TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
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i had the temporary great skin too! no breakouts, cool cause post-meno, i was having tiny wrinkles, AND blemishes?? so not fair... but i did get hang-nails for the first time in my life and i did want to chew them, but almond oil and clipped em. i was wondering, if the better skin was from tons of water? it certainly wasnt my diet. spicy nachos, and trader joes version of chef boyardee, which i never ever have normally!!! i was eating so many nachos, i was scaring myself!
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Kathec water is the best thing you can do for your skin but I doubt its just that. I do notice my skin doesn't look as good if I haven't had enough water.
But who knows. Maybe chemo forces your skin cells to turn over more.
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I think my skin looks better cause it is escaping - it just wants to get the heck away from this chemo!!
I also think I pay more attention to it as I am applying more moisturizer than normal as it was/is so dry at times. Thanks Lago - I think you are right it is cause I am special LOL. My eyes have felt pretty dry for the last few days without any taxotears and that is why I was kind of asking about what to be on the lookout for on the eye issue. I was used to having the tears now and then and just realized it has been awhile without them. I will talk to my MO about it next visit.
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I had a dark freckle on my cheek from an old acne scar. Over the past few years its been getting darker and larger. I hate it! Since chemo it has been fading! MO said the chemo is fading it and it won't come back.
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i do remember my bs said the chemo would clear my skin up. you are special linda!
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Yes I had the best skin right after chemo. I had the taxotere and the runny nose. My nails had horizontal Li e's across them, one for every chemo tx. It took a year before I had nails that wouldn't break all the time. They used to be curved on top. Now all of them are flat at the tip. Weird.
Much love everyone
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My nails never fully recovered but I had the nail lifting really bad.
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Someone posted on on of these threads that they lost nails 4 1/2 months pfc. Is it typical for it to happen so long after tx? I just finished tx 4 and so far nails are ok except the thumbs are a little discolored. The nurse at the infusion center recommended tea tree oil, anyone use this?
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debiann - I personally would not use tea tree oil as it is estrogenic. I would just paint on clear nail hardener and wait for the nails to grow out - keep them as short as you can so they don't catch and tear on things.
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I lost nails. Not sure when they fell off but it really depends on when your nails start to lift. My toenails started after TX 1 but my fingers much later. I didn't lose fingernails just toenails.
You would know if your nails are lifting. They hurt. Doesn't sound like you have that issue. It's not as common. Also not as common to get it like I did. So in general I would say if your nails beds don't hurt your probably fine, even if they just lift a little.
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Debiann,My MO nurse suggested I use tea tree oil for my hands. Taxotere has really done a number on my hands. It makes me smell like a pine forest so I quit using it. She also suggested udderly smooth and I've been using that on my hands and feet and it's working pretty well. Haven't had trouble with my nails and hope I won't.0
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Is the nail issue for Taxotere or will I experience it with 12 weekly Taxols?
I finally buzzed my hair yesterday (32 days). I had 2 small spots on the back of my head that looked too thin. The wig looks pretty good. Yesterday at SAMs, my youngest son whispered that my wig looked good and nobody knew I was bald. He said he was talking soft so no one would hear & I would be embarrassed.
I don't think my skin looks better but it doesn't look worse.
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I lost almost all my toe nails. A couple twice. Not during treatment-started a few weeks after. My fingernails got loose-but did not fall. Have always had horrid soft nails. Now are worse though-flat with funny very thin lines top to bottom. Nails bend worse than ever. My skin actually still looks good. Weird. But am taking it as one good thing. I still get compliments on my skin. From strangers. Recently on an airplane.
For those without reconstruction. I may have asked this. Chemo brain remains. The skin/muscle on one side is stuck to my chest wall. Does not move. This seems to be new. Nice. And the scars are getting tighter. One side is almost 18 months; other side will be a year the end of this month. A part of BC hell I was not expecting. My MO was full of wisdom. "Well look @ this. Stuck to your chest wall." 4 years of college. 4 years of medical school. 3 years of residency. 1 year as chief resident. A year of fellowship. 8 years in practice. Diagnosis. "Stuck". But he is keeping me on the right side of dirt-so gotta love him.
