**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.

Thanks all I'm ok and in real life am not miserable or anything, but knew you would all understand.

Minty hope DD is better soon, I'm sorry about the DD who is very poorly how awful for them. Life is very unfair sometimes

I've killed the thread ! Hope everyone's ok :)

Malt I think most of us are fairly OK at present and enjoying life, fortunately. I hope it isn't because we are all too ill!
We will soon need a new thread and thread title, though at current rate of postings it may be another couple of weeks before we reach 1000 posts on this thread.

Yes hopefully it's just because everyone is getting on with stuff :)

I'm still here lurking before my breast clinic appointment on Thursday. I've been reading back through this and other threads and trying to prepare myself for what might be about to happen.

It's been a fairly rubbish week as I've been stressed about my appointment, DS threw up all over the place on Mothers Day and now our boiler at work is broken so our offices are freezing.

Hope everyone else is having a better week!

Hi malt and everyone,
All good here. I drove for the first time in 3 weeks today and my back survived the experience without giving me major grief so very pleased about that.
Just saw my manager to discuss my return to work arrangements. I haven't been there since Sept so feel a bit nervous but it's time to get stuck in again.

Will be thinking of you on Thursday scone and sending all the positive vibes I can muster.

Any further thoughts about a meet up?

Hi everyone, all good here too. I start chemo a week on Thursday, trying to muster positivity although struggling at times. I'm having 3 cycles of EC and 3 of Docetaxel. Any tips greatly appreciated. Anyone make a guess as to when my hair will start to fall out? Still waiting for a wig appointment ...

Wishing you all the best for Thursday scone.

Scone good luck for Thursday, my friend went to the clinic last week with a lump and it was a cyst :)

Marshy well done for driving, you'll be fine once you get back to work it'll soon be like you were never away !

Salhal the thought of chemo is worse than the reality, you'll be fine. My hair went just after the second chemo though I cold capped so it didn't all go. Stock up on gingery things and sweets to suck incase you feel sick or have a funny taste in your mouth. Get some easy meals in so you don't have to cook if you don't feel like it. Have you got some box sets to keep you entertained too ?

I'm still here, just grappling with tamoxifen's side effects.

I didn't even know wrists could sweat before this week.

I am still here lurking, very sore and purple still from the rads wondering if my skin will ever go back to normal. Other than that, just back to work and 'normality'

Salhal, chemo is not fun but once you get going and know what you're dealing with it will be easier. Major side effects can often be dealt with so if you're really vomiting tell yr team and they'll give you stronger anti-emetics. My hair started to go around 17 days after first chemo which was exactly what the ever-knowledgeable amberlight had told me would happen. All round my first cycle was not as bad as I had feared, and I really hope it will be the same for you.

Scone, good luck for Thursday, I've been thinking of you this week and hope it all goes well

Marshy - yay on the driving! Minty - is your daughter recovered? And waves to everyone else, any news on a meet up?

savefromrickets - how long have you been taking Tamoxifen and how bad are the hot flushes? I had a nightmare so may be able to help!!

savefromrickets - how long have you been taking Tamoxifen and how bad are the hot flushes? I had a nightmare so may be able to help!!

Just a quick question for anyone who has had expanders .... I took a tumble this morning and landed on my boob! It's really quite painful. Has anyone else done this (or just clumsy me) and have any advice / reassurance

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. It's been such a difficult week waiting for the appointment, so I'm glad it's tomorrow and the waiting is nearly over. Really hope I get some kind of info one way or the other, but trying to brace myself for a longer wait for potential biopsy results.

Hope you're ok after your tumble foofoo, that sounds sore.

I'll update tomorrow when I hopefully find something out at the clinic.

Only a week Xmas . I've got joint pain, toothache, headaches and upper half hot flushes at night (I had no idea my wrists could sweat that much)!! Short of wrapping myself in towels, what can I do?

Foo - I have no help but could you phone your breast nurse for reassurance?

Good luck, Scone.

savemefromrickets - I believe the flushes should die down within in 3 months - and if they don't you're stuck with them. I had a terrible time - including only being able to sleep for 2-3 hours at a time but my lovely consultant prescribed some meds (completely safe if you have had BC) that have got rid of 90% of the problem.

I think you need to give it a bit longer but if it continues I take Venlafaxine 37.5mg XR (has to be specifically this dose I think). I suffered for about 6 months but am so glad I got help.

Saveme, I found that the Tamoxifen hot flushes lasted about 4 weeks, I haven't had one for a while now so I'm hoping that's it. I do hope the SEs ease off for you, very tough x

saveme if things don't improve in the next few weeks, try changing brands! Sounds stupid, but I have one brand that I get on okay with, and 2 brands that I have tried that made me want to stop taking it! I know lots of ladies who have had the same issue. It's something to do with how the tablet is put together! Hope you find a brand that suits you better or that your side effects just wear off xx

I've seen lots of comments on the Breast Cancer Care Forums about different brands of the hormonal treatments having different side effects. On the whole it seems that the original and more expensive version has fewer side effects than the cheaper generic ones you usually get dispensed, so it may be worth asking your prescribing doctor to specify the original version of the drug.
I'm post menopausal and avoided the hot flushes on Tamoxifen, but the bone aches in my calves were debilitating.

