Hello all,
I’m a returner to these shores, with an unexpected problem! I had breast cancer diagnosed March 2010, no lymph nodes involved, had successful lumpectomy, then chemo (finished October last year), radio and Herceptin (6 months, on a trial). All finished back in April this year.
Now I have a problem with my foot, as I lost a toenail after chemo and now have an ingrown nail. Podiatric surgeon looked at it yesterday (referred immediately by my GP and got appointment within a week) and has refused to do surgery as he says there is too much of a risk of deep vein thrombosis following the chemo, if I do have it then I have to inject myself with blood thinning drugs daily for two weeks!
Has anyone else come across this? Is he being overcautious, or does the risk remain even over a year after chemo finished?
Hi Mrs Sloth.
Sorry to hear about your nail problem. I really don’t know what the DVT risks are following chemo. I just wanted to offer you some reassurance about the blood thinning injections (Clexane?). I had multiple blood clots on my lungs 10 years ago and when I got pregnant, I had to self inject Clexane daily for 7 months. It was hard getting my head around doing the injections at first but I did manage to do them and they didn’t hurt.
Best Wishes
Bobtail
Thanks Bobtail! I am reluctant to go down the route of surgery if it means having to have blood thinning injections as I don’t want to put my body through anything unnecessary, I am also more concerned that I wasn’t aware there was even a risk of it long after chemo finished. You would think it would be mentioned, but there seems little interest in patients once they’ve finished all their treatments.
I am going to try a chiropodist first to see what he can do, I’m seeing someone privately on Tuesday. I accept the surgeon’s point that having surgery on the toenail would run the risk of infection, but equally having a nail dig into the skin and periodically bleeding is also an infection risk! His comment that if the chiropodist doesn’t help then my treatment options are “limited” lead me to conclude he thinks I’ll be stuck with an ingrown toenail, and I’m not accepting that!
Sorry, feeling a bit ranty today, I wish I had the presence of mind to ask more questions yesterday but was too flabbergasted.
You’ve certainly got me thinking Mrs Sloth. As I have already had clots, with no known cause, I’m considered to be at a higher risk of DVT’s. The Onc didn’t warn me that chemo puts me at any greater risk. Tamoxifen does increase the risk of DVT’s and so I am not allowed to have it. I’m on Zoladex instead as I am oestrogen +++. I think I’ll be asking my Onc about this next time I see him!
I do hope you get your toe sorted out a.s.a.p.
big <<<hugs></hugs>
Bobtail
Right, I have the info I needed - apparently the risk of DVT stays with you for about 6 months after chemo finishes (according to Macmillans), so podiatrist was being overcautious. However, I don’t need him as a very nice chiropodist came round the house yesterday morning and removed the ingrown toenail (and did my other nails and pumiced my hard heels as well!), so just need it to heal up where teh caught the skin and everything should be fine!