Forum Discussion
Covid19 and breast cancer
It's been two years since I had a baseline bone density scan (DEXA) and I had a date booked for my next one. They sent me a text message a couple of weeks ago to say it's has been indefinitely postponed due to Covid19.
After finally working up the strength to sort out my revision and nipple surgery I was booked in for 24th April. I haven't heard boo from the hospital (private) or the surgeon but it won't be going ahead. They're saying the coronavirus peak here will be late April to May.
I'm not concerned about either of these things, they can easily wait. But if it's happening to me it must be happening to others, and it got me to thinking about what it would be liked being diagnosed and starting treatment at this time. My heart goes out to all who are in this position.
Today I was scrolling through Instagram and saw this post from a BS here in Melbourne:
This situation we're all in is so dynamic and fast moving. I know my anxiety has risen. I hope everyone is doing OK. Big hug to you all. K xox
After finally working up the strength to sort out my revision and nipple surgery I was booked in for 24th April. I haven't heard boo from the hospital (private) or the surgeon but it won't be going ahead. They're saying the coronavirus peak here will be late April to May.
I'm not concerned about either of these things, they can easily wait. But if it's happening to me it must be happening to others, and it got me to thinking about what it would be liked being diagnosed and starting treatment at this time. My heart goes out to all who are in this position.
Today I was scrolling through Instagram and saw this post from a BS here in Melbourne:
This situation we're all in is so dynamic and fast moving. I know my anxiety has risen. I hope everyone is doing OK. Big hug to you all. K xox
25 Replies
- @Caz1, @kamada, thankyou so much for the detailed advice! It’s really helpful. I’ve upped the MooGoo to three of four times a day and I really let it soak in, as I’m pink blotchy and slight peeling now, day 19/25, and am taking antihistamine and have really no itching to speak of. Will get hands on some dermeze too as required. It’s worst soreness underarm already so that’s an area I will watch carefully @kamada! Thanks again! Xx Tinks
- @Tinks I finished 30 rads 10 days ago. All went well with using just moogoo and sorbolene religiously until the last two treatments when the red area under my arm flared right up and was very tender. Upped the moisturising sessions and it stayed intact until a week after the last session when a small part of the peeling burn started to weep. They gave me combine dressing and zinc and castor oil cream and it is doing a top job drying it out and stopping the discomfort. I was taking Zyrtec for allergies anyway so that probably helped earlier itching along with a few uses of steroid cream. So all good and as a bonus I am prepared if I should develop nappy rash 😂. Hope this helps and that you manage to keep the discomfort to a minimum. 😘
- Hi @Tinks don’t put up with itching, Zyrtec is the best. Hmmmmm, hard to say otherwise, I did everything I was told to! I personally found Dermeze worked best on the worst bits..solugel would dry out and rip the scabs off OUCH. I know I had a bad reaction to rads , mostly people seem to be ok. If however the pain is really bad or your skin is in bad shape (mine was beetroot red and ulcerated) :s I would send a pic of it to my radiation onco ASAP. I took too long to do this , and was miserable. But he rang me straight back and got me some serious meds and to come straight in and see a nurse ...all this in a time where the hospital was discouraging people to come in due to the virus which shall not be named. Insist on seeing a nurse after your rad session if you are at all worried. Hope this makes sense. X
ps dermaid was the cortisone cream they recommended. Helped a little. Try Zyrtec if it doesn’t work for you. - Hi @Caz1, it’s great to hear that you see progress! I’m day 17/25 so it’s going pink and starting to itch here and there as well. Any tips looking back on what you would do differently? I’m still only on MooGoo three times a day but I was advised today that I could use mild hydrocortisone cream on itchy areas if I needed. Hugs xx
- @Caz1 Jo M was my surgeon. Simon O was my plastics.
- Hi @jintie, good to know. I’m exactly a year behind you! I’m supposed to be having recon but it’s been cancelled due to current situation. Will have it later. I’ll be so relieved to get my mastectomy done before everything goes pear shaped. Who is your surgeon? I’ll be at Cabrini Brighton.
caz x - @Caz1 I finished radiotherapy on the 7th March 2019, and had my bilateral masectomy plus reconstruction on the 12th of April. My skin was quite bad but it healed enough by the time surgery rolled around. And I was amazed at how quickly it recovered. Fingers crossed all will be right.
I had my surgery at Cabrini Malvern, but my surgeon does most of her surgeries at Cabrini Brighton. - Hi @Tinks thanks for asking! Slowly slowly getting there, about 95% healed, but still so ITCHY. Actually looks pretty good considering how raw it was.
Using Zyrtec for itch . Still plastering creams all over it in random combos lol.
Surgery in 16 days (hopefully) so it has to be totally better by then!
How are you doing? xx - @Caz1, how is the skin now? Xx
- @Tinks @Jwrenn just finished radio. The hospital had great systems in place to keep us safe.
When we arrived I rang the front desk from my car and waited there until it was time to go in., and they would ring me to come in when they were ready for me. Hand wash pumps everywhere. They kept the waiting areas pretty clear.
It did my head in to start with. BC is complicated enough. But learnt to go with the flow.
Even had to go back in for more dressings and they were great.
