**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.

Don't feel fraudulent. Breast cancer is the big scary disease that all women are conditioned to dread. You are worried that you might have it, of course you're frightened. A doctor has taken your concerns seriously so you're doubly frightened. It's still far more likely to be innocent than not.

But if its not there are lots of treatments and its not the end of the world. I hope you don't have to immerse yourself in it but if it does turn out that way you will be amazed at how quickly thing get moving and how good the outcomes are. But keep telling yourself its probably nothing.

Hi Scone, wise words from many on here. I'm one of the oldies, diagnosed more than four years ago and not here very much, but I have a read when I can.
Things I learned: Google really is rubbish and filled with total nonsense, even from seeming experts. 9 out of 10 lumps aren't cancer (as has already been said). And even if it is, you can't die from breast cancer itself when it's in the breast or armpit. It'd have to have gotten into vital organs after years of growing...AND be so extraordinarily aggressive that the teams can't stop it with chemo, targeted drugs, radiotherapy, radio ablation, targeted radiotherapy, combination therapy or anything else. Of which they normally have at least five different sorts available for worst-case scenarios, one after the other. You'd know if you were about to cop it in the next few months, because you'd already be in hospital in a dire state. So we can be pretty sure this is early-stage.

These days, breast cancer is a nuisance , but rarely a killer. The treatment for it is not cheery, but it's doable. And 19 out of every 20 women with breast cancer will now go on to live a normal length of life (they reckon on the standard new statistics). So...although it won't stop your brain doing the full "...but what if the unlucky one really is me!" thing, I can tell you that EVEN if it's got into other eek places, treatment for that is also very good now. And there's new treatments being trialled absolutely all the time. We're normally talking years of life for nearly everyone with even very advanced cancer, not weeks or months.
Enjoy Mothers Day, confident as you can be that you will see plenty more, whatever happens.

Hurrah for Amberlight who cheers us all up with her information! Many thanks as usual for dispelling some of our dark thoughts.

Thanks amberlight, that info really puts things into perspective. I know googling is bad, but for some reason I can't seem to stop trying to find things to read to prepare myself for the worst. I'm at work today with loads to do, but instead I have locked myself into my office to speak to the Breast Cancer Care lady on the phone, and spent the morning reading MN threads on lumps and diagnosis. I know this isn't helpful.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my aunt was diagnosed with BC when she was about my age. This was 30 years ago, and although I was quite small I know that she was not taken seriously by the GP until the situation was really dire. The BC spread to bones and brain and she died in her early 40s. Worst of all (perhaps?) was that she was at home for the last few weeks/months, so my cousins aged around 14 and 12 were watching her dying at home. I remember the funeral being just heartbreaking.

Of course my situation is different. I don't know what I have, apart from one inflamed bit of armpit. If it is cancer, treatments are great and it's probably going to be diagnosed quickly given that I only noticed a lump on Wednesday night and have an appointment for next week.

I'm scared for my DS (aged 5) but trying not to be.

I think it's the fact that it's an armpit that scares me most. From reading things, it sounds like that means it could already be cancer from the breast (too small to feel) which has spread to the lymph nodes before I realised.

Or maybe it's just a swollen lymph node. I am not unwell at the moment, but have been very unwell for the last 6 months with an ongoing dental infection which required 8 courses of antibiotics and a tooth extraction. I'm still having treatment to have a dental implant put in, so was on antibiotics again just last month when I had the implant drilled into the jawbone. Ironically, I feel better in myself than I have done since the autumn, so I don't know why a lymph node would flare up now. So of course I am thinking the worst.

I really appreciate all your facts and stories and interactions: it's really helping a lot.

Lovely to see you amber

scone it's horrible to feel so worried. We know what that's like. Listen to what amber is saying. You will feel better than you do now. Another hug for you.

Hi scone I too have been around for a while. Pop on now and again.

Try not to worry too much until you know you have something to worry about. The worst it is what you are going through now, the not knowing and uncertainty.
Breast cancer will not make you feel ill. The stuff that makes you feel ill is the treatment of it.

If it helps I had all my lymph nodes removed last year as cancer was there .... I have just done a 5 day boot camp and feel great.

Just read your last post scone. There are a number of us here, myself included, who have had swollen lymph nodes in the armpit which turned out to be cancer free and unrelated to breast issues. Very worrying at the time of course. Having this kind of health scare can make you super vigilant about any ache or pain and convinced in means imminent doom! It rarely does.
Things are very different now than when your poor aunt was going through this.
Hang in there. Be kind to yourself.

It sounds like your teeth trouble could be a possible cause of swollen nodes scone. Sometimes there just isn't an explanation for them. I hope you're feeling a bit more reassured.

In other news, since my period returned yesterday after 7 months I've been feeling rotten. I even phoned the gp this morning as bloodless is epic,(sorry) and they're going to call me back later to check on me. She mentioned coming out to check my blood pressure, a possible scan and getting drugs from the hospital pharmacy because all she has is hormonal and I can't have that. Joy.

I hope this is sorted by Monday evening. We're going to see Michael McIntyre doing a practice show for his forthcoming tour. I don't want to be getting up and down to the ladies throughout. We're on row 8, can you imagine the abuse I'd get?

Hope you feel better soon, mrsrhod, that sounds nasty.

