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Old 04-04-2017, 11:10 PM   #21
Jedrik
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Posts: 36
Re: Splitting nails

My last chemo treatment was 02/01/2016, last Herceptin on 09/19/2016. My nails still are very brittle, especially those on the middle fingers will split at any excuse. The skin at the outer corner of my right thumbnail cracks again and again if I forget to work in gloves. And while I have a full head of hair, it still grows at snails pace. Regeneration generally is much slower than before chemo.

My MIL's hair regrows rather quickly and she was treated wtih Taxotere, Carboplatin, too, but got Avastin instead of H and P.

So to me this looks like a long term effect rather than an effect of longterm use.
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Dx 9/17/2015, IDC/Paget's, Left, 2cm, Stage IIA, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2+ at age 57
Surgery 10/6/2015 Lymph node removal: Sentinel
Chemotherapy
start 10/19/2015 Carboplatin (Paraplatin), Taxotere (docetaxel)
Targeted Therapy start 10/19/2015 Herceptin (trastuzumab), Perjeta (pertuzumab)
Surgery 02/23/2016 MX Left, PMX Right
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Old 04-04-2017, 11:22 PM   #22
sarah
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: france
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Re: Splitting nails

Hi Tiffany,
I've been away and am just back. I bought mine at the pharmacy and it is expensive but worked. I wonder like Pamela if it's Herceptin or was it the Taxol. I had huge skin problems- itchy, open sores- cortisone cream did nothing for me, only calamine lotion stopped the itching. The anti-fungal seems a good idea also, I should have used that on my feet and may suggest it to people with issues in our support group.
good to have a list of things that work to suggest to others.
all the best
sarah
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Old 04-05-2017, 04:57 AM   #23
TiffanyS
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Join Date: Sep 2016
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Re: Splitting nails

Thank Amy, I’ll look into the Evonail on Amazon. I tried petroleum jelly before, but it didn’t help me. I now use Polysprin, and this seems to help. I also use this wonderful cream called Lipikar Baume AP from LaRoche-Posay, and it works wonders. This cream I the only cream that worked when I had hand eczema, and it’s helping with the sores on my finger tips. It doesn’t help with the cracking nails though.

I ask one of the nurses at my clinic if it was the chemo causing my nails to crack, it the Herceptin, and she said it was the chemo. That being said, I do believe that it’s both, as my nails still cracked when I was off chemo and only getting Herceptin for three months last summer/fall. One thing I will note is that my toe nails don’t seem to be as brittle as my finger nails are, and they don’t crack as easily. I wonder why.

