Hello Everybody,
This is my first post. I was diagnosed last August with T3b N1 M01 metastatic to retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Gleason 5+4.
I finished 6 cycles of Docetaxel on 13th January and I’m onto my third RT session out of six (over 6 weeks) this week. Also been on Zoladex since last September.
My objective throughout has been to keep as fit as possible doing weight training and mountain biking. As a measure of physical wellbeing and maintenance, on the day of the first chemo I bench pressed 100kg and have been trying to reproduce that on day 1 of each cycle. This has been enhanced by the Dexamethasone intake – I can see why it’s an Olympic banned substance. I have also been swimming in the river every morning during the year. Whilst not at the level of Kevin Webber it’s been useful for me to have this approach and has kept me focussed mentally. Physical exercise is most definitely beneficial. Combined with the reduction of food intake due to the chemo taste effects. I’ve lost quite a lot of weight.
Chemo is a long haul and not very nice but if you set yourself physical and mental targets it makes it a whole deal more bearable.
I was, naturally, happy to get it out of the way and I think I escaped relatively lightly. But………….almost 2 months after chemo has finished, my finger nails are suffering badly. I had some indication during the last two cycles that this might be on the agenda but I thought I might just escape. I had been moisturising them and looking after them but it hasn’t worked out.
In terms of severity of symptoms, my fingers/hands are like mirror images of each other. Thumbs least affected, with ring fingers and the middle fingers the worst. On both hands, the latter two appear to be well on their way to falling off. Sometimes they ooze pus (nice) or serum and they hurt a little. They are also detached in parts but not so completely that I can remove them and let them get replaced.
Has anybody else who has had similar got advice on how to deal with them? Should I attempt to remove them? Just keep clipping bits off wherever I can? Go to the GP?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve