**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.

Salhal, I've also worked throughout treatment (started in August last year) but would agree with lily that it's pretty hard to work the first week after chemo.

Looking back over my sick record, I took on average a week off sick for each cycle. I then had 6 days off to recover from my recent surgery (op was on a Thursday so I had the Friday and the following week off)

Fortunately I work only a 5 minute drive from home and being in IT as well, means that I can work from home too. Just watch out for chemo brain though (a well recognised side effect) that can affect your short term memory, ability to understand any sort of business email that would normally be straightforward and your general ability to keep up with what's going on around you! I would (and still do) regularly get half way through a sentence and am not be able to remember the next word I wanted to say.

Speedy, I forgot to comment on your herceptin. I'm sorry to hear that your heart doesn't seem to like it :(. Hopefully the 4 that you've had will go some way towards keeping the nastiness away, I'm sure I read somewhere that in some places the course of injections is only for 6 months not 12 so surely some is better than none?

I just had my 5th jab this morning but won't be getting my next heart scan for another 6 weeks so I'm hoping I'm going to be ok.

Thanks Minty. Am sure your heart will be fine. I had more regular echos as before I started Heceptin my heart wasn't happy ( a lovely effect of chemo they think). The tablets I am taking help though. My onc said that in some countries they only get three lots from the research they have done so at least I got four in.
Sorry you get stiff and achy too.

Flipping heck, I've still got bloody baby brain so add chemo brain to that and I am doomed!

Haha! You're in for many hours of confusion :). Said in jest of course, no one would wish any chemo side effect on anyone. hopefully it won't be too bad or at least bearable for you.

Speedy, I'm sure I'll be fine. My body is standing up well to the important side effects of treatment it's just the crappy (but not life threatening) bits that it's struggling with.

Quick dash past - forgive seeming rudeness - autism training day so brain dead - Herceptin - I had four. My Onc was top one in country and was happy with that. There's no evidence at all to say that four is not enough.
Chemo - worked all the way through it. Only occasional day off. Everyone has body chemistry that is different so mine didn't mind chemo. Others will be hammered by it. Mine was hammered by Herceptin instead, which is normally a very mild drug. See how you go.

Hi all,
I haven't been around for a while but I do keep up with the thread regularly.
Sorry to see new people here but also lots of great advice, information and support around, as always.
I'm still off work til beginning of March. Counselling and meds are helping and I'm not crying half so much now, so that's good.
lily I've posted on the other thread about contributing for Becca.
Good wishes and positive vibes for all

Well, thank god its Friday!

Just on the working front while on chemo, I worked 4 hours a day from home whilst doing FEC. Didn't work at all during Docetaxol (probably could have but chose not to).

I have just added Vitamin D to my list of supplements so now I take
Cucurmin
Lactoferrin
Tamoxifen
Vit D
Evening Primrose Oil

all washed down with a Vit C drink!

Ironically have never looked after myself so well.

Marshy, good to hear you are finding the counselling and meds helpful and that you're getting a bit more back to 'normal'

Foofoo, I agree - yeah for Friday! Not that I have much planned for the weekend. I could probably do with looking after myself a bit more, I'm impressed with your list.

So I went to see the radiotherapy team this morning and I've got to have 5 booster sessions after the usual 15. Just wondered if anyone else had these and whether they caused any extra problems or is it just more of the same? Not worried - yet - just trying to get prepared

Minty I had 15 sessions then 5 boosters, though they didn't tell me till last minute which worried me ! They said that it was due to my age and the node involvement, just to be certain I guess. I had rads to my clavicle too. I did get red burnt skin by the end but if wasn't painful just had to have gel and dressings till it healed - which it did within a few weeks of stopping.

Minty - hope the radiotherapy goes ok. Not much help from me on your query as I didn't have this. Everything has the potential to be worrying though doesn't it. No doubt they are just being thorough. There are people on the thread who have used various creams which have helped with skin care. Do you know about those? I cant remember the detail but I'm sure there will be someone here who does.

The counselling has been great. Gp referred me to local nhs psychology services initially but they have a huge waiting list and suggested going through Macmillan. So I rang the number the gp gave me, which was the local Relate service as they provide the counselling on behalf of Macmillan and got my first appointment within the week. It's open ended and fully funded. I feel very fortunate to have this. It's a fantastic service.

Have also booked myself a private physio assessment for Monday morning as my back is still painful and I need to get it sorted before going back to work.

Foo - I love Friday, best day of the week. That's an impressive list. I haven't done any of that cos I get hung up on how much, how often, etc etc. I can think myself into a state of complete indecision.

My friday night is just me and the cat in front of the fire. The boys in my house are out and dd not due back from uni for a few weeks yet.

Wishing everyone a good weekend.

DH is out, DD just gone to bed so my Friday night is a microwave curry and a large glass of red (would have been a beer but discovered DH must have had the last one during the week!) :)

Thanks malt and marshy. Gosh malt that must have been a shock to be told to come back again after the 3 weeks was up! And sorry to hear you got burned but glad that it DOES heal. I was also told that because I am under 50 and had a WLE (clear nodes fortunately), the cancer is more likely to come back in the same place so they want to be extra careful.

Marshy I remember people talking about moo goo so will try and look into that. I'm not due to start rads until 23rd February due to a potential complication from surgery (have to have a mammo on 17th just 6 weeks after my op - ouch! ) but in theory should definitely be done by Easter :)

Glad to hear the counselling has been good. I think I will book myself in for some when I've finished treatment, I've been told there isn't a long waiting list at my hospital

Happy Friday eve to everyone else :)

I think - and I may be wrong - that they tend to do the extra Rad boosters if you gave had a WLE. I don't think you have them if you have had a mastectomy.

