Community

morning all,hope it has been a good easter for everyone ,well i had my second chemo last tuesday and it went much better than the first one ,i just want advice on a nasty cold sore i now have under my chin ,i missed it coming up ,just thought it was a rash ,but it is a cold sore ,itchy and sore ,horrible to look at ,i normaly would let it alone and not put anything on it .i covered it with a zinc codliveroil cream so i wont spread it ,are these normal durning chemo ,also should i take a vitiman supplement ,thank you all i find your advice to be real and very helpful .My small problem today lol..,

Do any of you have any advice on waxing following chemo and radiation? I'm 10 weeks post chemo and 2 weeks post radiation. It's still too cold at the moment to go with bare legs but I'm optimistic that the weather will pick up. Is it safe to start waxing again or should I wait a little longer? I've been having my legs waxed for more than 20 years and do not want to start shaving them. Many thanks. Roseo

I had prostate cancer diagnosed last year and posted a note here because I had difficulty deciding which treatment to go with. I was offered surgery and radio treatment of various kinds. I was lucky in that it had been diagnosed before becoming a problem. I had no symptoms. It showed up on a PSA blood test and then was put forward for biopsy. The results showed a Gleason scale rating of 7 with 2 out of 6 on one side and 5 out of 6 on the other. I pondered long and hard and asked here for help which produced no suggestions and no help. Look at the lists of posts with number of hits reading and then number of answers to a number of different cancers. Men with cancer want answers but are not prepared to talk. There were a number of things worrying me. First that I would lose my ability to have erections and a normal sex life after and second that I would lose control of my bladder and worse case scenario my bowel as well. It would have been my second cancer operation. 5 years ago I had a kidney removed at St Vincents. I saw the same consultant and team this time and had great confidence in them. They told me that they could make no promises as to the after and side effects of the operation. This was hard. The other consultant also said the same. The crucial piece of information that decided me was that with surgery all the damage, side effects and after effects of the op would be up front and be there when I woke up and that would be the worse it could be. There after it could only get better. And it did. With radio therapy in all the different options the effects are not apparent until sometime later and cannot be measured before. You have only to wait and see what developes later. This can take up to a year or more. The initial effects apart from the inconvenience of attending the clinics regularly over maybe a 6 week period are limited. After the end of their treatments you might feel great and cured with no ill effects. They can arrive later. The other crucial information I gleaned was that with radio therapy if the cancer came back there was nothing a surgeon can do because of too much soft tissue damage to the area This would leave only chemo. Whereas with surgery all three options are still there. More surgery, chemo and radio. I chose surgery and am delighted with the results. Because of the location of the tumour all the prostate had to be removed including the nerves controlling erections. I followed advice and did lots of pelvic floor exercises before and after and am convinced it did a lot of good. I still do them once a week for couple of minutes. I take viagra now and things are almost normal again with sex. Not quite but hey I don't have cancer anymore. I have no problems with incontinence in the bladder or bowel. This took maybe 5 weeks to come back but it did. Positive thinking and exercises worked. I hope this helps someone out there not able to make up their minds. I know none of us have the same problems and lives to lead and in other circumstances I might have chosen differently. I am 65 now with lots more life to live. Good luck.

The marathon continues, but I can't believe I only have 1 to go. So to all those starting off- it us a rocky road, and it does get a bit harder with each blast, but there are good times too, and the finish line gets closer all the time!!! Only 1 more.......

[color=#8000FF:b7sy0so4]Hi all....another question. Had 4 x AC then 12 x Taxol chemotherapy. Finished a few weeks now and in middle of radiotherapy. Had menopause symptoms big time with moods, hot flushes etc. On Saturday,Sunday however, I felt very premenstrual and lo and behold it was that. I've been told periods can return but then when I go on Tomexifen in another few weeks I'll probably go back to menopause again????? The joys![/color:b7sy0so4]

Found out yesterday that I won't be needing chemo so I can ask for my reconstruction referral to be out in. After research I'd really like the diep reconstruction if I was a candidate for it. Can anyone tell me please where they got theirs done and by whom. I know they do it in Beaumont but is it done elsewhere? If anyone has some recommendations about their own reconstruction diep or not I'd also love to hear them. One last thing, did u have it done on the public or private system? I have health insurance but they won't tell me if its covered without a procedure code. Anyone have theirs done using their health ins or is it even covered? Thanks xx

Hi, not the worse part of chemo but I am already dying to taste food properly again and am only on day 10 of first cycle. Would be something to look forward to next weekend if normal taste resumed before cycle no 2?. What normally happens during each cycle or does metallic taste laste for all the treatment period? And any top tips for dealing with it please ? Thanks LL?

Hi, Since starting Tamoxifen I have developed several small dry patches on my skin. The skin is red but not broken, though sometimes it cracks. I have tried just about everything I can think of, but the skin never heals fully once this dryness sets in and I am getting more of them as time goes by. My dermatologist wants to burn them but three of them are on my arm on the lumpectomy side so I am very reluctant to do anything on that side that might trigger lymphodema. Have any of you ladies had this problem, and have you found a solution? Kath

Hi Just wondering did anyone get advise on removing coil (with hormone)I know you can't mention names .oncologist said it was fine to leave it there as it had a low dose hormone in it. But was back for check in breast care and doctor said to get it removed I'm finished all treatment. I had lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy and tamoxifen for 5years Liz

I have been to my Doctor a couple of times over the past few months with a lot of symptoms and nothing has been resolved. I got really run down from a job (early start, late finish, no lunch break sometimes for 10 hours) and had to quit because I was so fatigued I couldn't even function or get out of bed. Being so run down, the skin on my face started to break out in hives/pimples that burst by themselves and were extremely itchy. I also had a really bad hacking cough that the doctor said was "Nasal drip". She prescribed drops, sprays and decongestant meds. I've suffered from Anemia in the past so she sent me for Routine bloods and tested for everything imaginable. The cough persisted for 5 weeks so I returned to my GP for my blood results and to get my cough examined again. By then I had searched google about a persistent cough, big mistake. In that time I also found a small lump in my left upper stomach below my rib cage, it is slightly mobile and is rubbery but not jelly, about 2.5cm in size. Nothing was done about my cough, I was then told it was maybe a viral infection because it lasted so long, for my pimples I was given contraceptive pills, and my hemoglobin was lower than average so I was given Iron tablets. The doctor said she could not feel any lump, and she looked at me as though I was a hypochondriac. I never felt so embarrassed. Five months on I do not feel any better, I feel worse although my cough went away. I have had a peptic ulcer twice in the past (H.Pylori virus) and I feel the same symptoms at the minute. I'm white as a ghost, black circles under my eyes worse than ever. My pimples are now sores on my face that will not go away no matter what I try. I'm so tired I sleep from around midnight or earlier most nights, to between 10 and 12 the following morning (currently unemployed and NOT lazy). I have been sweating in my sleep a lot but not enough to drench my clothes or bed clothes, and having broken sleeps, and waking up with no energy. My stomach is swollen and feels so full behind my ribs, as thought there isn't enough space for my intestines. I have frequent pain throughout my body, but scariest of all is pain in my left flank area and pain in my chest, like really bad indigestion. This comes and goes. This week I've been waking up with a sore throat, and stuffy head (which could be simple head cold) and discomfort in my shoulders, convinced my body is trying to tell me something. I have made a doctors appointment for this week, but I have so much wrong with me that I fear I wont be taken seriously. Has anyone with Lymphoma of any kind had any of these symptoms? Please accept my apologies if my questions offend or aggravate anyone diagnosed with Lymphoma. You are in my prayers.