After staring at the tamoxifen packet for weeks I have swallowed my first tablet! Had a bit of a moment but I’ve done it. 4 years 364 days to go.
I’m post menopausal had left mastectomy November 4 multifocal grade 1 lobular/ductal tumours all <1cm no nodes good margins. Haven’t seen an oncologist however nurse specialist said they were happy for me to start tamoxifen rather than letrozole after mdt meeting
Thanks for being there x
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Good luck @joyousjen! It’s a big step, but fingers crossed you have minimal side effects 
Hope you’re well and have recovered from your surgery.
Sending hugs x
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Thanks for your reply diddy1!
Recovering well. Had a big seroma that looked like a boob but that’s now gone down a lot but area still Rock hard and lumpy but not sore so I just need to be patient x
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It’s a big moment, isn’t it @joyousjen ? I was much the same albeit with Letrozole. Took 3 weeks to summon up the courage. I remember working out how many boxes of 28 tablets I was going to have to take over the 5 years - 65! 
. Seemed impossible at the time but I’m already 15 months in. Hope it goes well for you and you’re on the way full recovery.
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Thanks Tigress! It was a big moment! 
the poisonous parrot on my shoulder was telling me to flush it down the toilet but I knocked it off its perch and swallowed it! Xx
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Good Luck @joyousjen, hope you will not get too bad side effects. Ive been on them just over 5 years now. I did start off with hot flushes but they settled down & i dont feel like i have any side effects. Apart from my periods being a bit all over the place.
Hope it goes ok for you.
Sending hugs
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I started on TAMOXIFEN in July after having a lympectomy in June and nodes removed. I had to take an 8 week break in September as some off the side effects were bad. But I also have you stress that I have fibromyalgia. And to be honest the side effects from Tamoxifen are the same as the symptoms I have with fibromyalgia. So I had side effects twice as bad. It was really excessive fatigue I struggled with more than anything and Brainfog. Anyway back on them again from November. And just going to see if I can ride the wave and hopefully it’ll get better as time goes on.
Thank you x
Sounds as though you have had a tough time Annmarie and I hope 2nd time around is easier for you x
Best of luck. There is quite a bit of scaremongering and unfortunately some people do have nasty side affects. Please remember that a lot of us also manage very well with few problems. I’ve been on Tamoxifen for 2 years and am about to switch to Letrozole. It’s been fine. Remember too that a lot of people tolerate different brands. If you’re struggling initially try switching. I used the RelonChem brand and it was good for me and I’ve heard for others too.
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Oh Frances thank you so much for replying… I wasn’t so brave this evening until you replied just now. I have been given relonchem too so I am beyond grateful you replied x
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Aw bless you. You’ll be fine. Stay positive and let it settle. When I had a bit of joint pain in the very beginning I was grateful that was all I was dealing with! It’s all about a bit of positivity too. All the best x
Thanks Frances.
Was a bit low today after being at the hospital seeing the bcn. The wound has healed well but the mastectomy area ( where I had a large seroma) has now gone rock hard and puckered ( seroma gone right down) she thinks it’s a bit of hard haematoma and seroma but it looks pretty ugly so referred me to surgeon in 6 weeks. Just having one of those days and it will pass I’m sure and I have swallowed my tablet so that’s a positive!
Thanks again much appreciated x
Well done ! I was exactly the same 2 years ago and kept putting it off and then eventually started after my radiotherapy
I am post menopausal too and was dreading all the menopausal symptoms returning! I do get a few hot flushes at night and sometimes bit of insomnia but nothing I cant manage and can’t believe I have only 3 years left of taking them now. The time goes by so quickly and I am taking the Tilomed which I always ask my pharmacist to get as I did have worse effects with couple of other manufacturers I also had large seroma but did subside eventually.
You’ll be feeling your old self before you know it
Good luck and big hug xx
Sparkle03
Thank you sparkle! The seroma has been a journey that’s for sure. A hot drink and an early night and I am sure tomorrow will be better xxx
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So sorry you’ve had such a struggle with your seroma and subsequent issues @joyousjen…it sounds very tough 
I really hope the surgeon can make things better- I’m sure there’s lots they can do (surgeons are amazing) I’ve had a few issues with my reconstruction and I’m getting joint pain with the letrozole - so you’re not alone. (As everyone on here will attest to!) It’s hard this cancer business isn’t it! We all try to be positive all the time and put on a brave face, but sometimes it gets you… it is allowed - we’ve all been through a huge thing one way or another. And although these little pills are scary and troublesome at times too, they are protecting us - that’s what I tell myself - it’s got to be worth it
Onwards! Sending hugs xx
It’s no fun having a Seroma. I had a huge one swishing around all over the place! They managed to drain it 3 times until they finally gave me a Kenalog injection which is a steroid and it sorted it out. If it’s a haemoatoma it’s probably congealed blood and will be more difficult to drain but they will sort it for you. My nurse told me to massage the whole area every day (check with nurse first). I used an organic arnica oil (try Amazon), otherwise the scar can stay a bit ‘cordy’. It really breaks things down and keeps things smooth. You have to wait to be fully healed first. Stay positive x
thank you for your wise words x
Thanks Frances; I forgot to ask about massage this morning. The wound is now fully healed so maybe I will give that a try xxxx
Congealed blood ….sounds like it could very well be that… hopefully my body will reabsorb it in 6 weeks! X