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Bottle o Tamoxifen

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Comments

  • pkb143
    pkb143 Member Posts: 69
    edited September 2009

    Rachel, that's ok, I'm not afraid of alien babies or pubic hair heads. LOL

    ~~Actually, it's rather refreshing. A good laugh cures a lot of ills!

    **great pics!

  • AllieM22
    AllieM22 Member Posts: 188
    edited September 2009

    Rachel--love the pics--especially of The Kid!! Sooo adorable...

    he looks heavy though on the elliptical--be careful you don't over do it...(I sound like such a grandma...good grief. :) 

    Patty--beautiful pic of you! 

  • lisa-e
    lisa-e Member Posts: 169
    edited September 2009

    Rachel, cute kid!!



    I think I agree with Allie - he looks too heavy for you to be hauling around on your back.

  • HelenaJ
    HelenaJ Member Posts: 304
    edited September 2009

    Rachel you look sooo beautiful in that last photo - the one where you are wearing yellow. :)  And of course kid is cute too .. can you send some rain our way.. we're drying up down here and I ain't talking about the "missing fluids" dryness ..... :o

    Come on in PattyB - all aboard the tamoxi train.  The first one is the hardest then every day after that is 5 years minus 1, then 2 then 3 then .....

  • HelenaJ
    HelenaJ Member Posts: 304
    edited September 2009

    It is 9.04pm here and I am just about to hit the sack but I was preparing my tam (cutting the 20mg tablets into halves) and into their weekly am/pm pill dispenser and saw on the packet that you are supposed to take them with or after food.  WT... didn't know that .... haven't been doing that.  Anyway thought I would share that with.... well no one really as you are all asleep.  But at least I am on topic ha ha ha.

    nitey nite

    Helena

  • chelev
    chelev Member Posts: 417
    edited September 2009

    I call myself a cancer patient too - surviving is part of living, and we are all living with cancer, whether it is removed from our bodies or not - it is still a part of us now.

    I've been having every now and then little bleeds from "down under", it might be because the tamox does make the skin a little more sensitive, because I had a hyst. in 1991, so there's nothing to cause any other kind of bleeding.  Mostly if I am using a harsh toilet paper, like the crap we have at work.  Kind of alarming at first, seeing a drop of blood on the paper, but it always heals back up.  Geez, the things we have to think about now!

  • j414
    j414 Member Posts: 58
    edited September 2009

    Rachel - OMG!!! Your son looks like a cherub - he's so cute! And big - be careful with him on your back. I took the BRCA test and it came back negative. No one else in my family has taken it - they were all diagnosed 10+ years ago (pre BRCA) and they are all very far removed from the surgery, chemo etc. I'm trying to persuade my older cousin to take it - she was diagnosed in her thirties (she's 58 now), but she's very resistant.  And I'm dreading the next MRI - it's in 5 weeks and I'll bring the same CD - it's a couple of songs from my ipod - U2/snow patrol/the fray - anything thing that will keep me distracted.

    Ladies - Re: the Tamox skin issues - moisturize, moisturize, moisturize and from the inside out.  I have been taking an alpha omega liquid for the last couple of years (originally to help with high cholesterol) and it has really made a big difference in my skin. And during rads, when I wasn't able to take it (oncologist said no antioxidants/supplements), my skin took a hit. It was dryer than usual and blotchy. I take the omega (in the link below) b/c it has a very high concentration of EPA and DHA. I also use organic virgin olive oil every day and a couple of times a day (lunch = salad or sandwich) and w/ dinner (use it to sautee' kale or spinach - it's very high in monosaturated fat, which helps keep the skin moist. http://www.iherb.com/Nordic-Naturals-Omega-3-Liquid-Purified-Fish-Oil-Lemon-Flavor-8-fl-oz-237-ml/4191?at=0

    I have also used la mer for years, but I'm really loving the RADS recommended acquafor - I've been dabbing a little around my eyes at night and using a little on my neck and it's wonderful. And I love anew (from avon) - use it a couple of times a week - it's inexpensive and works better than most of the really expensive, big name stuff I have tried (I am a huge fan of sephora's "try it and return it if you don't like it policy!"). http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?pf_id=33842

  • kfinnigan
    kfinnigan Member Posts: 490
    edited September 2009

    Leggy, pussy galore!  gotta love that!!  A few people at work said yesterday 'wow your hair is getting long!'...wow how great was that to hear!!  I said 'it gets all crazy!' but its better than bald! haha

    Rachel & Chelev - you 2 cuties!!!!!!  I don't know who the other gals are though...names change to protect the innocent...remember that tv show?  You look great!  Laughed at the 'secret handshake'...can't wait to that with the NorCal gals!!

    PattyB, welcome and love your pic too!!  so pretty!

    Helena, isn't it something when we are still learning something new about our favorite little pill?? 