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12/15 – First mammogram
01/16 – Second mammogram and ultrasound.
01/16 – Meet surgeon and go for third mammogram, second ultrasound and biopsy. Surgeon confirms cancer in left breast and lymph nodes and sets surgery date.
01/16 – Chest scan and bone scan done– all looks good.
02/16 – Surgery - left breast mastectomy and 16 lymph nodes removed (8 had cancer).
02/16 – CT scan done – small nodules on lung but Doctor advises it’s post surgical. They will continue to monitor just in case.
03/16 – Meet radiation oncologist and find out results of Pathology Report. I’m told that I have locally advanced breast cancer, based on the size of my tumour (7 cm!) and the fact that they found cancer cells in eight lymph nodes. I’m also told that I’m HER 2 positive, with high levels of estrogen and progesterone and that my cancer is stage 3, grade 2.
03/16 – Meet oncologist and am told that my cancer is actually grade 3, and that I should have done chemo before surgery. Too late now!
03/16 – Start first of six doses of chemo (Carboplatin and Docetaxal) and Herceptin (for 18 months). I was unable to get a full dose of Docetaxal after my first treatment due to liver enzymes being high.
04/16 – Have port put in.
06/16 – Finished chemo! One month off and then I start radiation.
06/16 – Start Tamoxifen.
07/16 – First radiation treatment – 24 more to go!
08/16 – Went for Genetic Testing to see if I have the BRCA gene. Tested negative for BRCA I and II
08/16 – Radiation oncologist biopsies “scar tissue” on my chest wall. I am told that I have a local recurrence and need to have rush surgery.
09/16 – Meet surgeon who advises that I need to meet with a plastic surgeon, as they will need to do a skin graft to close me up after surgery. Meet plastic surgeon and all looks good. A surgery date is set for October 4.
09/16 – Go for rush ultrasound, bone scan, breast MRI and CT scan.
09/16 – Meet oncologist who advises that the ultrasound and bone scan results look good, and that MRI shows three small masses at surgery site, but lymph nodes are clear. Still awaiting the results of the CT scan, but we are positive it will look good.
09/16 – Get a call from my oncologist, who advises that CT scan shows small spots on my lungs, and a large lymph node in the middle of my chest. This means the cancer has spread! She looks into getting me funded for TDM-1 and cancels my surgery.
10/16 – Meet oncologist, who advises that I have to take Perjeta before I can take TDM1. I start Perjeta/Herceptin every three weeks for an indefinite amount of time, and Taxol, which I will take two weeks in a row with one week off and then two weeks in a row for 8-16 treatments. Stop Tamoxifen.
10/16 – Meet surgeon, who reviews my CT scan and advises that the spots on my lungs may not be cancer, and that he doesn’t see a lymph node in my chest. He thinks it’s a spot on my lung. I’m feeling very confused! He advises that my oncologist doesn’t want me to have surgery to remove the three small masses on my scar line, as she wants to use them as a way to determine if the treatment is working. He advises that if they have not shrunk in 6 months, he will revisit surgery.
10/16 – CEA blood test to determine Tumour markers. Results were normal (2.7). My doctor advises that this could mean two things: (1) that the treatment is working, and the tumours are shrinking, or (2), that I'm one of those people who never get elevated CEA levels. Given that some people never get an elevated CEA level, this test doesn’t seem very accurate to me! Asked for PET scan, but am told I don’t qualify.
10/16 – Brain MRI – NED!
11/16 - CA-15-30 blood test – Tumour markers are normal at 19.
11/16 – Second CEA blood test – Tumours markers are still normal at 1.6 Second CA-15-30 blood test – Tumour markers are still normal at 19
11/16 – Develop lymphedema and have to wear a sleeve
12/16 – CT Scan shows that the tumors on my lungs and the lymph node in the middle of my chest are shrinking, and that some have resolved. Also, the small masses along my scar line are no longer visible. This means the medication is working!
12/16 – Small “pimple” shows up where old tumour on chest wall was located. Doctor is going to monitor it for now.
01/17 – A second “pimple” shows up on chest wall, as well as a small lump under the skin. My doctor thinks it’s scar tissue and will monitor it for now.
03/17 – Third CEA blood test and CA-15-30 blood test – Both normal at 2.5 and 25
03/17 – CT Chest scan to see if there’s improvement to chest and lungs – results are mixed. The good news is, lymph nodes are stable, there is improvement of previous lung changes due to radiation, and the cancer has not spread to my bones, spine or liver, etc. The bad news is that while some lung nodules remained stable, others increased by 1-2 mm and new ones have shown up. All of them were less than 1cm.
03/17 – Received my genetic test results from Foundation One. It found 11 genomic alterations, 3 therapies associated with potential clinical benefit, and 13 clinical trials from which I might benefit.
03/17 – Second brain MRI –NED!
03/17 – Ultrasound done to determine size of “pimples” on my chest wall. They will follow up with a second Ultrasound in three months, to see if they are growing
05/17 – Full body CT scan scheduled to see if I’m still “stable”.
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Old 04-17-2018, 03:04 PM   #24
cvaughn
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Location: Woodstock, Georgia
Posts: 4
Re: Splitting nails

I have a question regarding splitting nails and nails falling off if anyone can help. I'm 5 years out this year and all of a sudden my nails are falling off and splitting like crazy. Fingernails and toe nails. Has anyone else seen this that far out from treatment? My last treatment was in 2014.
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HER2/POS Stage 1 and mult DCIS May 2013
Bilateral Mastectomy July 2013
Chemo Aug 2013
Herceptin Aug 2013-Sept 2014
Near fatal Neutropenia (chemo discont)
BRCA1 negative
(5 cases of BC in family)
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