**TAMOXIFEN** 4th thread

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

yes, good point SR - I have saved money !!
My dad lost his specs overboard sailing on holiday and had to go to a specsavers and order some emergency ones - he apparently chose some nice ones which came from the children's section (he hadn't realised) so they're called his kiddy glasses.

Well MAS I'm not sure this is a good idea, but what about a brilliant pair of prescription sunglasses, if you're feeling like indulging yourself?

I got a brilliant pair of big old designer sunglasses but the optician managed to replace the lenses with tinted prescription ones and I love them. They're a little bit WAG like mind, but I'm thinking they'll look good this summer once my eyebrows and lashes go. I'm hoping for the 70's filmstar look

at Cakes' DD!

All this walking and sitting in the garden sounds lovely, if it stays warm I'll go out and potter in the greenhouse after my tea. Its good to hear people are doing well, and able to enjoy the weather. I am of your recliner Smee - it sounds great.

I went to a talk by a physiotherapist at the Big 'C' centre this afternoon. Mostly about exercise and coping with fatigue and sleep problems. It was very interesting. I picked up a leaflet for a healthy walks club, which I will go along to. I also met a really nice woman, who is on herceptin like me, and we went for a coffee and chat afterwards.

My DD has managed to find a house for next year, which is a relief as it was getting a bit late in the day (and apparently I was flapping about it, and needed to stop getting my knickers in a twist ).

I'm glad your DS is feeling better MAS, I think there are a lot of bugs doing the rounds at the moment.

Love to all (smile)

Wubbly - your sunspecs sound fab - there's a vintage (overpriced !) shop in town which has cool old sunglasses and the thought had crossed my mind !
KK - glad to hear that your dd has a house for next yr..mothers are meant to get their knickers in a twist I think ! Healthy walks club sounds nice and glad you have met a nice lady too
ds full of beans, bit snuffly and sneezy and grumpy, but I put the grumpy down to his being nearly 13 !

Cakes, your mishear made me laugh. Though if you'd heard correctly, am sure running over pillocks must be allowed when you have cancer. Don't we get some sort of dispensation?!

My recliner's yet to arrive Kurri - it's taken on almost mythical proportions in our house. Have decided there may well be a few benefits of cancer after all, as have been after one for years. Am wondering what else I should start yearning for.

Glad about your daughter too. That's a relief then. Must be hard when they leave home. Am sure I'll be a wreck when it's my turn.

SR I think you were showing off with your body boarding. I feel like a right ol' slacker now. Am trying to talk myself into swimming tomorrow. Might have to enlist a friend to make me do it.

wubbly I hadn't thought as far as the lashes. Big damn. Thank gawd for large shades then. DS stole some cheapo ones of mine to dress up in, but I always loved them. I will steal them back pronto.

MAS, hope the grumpy son's sleeping it off and back to normal tomorrow.

Hi, as I have no facial hair already, I look like a peeled grape but I wear specs anyway so with my het down low I get by! (My lenses go dark in the sun). Love all the WAG designer talk tho - new experience!!

Cakes - I am worried as my DD has not got a house sorted out for next year and with her being in Germany this year I am getting abit anxious. We chatted yesterday and she was tired (after 5 hectic weekends) so I didn't pursue it but she is so last minute about practical stuff then can end in a big stress - grr sometimes!! But I'm glad she is enjoying her year abroad so much.

Only one of my new recliners actually arrived but I haven't chased yet as it'll spread the cost! I might get one out today if temp. feels right.

Did I tell you I'm going to the Antiques Road Show on Thursday? I'm going to take a couple of items to see if I can get them valued. The Show is at Tatton Park and should be fun even if I'm not on telly!! You'd be able to spot me - I'll be the one with no hair, low hat and glasses

Remember my replacing the sealant round the bath - well it got put on hold due to sore arm, but I finally continued yesterday - took off remaining grubby sealant, bleached the joins and today will put new stuff on - how exciting can life be?

Wish I had a greenhouse though - [hm, makes addition to the wish list]

Hello everyone. Sorry not been around much - been caught up doing lots of stuff and lots of nothing; it's feast or famine here. what with farting kittens, non-pregnant rabbits, teeth and dry tear ducts you've all been keeping the thread v. much alive.