  • kfinnigan
    kfinnigan Member Posts: 490
    edited September 2009

    j414, now I'm cross dressing with you!  thanks for the moisturizer info!!

  • PattiB
    PattiB Member Posts: 107
    edited September 2009

    Welcome Patty B from PattiB

  • Pines
    Pines Member Posts: 38
    edited September 2009

    I have to say that you all have made my morning.  1 more chemo tx left and starting to think about the tamoxifen now.  I got on this site with kind of a downer mood.  I feel so much better.  Lots of laughs in this morning after reading your posts - the best cure.  Thank you.

    Shay

  • val61
    val61 Member Posts: 969
    edited September 2009

    You ladies are all such a hoot!  Thoroughly enjoying the conversation!  Thanks, j414, for the moisturizer info.  Funny you said to use olive oil - my gyno actually told me to use it in place of KY!  I cook with it all the time, but haven't yet made "the plunge" with her advice.  As for the tp issue, hadn't thought about that and the thinning of the vag walls - bet that's it - but I already use the softest Charmin they make.......heading for the olive oil right now........

    .....and Rachel - those pics are the cutest!  I remember when my guys were that little......such fun!

  • bcamnb
    bcamnb Member Posts: 334
    edited September 2009

    And I am likely picking up mine this week. Having just found out I an an intermediate metabolizer, I may have to take an increased dose! YUK

    BTW  re moisture...Now that I can't use Vagifem for vaginal dryness, I have been prescribed Vit E suppositories - ABSOLUTELY amazing! Wished I had known about them years ago - would have decreased the estrogen in my body, as well as increased, well...you can figure it out ;-)

  • kfinnigan
    kfinnigan Member Posts: 490
    edited September 2009

    Hi Shay, welcome!  this thread is so AWESOME, such wonderful ladies and we do love to laugh and gab!!

    Val - OMG, my GYN told me to use salad oil in place of 'lube'...I told her DH and I may as well do it on the kitchen table and make a salad while we were at it!  She laughed, then I laughed, it was so ridiculous!! haha  I haven't tried it yet either, in fact I just told my DH about it as my 'walls' seem to hurt while we ahem......'do it', very dry down there.  TMI, sorry!!!!!

    bcamb - I am going to taking the metabolizer test soon...so you may have to take increased dosage?  wow, that sucks.  Did your gyn prescribe the Vit E suppositories? is there any over the counter type or just prescription?  Thanks!

  • HelenaJ
    HelenaJ Member Posts: 304
    edited September 2009

    Hi to everyone and all the newbies - wave.  Bcamnb - do it - you are in good company here.

    Kari - like the salad oil option - always looking at the healthy alternative!!!  WT.... ahem ... and I think we can forget about the TMI abbreviation, things have soooo gone past that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  hugs and yes still lurking on motivation :)

    My sister is turning 50 today and really down in the dumps.  Told her that reaching 50 sounds pretty good to me .... no response ....they just don't get it like we do.  Bought her a blueberry bush and a mango tree - I will tell her they will be peaking by the time she hits 60!!!!!!!

    Nothing else to report ... well for now anyway.

    have a great day/nite everyone

    soft hugs

    Helena

  • pkb143
    pkb143 Member Posts: 69
    edited September 2009

    Allie, thank you!! very kind. And thanks for the warm welcome from all of you Tamoxfen users....

    I'm feeling a little guilty now because today I had a nail appointment, then a long hair appointment, and then forgot to go by the pharmacy to pick up my Tamoxifen prescription. Wow! that is sooooooo a Freudian slip.....I think.....

    j414, what a coincidence you mentioned the Avon products with the link. I've used Avon products for years and now sell it, and was just thinking I shouldn't have to worry about finding something to help moisturize my skin. In fact, that Anew product (Wrinkle Corrector) is my favorite long-time product, and please forgive me for jumping on this, j414, but your link didn't show an Avon rep, so please feel free to shop at my online store if this sounds like something you'd like. (just check my profile page)

    hey, PattiB!! does anyone ever call you "Patti B"?  They do me, especially while I was working (retired now).

     OK, tomorrow I shall pick up that Curiously Strange, Paranoia-Inducing Bottle from the pharmacy and I shall begin my Tamoxifen journey!

  • kfinnigan
    kfinnigan Member Posts: 490
    edited September 2009

    Helena, I do SEE you lurking over on Motivation each and everyday and say "hey Helena" under my breath while posting! haha  You always light up my day, you know that?  You're funny!!  Your sis is in a funk, and nothing will probably help her out of it, but you are handling her quite well!  How sweet, a blueberry bush and a mango tree!  Those are cool gifts!  Gifts that keep on giving!!  I like it!  I was laughing at my own TMI alert, sooooooo past that is right!  Ok good, we are soft hugging again, I was getting tired of side hugs! heehee

    PattyB, we're W A I T I N G!!!!!!!! haha  freudian slip....sure!!