Strangely, the long term survival statistics from breast + armpit lymph nodes aren't much different from just breast. The lymph nodes are there to catch stray cancer cells, so it's a sign of them doing their job, really. If that helps, Scone.

mrs that sounds like fun. I was prescribed tranexamic acid (I think thats what ut was called) by the hospital for bleeding after the hysteroscopy. I didn't need to take it as it happens but I think it's a standard treatment and non hormonal. You definitely don't want to be in the spotlight exiting from row 8!

I'm already taking the tranexamic acid marshy, I used to have it years ago pre mirena coil and my gp gave me more last summer along with the tamoxifen, in case this happened when i had the coil removed. It's just not coping with it. Dr has just called, I'm going down for an examination shortly, lovely!! They want to make sure I'll be ok over the weekend.

Oh dear, sorry to hear that. Hope they come up with something.

Oh mrsr that sounds a it grim. I had hideous periods BC became very very anaemic. Glad they are taking it seriously.

Yes they seem to be taking it seriously. I too had horrendous periods and awful iron levels, hair falling out, hence the mirena. Don't want to go back to that again. My gp last year mentioned being able to stop them altogether if they become troublesome again. I'll be asking about that, different dr today though. Strangely the one who delivered dd1 21 years ago, I doubt he'll remember.

mrs sorry to hear about your period from hell. It's exactly what I had when mine came back. I did end up being anaemic and am now on Iron tablets, with all the joys they bring! Mine was majorly heavy for about 3 days. I was soaking through a tampon and a towel in under 30mins. Made for a very interesting school run! I ended up buying Tena Lady super plus towels, a memorable thing to purchase on my 40th birthday I can laugh about it now. But in all honesty the towels at least let me carry on with everyday life even if I felt like I was wearing a nappy!

My next period was heavy but no way near the same, so I hope that makes you feel a bit better. Also just a warning it may not happen for you, but just in case. Don't be surprised if you get some serious clots at the end of your period. I was shocked at the size of some of them. But I suppose no periods for a year I had a lot to make up for! It was a very memorable 40th just not quite for the right reasons.

Hope you feel better soon.

Oh thank you for that. The tranexamic acid does seem to be working now, it's slowed down a lot. Are you taking tamoxifen too and if so have your periods returned properly?

He examined me and thinks I might have fibroids, although they usually shrink with tamoxifen. I'm going for a scan, apart from that he wasn't very informative. He did mention maybe changing the tamoxifen if this was going to be an issue but I don't like the sound of that, it's suited me well so far.

I did consider tena lady this morning! A very memorable 40th indeed. We're having an anniversary night away in a few weeks, I want this sorting.

Hi mrs I have had two periods since having nothing for over a year. Yes I am taking Tamoxifen. I had a scan which showed a thickening to the womb lining and a fibroid, and an ovarian cyst. None of which they seemed that concerned about. But I am due to have a Hysteroscopy in a few weeks just to check it out properly.

As for whether my periods are back properly?! Who knows, I am due on again this Monday....so watch this space! Hope things improve for you soon xx

Just wanted to say thank you again lovebeing, for your help yesterday. I've just re read the last few pages and it looks as if you and I may have similar things going on. Gp definitely mentioned womb thickening and possible fibroids. I was in a bit of a fog yesterday and not remembering your original post properly. It was good to read they think it is within normal boundaries and hopefully nothing to worry about. I've been looking up hysteroscopies, just in case that is mentioned. Sorry I was being a bit dense.

Things are much better today, tranexamic acid working well.

Good to hear things are settling down mrs

scone hope you are ok today

I've been into town with dh and ds this morning for a potter around the shops. It was nice to sit and have a cup of coffee without being in pain.

I'm officially back at work fro Monday but taking some accrued annual leave and working from home so part of phased return. Was beginning to wonder if I would ever get back.

Wishing everyone a good weekend and a nice day tomorrow

Glad you're feeling better today mrs. And thanks, Marshy, I am feeling a little less panicky today. I've been having a low key day with DS and have been at a birthday party with friends to chat to all afternoon. Helps to take my mind off the waiting. Hope everyone has a nice day tomorrow and is duly spoiled.

Happy Mothers Day to all of you mums.I find days like this hard now as I always wonder how many Ill be around for and think how sad my children will be on future Mothers Days but will try to enjoy the day anyway

Aw malt it's hard not to have those kinds of thoughts. I hope you can put them to one side and have a nice time.

Oh malt, sorry to hear that. I hope you are enjoying the day though.

My DD is coming down with something :(. She's totally off her food and is currently fast asleep on the sofa. She's so rarely ill that I'm quite worried (although it will just be one of those bugs doing the rounds). It's not helped by there being a poor lady over on the children's health board whose 20 year old DD (who also has CF like my DD) has just been taken off the lung transplant list and has been told she's only got weeks left to live. I can't bear the thought of DD not being around.

But on the positive side I'm not lifting a finger around the house today so I should be thankful for small mercies

I've had a mixed Mother's Day so far. DS2.was back and I spoke to DS1 on very bad Skype. Done loads of washing, ironing, prepared/cooked most of lunch. DH now gone to see MIL in nursing home (2 hours drive) and DS2 is about to go back to university (2 hours in other direction), so I am in for a quiet afternoon/evening. Plenty more ironing to do!
Malt we don't know the future so all we can do is enjoy the present. I shall be anxious again next month as I have another scan then, the day before DS1 returns to live/work in the UK after 3.5 years so I shall need to balance the good and (only possibly) bad.