Up early foo?

That's not always the case foo, I had WLE and 15 rads sessions last year. No mention of boosters at all, I've only heard of them on this site actually. I'm pleased I didn't have to have extra, I was in considerable pain after my 15, guess we all react differently.

I have been under observation with a 2nd swollen lymph node since October which has been causing me a good deal of anxiety. Last week I had another scan and they have decided it is nothing to worry about. Phew. I had worked myself up into quite a state, not least because all staff were being very cagey about telling me anything. I'm looking forward to a couple of months free of hospitals now, although I'll be due a mammogram April/May and consultant appt in April.

Has anyone booked any holidays for this year? Although we went away immediately after rads last year, it was pre booked. This year, partly due to worry over my swollen node, I am feeling a bit hesitant to commit to anything.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Mrs that's horrible to have all that ongoing worry. Good that it's looking ok now.

We were supposed to be going to see dss in Tanzania. He's on 2 year contract which ends this summer so if we don't go at Easter, we won't be going at all. I don't know if I'm up to such an adventure, what with all the adventures I've had with my health over the last 18 months. Still deciding....

Mrs glad they've decided it's ok

I've got my first mammogram on Friday if that's ok might think about booking something for the summer, I do miss the carefree planning and booking of holidays in advance

Also have an appointment at the lymphodema clinic this week, I think I have it mildly nothing is visible but when I wear a bracelet I get indentations so thought I ought to get checked out

I am having a spa break at the moment (not far from MrsHod whom I am not stalking!). Last year we had a plan to go to the Far East as DS1 is out there on a 2 year contract. Let's say that the Onc's jaw dropped somewhat when I announced that we might go to Borneo! In the end DS1 decided to come back to Europe and we went to Lake Garda which was fab.
This year we are UK only so I can have a good uninterrupted period on oral chemo and as Onc wants me in reach of an NHS hospital. So we are off to Orkney ( checked it has a hospital), Cumbria and Yorkshire (for a singing course). DS1 will be back in the UK (probably) and working down the road from my office unless he takes up another job offer in Southern Africa so no need to travel abroad for him unless he takes that offer.
Good to see the Woolly Hug for Beccajoh has really taken off! I've donated but not got the knitting needles out yet.

Have you been down at the Royal Baths lily? I've never been despite living here for 30 years.

Holiday planning doesn't have the same pleasure as usual at the moment. I will have mammograms every April/May for the next 5 years too which is not the best time of year for booking in advance. I know, I'm moaning, but it all adds to the list of things that could go wrong. I should count my blessings. Cumbria and Yorkshire sounds lovely, I quite fancy Bath. Just me and DH, girls old enough to look after themselves for a few days. But much more of this cold weather and I'll be seeking out somewhere hot.

No holiday plans here as yet. We've got to work around school holidays with DD being at primary school and the costs are just exorbitant... Hopefully we'll have a week away somewhere but are saving up for a decent holiday this time next year ish as I will have finished all my herceptin. Don't feel like 'celebrating' until the active treatment is over.

Mrs that's great news about your lymph node. Hopefully you can put it to the back of your mind and not worry about things until at least it's time for your mammo.

Marshy a trip to Tanzania would be great but I can understand the reluctance to get excited about planning it. Maybe it would be good to get away from all the worries here.

Malt, good luck with your appointments this week. Hope they can offer you some help with the swelling and that you don't have to wait long for the mammo results

Lily, hope you're enjoying your spa break, sounds wonderful! And the holiday plans sound great, especially if you get good weather. There are some truly beautiful places in the uk.

So I've just been talking to my DM (75 yo - age is important) and she asked how my appointment went with the rads team ME: I've got to have 4 weeks treatment. DM: so the usual then. ME: no usually it's 3 weeks but because I'm under 50 and the type of tumour I've had I've got to have an extra week of boosters as there's a strong chance the cancer could come back. DM yes my friends all had the month of treatment. Aaaarggh! She later commented on the fact I sounded bright and cheery.... Just wish we had a closer relationship and I could tell her how I really felt. Still that's where you lovely ladies come in :)

Hope you've all had a good weekend. I'm waiting for my woolly parcel to arrive and will go and dig out my needles

Not tried Royal Baths but DH recommends Turkish Baths (is that different) as he went there whilst I was at a conference last year. Not staying in your town MrsHod but at hotel nearby though will be meeting a friend for dinner there tomorrow.
Bath is fab - stayed there at this time 2 years ago (in those innocent pre-diagnosis days) and we were in the outdoor pool at Thermae on a cold Feb day. Afternoon tea at the Royal Crescent Hotel also one of many highlights!
Nowadays I get DH to do the bookings so he can claim on the insurance if we have to cancel (happily that's not happened so far).

It's the same thing lily. Hope you have an enjoyable dinner tomorrow, lots of lovely restaurants to choose from.

minty hugs .... your mum sounds a bit like mine. It's frustrating. When I mentioned my boobs were higher now reconstructed she said "oh so it's all been worthwhile" ummmm no, would rather not have had cancer !

We haven't booked a holiday, I wanted to go to Venice for my birthday this month but sadly have no funds. Planning on July somewhere ...possibly Cyprus.

Morning all. A quick dash in. Had to be up early to eat breakfast before my op later- having expanders out and implants in. Really don't like the general anaesthetic thing but on the last stretch now. Hopefully this will be a much more quick recovery. Haven't been told anything about exercises this time so will just start with the gentle ones like last time.

Hope everyone ok.

Good luck speedy hope it goes well

Good luck speedy :)