So you're all into large sunglasses and recliners now, eh? Sounds very LA. All we need are some Mojitos, large hats and floaty maxi dresses (KK - how are you doing with yours?) and we're right on the money!

I'm on no. 6 out of 8 chemos now (Taxol). Physically it seems quite a lot more doable than the AC - although I feel sicker, but mentally I find it tough. I think it's because I've been at this treadmill so intensively now for so long that it can be hard to keep perspective, and I keep thinking I'm still quite a way from the end even though there's only two more to go!

I've also been walking - went out on Saturday for a stroll but got lost and ended up having to walk 6.5 miles to get back home!!! My feet were killing me! Still, the weather was stunning, and I had my music and the fields were just beautiful so it wasn't all that bad.

I went out to a very full on bash the other night, courtesy of my DH's company. I partied with Uma Thurman, Queen Rania of Jordan, Sophie Dahl, Kevin Spacey and Eva Herzigova. Steve Coogan did a set as Alan Partridge and Groove Armada and The Killers provided the music! It was all v.v. glam and not the sort of evening I would normally go to and to be honest I was dreading it (the thought of getting all dolled up with no hair and no boobs didn't appeal, but in the end I scrubbed up OK). I got too drunk though and the next day I felt the need to ask DH if I'd lost him a) his job and b) the respect of his colleagues, and he replied "Both!" Doh!

I hope you're all well - need to take some time to sit and catch up with all your news properly.

Pennies - wow about the party heaving with celebs !! it sounds as if you had a good time and am sure you scrubbed up brilliantly !
Well done for being on chemo number 6 - sorry it's making you feel sicker though,and well done with the walking..take care of yourself

SR - hope your dd does get somewhere to live - must be a headache for you..go and get your recliner and enjoy the sunshine ! And well done with the grouting - job done !

Have found a mangled request from ds's school for money and permission for him to do an inschool activities week,next week - grrrr - only because I was tidying his pile of school books- God knows what stuff i miss because he forgets to hand letters over.
He is making jam tarts today in food tech. - hope he remembers to sneeze away from his pastry - he insisted on jam,lemon curd and marmalade, so have sacrificed my Bonne maman bitter orange marmalade to the cause.

Oh yak! Snotty pastry!

I am very envious of all this glam stuff - big sunshades, recliners, and smart parties.

No such luck here. The most I managed yesterday was cleaning out the rabbits (ick) and a walk in our local bluebell wood (much better).

Some of us just weren't meant to live the glamorous life. Sigh!

Smee - in my experience, the eyelashes and brows don't go completely, they just thin, so don't panic, (but maybe get an eyebrow pencil). Are you still on to see the onc this Frdiay? Good luck with that!

Pennies - can't believe you are on 6 of 8 already. nearly there, and just in time for the nice summer weather!

Wow your party sounds very glamorous Pennies. Uma Thurman is absolutely beautiful, - I would have been staring at her like a stalker.

You are doing very well with the chemo, and although it seems never ending, you are near the finishing line now.

I had forgotten the joys of school cookery MAS, I think the trick is not to spend too long thinking about how it is prepared!

Antiques Roadshow sounds fun, SR - I will look out for you, will it be this series or the next one? Maybe you will be one of those people who turn out to have something worth an enormous amount (fingers crossed for you!)

I'm off to the dentist this afternoon , to have the first part of my crown done. DH says my teeth are the most expensive things we own

KK - good luck with the teeth - mine have been extremely expensive in the past too!

Pennies - that party and indeed the very long walk are seriously impressive!! And well done on having only 2 more chemo's to go. I confess I am getting very fed up with mine, even though I have not had the awful time that you have had. It is just such a long haul (will take till September) and each hits me harder. I am hoping the next different drugs might be slightly easier but it seems not all that likely. Main thing would be if the admin of it is better as the veins issue is really bothering me.

However this morning I got my rads planning appointment through and this has made me feel things are moving along, so that's good.

Putting the sealant round the bath was trickier than expected! But its done, and I've done some admin this am too.

