**TAMOXIFEN** 4th thread

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

Good luck with the onc. appointment Smee. When i had my first one, I was given a little information file with all the important hospital numbers, and info. and tips on all aspects of chemo. I got another one for rads. Don't know if these are at all hospitals, but it was very good, so hopefully you will get something similar. Writing down your questions is a good plan - I started doing that, because I always forgot things or got distracted.

My face is very numb at the moment from the dental work - my tongue feels huge! So soup for supper I think. The treatment wasn't too bad - no pain, the dentist I have now is about the best I've ever had - he is very gentle, and does everything to avoid hurting you.

Just googled Queen Rania - she is stunning, and what gorgeous children she has too.
My only claim to fame is that I was at University with Ian Rankin, and met him at a party (of course he wasn't famous then, so it doesn't really count)

I have one more herceptin to go, AFAIK. SR, - it feels quite odd to be at the end of it. I feel a bit nervous actually, I've got so used to hanging out at the hospital!

so glad the dentist didn't hurt - take care with soup though.
At rads planning I got a booklet with info and a tube of aqueous cream - actually,think the booklet came with my radiotherapy schedule.
I don't think I have any claims to fame except that my degree was marked (in the external assessments) by the wonderful Quentin blake and I was called down to meet him. Oh, and if anyone remembers the brilliant Ivor Cutler then I had the honour of his reading some of my poems (we did various complementary studies -one of which was poetry - he was lovely and once walked with me to south kensington tube,pushing his bike. Wish i'd chosen to do drama too as my best friend at art school had Alexei Sayle taking her class.

Pennies, no Schmee isn't me. She sounds like a Germanic version and far more sophisticated. Aga cleaning sounds a bit yuk. At least it's warm enough to leave the windows open.

I have been inspired by you all to start my list of questions for my Oncologist. Sounds like I'm a bit like you though Pennies. I go in all prepared, then am distracted by the bad stuff. Daft really as I know that already. I will try to focus, but failing then that's what DH is for really.

Kurri, just one more treatment is amazing. Must feel weird and scary too, but wow!! I trust you have a marvellous summer planned. If not, get plotting and distract me with it.

SR, am veggie so the thought of your liver fest is a bit alien to me. Am not especially political just never liked the taste. Probably to do with cheap cuts of meat when I was little and being made to eat them. Does sound very sensible though. You'll be running up mountains next.

But all this talk of cake is making me hungry. Might forget the detox, cake is most definitely calling.

WOW - Quentin Blake, Ivor Cutler and Ian Rankin - all my heroes!!! You name droppers!!!

I only knew a couple of folk you might have heard of eg Sheena MacDonald the newsreader/presenter on Radio 4, and although I didn't know him, Gordon Brown was Student Rector at Edinburgh Uni when I was there. (Who was Gordon brown again?)

Smee, my family are all veggie except me so I have to sneak in some meat when I feel the need! It was seeing my blood counts sink last week that's inspired me this time.

have been out for a nice walk with DH this eveing.

I love Quentin Blake, he is a brilliant illustrator.

SR, do you mind me being nosey and asking when you were at Edinburgh and what you studied? DH and I were there from 1978-1982, I did history and he did biochemistry. I loved living in Edinburgh, it's one of my favourite cities, and I go back reasonably often, because both my nieces went to Edinburgh University, and now live there.

ooh,Edinburgh is lovely - went there for my honeymoon !
Would Guinness be good for boosting iron ?

Sheena mcdonald had a dreadful accident,didn't she, but made a remarkable recovery...

KK - of course I don't mind! I was at Edinburgh 1973-77 - so a bit before you. I have always loved the city we have family connections there although my relations are v. elderly now. I love going up there and used to go at least once a year when my aunt was alive.

I did French and still have a few friends who live in Ed. so there are lots of reasons still to visit.

Sheena did have an accident but has made a pretty good recovery I think.

KK - my DS is interested in biochemistry - is it good for opening up careers - what do these graduates do with it? He's also interested in biology, immunology, marine biology. Being a linguist I am at a bit of a loss to know which of these might be best and how to support him. It was easier with my DD who is also a linguist! Mind you I suspect DS will have an easier time finding work later. Any ideas on what we could consult about science careers would be gratefully received!

MAS - I think guiness or stout wd do you a world of good! A lady at hospital last week was saying how she had a stout every evening as it tasted so nice.

Glad your miuth is better, KK.

Guinness and mackeson type things are all fab for iron levels - dh used to be anaemic form time to time and the doctor actually prescribed it. Only one a night though

Edinburgh. Lovely. Have only been there briefly a few times for work (but my work involved going to places like the zoo and the castle so I was quite lucky). I think I was really stupid when I went to uni - it never occurred to me to pick somewhere that was actually lovely - so I picked Sheffield, and then Birmingham after. Doh! If I had my time again I'd pick somewhere with sea.