    Wink 

  • pkb143
    pkb143 Member Posts: 69
    edited September 2009

    kfinnigan, perhaps I should see a psychiatrist about this....??

    ....on second thought, I'll just visit this thread periodically....Cool

  • HelenaJ
    HelenaJ Member Posts: 304
    edited September 2009

    kfinnigan - so formal!  LOL

    Patty B - if you see the psychiatrist don't mention us!!  And you know it is "out there" now - you have told us all you are starting tomorrow ..... mmmm, tapping the toe.

    Where are the rest of the elves?  Have my day off and everyone goes AWOL.  Oh well, going for a nice long walk and yes Kari ain't it great getting those soft hugs again.

    I'm off....

  • carollynn79
    carollynn79 Member Posts: 331
    edited September 2009

    Wow I did not feel good yesterday and did not log on and 3 pages later you were all having a great time!!  Isn't that  great we all have a good sense of humor, I too look at living with Cancer.

    Harvey and all others I too am struggling with fatigue, I am ok some days but others it really wears me down, still having problems with sleep tried going off the ambien, not a good idea.  I go see my Rads Onc and my Med Onc Friday will ask them about it.  Maybe it is just the shorter day light, working 8 hours, driving 2 hours.  I have to figure out how to get my walking in again.  I go up and down steps about 12 times a day at the shop but not the same as my walks.

    Rachal wonderful  pics you have great drive I am so tired when I get home from work I do not do much of anything.

    Welcome new comers, sorry to see you here, but very happy to meet you, we are a unique fun loving group.  Have to start my list for the Docs Friday.

    Talking frost this week so garden will really start to go down fast, I think I will miss the flowers most.  Later have a great evening.

  • carollynn79
    carollynn79 Member Posts: 331
    edited September 2009

    Forgot, no cake lately but made a wonderful apple pie DH and I really enjoyed a piece, and yes we both deserve it.  Life is short, eat dessert first we always say!!!!

  • Mary22
    Mary22 Member Posts: 428
    edited September 2009

    Meg, I had an ooph just before my 42nd birthday.

    Kari, I bought KY, but dh and I will have to try salad oil, maybe we could use vinegar and oil,clean out the ____. well you know :o

    Welcome to all the newbies, even if onc switches me to an AL, I will still come to this thread. The gals here are so nice and yes actually have a great sense of humor. Scary, that there are many out there w/ my sarcastice sense of humor and dark humor. Always good for a laugh here.

    I just wish I could post at work!!!! This would bring a laugh to my day.

    Rachel, love the pics!! What a little cutie!

  • jezzy234
    jezzy234 Member Posts: 127
    edited September 2009

    Rachel-BC---That is wonderful you feel that life is good.  That is inspiring.  Thanks for your message.  So, far right now I say Yeeeeeeeehawwwwww!!!! 

  • LeggyJ
    LeggyJ Member Posts: 195
    edited September 2009

    Hi Everyone,

    Just a little info. to the INTERMEDIATE METABOLIZER, my Onc. didn't increase my dose of TX, when my results came in as an IM., so I wouldn't worry to much about that.

    Rachel, I wish I lived closer to you.  I would love to go to your salon, and think it's really wonderful, that your helping the chemo. gals.  You all look so beautiful!   

  • kookiesmom
    kookiesmom Member Posts: 57
    edited September 2009

    Hi ladies - Having been off the tamoxifen for 8 days I have noticed I no longer have the neck/headache pain in the back of my head!  I know a couple of people said they had it too so in case you are wondering if its the tamox. or if you slept wrong - its the tamox.  Also the alien baby hasn't kicked in 2 days!  Was it the tamox giving me little muscle spasms in my uterus after all?  I went back to work today and survived.  I did not have to put my desk fan on all today!  That means no more hot  flashes or at least til I get put on something else. 

    Welcome to the newcomers!  Don't worry about the crazy SE I was having.   I think my body is just whacked and for some reason I got some bizarre reactions.  If it hadn't have been for the blood clot in my leg I would still be taking it cause it is a good drug really.  In fact as much as I bitched about taking it I kind of feel like my safety net is gone.  I am looking forward to seeing the onc. next week and getting back on something.  But right now I am enjoying no hot flashing, headaches or alien baby kicking me!!!

    So PKB tomorrow will be your first day on the tamoxie train!  You won't even know you are taking it!  Just take it and don't worry about the SE -  alot of women don't get any at all or just few little ones.

    Carollyn - I got tired just reading all you do in a day - 2 hours of driving would make me exhausted. Hope you get an answer as to how to perk up from the dr. soon.

