Hello everyone ?
Great to hear from you all again.
Julie congratulations x lovely to hear your wedding news xx
Benno, you are same as me with the nails. My toe nails are most yellow and fingernails are a bit yucky looking. I was told it was another se of the lovely T.
It will grow out eventually. So u are finished your chemo, keep us informed on how your surgery goes. Xx
I am starting to get white / grey fluffy hair but none on top of my head yet ? so not very flattering lol.
Also alot of aches in leg joints especially in the morning.
Well little Benno is a very happy bunny , tumour has reduced right down to 42mm and they are extremely happy with me … Pre op Wednesday and date for surgery , circled in for lumpectomy and lymth node clearance they say one lymth node but that could change .
Besides my nasty looking nails and achey bones , swelling ankles , that top of the ladder is getting closer for me ??? , I asked loads of questions and one was how long does it take to stop feeling so achey , the nurse said it could take up to a year from having your first bout of chemo to feeling your normal healthy self …
My hair is growing back slowly , can’t wait for my lashes and brows to return … They do return don’t they ladies .? Took me ages to learn how to put lashes on ?? master at it now lol
I’m not on herceptin …have my surgery week Monday tadge nervous to say the least …I take the odd ibruprofen when needed butlike yourself don’t like to take tablets …
Have water retention on my legs and ankles but they say it’s all part of SE …I’m going to see doc next week as it’s uncomptable and I want it to clear before surgery .
I’m doing as you say walk a day with the doggie and eating plenty of fish and vegetables so hopefully it’s going to get betterxxx
Benno - I had similar water retention during my second FEC cycle. It’s phlebitis, annoying but nothing to worry about as it will go away eventually. You are doing the right thing by having regular walks as this should help get rid of it. Also try raising your feet up when sitting or lying down, and avoid sitting or standing still for long periods. I got rid of it in 3 days by propping my feet up on a stool when sitting down to watch TV, and on a couple of pillows in bed. I also got up and had a walk around the house from time to time instead of sitting still, and went out for walks like you are doing. Hope this helps, see how you get on over the next few days. If it still hasn’t gone, you can also talk to the nurse about it when you go for your pre-operation assessment.
Morning Benno, my hair is growing fast as well, you can see a difference every few days! It is now about 1cm long but still too thin to go out without a hat or the wig. It also seems to have come back darker with more grey hairs than before ?. My eyebrows are also growing fast, and are thicker than before (either that or a couple of hairy caterpillars have decided to take up residence?). My eyelashes have also started growing back, just when I was beginning to think they wouldn’t . So you will probably see a difference soon. Surgery should be easier to cope with than chemo. I was a day case and didn’t need a drain because I only had WLE and SNB, and healed within a fortnight. Had some fluid but otherwise no problems. It’s important to start doing the exercises as soon as they tell you to, even if it is a bit uncomfortable at first, as it definitely helps you to get back the movement in your arm. Hope everything goes OK with your pre-op in the meantime - I found it helped to write down the questions I wanted to ask the nurse so I didn’t forget anything.
Aine and Blueash - didn’t think the Herceptin was contributing to the aches and pains. I thought it was just me getting used to being active again, after almost total lack of exercise during the last couple of chemo cycles (and for a few weeks afterwards)! It is probably a bit of both. I think you are bound to suffer a bit at first if you start exercising when you haven’t been used to it and are unfit.
Thanks Blueash. I haven’t noticed any pattern linked to the injections, but I’ll bear that in mind next time. My next injection is on 13 March, which is the day I am supposed to start radiotherapy (!!!). I am not in agony either, but I know what you mean about struggling to get up sometimes. I still think it is in part unfitness and fatigue hanging over from the chemotherapy, but I guess time will tell. If it is just unfitness, it should improve now I am more active again, but if not…
I completed my radiotherapy today so that’s my hospital based treatment pretty much done. YIPPEE ??.
My nails are still falling off; my fingers and feet are numb and I have little head hair, (though I do have some lower eyelash ?and leg hair ? again); my breast is red and sore and my right arm is swollen from a blood clot … but apart from that … and being tired … I’m beginning to feel well / human again.
I was diagnosed on 3rd May; had a mastectomy and reconstruction for a 115mm lobular, oestrogen receptive tumour on 30th June followed by aspiration and then further surgery to remedy infections; chemo from 25th August to 4th January and radiotherapy from 25th January till today.
I just have 5 zoledronate injections left at 6 monthly intervals and hormone therapy (anastrozole) for 5 years. Oh and daily clexane injections till my PICC line induced blood clot dissolves. The plastic surgeon also has designs on my body for further minor surgery at the end of the year to ‘even me up,’ give me a nipple and tidy up my abdominal scar, but I think I’ll just have a tattoo ?.
They say my prognosis is over 80% that the cancer won’t come back ?.
I really can’t fault any of the fantastic treatment I have received, nor the positive and caring attitude of the staff.
I’m planning to return to work on 3rd April on a half time basis for the first few weeks till my concentration and stamina have built up.
Thank you ever so much for your support. I certainly wouldn’t have got through chemo without your support.
Hello Benno, just saw your post. The answer is yes, it is normal to have fluid under the armpit after surgery, and it should go away on its own. You just need to give it a bit more time.
I had surgery after chemotherapy (19 January) but only had 4 nodes removed, so no drain. Fluid started building up about a week after surgery, and it was so swollen that the dressings kept coming off. When I saw the surgeon a fortnight later, he confirmed the wound had healed, there was no infection and I could leave the dressing off.
The swelling was uncomfortable though, so the nurse drained it for me. She warned me it would probably come back, but that it should go down on its own eventually. I was advised to stop doing the ‘advanced’ exercises and just do the ‘basic’ ones until it had gone down. The fluid did come back a couple of days after it was drained, but not as bad as before. It did go down on its own although it took a while. It took just over a week to go down enough to be able to start doing the full set of exercises again, and about three more weeks to go completely.