Guinness, now there's an idea. Far far better than tofu, which DH found is very rich in iron and keeps trying to shovel into me.

Edinburgh, I'm jealous too. Such a gorgeous city. Did the festival lots when a student, and wished I'd chosen that one too.

I have just remembered an embarrassing famous encounter from way back. A friend was working backstage in the West End on an Arthur Miller play and said he'd sneak me into the control box so I could watch for free. It was a stormy night, so I arrived drenched and got chatting to this lovely old American guy about the weather. When my friend came to get me, he asked what I was talking to Arthur about? Still can't believe I met Arthur Miller and chatted inanely about the weather. I still shudder when I think of it. I even asked him what he was doing in London.

My great aunt used to bring a bottle of Guinness or Mackeson when she visited and I used to drink most of it as a little girl ! When I was pregnant I had occassional glasses of Guinness.
My first trip to Edinburgh was for a job I was dioing for the Lothian Health Authority - advice package for teens on self assertivenes,HIV etc - I loved the train journey and just being able to walk right across the city - stayed in a fairly basic b&b near Princes street - loved it so much (not the b&b) that I chose Edinburgh for my honeymoon.
How is tooth today KK ?
I think I may have the beginnings of ds's cold - my throat is sore - grrr

@ smee and Arthur Miller !!!! I expect I wouldn't have recognised him !

Can you believe that it's almost 2pm and I've not had any celebrity encounters yet today? They're a fickle bunch, fair weather friends, that's wot.

Edinburgh is gorgeous, my own experiences are rather festival based so rather hazy though!

KK - I can't believe you've only got 1 more herceptin to go. I can't imagine being at that point.

Liver - yum. Chicken livers fried in olive oil and balsamic vinegar served with a crisp sweet salad and some french bread is one of my fave dinners.

Hello all - I've just got back from yoga and aquafit, which was fun. We did a chant in yoga, but I had to wing it a bit as I didn't catch all the lyrics.

My mouth feels fine today, a little bit bruised, but nothing major.

SR - I will ask my DH about careers in biochem. He started doing a general biol. degree, then specialised in biochem. He now works at a food research centre and works on food poisoning. (He really works more as a microbiologist these days). But he may have some tips for your DS. You must have been leaving Edinburgh just as I was starting French - I am impressed, I am hopeless at languages, would love to be good at them.

Cakes - my DD is in her second year at Sheffield now - she loves it there, she goes walking in the Peaks, she is also enjoying a bit of night life - we live in a very small village, so a bit less exciting for young ones.

Pennies - these celebrities! you can't rely on them

Smee - I loved your Arthur Miller story, I saw a documentary about him a while ago, he seemed a really charming man.

Is everyone enjoying good weather? -Its a lovely day here so I'm going out to do gardening shortly. Hope the cold doesn't materialise MAS. Just remembered I used to drink Guinness when I was pregnant - on the advice of my doctor!!!!

@ yoga lyrics !!
My mum used to go to Buddhist meditation and chanting and could never remember the words...
Pennies - oh how I adore chicken livers,just as you described them - Cafe Rouge used to do a warm salad like that-sublime !

at Arthur Miller, I wouldn't have recognised him in the flesh either.

KK - have yoga myself tonight, I dont ever get the chanting (and I get a bit embarrassed doing the Hah! shout when we do the chopping wood thing (God, I'm so anal and British). Also I always smash my hand into the ground by accident

Hoping the cold doesn't materialise MAS - don't like to be depressing but summer colds always seem so much worse than winter ones.

Quite fancy a Guinness after all this talk. The diet is pretty teetotal so getting a bit dull....

Did any of you take part in the Mary Portas webchat the other week ? I've just been rung by a researcher for her new project and asked lots of questions about my clothes/style/fashion needs !! (for women of a certain 'mature' age) Very nice man - OMG I could be on tv,or at least be in a focus group helping Mary P !! (hoping for a new wardrobe,at least !!)

Cakes - we do the Hah! thing too, the whole of one wall of the dance studio where I do it is glass. It looks out over the U. of East Anglia grounds - very pretty park, but all the passing students can see us old ladies omming and toppling over doing our postures!

MAS - that sounds very exciting, I didn't see the web chat, but I do like Mary Portas on the TV, she has a lot of common sense. Goodness what with you and SR on the roadshow, everyone will be on the telly - how glam

I have weeded one border, and am about to go and plant it up with stuff from the greenhouse. DS has just got home and is mowing the lawn for me. Fortunately he's old enough now that I don't have to pay him to do it!

