Body odour after axillary clearance
After right axillary clearance ten years ago, and following the weird chemical odours during chemo, I realised my right armpit (where clearance was) was heaps whiffier than the left. I have tried so many deodorants, anti bac soaps, anti bac wipes - everything - yet could get out of the shower and still have a horrible strong and stale BO situation in that armpit. Does my head in over summer when it’s hotter! I had despaired of ever finding an answer. Plus worried about the chemicals in these strong deodorants I was using. I tried No Pong, a natural paste deodorant, a week ago and I am ecstatic that this is doing the trick. No more stinky pit at the start of a day when you should be fresh! I would recommend trying. I’m pretty happy with results.
Exercise and Cancer
unsure if this has been posted before but here is a link for a doco on catalyst on the ABC. Before I started teaching, I was an exercise physiologist. This study is very very interesting and promising. I know it is hard for people to exercise throughout chemo but here is a doco on the benefits. As I know about the benefits of exercise and cancer from previous study I have continued to exercise: walking 3 times a week, yoga once or twice as well as started back doing gym work. I feel it has helped with my side effects. And received an amazing compliment from a doctor the other day that has never met me before (I don't know whether to say it or not as well I don't want to jinx myself haha). here it is: Watching Catalyst Series 17 Ep 14 Exercise And Cancer in iview http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/catalyst/SC1502H014S00
Advocating for Exercise in Breast Cancer Groups
i just wanted to raise some awareness on an issue that has been bugging me and say something here. i have stopped participating in cancer groups because even though groups like this called "get active and keep well", the general fear and disapproval from other members is if someone starts exercising "more" than the generally accepted idea of what exercise is. anything more than that idea is frowned upon, and people have made me feel so angry and sad for sharing something that i am proud of and something that empowers me. with this group and other ones for breast cancer, after i share information about doing some exercise and training after my surgery and after chemo, i have had comments that really shot me down and basically either flat out said that i need "a reality check", or alluding to the fact that the best thing that i can do right now is rest, NOT exercise, and some had attacked me saying that i am putting myself up to put her down (!!). some saying "i wouldnt do that if i were you". well guess what... they are not me. and i am not them. most of these types of comments i have found came from people who have not had the same powerlifting training as me. or from people who did not have an athletic or regular exercise routine at all prior to diagnosis. and these comments have not only hurt me, but made me feel angry and frustrated with the very little emotional energy i already do not have. what i decide to do with my cancer experience is safe FOR ME. for example, women, let alone cancer survivors are fearful of anything to do with strength training. i will not go into the reasons for this and i will not go into the enormous benefits for strength training for women. but i'll give you an example. yesterday i went to the gym and felt great for it. amongst other things, i did 50kgs deadlift. now, if my best deadlift prior to diagnosis was 3 reps, 3 sets of 80kg deadlift prior to diagnosis, and i lifted 50kgs (3x2) nearly 2 months since recovering well from surgery with full range of motion, and 11 days after chemo, and assessing myself as i go, feeling fine and not really even puffed out, and not even sore the next 2 days, to me that means that it is safe for ME to do this. if i felt not ok before, during or after doing a 50kg deadlift 10 days after chemo i would stop. why would i stop doing something that is manageable? for me manageable means something different than the next person who has had recovered from breast cancer surgery and 11 days out of the first chemo session. i trained nearly for around 9 months prior to diagnosis. 50kg deadlift would be a different story to a competitive powerlifter who can lift triple digits in kgs, and would be different again to someone who only did walking as exercise prior to diagnosis. why are other people not to be trusted to their own intuitions and experience in something they already know? do we need to tell someone how to live their life? not usually. so why tell someone how to go through their cancer journey? i have my surgeon and oncologist's approval and support for powerlifting before, during and after chemo, and i have the utter wonderful and strong support from the fitness community groups. why must i be told like an idiot that i am doing the wrong thing for my body? why tell me that i am not doing what i should be doing? with all the new realisations in the medical field that building stamina, strength and muscle can help to improve the lives of people with cancer even during treatment, and that these increases in fitness and muscle can trigger lots of previously unknown properties for the body to heal itself, generate more energy and stamina to better handle treatment, why is that exercise and strength training is so frowned upon by the standards of 30 years ago? maybe we do not have that much information on the subject but at least what we do know 100% for sure is that even if you don't have cancer, and you did no exercise, and no resistance training, that your body will function very very differently than someone who does regular cardiovascular as well as strength training. you add muscle bone and energy killing chemotherapy on top of someone who doesn't exercise for months at a time, and you get far greater levels fatigue, far greater loss of strength and more difficulty regaining strength after treatment (and guess what helps combat loss of bone density, muscle mass and loss of energy? -strength training). i know that before my diagnosis if i do not exercise for 2 weeks i loose strength and stamina, i feel more fatigued and my lupus will take over and i will be more prone to simply staying in bed. why do people like myself, other fitness pursuing women and athletes who had been diagnosed with breast cancer have to feel like we cannot be supported in a group like this and other groups that advocates exercise? i want to feel like people respect my decisions to do what i need and what i want with my life, especially because i feel ok and great after what i do in terms of exercise. and i want to say to other women here who do exercise/athletic pursues, PLEASE share what you do for exercise! because the community needs to know that if someone knows their body, got doctors approval, and does exercise that makes them feel great not just physically, but mentally and that empowers them, that they should be celebrated! that they should be allowed to say and share and be proud of what they did especially whist going through cancer! you need to share your experience until it is normalised in our society. i have been made to feel so angry and ashamed because i went back to the gym when i felt ok to, during MY cancer experience, and i do not want that for anyone else. i am excited to share this with you as a last note in a couple of links. thanks for those who read and are willing to understand. https://soundcloud.com/abcnsw/resistance-training-benefits-breast-cancer-survivors http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4459555.htm <-- ABC catalyst documentary (chemo and exercise) http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0067579 <-- the exercise cancer killer cells research https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julie_Gehl/publication/294870149_Voluntary_Running_Suppresses_Tumor_Growth_through_Epinephrine-_and_IL-6-Dependent_NK_Cell_Mobilization_and_Redistribution/links/56e954d408aecf036b315403.pdf <-- how killer cells work on tumors 2016 research
Skin checks
This is just a reminder to get skin checks along with every other checks ✔️ we all do. In some cases breast cancer has links to melanoma. Chemo too can bring out skin issues. I had 3 melanoma before my skin cancer diagnosis in 2020. I have had a history too of abnormal cells in many of my moles. Post breast cancer and chemo I have had 2 more malignant melanoma ( one recently diagnosed) and a SCC. I am ok as these are detected early. I am waiting for surgical removal in July. The message is to get your skin checked so if any issues arise they can be found early and treatment is available.