Have I mentioned lately how fond I am of Femara? Listened to a Doc Radio on insomnia. Failed to mention the insomnia of Femara. And my bowl full of jelly belly. I could pass for pregnant if I were not older than the dirt I want to stay above.
Off to clean up messes. Tomorrow is the "Thank goodness it is the Monday of my housekeeper". Would think a full-grown haired over adult female could keep a house. Nope. Never could. Never will. Have cut from weekly to every other though. My theory has always been help in the house and someone to hang wallpaper is always cheaper than additional therapy.
Much love to the women who help keep me sort of sane.
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Susan, a good PT should be able to help with the skin/muscle stuck to the chest wall. I had this issue after my BMX and also after my ALND, though it was not stuck to my chest wall but my ribs under my arm. PT was able to do some myofascial release and it loosened up after a few sessions. Though it is not stuck anymore, it still tends to tighten up and PT told me I may have to come in a couple times a year to keep the muscles loosened up.
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footballnut-if they are switching you to taxol, I hope you have the same reaction I did, which was very little. A little joint pain, no real nausea (some queasiness now and then). I did run a low grade temp every so often, but they don't know if it was the chemo, herceptin, or the fact that I had a pseudomona infection in the works.
I kept my finger and toenails iced all through chemo. They looked great. Then, when I went to herceptin only, they started to thin. They were so painful and like baby nails. I couldn't begin to use them for anything. Didn't even want things to get near them. They also lifted far down in the nail bed. And it didn't hurt when the lifted part came off.
They are growing now, but are still bad. I am going to make an appointment with a dermatologist today to get everything checked out. I had them tested once for a fungus and it was negative. They told me it was related to my chemo or herceptin. But, they are still bad.
Skin during chemo was flawless! I just bought this thing called Lift Wand. Send electro currents to the skin. Gets great reviews so I will let you know in a month how it works.
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Susan - did you have radiation on both sides? Mine is stuck down on my radiated side (which is only partially reconstructed...for that very reason). It is due to radiation fibrosis, which usually doesn't show up until oh maybe 7 or 8 months to 1 year post radiation. Surprise.
It sucks. I have been getting myofascial release since April with an excellent PT, and it is helping markedly. My shoulder and neck pain is also markedly better. The rads causes fibrosis in the pec muscle, too, which pulls your shoulder forward and changes the biomechanics of the neck/shoulder, resulting in pain. I would not go to just any PT. Go to one who specializes in this. My lymphedema PT did absolutely nothing to help this issue. (I'm a PT myself, so IMO I am a good judge of what works and what doesn't for this issue. Exercises are not enough. I did plenty of those, trust me. Rad fibrosis needs extensive soft tissue work.)
My radiation oncologist also put me on pentoxifylline and Vit E regimen and wants me to stay on it at least two years to try to minimize worsening of the radiation fibrosis. I am MUCH better, so this can be improved!
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ive been reading about skin during rx...I developed melasma (dark spots) during chemo and they have gotten worse. Ive read that its hormone related (some women get it during pregnancy) since the estrogen depletion its actually so much worse
any one else with this issue?
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hi all
It's Monday and I'm feeling more like myself albeit a few minor things. I'm losing my eyelashes and eyebrows are thinning out and my eyes feel "sticky". Tummy is much better and my tongue isn't burning so much anymore. The back of my neck still feels clammy off and on and I get the odd chills. Sometimes at night I'm on FIRE but not sweating
And I'm HUNGRY!
We had a BBQ on the weekend and I ate 2 Nathdns hotdogs with buns - they gotta be Nathan's!! - some pasta salad, chips and a piece of chocolate cake. I even drank 1 1/2 bottles of Pepsi. Felt great!!!
My friend gave me a book called "eat to beat cancer". I told her today that according to this book I'm already dead. Lol
I just can't buy into all of this stuff. Go vegan, live on rabbit food etc. I believe in moderation. If I can't eat my junk every now and then I'm not living!
A friend of mine took me on his motorcycle during our BBQ. It was awesome! It felt so great - until we got pulled over for speeding. Lol
Today I was on the treadmill for 40 minutes and did arm weights for 1/2 hour
A week wed in my 2nd to last round of chemo. I'm scared sh*tless! I'll see what my onc has to say regarding proposed changes to my treatment. I think that I'll be getting taxotere weekly for the remaining 6 weeks. A nurse told me that most women tolerate this much better.
