TAMOXIFEN THREAD HERE ***

[MaryAnnSingleton]

Am sick of my messages never getting through - I have had 7 attempts to reply to Cakes' last post- am starting a new thread ....
this is what I wrote anyway.....

righto, this i my 7th attempt to reply on this thread - everything keeps disappearing !
My assessment is on 25th,and am told to allow two hours for it,crikey !!
Saw a lady in town yesterday who was having rads and finished at about the same time as me and she's just seen the onc. for her follow up - they are running very behind I know- so I emailed to ask about mine - I tie myself in knots in trying to be assertive yet not too needy or a nuisance - I suppose I just like to feel that everything is done in order. Am not worrying about my health -am sure breast is fine and dandy, it's more my emotional state which troubles me.
Anyway, they have made me an appointment but it's at the same time as my assessment so have emailed back and left a phone message...arghh !
Special thoughts for RWU today and of course KurriKurri - hope all ok..and of course you Cakes and Morph.

ah, I missed the Jenni Murray thing - had wanted to listen to it too..I read the piece she wrote in the Radio Times and might catch up with it on iPlayer. I guess it would have a different impact on me as I only had lumpectomy etc,so didn't have to think of not having a breast anymore.
Hope you are feeling ok sandripples - will be thinking of you tomorrow. I think you can but white tea at Sainsbury's - their own brand - plus any good health food shop, definitely Waitrose I'm sure as they have an excellent range of teas.

Hip hip hooray for Pennies' news! Well done you! So glad that the results so far are positive!

Thinking of sandripples for tomorrow. Will light a candle and send thoughts.

Respect to all of those who can listen to the Jenni Murray thing. Not for me.

I have just been for a smear. Yuk, yuk, yuk. And also ow, ow, ow, as she was NOT gentle.

The nurse at our surgery apparently has a bipolar disorder and I was told by someone at the hospital to avoid seeing her on a cloudy day. Trust me to get a cloudy day appointment. The sun has since come out

agree with the smear yuck and oww factor -am a terrible wimp about ladies things...but I do go-am always very tense ! well done for going Cakes

Good luck for tomorrow Sandripples. Got everything crossed for you.

Hi RWU - Done!
Now edit your email addy off here before you get trolls contacting you direct!

xx

i've been deleted

Just wanted to say good luck and lots of love for tomorrow Sandripples.

As suggested by KK am joining this thread.I was dx with bc in Oct 2006 but was triple negative so no tamoxifen for me.I did have chemo and rads though so please may I join in?

Just read back and want to wish you luck sandripples-just wondered if any of you are on bcc or bc pals?

welcome!

i think in the next few days we need to have a catch up of where everyone is, full story, what treatment had/ to come etc iyswim- then we all know who's had what and can direct questions to the relevant people! i'll do mine later when the kids are in bed

on the bcc boards etc- i am not, i live in blissful ignorance these days after a terrible googleing incident which left me petrified! but i know some of the others are- i think i dabbled a bit at diagnosis though

Nice to see you Pranma, you found us!

RWU - I tend towards blissful ignorance too.

How is your MIL getting on, is her surgery soon?
Good idea about the info. for everyone,- would be very helpful.

Thank-you for your good luck messages everyone. Fingers crossed there's no further weather disaster or anything.

Pranma - nice to meet you! I sort of loiter on the BCC forum and do read new posts but haven't really joined in much as yet.

Think I feel I need to know more about what I am dealing with - might join in more once I have all op-tests reults back. I have it useful to read about people's experiences but need to be able to focus more IYKWIM.

My summary of my own case is;
Diagnosed in screening on 8 Dec.
Op will be lumpectomy and some nodes to be removed tomorrow, after op was cancelled by the snow on 5 Jan.
At present consultatn thinks no more than 2cm big, and says it is invasive but he'll confirm re spread and how aggressive etc after the op. (I always get grade and stage mixed up but I think its grade 2 possibly 3 - tbc.)