Blood Pressure changes with Chemotherapy
During my Paclitaxol Chemo last year I required a reduction in my anti-hypertensive drugs. My BP is still lower than my pre cancer diagnosis. I'm going to have it reviewed again as my BP is still lower. I haven't had any other significant changes. My weight is stable. Has anyone else noticed a lowering of blood pressure, like I have? It would be a great side effect, if permanent.
Neuropathy with Taxol
Hi, I was diagnosed with 3cm Hormone positive, Her2 negative, ki67 of 40% breast tumour with no nodal involvement in June. Because of size and my wish to avoid mastectomy I went with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. First I joined a trial for palbocyclib and letrozole but after 1 month, though tumour didn’t grow, 3rd biopsy showed I was in the control as Ki67 was still the same, so my oncologist swapped me to AC-Taxol. 2 weeks into AC, my hair fell out and nails started to change colour. The latter is unusual according to specialist. I got plantar fasciitis week 4 and had to stop walking for 2 weeks : a huge blow - but the rest helped. By the end of AC my toes were so sore! Then I started weekly Taxol. I could barely walk because of my sore toes and residual PF. I keep both finger and toenails very short and finally (when shops opened again) bought a bigger pair of runners! Lovely. With the neuropathy I feel like I’m walking on crushed glass even when I’m lying down, toes numb, toenails very sore, fingernails and fingertips v sore, but the brown cuticle appears to be growing out. Other side effects: anaemia - Haemoglobin of 78 instead of 110-160 (was given blood transfusion last week), wheezy cough, tight chest (ecg and X-ray clear), muscle aches and pains, fatigue. I was so tired after yesterday’s treatment (Taxol week 7) I conked out after dinner, but the wheeze was getting to me so I went for a walk on the beach... and felt better! 😅 I’m worrying about how much of the neuropathy and wheeze is too much? How do I know if the Taxol is causing permanent damage? Yesterday the oncologist says it is my call about how much more Taxol I want to submit to given my side effects, but I’ve no idea how to judge my neuropathy symptoms and wheeze, and am worried about changing to CMF for the 5 remaining weeks.
Armidex
Hi I have been on Armidex for 6 years and I get really bad pain in my heel of my foot some days does anyone else experience this? Also I am thinking of getting off it now due to not sleeping well but am worried about recurrence. I have put on 10kg since I was diagnosed 6 years ago at 47 years old and worried if I don’t get off it I will gain even more weight. Thanks for your help
Ode to missing hair
Hi All! Half way along on my 12 weekmy taxol, monthly Herceptin regime. The hair started falling out after about week 3. I didn’t think this was going to be a big problem for me, was looking forward to trying all sorts of interesting headwear. The reality, though, has been quite confronting, and by far the hardest thing to deal with so far. The head is itchy, with infected sores, pimples and incredible sensitivity. All of this you guys know, right? It’s a pretty common theme on here. So, my hair was my ‘thing’, my way of expressing myself, my way of aging disgracefully, and complimenting my zany personality. Now I feel that identity has been ripped away and all I’m left with is a slightly sad, exhausted, pimply visage in the mirror. Even my super cool tshirts have gone by the wayside as I don’t know what to wear on my head to go with them and everything is pretty uncomfortable anyway So tonight I made a movie looking back on my hair over the years. It’s a kind of homage, celebration, and memorium to what was, and hopefully what will be again. Tell me I’m not the only one? Share your lovely locks on here and we’ll commiserate together (and maybe get a bit of a nice giggle too) Onward and upward, my spiky goddesses! Thanks for listening. Here’s my short movie https://m.facebook.com/770892291/posts/10158089672392292/?d=n
The answer wasn’t clear
Well I’m off to see Oncologist on Thursday am i silly to ask. The answer to the proposed radiation was delivered to me by by the nurse coordinator that I wouldn’t be having radiation and a letter would be sent to my GP. None arrived at my visit with him this week so the question is the sclerotic bone lesion in the Sacrum metastasis or is it the result of the coccyx pain which is now easing with the anti inflammatory tablet. and the smaller lesion on the chest bone. And How long will i be on tamoxifen do the side effects get less. Though i am getting less joint pain everywhere compared to the anastrol , but the hot sweaty flushes the Headaches and disturbed sleep and always feeling like i want to punch someone out Let alone the sudden feeling of dread that something is wrong. Feeling like I'm carrying lead weight all over. The tinnitus has trebled and the vision gets blurry there you go another load off. Now all i have to do is last till Thursday writing this all down Might help me remember. Then again my brain is mushy half the time I know others are worse off but sometimes it’s lonely and the why bother creeps in