    Now about the oils - won't the sheets get all stained with olive oil?  Does it have to be EEVOO?!! I could just lay the shower curtain down and have a slip & slide maybe.  That would be interesting.  I am curious about the new KY his & her lube.  I've been astrogliding it and it seems to do the job.  But the commercials for the His & Hers KY crack me up.  Anybody try it?  I never thought I would be looking for lube references on line - what has become of us????

  • pkb143
    pkb143 Member Posts: 69
    edited September 2009

    helena, don't worry, my lips are sealed. (Uh oh, another SE? oh wait, I haven't started yet).

    kookiesmom, yeah right, I won't even know I'm taking it. Just from your post, I'm expecting neck/headache pain (yikes! I already have migrianes), blood clots (OMG), hot flashes (I quit HRT in March after diagnosis and have been flashing ever since), and ALIEN BABIES (have had a hysterectomy so that part caught my attention). So, no, I'm not worried at all. Wink

    Stopping HRT also gave me something the Drs. never, ever mentioned. The extreme vaginal dryness, which I've seen 'mentioned' a few times here.  WOW! the pain from one night with the DH about 2 months caused me to take a vow of celibacy, at least until I could figure something out. Don't ever, ever try the "warming KY" stuff. Warm doesn't begin to describe it -- but thank goodness I figured that out before the vaginal dryness set in.  Then I got a really bad UTI....then I finally talked to my Dr. and he put me on VagiFem for 2 weeks straight, then twice per week thereafter. He is not worried about the small amount of estrogen because the size of my invasive cancer (in addiiton to DCIS) was so small (no chemo/radiation, either). The VagiFem has helped immensely, but I was also prepared with the Replens (good stuff), Vitamin E suppositories (bought online), and oh yeah, AstroGlide (also good stuff).  So now I'm also thinking ahead and wondering what will happen AT (After Tamoxifen).

  • pkb143
    pkb143 Member Posts: 69
    edited September 2009
    thanks, ivorymom, that's so good to hear!
  • kfinnigan
    kfinnigan Member Posts: 490
    edited September 2009

    Hi Helena, you made me laugh with your post to PattyB!!  don't mention us...!!  haha

    Carollynn, no wonder you're fatigued, working full time, running up and down stairs all day and driving 2 hours, that's a crazy schedule!  don't be too hard on yourself...you are going to miss the garden aren't you?  I just went out and picked 2 tomatoes, they are still producing, albeit, very small now and winding down.  We tore the rest of the veggie plants out last week.  Our garden was on serious steroids this year!  we would laugh looking at it each day. 

    Meg, instead of Happy Birthday to You it will be Happy Ooph Day to You, lalalalala!!

    Leggy, thanks for the info on the IM.  Also, I too would LOVE to go to NYC and go to Rachel's salon...I've never been there and DH said he'd love to take me there one day!!  its on the list! (that darn list is growing day by day) :)

    kookiesmom, very very interesting about the neck/head aches going away.  On my walk tonight I was just thinking 'is my stiff neck from the tamox'...I've been saying that for months now.  And FUNNY about the shower curtain and EEVOO, that just cracked me up!

    and Mary, oil and vinegar, heehee!!  I'm lucky I can post during the day since I work on a computer all day.  I usually don't like to get online when at home cause I'm sick of the computer by then, but heck, I wouldn't want to miss anything here at night!  haha  and Helena would get lonely...

    PattyB, ok so NO warming stuff, I haven't seen that commercial, but now I want to.

    Meg, that's awesome you have no troubles on Tamox!! 

    ok, back to Top Chef from last week, just catching up on some shows....

  • pkb143
    pkb143 Member Posts: 69
    edited September 2009

    Kari, I think the KY stuff they're referring to is the new "His" and "Hers" -- but I haven't tried that (yet).

    **The slip and slide on the shower curtain sounds like fun, actually, but first, we'd have to gate up the puppy dog or she'd be right in the middle of it, and she's too old to be slipping around (well, I probably am, too, for that matter--turned 'sexty' 2 weeks ago, actually). But I probably should wait until the TE's come out....

  • HelenaJ
    HelenaJ Member Posts: 304
    edited September 2009

    Meg - an ooph - you spoil yourself!!!!  Hope it all goes well and you remain side fx free - fingers crossed for you.  Will you be sticking with the tamoxifen going forward? 

    Kari - your list and my denial crate ....

    Patti B - I'm with Meg on the lack of side fx too - see we do exist.  :)    And sorry can't believe you are sexty. 

    Anyone heard from Diane? Seen her on FB but not here.  Hi Diane if you are lurking. 

    Met with my 50year old sister and had a pot of tea (don't do coffee any more) and how strong am I ...no cake. 

    Can't believe all you sexy mummas here - mojo all over the place.  Sigh.

    Off to clean DD's rooms so could be back any second  ...

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