. They will also take blood from there and if you need antibiotics put them in there's as well. Hoping everything goes well this week for you.

Clean hope you have kept the bugs away.

Save. Sorry you have to have another op. I am currently expanding my new boobs at the moment. Are you having immediate reconstruction or will you have to wait for a bit?

I now have two poorly boys at home. One who is desperate to get better for a trip tomorrow and the other who has parties. Am hoping it all goes away quickly.

James so, so sorry to hear about Becca, I hope the funeral goes as well as it can tomorrow. Love to you all.

Been away from here for a while organising Christmas before my first tax and herceptin on Thursday. Wrapping up all the presents tomorrow and then bring it on...(Chemo and Christmas both).

Elporto you inspired me to go to DH's work Christmas party in a scarf..Glad you are feeling better x

Hoping everyone is coping well as can be xx

James, thank you for sharing the photo of Becca, what a beautiful lady. Cancer is so cruel to have taken away someone so young. I can't believe I live just a few miles away from the church but unfortunately I have a hospital appt on Thursday morning so won't be able to come to the funeral. I sincerely hope that it goes as well as it can do. I will be thinking of you

I've been feeling pretty fed up the last few days, too long and boring to go into but yesterday I went into London for my company's end of year meeting and Christmas do. It was going to be quite a boozy do going on well into the evening but even though I wasn't planning on drinking I had gone and got myself a long blond wig (more for a joke than anything!) false eyelashes and new make up ready to make the most of my battered body.

In the afternoon there was to be a 'treasure hunt' around Soho but in the guise of thinking of me, they hadn't allocated me to a team because they didn't think I would be up to it. 'Perhaps I could go Christmas shopping instead?' I know they were only trying to do right by me but right now I just want to be normal and treated the same as everyone else. So in an emotional fragile state I decided to jack the whole thing and went home and had a good cry!

Cleanas, hope you're feeling ok and saveme, sorry to hear you have to have more surgery :(. I saw my surgeon on Friday and it looks like I'll be having my op in the new year, possibly the 8th. I'm meant to be having a herceptin jab that day, don't know if the two things ideally want to be had at the same time....

Hi James - I also knew Becca through another forum. We were all devastated to hear the sad news. You and your lovely children are very much in our thoughts.

I live not far from you, so if it's ok I would like to come on Thursday on behalf of the members of the other forum.
Lucy

Thanks Lilymaid for pointing me to this thread. I Just completed 3 rounds of FEC and had my first Docetaxel cycle last wed. I coped really well with the FEC but this Docetaxel cycle has reduced me to tears on many occasions due to the leg pain/fatigue/oral thrush.

Just wondering if anyone else is going through this and would like to share/bounce ideas of each on how to get through it.

Xxx