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Brenda5's avatar
Brenda5
Member
4 years ago

You just have to live with it.

My doctor says, 5 years post breast cancer, you just have to live with it.

My fingers and toes are still numb in places and I tend to drop things- you just have to live with it.

If I walk too much (which is very little nowadays) my toenails start to lift- you just have to live with it.

My heart went off on an Atrial fib tangent which scared the hell out of me for a few minutes. You are still on the Sotalol and while scary, as long as the heart doesn't beat out of control for too long- you just have to live with it.

My neck glands feel swollen- No temperature, no sore throat, you just have to live with it.

My lymphodema arm is annoying but seems a bit better when the weather is colder- you just have to live with it.

My arthritis in my other thumb hurts like a b*tch during Winter- Apart from Panadol, you just have to live with it.

My skin will not tolerate sun at all any more and it hurts to go in the sun - keep sunscreen on and you just have to live with it.

I have no energy any more - get more exercise and you just have to live with it.

My brain is off, and I forget things and cannot seem to have the brain power to plan things - See a psychologist and you just have to live with it.

When I dry myself around my neck above the breast area, it hurts - hmm could be another skin cancer, we'll biopsy another day but come in again for a full body skin check first.
Hey, at least he didn't say you just have to live with it! LOL

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  • jennyss's avatar
    jennyss
    Member
    4 years ago
    Dear @Brenda5,
    5 years post bc; that's great..........but 5 years living with a cupboard full of horrible side effects; that's crap. 

    Best wishes from jennyss in Western NSW
  • FLClover's avatar
    FLClover
    Member
    4 years ago
    What @afraser said 👆🏻. 
    Sending you a big hug and hoping things improve 🍀♥️
  • Afraser's avatar
    Afraser
    Member
    4 years ago
    @Brenda5
    While acknowledging that many of these significant problems are not something your GP can easily fix, he doesn’t have to live with it and would be pretty grumpy if he did!
    My feet/toes are still affected by PN but happily not my fingers. Heels are out (hooray, flats are fashionable) but I can walk. I hope your hands improve (my feet have, nerve endings do but the speed is glacial). 
    My cardiologist took me off sotalol ( it stopped working and he didn’t want to just up the dose) so I’m on betablockers only. Which has been working well now for almost four years. My heart is getting more regular (another glacier-speed improvement) but the rate is fine, blood pressure good and no tachycardia. 
    My lymphoedema doesn’t bother me much but a sudden attack of cellulitis two days into a lockdown and on a weekend was a pain in the neck! I did not need that. 
    Almost nine years! Mind you, the AF might have happened anyway and I have no regrets. But if I had your GP I might send him off for empathy training! 
    Here’s hoping for some positive changes to brighten your spirits. Best wishes. 

  • Cath62's avatar
    Cath62
    Member
    4 years ago
    Hi @Brenda5  sorry you have all these side effects still. How shitty. I can relate to the neuropathy as I have some in my toes. It actually improved a little after chemo as the neuropathy was to the ball of my foot. I kept scrunching my toes to stimulate the nerves. I don't know if it worked but nerve damage can take years to heal. I exercise 6 days a week because it really makes me feel better and improves fatigue. I see exercise just as important as taking those pills i have to take for bc and thyroid. Just has to be done. I worked on my mindset to exercise and now I look forward to my walks, pilates and acqa aerobics but it wasn't always that way. 

    Long story but when I was 40 I had a massive illness that cut of my airway. They needed to drain the infection which initially targeted my next area and lungs. As a result I have massive scarring on my next. Looks like my throat was cut by someone 😳. The point is it took about 10yrs to get feeling in my neck again. So hope is still there.

    I have had a couple of toe nails lift but I don't care. No one sees them. The first one was distressing for sure. I still wLk as if I don't I get a bit down in the dumps.

    I don't have the gland thing but do have a thyroid problem so it sometimes makes my glands go up and down. Annoying isn't it.  I don't have lymphoedema but feel for your battle with that one.

    Re the sun, I have had 3 melanoma and a couple of bcc. I wear long sleeves, hat and sunscreen. A must in qld as you know. I do it because we all need to and I don't want any more skin cancer. Probably my skin cancer was due to sun damage as a young person when we didn't know any better. 

    The brain thing really annoys me as I was always so sharp. Whatever I just get on with it. I try not to let it get to me but I hear you. Ain't life grand. Have a great day and I hope your aliments improve for you.