Enjoy those tarts MAS!

good luck with crown kk - I always think the pain of paying the bill is worse than any bit of drilling ! Am hoping mine can be stuck with sticky for the time being ! I do suspect that a crown is required though :-(
SR - that's good about the rads planning - means you're heading towards the last hurdles...
I do think that queen rania is very beautiful and elegant and that sophie dahl (sorry -caps deserted me !) is so pretty

The last famous person I met was Neil Buchanan from Art Attack. Not quite in the same league, is it?

Actually it wasn't. It was that poor man from SMART who killed himself when his girlfriend died in that accident with drugs. Mark Speight.

He was lovely, he gave me a kiss.

That whole thing with Mark Speight was so terribly tragic.

Queen Rania is quite the most beautiful woman alive I think. So elegant. I'm sure she gets younger each year. And she did the most eloquent and heartfelt speech to get pissed up city boys to dig deep for the charity (which they certainly did, raiding a staggering £14million).

BTW please don't think I regularly hang out with the rich and beautiful My own existence is far more mundane and a normal night is mums clad in Next's finest glugging back cheap wine in Pizza Express!

raising. There wasn't much raiding going on as far as I can tell.

Pennies, am seriously impressed. Partying, walking miles and in chemo. I have something to aspire to now. 'eck.. When do you finish? Is it July? Are you onto Rads as well. I know it must feel like it never ends, but 6/8 really is. You're doing amazingly. Am to admit I haven't a clue who Queen Rania is, so will go goggle. 14 million though?? She must be quite something.

Cakes, that's good news about lashes. Most cheering, as thinning I can deal with. And yes Onc appointment is on Friday. If anyone's got any wisdom as to what I should ask, then please tell me. Just want to get the schedule really and get on with it.

MAS, and there was me hoping they stopped the snotty cakes thing by secondary. We made some cakes last night and the cat walked on them, making paw prints in the icing. Not sure how DS's friend's parents reacted when he got home. She didn't mention it at drop off this morning.

Sandripples, great you got the sealant done. Hard to do even if you're not arm challenged. I always take at least three goes at it and it looks woeful whatever I do. How is the arm anyway?? Watch how you carry those antiques on Thursday. Be terrible to hear they're worth a bit then drop them.

Kurri, hope the dentist goes smoothly. Daft how much all that costs. Big pity our exemption certs don't cover teeth.

14 million??!? Crikey, words fail me. That Queen Rania must be some woman (and those city boys must be rich, rich, rich - I knew I'd taken the wrong turning, career-wise).

Pennies, I think Smee is right - after a wobbly start on chemo you are well into your stride now. Good on you! Soon be over.

Good luck at the dentist's, KK!

Smee - no words of wisdom as to what to ask, I was far too nervous to ask anything sensible, or to remember much afterwards. Silly really, because you pretty much know what he/she is going to say by now, and they are usually lovely anyway.

It would be worth having someone with you to fill in the gaps later (I didn't). That's my best advice - that, and make a list of questions and don't be afraid to go all through it. Best of luck.

Isn't this weather just glorious? Everything seems so much more do-able with a bit of sunshine.

I've just been for my first wig appointment. I took my DH along and chose the one he liked least . I'm hoping it's just because it was the wrong colour, but I guess there's always scarves and floppy hats to go with my 70's shades. There just seems so much hair on these wigs, hopefully the cut should sort it out.

Pennies your party sounds fantastic. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's great to have a good excuse to really glam up, chances seem few and far between these days. My only claim to fame is I once sang Old McDonald with David Jason on stage at the local theatre. I was 8, not quite the same league

SR Antiques Roadshow sounds like fun. I hope you get your things valued and find your sitting on a small fortune. Gosh, what a glamourous lot we are on here!

MAS I'll bet you're looking forward to your tarts later today. They sound very....interesting

Smee, I'm laughing at the paw print cakes. I'm planning on making a pineapple uspide down cake later, it will no doubt have 3 year old boy prints all over it!

