Much better today Carole thanks. I’ve just had a long walk on the Downs which was nice. As I was walking back past one of the many fields with horses in it, there was a whinny and a dark brown horse came cantering over to the fence to see me. Cariad!! How wierd is that? He fitted the description perfectly.
And I do feel much more ready for a fight today.
hi y’all…storewoman - re the moult - what day is it for you then…just wondering as thinking about mine - start first one next wed so was expecting it to be about day 14 roughly give or take?? Carole - cant remember what it was for you either…mary x
At times of dire need, nature sends a spirit to pick you up. At least that’s what I’ve heard… 
Mind if I pick up from the end of your chapter later?
sal - glad you’re doing well there! Been gorgeous here too today…did you get all results her2 too? Mine are still not back…
Mary, Day 12 for me. This is now second dose Day 12, and the little I had left is still there and doesn’t look like moving. I might as well be bald though, so I just ran the razor over it there so I can tell when it starts growing back.
Can I suggest if you’re starting on Wed, keep off the alcohol now, and start your attempt at drinking the entire contents of Loch Ness, apart obviously from Nessie who is likely to get stuck in your throat.
I’m still waiting for Her2 too.
thanks carole - funny enough I thought like you and had a glass last night thinking I’d abstain for now…don’t fancy it the same anyway which is prob good…mary x
sounds daft I know but do you use hair clippers or what?? My daugher is nearly 16 and really sensitive about me and my hair going - I keep trying to joke about it but it really upsets her…
Carole, please do pick up where I left off - I’ve got writer’s block at the moment:)
HER2 negative. So it’s just rads and tamoxifen. Oh, and I got my prescription exemption card through the post last week. So from April I won’t have to pay for it, which is nice. It sort of adds insult to injury doesn’t it, if you have to pay for drugs that could make you feel like sh*t!
Well I thought a razor would do the job. How silly of me. Couple of weeks ago I used scissors to cut it down to about 1.5 inches, then yesterday I got my trusty razor out, put a new blade in, and thought, wheeeeech, it’ll be off in a mo. Hah! After a lot of hacking and scraping I’ve got it down to a stubble with some nice smooth patches. What’s that about!? Anyway, I’ll leave it as is now.
For your daughter, maybe just do the cutting without her seeing it, and come out with the scarf or hat on. She’ll get used to it though, I’m sure.
By jings I had better be Her2 neg. The thought of a another year of visits to the hospital is too much! I’m getting confused on this prescription thingie. What would we need to pay for at all? Am I running up a huge bill for chemo or something with another one coming for Tamoxifen? I have a feeling I am being extremely dim here… 
Hmmm, I’m not liking the colour of that scarf in my avatar. In the true spirit of the goddess Vanity, I shall revert to the black one shortly.
Tumbleweed, how are you feeling about your hair coming out? It’s a shocker isn’t it? I found that although I got a bit upset on day 2, as soon as I took the scissors to it I felt fine. I think it’s a control thing. 
No, I don’t think they’ll get you to pay for your chemo Carole. I was talking about the tamoxifen, which I’ll have to take for 5 years. Apparently it can give you menopausal symptoms. Whoopie - mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats… Don’t know if I get to start that before the rads, but I think I could wait.
Mary, I seem to remember from when my daughter was that age that 16 is a very sensitive age for everything! It’s tough seeing Mum unwell and vulnerable, when you’re used to her being the hub of the family. I’m sure she’ll get used to it when it happens.
Oooh, lovely. I’m on Tam for 5 years too. I was told we start it at rad time, no waiting. I also read about ovaries and hormone production. Great… Not! Now I have to bring that up in due course and see if they want to take them out later this year. Makes sense to me if the chemo doesn’t send me menopausal, but Does This Ever End! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgh!
It’s now Day 18, so it’s held on quite well. There are only a handful dropping at the moment, but I know it can only get worse.
My natural hair has always been really bolshy so it may be an improvement to put on tidy hair in the morning instead of looking like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards.The clippers will be in use quite soon
I shall be straight on to the BCN tomorrow morning though - the sweeling and redness seemed to be subsiding overnight with the stronger drugs but not now - I don’t have a high temperature though, and the thought of a visit to A & E 10 miles away with a really cr#p reputation doesn’t appeal ( they usually send people home and tell them to take 2 paracetamol.)
