Hi All
My first post on behalf of a very close friend who has just been told she is now in the terminal phase of her breast cancer. She has had three different chemos and is coping really well…except…her tumour is fungating and nobody seems to be of help in dressings for it. She has seen a private skin consultant and many different district nurses, the tissue viability nurse, practise nurse and GP all of whom have made suggestions which she has dutifully tried. She has very sensitive skin and has found that Mepital dressings and surgical pads seem to help her cope best, but she has to change them at least twice a day. Has anyone found a net tubular dressing big enough to use as a sort of loose bra top to hold the pads in place? I am a chemotherapy nurse and have experience of small tubifast and surgifast dressings but cannot track down the larger ones.I think just having a comfortable dressing which absorbs the exudate would be a relief for her. Such a simple thing but at present they all seem to have written her off! The tumour extends across the whole breast and round her back now. She has at last agreed to take painkillers and these are helping. I am at a loss to find someone who offer constructive advise! Any suggestions?
Hi, I have no answers but I have been stage 4 since 2003, with a fungating tumour which fortunately is very small, it looks more like a birthmark, and it has never grown, been a problem or needed any dressings. A friend, also stage 4 has used charcoal dressings but that’s as much as I know. How very distressing for your friend, does she have a Macmillan nurse who might be able to advise on dressings or might the local hospice be any help? What a good friend you sound.
Best Wishes, Belinda.
Hi
She has used charcoal dressings and metotop but the main problem is the amount of exudate rather than the smell. She used manuka honey drssings which started to work but caused such pain she could not bear it. She is intensely private and is not keen on the hospice at present, but I am working on it! She can cope if she can contain it for more than a couple of hours at a time. She wants to carry on as usual but the need for dressing changes is limiting her ability to cope. This is why I was thinking of a net type “boob tube” which would hold the surgipads in place. Currently the amount of fluid causes the mepital dressing to lose adhesion. I keep thinking a burns unit must use this type of dressing…may try East Grinstead tomorrow. There is a real dearth of help for someone in this position. Macmillan have been unable to suggest much unfortunately. It seems a specialist issue with no specialists!
How about the net pants they use for holding the pads in place for incontinent patients.
I’ve used that very successfully- just need to cut through the crotch so you have the circular light net to hold everything in place. Had a patient in Australia who had the same problem as your friend.
I was treated at the Marsden and the skin nurse gave me some dressings and a pair of the net pants in case I had any problems but I didn’t need them. Maybe the Marsden would be a good place to contact to ask for advice .
All the best to your friend - she is lucky to have you. D.
You know, thats just what we used to use for chest wounds in the old days when I was in District nursing! I was hoping we might have something better! Definetely will try and get some as an interim measure, I am sure there must be some in the hospital where I work! All the drug treatments move on so fast, but the old tried and tested things still get used! Thanks for reminding me!
Only to happy to have reminded you. Come back and let us know what you do find success with. You never know it may be helpful to other people too.