Hi Jasssscared,

I am sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your nail after taking Letrozole for 5 years.

I took Tamoxifen for 1 year and Letrozole for 6½ years and have had bother with my nails ever since. They haven't lifted, but look very dry and lifeless, have longitudinal ridges on all 10 fingers and break on a daily basis. My hair is also much thinner than it was before. I have tried all sorts of lotions and potions in the past 16 years but haven't found a solution yet - if you do, please let me know.

How is your daughter doing?

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Joalamine.thank you for replying ,and  Sorry for my late reply back to you. Yes i have ridges as well,and my hair isnt as goos as it used to be,before  all the treatments from chemo,letrazole. Its a lot thinner,and its dry brittle and breaks and splits  too. I guess many others on here ,have  experienced the same after all thier treatments. Thanks for asking about my daughter ,she will be having her 6th lot of chrmotherapy. Its much more than i had to have ,my daughter is on it from wed,through to the friday ,cones of chemo pump at 4pm,she takes the chemo pump home with her,so she doesnt have to stay in hospital, its every 2 weeks. My  son  when he had his chemo was on his from the frid at hospital in london till monday eve at 8pm,he had to stay in hospital as at the time Covid was rife. I has mine during covid,but it was just the day in hospital,and went home  around 5.30pm. My daughter is coping well,few side effects  ,neuropathy in her fingers/hands,srnsitive to cold,and  when she takes her first bite of any food her jaw hurts,but it is gone after the first bite. Her hair is good,hasnt lost it,but she does think it may be a bit thinner. My daughter has been told she will have a chemo port,put into her chest ,there is a 3mth waiting list,my daughter has a pic line,like i had for now. As its spread to her liver ,at both ends ,and is stage 4,we are hoping the chemotherapy and targeted drug,which stops the blood supply to her liver,which will starve the cancer cells,and hopefully stop it from spreading . My daughter has been told that they will do more scans eventually to check on  how the che mo and targeted drugs are working. 

Im praying every night ,god answered my prayers as her wedding was able to go ahead on the 24th Aoril . The wedding was perfect ,twilight wedding,and my beautifull daughter looked fabulous and was well enough to enjoy the day. Which im so gratefull for. We dont know how long my daughters treatments will be going on for,and  if the chemo works and shrinks the cancer liver lesions,if  an opperation  may be possible  on the liver in the future. Ive read the liver can regenerate itself by 75,%.  Hope your doing well Joalamine. Im ok, have more blood tests 3 on thursday. My thyroid is overactive,my cholestral is high,my calcium was high,and i have a fatty liver. I have a dexter scan on the 18th this monrh,and a colcospy gynocologist appointment check up for my vin 3( pre cancerous cells of the vulva) on the 22nd of this month. 

Had to go back to my dentist as had a lot of trouble with a tooth i chipped,and that my dentist filled. She made me bleed ,and had trouble stopping the bleed, then she filled the tooth. It never felt right,but not long after that was when my daughter waa ill,and diognosed with bowel cancer,so i just left it,as i had too much worry and stress,and going back wards and forwards to visit my daughter when she was in hospital .

My gum swelled and kept bleeding,when i eventually went back to my dentist,she took xray and said the tooth wiuld have to be taken out,as the root was rotten. I cried and said my daughters getting married,i cant be without my tooth as it was one at the side of the front teeth. She said ok ill give you antibiotics,hopefully it will be ok to wait till after the wedding,then the wedding was in 6wks time.   I then had to wait for an appointment,and i asked her to make me a flipper tooth,as was told id have to wait 3/6mths to have  any work done. 

So last thursday i had the tooth taken out,she broke the tooth, and couldnt get the root out,she said it would br ok to just leave it  ,and have a bridge done in 3mths time. She put the false flipper tooth in  and i gagged lol,it felt awfull,looked ok though. She said you will get used to it. Oh mt goidness trying to eat  even soft food was a joke,it kept pulling on a crown i had on the opposite  side. So on sat just gone,i made an appointment to see the dentist again. Id also googled about ,if a tooth broke whilst being taken out and the dentist couldnt remove the  root ,waa ut ok to leave the root in,and have a bridge done. Google said no,leaving a root in could cause an infection even a few days,months ,years even  10yrs  down the line.