I get more side effects with the more expensive brand of letrazole than the cheap one. I randomly get one or the other sort from the chemists, which is fine by me as I can't decide if more side effects means more effective or not. If that makes any sense?

I still get hot flushes and it has been 7 years for me. Just lucky I guess.

Hi Salhal, hair loss for me from day 17-22 then chopped it all off as I had a massive bald patch. It started growing back in the second cycle of Docetaxl. Now one month after last cycle it is about 1cm long in places but very sparse. Feeling absolutely knackered all the time at the moment and can barely walk any distance :-( FEC was much easier for me than tax. Side effect of the week for the first time is swollen feet, anksles, lower leg. Anny minute now I will have to buy sandals with velcro straps. Only 1 week now to surgery (bilateral mastectomy) and feeling all the old emotional rollercoaster I had just after diagnosis. Hope I get a grip soon!

Dontask, well done on getting through chemo but not so good about the swollen feet. Have you spoken to anyone about them?

Trice - 7 years of hot flushes?! You poor thing :(

Saveme, sounds like you're having a rotten time. Hopefully the wise words here will come true and the symptoms will start getting better soon.

Scone, not long to go now, just 1 more sleep. Hopefully you'll get answers either way tomorrow and hopefully they'll be the right ones

Foo sorry I can't help you but I hope you're not feeling so sore now

Elporto, sorry to hear you're still suffering the after effects of rads. Sore and purple skin doesn't sound good. How are you energy wise? Did you get hit by the fatigue that is often talked about?

Salhal, good luck with the chemo. I had EC as well for 4 cycles and then should have had 4 of paclitaxol but had to stop after 2 due to nerve damage. My hair started to fall out between cycle 1 and 2 and then I got it shaved off. It was liberating and I came to like my new look. It all feels very weird looking at myself with some hair again! I didn't bother with a wig but used scarves instead. My favourites were jersey scarves from anna bandana (look online). They look pre tied but you just pull them on, perfect for when you have to undress to be examined as you don't have to worry about re-tying them again.

Just be prepared for SE to kick in at any time. I started feeling ill within about 3 hours of having EC and felt rough for about a week. Other ladies didn't have them kick in for a few days. Just watch out for pink wee for the first 24 hours ;)

Marshy, great to hear you've been able to drive the car again. ,us the good to have some independence back

I took DD back to school again today. She really hadn't been well but seemed better (if a bit cranky!) this morning. I'm hoping the distraction of being with all her friends again helped.

I'm off to see the 'specialist pharmacist' tomorrow for my first formal herceptin review. I'm not sure what to expect but assume it will all be straightforward. finally have the dressing off my scar and it looks like it's knitted together although is not as pretty as first time round. Just waiting still for my rads appointments to come through

I'm suffering terribly from night sweats and flushes and don't even have tamoxifen to blame :(. I guess it means I really am going through the menopause.

Can't remember who said they would be happy to organise a meet up? Would be great to meet everyone

Waves to anyone I've missed

Hi all. Have been just up to my eyes in work and to be honest finding it hard to adjust to this 'new normal'!

Foo- I had a major coughing fit with my expanders and ended up very sore on one side. The muscle was stinging if I moved it but my surgeon reassured me that it should be ok. The expander did end up rolling in on itself a bit but that didn't have any effect on the overall procedure. Will you be seeing anyone soon for an inflation? If not maybe give the BCN a ring if you have one.

Good luck tomorrow Scones. Will be thinking of you.

Glad you can drive more comfortably Marshy.

Salhal. My hair started to go at a fortnight after first one. I then had it cut to something like a grade one. I stocked the freezer up well. If you do feel sick make sure you tell them; there are lots of different drugs to try.

Don't ask - I felt exactly the same after the last chemo. It took about six weeks before I could walk longer distances without getting out of puff. I also felt the same before my Bmx- it felt very emotional and I really struggled at first. It does get better though.

Saveme that doesn't sound fun. I hope it improves for you.

Minty hope the review is ok tomorrow. Mine was just telling me what they were going to do. They have changed the rules now- after the first one which was a six hour wait to check for side effects you only have to stay for 15 mins or so.

Hello to everyone else and sorry if I have missed people out. I have to go and get prepared for tomorrow which includes laminating some pictures.

Which month suits people for a meet up?

Don'task, I found the waiting to be very tough but on the day of the op I was so relieved to have the wait over with that I was almost begging for them to crack on with it. They couldn't believe I was the same person .

Sorry I am not addressing everyone else personally but I can't type a message and scroll up to see who said what on this phone, and I can't remember who has commented! Thanks everyone for the tamoxifen advice, I shall bear it in mind.