For now I'm going to enjoy my week! 😊
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fluffqueen01 my fingernails were worse after chemo started. It isn't Herceptin. Its still the Taxotere/Taxol
Footballnut There is no medical proof you can eat to beat cancer. Hell if it were that easy I would have skipped the chemo and ESD and just eat. BUT eating healthy can reduce your risk. Also certain things we know aren't good so as I say only once in a while (sorry but your hot dogs are in that category. Doubt 2 dogs now and then are going to kill you. There is no such thing as a nitrate free hotdog.) Veggies will get you too according to those books unless you stick to organic only. Granted you need to wash your veggies to get rid of all the pesticides. Pesticides are carcinogenic.
So glad you are feeling better
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fluffqueen - my nails were absolutely normal throughout taxol, which I finished in December 2012. They got really bad last summer/fall - peeling, breaking, splitting down to the quick. I didn't make the connection at the time, but it turns out tamoxifen was the culprit. I stopped taking tamoxifen as of 2/22/14 (at the suggestion of my MO - I was only 26% ER+ with "weak staining", 0% PR, 5mm tumor, so he doesn't think I need it or that it was doing me any good), and my nails rapidly improved. They are normal now.
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Hello ladies,
I don't know if it's indigestion, but I am often uncomfortable after eating a regular meal. Although I stopped Taxotere and Carboplatin in January, I don't have much of an appetite and have not regained any of the 35 pounds I lost. So I'm not sure if it's the Herceptin (which goes until November) or Arimidex.
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GC2 I would discuss this with both your onc and PCP. This is something you shouldn't ignore.
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Patin-that is interesting. I have been off tamoxifen for six weeks. I haven't noticed anything dramatic, but I will keep an eye on them!
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Day 5 of round 4. Overall the se's weren't as bad now that I know what to expect and what to pretreat for plus I got additional fluids, yet somehow I felt more down. My body needs a break! I need surgery 4-5 weeks after chemo ends, consisering DEIP but don't know if I want to subject myself to the longer recovery. (Lump redo with rads is also an option). How fast do you bounce back after chemo ends? Will I be ready for a big surgery?
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By five weeks after, I was feeling really good. I had a rough time with the dose dense Herceptin, given in 30 minutes, but once they slowed it down to 90 minutes, it was better.
I had surgery first and started chemo three weeks later, so I think you will actually be better.
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debiann I started to feel much better at 5 weeks too but still was out and about before then. I doubt they will do surgery if your white counts aren't up. So don't worry too much. If you're not healthy enough for surgery they will wait till you are.
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I had a TE replaced 9 weeks after chemo ended. I lost it a month later. I think it was too soon for me. But i had 2 hospitalizations during chemo so I probably wasn't ready.
Not telling you not to go through with it, but do pay attention to how you feel. I know now i wasn't anywhere near ready.
Much love
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Lago, at this point I'm more worried about the brain cells than the blood cells cause its driving me crazy to be so incapaciated, lol. I would like as big of a break as I could get between chemo & surgery but I don't know what having"close margins" on the first lumpectomy means for the time frame, MO told me minimum of 4 weeks, I didn't ask what the max would be, couple years would be nice, lol.
When did everyone start hormone therapy, while still on herceptin or when it finished? MO said both are options, will discuss it after surgery.
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Ladies.Thanks for the suggestions on my stuck skin. It is only stuck on the side with RADs. As a nurse-my brain should have gone that direction. I will call and get a referral to a PT @ the rehab center and get started. This started @ just about a year out from Rads. I had none the exercises faithfully-
Thanks so very much
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debiann you don't want to wait as long as possible. If there are any cancer cells in there left from your close margins you want them out before they decide to sprout. Chemo might not of been able to get to these cells (if they are there) because the blood supply probably has changed to do surgery. That's why you need to do surgery and why they do rads after lumpectomy. Trust me you want to get this over with and move on. I started hormone therapy 5 weeks PFC (I had no rads). Yes I was doing Hercepetin. Yes I continued to take it with the reconstruction surgery.
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