Anyway she had to file the denture plate as it was covering some of my teeth ,and she didnt dispute what id learned  from good old google. She said ill refer you to hospital ,there is a long waiting list 6mths/1year. But ill put it as urgent,so hopefully it wont be as long. Denture fits better,and i can eat lol,but i still dont like the feeling of it and because i need to go see a dentist surgeon at hospital ,i will have to wear it longer than id orriginally hoped lol. I said to my dentist,if the hospital dentist says its ok to leave  the root in lije you said,ill just leave it in. But she said no they wont say that,they will say its best to take it out,and they will have to take a piece of jaw bone out,to get at it. Great i wont be looking forward to that lol. But its nothing,when i think of what my girls going through. Next week is going to be hot again ,which will be nice. Xxx

Hi  thanks  jolamine. Sorry about your husband not being well scince november,i hope he improves soon. Thanks for your goid wishes for my daughter  and us all. Its hard to cope at times but you have to try to stay calm and positive,whuch i yry my hardest to do. I do hope things improbe for us all ,and that you get your dexter scan appointment soob. Great news about your liver ,that mudt of nern a relief to hear . Hope the rest of the weekend goes well.

My daughter has a thorax scan on the 16th june,so not llong now,results wont come back till 30th june,sobwill.be a bit anxious waiting for them . Take care ,enjoy the better wsrmer weather next week . Xxx

Hi Jasssoscared,

Thanks for your good wishes about my husband. He has had a barrage of tests from both ends and just about everywhere in between! We are now waiting for the results of all of these, along with his CT scan, plus 9 biopsies, but we have to wait 3 months to see the gastroenterologist again, before we hear. I hope that your daughter's thorax scan goes as well as it can tomorrow. She'll be glad to get it done and I hope that she won't be too stressed waiting for the results.

I came out of hospital quite elated, when the consultant confirmed my liver results - it's the first time in many years that a hospital visit didn't entail bad news!

Don't forget that I am always here if you want to chat, or vent - sometimes, it's easier to chat to a stranger than it is to burden loved ones with all of our woes!

Jolamine xx

Thank you Jolamine

Yes i can imagine how elated you must if felt hearing the good news about your liver,i do hope my blood test results are.ok. Thank you for all the good wishes for my daughters Thorax scan tomorrow. Its one id my grandaughters 14th birthday tomirrow,it seems strange as i had my lumoectamy  on her birthday 5 and a but years ago now ,and  my daughter is having her Thorax scan on her birthday . It will be hard waiting for my daughters results,but hopefully it will all be good. Your poor husband has really been through it  by thensounda of it. Yes i agree its nice to talk to like minded people,who understand you ,as they have beren or are going through simular health issues. Im always here for you too jolamine .xx

Hi Jasssoscared,

I hope that your daughter's scan went well and that you also managed to celebrate your granddaughter's birthday in style. It is strange how special dates seem to clump together for so many different reasons and certainly unusual that both you and your daughter managed to add to the list on your granddaughter's birthday. It will be an anxious time for you all until she gets her results.

Yes, my hubby has had quite a series of mishaps in the past year. He has a plethora of medical conditions to contend with, including end stage heart failure, skin cancer (last year and again this year), Bowen's disease, Vascular Parkinson's, Vascular Dementia, Diabetes, Oedema and has had a Stroke and several TIA's. His walking deteriorated a lot last year and he collapsed at home in November. I had to call an ambulance and he was in hospital for 5 weeks with 5 broken ribs, a haemothorax and developed Pneumonia. They also discovered that his blood pressure and oxygen levels were dangerously low, so he was also on oxygen for all this time. He was still very weak when he was discharged in December and tripped over a box of Christmas decorations when we were putting them away in the New Year. This time he broke his right shoulder.