Blimey, £14m - stunning ! You're not fooling us pennies though - I think you must be a secret millionaire yourself to hang out with such company

Smee, my arm is doing well and I'm still thinking could be 100% by Tuesday next week, which is the 6 weeks since op date! Its very slightly tender underneath and the tendon across armpit is still there but improving. How's your's? Still exercising? I find it gets harder to rememebr as it improves so have put a little chart on the firdge to count x6 lots each day.

Am more bothered about veins and bruised wrists from chemo at the mo. Plus my energy seems to be on the floor.

Re seeing onc. I think you mainly want to know what drugs, what Side effects to expect, and the time-table really. My discussions with onc have always been quite brief but I really like him - he's very plain speaking and has a sense of humour. If you're having any more other treatment eg ops or rads, you might want to ask about timing of these too, if to be fitted in with chemo.

Good luck. Having a friend/partner there is useful too I think.

KK - did you find out whether you've had your last herceptin or not? Don't know whether to congratulate you! Must be good to be so near the end of treatment tho.

Pennies - do you have any more treatment due after chemo?

Wubbly - there is a lot of hair in the wigs, you're right. But at least your dh went with you - mine said he would and then just said "bye then" when i said it was time to go. So I went. By myself. I think a good cut will probalby get it looking more lived in and normal.

SR - give us the heads up when your Antiques Roadshow os going to be on, won't you? I usually watch but don't always catch it - i'd like to see you finding out you were sitting on a quarter of a million. Good the arm is improving: don't worry about the energy levels, all normal. A pain, but normal.

Have just been for a swim. I didn't feel like it, but I'm on a mission to exercise every day this week. I ache all over, and I'm hoping that will help, so we shall see. It will be kill or cure, and at the moment the jury is out

Googling complete and feel v.dim now. I thought she was some sort of pop star or something. Though your party's right up there Pennies - it's on Google page 1, that's how impressive you are. You'll be in Hello or something next.

Thanks all for advice on Onc appt. I will take DH, though it'd be hard not to take him, as he's got v.into these hospital things. He's so good at it last time I thought I could have stayed at home and waited for him to come back and fill me in. We have some friends who are Nurses and both have worked in Oncology, so I'm a bit laid back about it all. Am sure they can fill any blanks if I get a bit rabbit in headlights about it all.

SR, that's a good check list, so thank you. I will jot those headers down and try and fill in. Am having rads and then Tamoxifen, so working out the whole plan would help me a lot I think. But six weeks and your arm's nearly better. That's fantastic. I'm four weeks on Thursday. Not back to normal yet, but I did manage a bit of a swim first thing this morning. I clung my bad arm out in front on a float and stretched it a bit like that. Must have looked a bit odd, but it felt good just to be active again.

wubbly hope the cake works out well. Have never made one of those. sounds delicious.

Better run to the school gates.

I'm pretty far from Hello, can tell you. As to our riches, well the clue is in my name!!

Smee, there's someone else on MN who is Schmee - I'm assuming that's not you too is it? Glad your DH is good with onc. appointments and info - I think thy say you only remember 20% of what you're told and I only seemed to focus on the bad stuff, so it was good to be able to get DH to give me a more balanced view afterwards.

PIneapple upside down cake. Om nom nom.

Had my oven cleaned today by one of those professional oven cleaning companies. It's an Aga and it's warming up again and the whole house reeks of cooking cleaning fluids. It's utterly horrible. Might have to take the kids out for tea, the whole place is full of fumes.

jam tarts are home - a bit worse for the journey -and the bag the containers are in is unbelievably jammy - eek...ds has eaten 2 anyway.
Pineapple upside down cake - yum- haven't had that since i made it in my first year at secondary school !!
good luck with onc appointment smee !
Am sure wig will look ace once styled -they probably put lots of hair on them to allow for that.

Its a good idea to have a wig trimmed. The reason mine feels alien is that it has 3 times more hair than I ever have. Perhaps I should take mine to a haridresser then.

Cakes all sound good. After last week's parsnip cake I'm trying not to bake so much this week as will just eat it all! Have been making chicken stock instead and will now go and make a soup. And tomorrow I want some liver to boost red blood cells...for tonight its a veggie shepherd's pie.