When I asked if the tamoxifen would stop my periods, I was told that it probably would. And if it didn’t, they’d do something about it!!! Eeek. (at the time I didn’t feel inclined to ask what exactly) But at my advanced age, it probably will - and for good I guess, 'cos I can’t see me going back to them at 57 when i finish! lol I think it depends on how close to the menopause you are naturally and of course there’s no way of knowing that. Unless of course you have a crystal ball to go with that natty scarf Carole …
Aaaah A&E. When I broke my shoulder I was there for four and a half hours and didn’t even get to see a doctor! I saw a triage nurse who said how much can you move it? When I said not at all, she started moving it for me. Aaaaaarrrgghhhh. I read later that if a fracture is suspected, it shouldn’t be moved at all … Hey ho.
That’s good on the temperature front at any rate. And love the attitude on the hair!
I think I’m up for the “doing something about it” on the menopause front. Chemo hasn’t worked yet at any rate, and by genetics I’m 4 or 5 years off natural menopause. Let’s just go for top prize and have them do the whole hysterical rectomy bit!
I have yet to hear a good story about an A&E dept! lol.
I was told that the chemo will prob stop my periods - I’m 44 this yr, my friend is nearly finished her pre-surgery chemo to shrink hers and hers have stopped - they can come back after but like sal says if you’re nearer the menopause then its less likely - so who knows eh…I’m down for tamoxifen too being hormone positive…
sal - yes 16 is an awkward age and I know its because I’ll look ill and not like her mum - just have to keep screaming and talking thru my teeth at her like normal then to keep things normal!! Mary x
Evening ladies.
Sheesh that’s some Dark Alley they send you down ain’t it? I think I’m coming out the other side now (well I can see the light at the end anyway) but man oh man was it ever DARK?!! Thanks for covering my back from the rooftops there, I knew you were all there but it was all I could do to keep myself moving forwards for a while.
Hope you’re doing ok Martina. Glooms is one side-effect they don’t bother to mention isn’t it? And I’m SO tired and lacking energy, just pole-axed.
Anyhoo. We took the kids to see the Scooby Doo & The Pirate Ghost stage show this afternoon. They thought it was fantastic. I thought it was a bit surreal, but maybe that’s viewed through chemo fog, I don’t know. But then Scooby always was a bit psychedelic, so maybe it was meant to be that way. A good time was had by all anyway.
Hope everyone else is well.
Gennie - so glad you’re back and have come through the doldrums - I think Martina is doing ok now but know she’s been there too…I’m glad I know to expect to feel crappy/foggy/vacant/agitated or whatever but know thats no help for you…(((((hugs))))))))) see thats me, slightly lob-sided with the hugs…mary x
ps when I was at school I got called Velma as I was similar to her re the hair-do (my dad’s fault) and had glasses and was thought of as a bit of a swot even though I wasn’t, I was just, shucks, quiet shy and retiring, like I am now…;0) I loved Scooby and Shaggy and loved the movie! mary x
Evening girls. Wow that was some shin dig last night, clear knocked me on my back for best part of today. lol
Sal so pleased your feeling a lot better today. On the tamoxifen front, I started mine as soon as I had seen onc but have been told not to take them during rads. They did make me feel slightly nauseous at first, so I started taking them at bed time with milk. This helped a lot, as I slept through most of the side effect and the milk settled things down. The hot flushes are a different story altogether, they started almost immediately and are a nightmare. I’m still having them now, even though I have stopped taking the tamoxifen but I have been told about something called a chill pillow. They are quite expensive but if the night flushes continue in a few weeks, I will invest in one.
Well I have finally got round to sorting a photo out. Took me the best part of the day because we haven’t been in this house long (6 mths) and were still living out of boxes, with everything else that’s going on. I didn’t have any on this comp either but thought it was about time you all knew who you were chatting with, so I put a bit of effort in. lol
Gen, its good to see you back too. So sorry you have had a bad time and hope things stay better for you now.
You too Blackjack, thinking about you and hoping your ok.
Glad your temp is staying down Storewoman. It will probably take a few days for antibiotics to kick in and them the swelling should hopefully subside.
Take care everyone
xx