I then thought that we would go away for a badly needed holiday, as we hadn't been away for over 7 years, due to being unable to get travel insurance. We set off for Madeira at the end of March. On arrival we were met by a Typhoon and the first week was Baltic. On our first day there, he developed a really nasty, racking cough and spent the first week in bed nursing this, as he had all the symptoms of developing Pneumonia again. At the end of the first week, he thought that he would venture down to the dining room with me and tripped, headfirst on to the marble floor. Needless to say, it was a broken nose this time. He wasn't aware of having hurt anywhere else until he tried to get out of bed later that evening and found that he couldn't weight bear on his right leg. He was in agony all night and I had to call an ambulance again to take us to hospital for investigation. They x-rayed his leg and his nose. After 4 hours we were told that his leg wasn't broken, but was very badly bruised. It certainly was! In the following few days the bruising came out on all aspects of his leg, from his thigh to just below his knee, front, back and both sides - it was quite spectacular and is only dying down now, some three months later. We were then taken to another consulting area and waited there for a further 4 hours to see another consultant who informed us that he had broken his nose and advised us to see an ENT consultant when we got home. He then spent his second week in bed and on strong pain killers and blood thinners to stop a possible DVT. In the meantime. I did start off by letting one of the waiters bring food to the room, but they all brought a full meal and a bottle of wine (hotel was all inclusive), which he couldn't manage. Eventually, I was trying to bring some food to the room for him, as I knew what he could manage. The restaurant was miles away on the other side of the hotel complex and their crockery weighed a ton. I have chronic back problems, so this was quite a task! In this time, he claimed that he couldn't swallow food, so he survived on soup alone for the entire holiday. He has had problems with explosive bowel movements for years, but this has never been fully investigated.

Since we've arrived home, he has had a gastroscope, an endoscope, an ultrasound, a CT scan, 9 biopsies, an ECG and several blood tests. His legs have also swollen up considerably and one of his lungs is congested with fluid. He also has swelling in his back. We saw the Heart Failure Nurse, who has seen him weekly since and upped his diuretics to 7 strong tablets a day. This means that he is tied to a toilet every few minutes and they are monitoring him carefully for kidney problems which can occur with such a hight dosage of diuretics. Tests at the Heart Failure Clinic also discovered that his blood pressure and oxygen levels have dropped again and are treating him for these. We were back at the Heart Failure clinic yesterday and had the dreaded talk with the Heart Failure Nurse about starting Palliative Care. She sent the referral on and we are now waiting for this to be put in place – it just seems never ending!

Regards,

Jolamine

Oh jolamine,what a trying awful time you are having,im so sorry that you and your husband are having to deal with such awful health issues,and that your much needed holuday for you both,ended up as it did. Ive bern to Maderia and its really preety island,thats such a shame your husband and you easnt able to

enjoy your holiday. Staying strong is hard sometimes and ecspecially.doing so for yoir husband. I will be praying for you both that you will continue to find the strengh you both nered as yoiur husband and you go through the pallative care,which im hiping will maje it easier  for your husband,and you. My grandaughter loved all her presents  and we sll had a nice eve at my son and daughter in laws,they have bought a pizza oven ,and made home made pizzas,which were nice,they even made a gluton free one for my daughteter  which she enjoyed. My daughters scan went well she said "it didnt take long,they did one with out contrast dye  and one with contrast dye. Now we all just have tonstay striong and positive waiting for the results,and after.we get them ,whats to come next.

My daughter has 7th chemo this wed through to friday at 4pm again. 

Then they go to centre patks till the Monday,with other family members from her husbands side,theyndo this once a year,and the 3day break was booked before my daughtet was dionosed. I think it will be a nice break for her,but i will still be calling or texting her every day ,as i just like to know how she is ,it puts my mind at ease talking to my girl. Im always here if you need a chat jolamine,sometimes its good to chat to someone who has sone kinda understanding of what you are going through . Sending lots of love your way . Xxxx

Hi Jass,

it's been a challenging time, but we're muddling through. We saw his heart failure nurse on Thursday and had a chat about what the future holds. She is now referring him to Palliative Care, which might offer a little support.

I am glad to hear that your daughter's scan went well - they don't take long at all - it always amazes me that they can get so much information in such a short time! I hope that she enjoys the visit to Center Parcs and that she won't be too tired to enjoy it following her chemo. I'm not surprised that you will be contacting her every day - I would be doing the same if she were my daughter!

Your granddaughter's birthday sounded like a fun evening for all of the family and it sounds as if the home made pizzas went down a storm!

