**TAMOXIFEN** 4th thread

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

ha ! as i thought - nada !

btw - this thread is nearly up to 1000 posts, so we should plan to make the 5th one !

Good idea MAS!

Am waiting for the gooseberry jam to reach setting point. Just hope the family like it. DS looked aghast at the fruit - he'd never seen it before and thought they looked like aliens with little eyes The fruit is from a neioghbour in return for some legal advice my DH gave her.

I have a DS who enjoys spending £ and a DD who is extremely thrifty!

I'm with your DS, SR as have never recovered from my mother's bumper crop, which I think was when I was about 8. We had them for every meal in various guises. The family still call it 'The Year of the Gooseberries'.

MAS, your DS'll go far, am sure. If he carries on like this you won't have to worry about him building massive debts if he goes onto University!

!! If you take ds out he is reluctant to have things bought for him - I was always spending my pocket money on ridiculous little bits and pieces. The only thing he does spend his money on is music magazines,Simpsons comics and iTunes vouchers ! I looked in his wallet just now and there's £45 !! I have far less than that.
I love gooseberries but i can see how you might feel a little overwhelmed by a glut... my friend S was making some blackcurrant jam today so hope she sends a jar round.

MAS with £45 he could take his mother out for a treat or two.

good thinking smee ! will suggest it...

Well done SR, that's a lot of dosh. Good luck for chemo today.

And good luck to MAS for counselling as well.

V jealous of thrifty kids - mine is an expert spender.

Things went fine at onc checup yesterday - i didn't get the head honcho I got a Greek registrar I'd never met before. Of course, she was mad to talk to dd as all mediterranean types seem to be with kids - dd had (unusually) taken my instructions to keep schtum to heart so was quite monosyllabic. Dr probalby thinks she has 'ishoos'

glad check up was ok Cakes

• @ dd !!

Counselling was one and a half hours today -we got to 1 hour and she asked if I'd be happy to extend it - there seems so much to say - I feel weird pouring all this out -eee. Was a bit gruelling today but am ok. I can see patterns emerging -things kind of tie up. Ds home soon as activities week is ended and he's having lunch with my parents so i'll do some work and think i'll take a walk to town later. Hope everyone is doing well today.

Great news about your check up Cakes, though v.funny about your DD. Is she on holiday now then? We still have another week of school to go.

MAS, counselling sounds exhausting, but positive. If you're feeling up to a walk this afternoon that's good for breathing space. Hope the sun's shining and you can enjoy any weight that's lifted. I still think what you're doing's a very strong way through.

Here, am feeling a teeny bit more energised, which is a huge relief. Just back from Sports Day, which was anarchic but fun. Not sure if anybody actually won anything as they all have a go at the various things and are in teams within their individual classes. DS reckons his team won the relay, but as there were 5 in his team and 6 in the other it was hardly fair. The other team still nearly won, because the first runner in DS's team thought you had to throw rather than pass the baton and it ended up in a tree! Very funny, though I doubt they'll make 2012.

Waving to all others - RWU and Pennies especially. Hope you're okay. SR, you too. Hope the chemo hasn't knocked you sideways this time.

No, dd not on holiday, I had to take her out of school early becuase of the timing of the appt (no-ne available to pick her up, though dh had promised )

Sports day sounds genius, would have loved to see that.

MAS - counselling sound like you have deserved a treat: make sure you get one.

Exercise will be fab, especially if (as here) the sun has come out. My back is pretty duff today so I am going to go swimming - kill or cure I think.

aww,thanks you two -am feeling a bit blue now -and tired again but i must do a bit of work - i may be tiored because i put the heating on for a bit as it was chilly and that always makes you sleepy I think. I will def. get some fresh air and exercise later.

When's your MRI, Cakes? Have you got the date through yet? With swimming, I was told not to do breast stroke with a bad back, but to stick to back stroke or gentle front crawl. Seemed to work for me. Don't over do it.

It's at the end of the month. Bugger, I've just done 60 lengths of breast stroke!

I'll try to remember for next time, thanks for the advice. It'll have to be back stroke, I am a complete doofus at crawl.

Cakes, 60 lengths, are you insane?! Am really just jealous of how fit you must be.. fwiw, I lie on my back, cross my arms over a float hugged to my chest, then just kick down the pool. Great for your legs and core stomach muscles if you hold them in a bit (pilates teacher told me how to do it, but it's hard to explain). It's hard work too as you're not using your arms. Then switch, so put the float between your legs and just go down pool on your back using your arms. It's kinder to your back than doing it all at once and also a more rounded work out for muscles.

Ooh I can see that would work well - and core fitness is what I need to work on. Right, that's me next time, then.

I am so proud that you are impressed, that I hardly like to tell you it's a half-length pool, so you can call it 30 lengths really. And I feel a bit peaky now.

Honestly I aspire to 30 lengths of a full size pool. Just before diagnosis I was post back surgery and had reached the heady heights of 15 lengths of a half size pool. So yes be proud!

Thanks

I only swam once during my entire treatment. I always meant to, but didn't like to get my scarf wet, and certainly wouldn't have swum without it.

It also helps that our pool has a bar attached. Straight out of the shower, in for a quick straightener (not on a working day in the afternoon, maybe, but definitely at the weekend [ grin]

at Cakes's daughter being so quiet with onc! But that swimming sounds lovely - I am so looking forard to being able to swim again especially getting into the sea. I only manage this a few times each year but it makes me feel so alive!

With a slightly dodgy back myself I alternate breast strole and backstroke, but am interested in your suggestions Smee. Glad your energy is returning a bit.

MAS - take care of yourself. Its bound to be tough going through all these areas with your counsellor, but if you can see patterns it sounds as though it will be helpful. Although also very emotionally draining at times along the way.

Chemo Ok today although they were a bit concerned about part of my arm round the PICC line looking raised. NO big deal as its mainly due to the reaction with the dressing - I've already changed dressing type once as I was allergic to the first type. No infection or anything thank good ness as I do love LennY!

The the nurses got concerned about the Nectar (not exactly this word but similar?) ie the tap at the end of the line. Its been stuck on there for a couple of weeks and really needed to be changed but no-0one could shift it. Its a type the District Nurses like but the ward nurses don't. So 3 of them had a go, and then they started calling 'Has anyone got the pliers?' - Seriously!! It was OK but I was just a bit worried they might haul off the tube out of my arm if something went wrong. Anyway eventually the nurse supervisor who is an absolute whizz and brill at getting canulas in, took over and she did it straightaway. At one point I suggested we just cut the end off. This was met with gales of laughter - I think cutting it off would have meant there'd be blood everywhere!

Side effects not bad so far - but might go and have little rest now.

Love to everyone.

eek at the thought of pliers SR !! Rest now and take great care. Am in awe of swimming feats too - haven't swum for so long. Am waiting for ds to return from lunch so i can go out. I sent him off with his wallet full of dosh and told him to buy his grandparents some coffee after lunch - really hope he remembers to buy the coffee and remembers to bring his wallet home again and have not left it in the cafe.

update on the boy... wallet back safely but forgot to buy the coffee -tsk.

I was in the sea in Italy with the buff thing, worked really well. It was the main reason I wanted to avoid a PICC till now. Sea lovely and felt so therapeutic on many levels. However also was in pool where nearly drowned as ran out of steam halfway up first length and had to humiliatingly struggle to side and clamber out wrecked, like landed fish! Am no great swimmer at best of times but am not unfit- ran half marathon 4 days before diagnosis- tho zero exercise since then. Combination of muscle atrophy and anaemia I think. V depressing and embarrassing! Slunk off to pool bar for cheering mojito..

So am also hugely impressed with 60 lengths, or even 30, when I can't manage 1! May try the float advice next time.

SR, hope you're not laid low for too long, thinking of you next few days. I am human again tonight after tuesday's poisons. Have just lost most of my eyebrows and eyelashes and a friend asked if had thought of semipermanent makeup- anyone ever try that? Sounds like might be great if worked but disastrous if didn't...

hope the mojito restored you - bet the sea was nice -I can't face English sea water ! Weirdly dreamed of swimming in wild English seas last night - plus my lavatory anxiety dream - is it Cakes who has these too ?
Is semi-permanent makeup tattooed on (then I suppose it'd be permanent) ? I always thought I'd quite like my eyebrows done as they are totally hopeless and pathetic (over zealous plucking as a teen but prob. not good as mum's aren't brilliant)

Cupcaked, swimming in the sea sounds amazing, though I'm with you on the landed fish scenario. Makes me depressed being so unfit. I used to whizz up and down the pool and now barely pootle with my float. I did find myself cackling last time I went to the pool though. I had an implant when I had my mastectomy (it's upside down if anyone remembers way back on this thread). Half way down a length, I suddenly realised it was making me slightly more buoyant. Sort of like a lopsided extra float! Not sure if I was imagining it or not, but it still gave me a giggle.

Glad you're feeling okay again now. long may it continue - or 'til the next one at the very least. SR, you too. Really hope the SE are staying well away.

MAS I've heard of tattooing eyebrows, but would worry - I mean what if the person who did it was over zealous?! Am not the bravest though admittedly. My BC Nurse told me she always sends women to a fantastic person in Harrods (of all places), who is very down to earth and sorts eyebrows a treat. If anyone wants a trip, I could call and find out her name for you. Am lucky in that mine are still with me, for now.

Am off to take DS to his friend's party later. Not sure I'm feeling in the mood, but hey it'll keep him busy. Party's a distance away, so I'll be stuck into staying there the whole time, but there's much school gossip flying about, so doubtless that will pass the time. Our Head's just announced he's leaving. Bit sad really as we think he's great.

Wishing you all a restful, fun weekend then.

think I'd be a bit too wimpy for tattooed eyebrows and you'd be buggered if you didn't like them once they were done ! I'll just make do with my insignificant ones and my eyebrow pencil !
Hope the chat at the party keeps you occupied smee - and love the image conjured up by your buoyancy aid !