Smee and Arthur Miller
Pennies and chicken livers - yum, yes. I enjoyed my liver at lunch but had it with brown rice and green beans. A lot of stuff tastes weird at the mo. but it was good!

Sheffield is a popular choice of uni from our High School and the students seem to like it. My DD was v. determined to get away further and see a new part of the country though so didn't apply anywhere up here. I think its because she's adventurous, rather than that she doesn't like us tho! She's certainly having a whirl this year in Hannover and making the most of her year out.

Thanks for thinking about biology careers etc KK - that will be great.

Cakes - enjoy your yoga. I'm not patient enough but went along a few times to a class my osteo ran. I quite liked the bit when you sort of dance round each other in a line (?) The other bits didn't appeal so much - I'm v. inflexible so maybe should try again some time.

Not sunny here today - quiet day but the sealant looks much better! And washing all done. And watched a DVD.

oh bugger - another bit of the tooth has fallen off - doesn't hurt, but bugger it...

Ooh dear, teeth collapsing is always a bugger. When's the appt?

Impressed indeed about the Mary portas thing! I didn't take part (or even know it was on ) but how fab would it be to get some free tips and maybe some new bits and pieces as well?

Our yoga is in a very ungrand location - the local community centre, but it is very shut away, and while you are omming and Hah1-ing, that's the way I like it. Bloody unfriendly bunch of women though.

Jealous KK is getting the gardening sorted - i have to start stage 434 of my De-Clutter The House Gradually So No-One Notices programme today: DH at long meeting and dd at school! Ha! Ha! Ha! Innocent fools! (Evil laugh)

Monday morning - hope the stumpy bit stays put...
Am very excited by the Mary Portas thing, but mustn't be disappointed if not chosen !
hope everyone is feeling fine today

MAS - that's very annying about your tooth, your poor thing.

Did some more gardening yesterday, planting peas with the children. As with all things that happens with 4 & 5 year olds events degenerated and we ended up having a water fight. Lots of fun and giggles!

Went to my local breast cancer support group thing last night because I'm struggling with the physcological element of it all a lot right now. Full of fear and feeling scared about finishing chemo, worried for the future, looking for symptoms etc. They were having a Pampered Chef night, which i didn't realise was happening so there wasn't much chance to chat. When I did they were all through this stage and I felt like such a newbie and a bit pathetic. Also I was so much younger than everyone else. One lady was VERY encouring to me about me being HR2+ (basically led me to believe that I'm cured, which is nice) but beyond that I'm still very much in two minds about whether I want to be a cancer groupie or not. I'll give it another shot next month.

BTW if anyone is near the large M&S in Cheshunt, Herts next Wednesday evening they're holding a post surgery evening from 6 - 9pm with their full range of post surgery underwear and swimwear.

tooth is just annoyingly pesky !
Am sorry you're finding the psychological bit hard Pennies - I can sympathise as in my own way it has troubled me, lots of old stuff coming out because of diagnosis I suspect. Am glad the HR2+ lady was helpful - you must take heart from my sil lalaa who was diagnosed with aggressive bc and was HR2+ at 33 - she is flourishing 5 years on and working full time and running a 10k thing soon.

Ouch about the tooth MAS - teeth are such a nuisance generally, - I've never felt very friendly towards mine!

Sorry your yoga group isn't very friendly Cakes, mine is very small and we are all about the same level of ability (i.e. not very high) so there is no one tying themselves in knots and making you feel inferior.

Sorry to hear you are feeling anxious Pennies, have you tried looking for a young women's BC support group? You might find that more helpful. You do tend to get shoved into a big group called Breast cancer - and there are so many different types, ages and circumstances sometimes its just a question of finding something that suits you.

I think I'm probably guilty of being a cancer groupie, I do go to several of support groups. But it is very much each to their own and whatever works for you. (I've been criticised for not 'moving on' before now, but you have to do things in your own time, your own way. Whatever gets you through)
Her2 is a bit of a long haul, and I think we naturally worry. One thing about prolonged treatment is you stay in touch with your hospital, so you can always speak to doctors/nurses if you have any anxieties or niggles. I've got the Oncs. to check me over several times, because I was feeling panicky, and they were happy to do it. Herceptin is easier to deal with than chemo. you will feel much more like yourself, many people have virtually no SE, and the ones I've had have been completely manageable.(despite my moaning)

I'm gardening again today. Progress is slow because I have a Jack Russell trying to dig up my plants helping me.

Hope everyone's fine. (I haven't forgotten about the biochem. info SR, will ask DH to do it tonight- he was v. late yesterday)