Thank you for your kind offer to chat - it does help to have someone who has an understanding of what's happening. As you already know, this is a two-way offer.

I hope that your DEXA scan went well on Friday and that all is well at your Gynaecology check up tomorrow.

Here's hoping and praying that you both get some good news. 

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine, I have just read your post and I really don't know what to say.  You and your hubby are going through such a very difficult and hard time and yet you still find time to respond and help other people here on this forum.  I know what your support means to people on here and to me too.  Thank you, you are one very special lady x

Lee x

I  totaly second that  jolamine has been on this site a ling time  snd is a wonderfull lady .xx

Hi Lee,

Thank you very much for your kind words. I know what it is to struggle with health problem and I try to help as many people as I can. My poor hubby had to retire 30 years ago, after he had a stroke and Pneumonia, following a quadruple by-pass. We have been very fortunate to have all those years together since then.

I hope that you are doing ok?

Jolamine xx

Hi Jass,

This is very kind of you to say - I try and hope that I succeed in helping a few people along their way.

Jolamine xx

Hi Jass,

This is very kind of you to say - I try and hope that I succeed in helping a few people along their way.

Jolamine xx

Hi jolamine. Yes you do help people, thats what I like about this site, always someone on here who gives words of wisdom and understanding in cancer related health issues and grief. Its thundering and lightning and now pouring of rain, I dont sleep well at the best of times and im a light sleeper so it keeps me awake. But on a more positive thought, the gardens are needing the rain, so its all good. My vin 3 check up went well yesterday, caught the bus to hospital and back. Next check up next year for that, I still havent got my dexter scan results yet so hoping it will be ok too. My cholesterol and thyroid bloods  are still high, gp wants to put me on statins but for now I dont really want to start them, as I feel its my thyroid causing it definitely not diet. I hope you take comfort in knowing you help many people on here and that you and your husband can stay strong and get the much needed help in making things more comfortable and bearable going forward. Dont forget im here if you need to let of steam, so to speak. lots of love jasmin xxx

Hi Jasmin,

We only had a light shower last night - it didn't last long and we had no thunder or lightening. I'm glad to hear that your check up went well and you can breathe freely for another year. I don't blame you for not wanting to start on statins - they can cause their own problems. Are you taking Thyroxine? Here's hoping that you hear about your DEXA scan results soon.

I'm glad to hear that you feel that some of my replies help people - I got such tremendous support from people on here when I was first diagnosed, that I try to pay it back.

Jolamine xx

Hi jolamine ,yes i found the support on here  when i joined very helpfull  too,many people i used to help.or chat with dont seem to stsy on here ,once all thier treatmenrs are.over. i used to speak to a wonderfull.man  namrd billy goat,he was also very helpfull  to people on here as i used to read  his comments and advice he would give. I know he was battling his cancer ,and also a carer for his beloved wife. I do hope he is ok, as i havent seen him or any comments from him for a long while now.  Still waiting on my deca scan results ,but im sure they will arrive soon. They do say no news is good news,so lets hope so.  My daughter has chemo again tomorrow hee 7th lot. Once chemo pumo comes off on friday at 4pm,her husband is taking my daughter and tbier 17yr old son and his friend to centre parks till monday ,they are meeting up with  her husbands brother and his partner and thier daughter and her boyfriend,and mtydaughters  stepdaughter and her psrtner,so it will be a nice break for them all . Im the same ,i like to give back,and offer my surport where i feel i can ,and write my poems of course,which i havent done for wyirw a while now ,as been preocupied wirh  my daughters  stage 4 bowel cancer ,and her liver, but i will write anither one soon im sure. Take care love jasmin .

Hi Jasmin,

You're right. Many disappear once they've had their treatments. Billy Goat was a lovely man, so helpful, despite all he was going through himself. I must say that I miss him.

I am thinking of your poor daughter having her chemo in this heat. I do hope that the family all enjoy their trip to Center Parcs. I know that you have other matters going on, which naturally take priority over your poems, but don't stop. Every poem you write is a tonic for many of us.

Here's hoping that your DEXA scan results are good and that they arrive soon. Look after yourself in this warm weather.
Love, Jolamine xx