Ok here's the rest of my bc story:
dx Oct 2006 following routine mammogram
had WLE and node sampling 3 weeks later
2cm Grade 2 IDC no nodes involved
triple negative
had chemo 4xFEC and 4x Taxotere
had 15 rads
lots of side effects but gradually improved
set back when I broke my leg Feb 2009!!
had 3year post op mammo and check in November 2009-NED-Whoopee!!!
Very willing to answer questions from anyone.
I am a 'need to know' person so have found sites like BCC and more especially bcpals invaluable.

Course you can join us pranma - and welcome!

Will catch up with you tomorrow, work is a bit manic today (and long may it continue as we need the cash)

sandripples- all the very best for tomorrow and the subsequent recovery, we'll all be looking forward to your return and all the gory details

getting the kids calmed down now then will get started on my 'story' it could take some time

hi pranma - welcome !!! I am on the bcc forum on and off (I am chipper)

My details:
Diagnosed end of April 2009 following a call back from my first mammogram.
WLE and sentinel node biopsy 19th May
24mm IDC with DCIS - clear nodes - ER+ so tamoxifen and 15 rads in July.
GOOD LUCK AGAIN SANDRIPPLES xxxxxxxx

Here's my details;

Diag. June 2008, after going to GP with inverted nipple.
July 2008 radical mastectomy (right side)
Sentinal Node biopsy thought to be clear at time of operation, further lab tests showed lymph nodes involved, so
Sept. 2008 lymph node removal.
Tumour was 35mm stage 3, HER2+

Chemo Oct 2008 -april 2009
4x Epirubicin + GCSF 8x CMF. Chemo 'accelerated' because I'm on a drugs trial.

Setback Feb 2009 with neutropenia, followed by shingles - delayed treatment.

15x rads.

Now half way through 1yr of herceptin treatment.

Think thats it

Oh and tamoxifen - how could I forget that

right!
dx march 2008, 4x FEC 4x Taxol, 15 rads, blood results were getting very strange so CAT scan, showed an ovarian mass, bi-lateral oophorectomy, radical double mastectomy and (dodgy) reconstruction. More radio, chemo- taxol and taxotere, spread confirmed to pelvic membranes and dx as 'life-limiting' at the end of the summer 2009.

Currently still having chemo, hormone trial stuff and swamp goo. Rads to resume second week in feb. i may have missed bits out but i think i have caught it all Treatment is going well at the moment and we are hoping to have a definate answer to continuing treatment by March 2010.

To whoever asked- mil is an arse dh is still staying with her, she claims that she is having her op on the 27th- but she is the only one who 'knows' this it could well be another one of those things she has convinced herself of!

WEll I'll provide gory details if required!! You've made me smile RWU!

Useful to read your histories as I hadn't followed all of this before. Bon courage to everyone on this thread. And thank-you. Hope to be posting again at the end of the week.

I forgot to say mine was grade 2 !

sending good vibes to sandripples riht now....

Righto here's mine (it'll be very low on jargon as i thrive on ignorance and am struggling with some of the terms used in the other descriptions)

Diagnosed march 09 following a routine mammogram (GP had failed to spot a problem despite being presented with a strangely misshapen left boob the previous Autumn ).

April - Lumpectomy via wide local excision and sentinel node biopsy - found to be stage 2, grade 2, with no spread into lymph nodes. HOWEVER, the lumpectomy also happened to take in a small local lymph node which did have some cells within it - this caused a very big argument between surgeons and oncologists as to whether this counted as spread or not. The upshot was that I was advised to have further investigative surgery, ie a level 2 lymph node clearance (ie they took another 12 nodes out).

They tested all clear. Another debate about whether I should have chemo as a belt and braces job, again because of the niggling doubt caused by that pesky little local lymph node - a decision which was left open for me, and which I opted to do.

Six cycles of FEC with GCSF each time as the breast wound had a stubborn infection. (Ick!)

Got swine flu and hospitalised in the middle of it all, but no pause in treatment. Just laods of antibiotics and Tamiflu.

15 rads in November 09, resulting in more infection, antibiotics over Christmas. Now on tamoxifen, getting onc check up this Thursday.

That's it.

Going to light my candle for sandripples now - it makes me feel better.

Sending good thoughts for Sandripples.

And good luck for thursday Cakes.