I have also had swelling under the armpit from internal scar tissue, which still hasn’t completely gone. You can tell the difference because this is firmer than the fluid. If the swelling persists it could delay radiotherapy, because you need to get back full movement in the shoulder joint and arm to hold the position on the radiotherapy machine.
My radiotherapy didn’t start until 13 March. This may be because I have had to be referred to a different hospital for it, but when I saw the oncologist there before starting, he noted that there was still some swelling, so he may have delayed it to allow it time to go down. He also advised me to do the exercises 4 times a day which I have been doing ever since, and this has certainly helped with the swelling and flexibility of the shoulder and arm.
Hi Ladies
Interesting to hear about what’s happening with recon and tattoos.
I am back this morning for my first check apptment. It’s a year!! Since I was first diagnosed. Not sure if I will have mamogram today or not. Will discuss recon as had MX but not sure if I am ready for more surgery yet. Maybe next year or year after.
My hair is very slowly growing. About 1 1/2 cm. I have now dyed it as could not stand the grey white any longer.
I am still not back to work yet. Leg and feet pains are quite bad along with no energy. Gp says he does not think I am ready and not to rush back.
Would be great to hear how everyone is getting on. Any holidays booked ?? I am trying to make my mind up where lol
Morning ladies …little nervous but I know you all can put me at ease … my rads were suspose to start Wednesday they’ve now cancelled as they want to look into my ct a little more and where to pinpoint the radiotherphy I know there only being Causous but my holiday is booked for the 28th because they assured me I’d be ok to go , he’s booked me in for 15 blocks which they say if it starts on the 8th will finish 23rd may great I thought il still be able to go …they’ve now told me he wants me to have a booster at the end which takes me up to 31st …I was in tears last night because my annual visit to oz to see family was cancelled …which I knew I’d had to ,but I’ve so looked forward to this trip it was going to be my celebration break …the nurses were lovely and said amanda don’t worry will sort it …I thought radiotherapy was going to be a walk in the park compared to what we’ve all been through but not knowing and waiting get me all anxious again …you may think I’m being a dafty ladies but I’m tired so tired ???xxx .
I only had a wide incision and 14 nodes out one was cancerous ,he keeps saying we want to get it right because where I want to do rads is also in line with your heart and lungs I’m all prepared with the creams and il take on board what you did after radiotherphy …just anxious they’ll put my holiday back xx
Hi Benno
That is terrible, what alot of stress you are under. Hoping they will sort something out for you so you can have your holiday.
Love and hugs V ??
Hello lovely ladies ?
Just wondering how everyone is doing?
Benno did you manage to get away on holiday?
Julie I guess you are now a married lady now. Hope you had a fabulous day x
I have started a weight loss class and also some gentle yoga and pilaties. Also doing some totally new hobbies to take my mind off all this bc . Started pottery and photography classes. I have found them a real help in moving on and geting me out the house, and giving me something enjoyable to think about. (Even though I am pretty rubbish at them??) any one else started something new?
I am still finding my feet legs and hands very painfull. And easily tired out. Side effects of ??? Chemo? Herceptin? Or tamoxifen? Who knows lol. Gp has arranged a blood test for next week to rule out arthritis.
Would love to hear how you are getting on.
Love V x
Geeso, hope they can sort it out first time for you. Glad to hear you are feeling well. And nearly finished the herceptin ?
I am on number 13 so far. Interesting what you say about the fluid retention. I have been trying to lose a bit of weight and can find I go up and down from day to day 5 pounds or more. I am puting it down to fluid also. Let me know if you notice a difference when you have finished the herceptin
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I am suffering quite bad with pain in legs and feet with swollen knees . Find it painfull to get up from a chair . I am very slow walking. Can’t get out a bath without help ?. I am told it could still be damage from the T part of chemo. Or the Tamoxifen. Or both. I have been trying to research it but unfortunately apart from heavy painkillers (which I refuse to take daily ) I am at a loss what may help. Feel like a 90 yo not 47.
I have started pilates and yoga classes . I do feel better for going, but it has not helped the leg/knee problem.
Blueash, sorry to hear that you have a seroma. I hope everything goes well for you on Friday and that you recover quickly.
Vintage, I’m also having problems with fluid retention, particularly in my feet. I’ve been plagued by numerous ingrowing toenails on my big toe in both feet which have required antibiotics each time. They are now talking about the possibility of removing the nails :smileysad: I invested a lot of time, money and effort to avoid losing my nails during chemo but I can’t keep taking antibiotics all the time. One of my local cancer charities has a podiatrist who provides treatment for people who have had chemo as it often affects the nails. She said that it’s more a case of the skin growing into the nail rather than the other way around. I’m not surprised as my big toes are huge and fat!! Really they’re enormous, I’ve had to buy some wide fitting shoes. I really hope the fluid retention disappears once I’ve finished my herceptin. I’ve found that the fatigue and joint pain have improved, I’m still getting my herceptin by infusion, number 17 on Friday. I have joined a gentle exercise circuit based class run by macmillan and nhs in my area and also joined a gentle walking group at my local Maggies but my feet have prevented me from going to either of them for the last 2 months.
. So you will probably see a difference soon. Surgery should be easier to cope with than chemo. I was a day case and didn’t need a drain because I only had WLE and SNB, and healed within a fortnight. Had some fluid but otherwise no problems. It’s important to start doing the exercises as soon as they tell you to, even if it is a bit uncomfortable at first, as it definitely helps you to get back the movement in your arm. Hope everything goes OK with your pre-op in the meantime - I found it helped to write down the questions I wanted to ask the nurse so I didn’t forget anything.