In this age of instaperfection sometimes we find it hard to speak about or come to terms with some of the side effects that our treatment and medication has left us with. Yesterday as I was having a particularly BAD HAIR day I asked you girls what lasting complication or side effect really bothers you. The answers came flooding in to me. It may sound like a negative post to focus on but I really didn’t feel it was. It was just a lovely moment of a community of people coming together to try recommend solutions to our most common issues.
My own number one issue would be my Acne, I spend a small fortune on my skin, I really look after it so I am feeling a bit hard done by now that I am experience regular break outs. My problem area is my nose and I know it is totally hormonal as just before I get my period I could have 7 spots on my nose eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk. I have been to my dermatologist she prescribed me antibiotics and a topical cream. She also said that Roaccutane would help, but to be honest I don’t want to take meds to cure this, I either want a magic wand to make it go away or some really good products!!!! For the past while I have been using ZO Skin Care range. It is brilliant for anti-ageing but it’s not stopping the break outs. Prior to using ZO I was using Image Skin Care range but I just didn’t feel they were strong enough for what I was looking for. And before that again the skin care range I used for over 10 years was NeoStrata, at the moment I am tempted to try Neostrata again. I am going to focus on my skin now over the next while and if I find a solution to this issue I will of course be letting you girls know.
So that’s enough about me here’s the issues you girls are experiencing – if I have a solution I will share it
Lymphodema – this is something that I know a lot of you have been effected by – Lymphodema Ireland are a voluntary organisation who provide information new and other resources for those of you affected http://lymphireland.com/
Weight Gain – this I can identify with, although my weight gain hasn’t been dramatic I do find I have to keep an eye on it, I also feel I get very bloated. Some people say that being on Tamoxifen will prevent or make it near impossible for you to lose weight, I disagree; I think it is possible to lose weight but it takes time, effort and discipline. To prove this I have signed up to a 6 week body transformation programme in my gym Kickstart Fitness, I did this 2 years ago and was pleasantly surprised how a change in diet led to bloating no longer being an issue for me, however lately I haven’t been eating as well as I should so I need to get back on track. I am also thinking that this may help with my skin issue. I will be getting before and after pictures taken and I will document my experience over the next 6 weeks.
Hair Loss / Thinning Hair – My own hair is particularly thin, I have just bought a Nioxin Set, it is a product which I have already used and found it really good so I am going to give it a whirl again – I have taken some before picture and will take some more pictures in a few weeks and let you girls judge if this product range is worth trying. Although I don’t like taking lots of supplements I am really tempted to use Viviscal also as I did use them a few years ago before I ever had Breast Cancer and found them to be really good.
Aches and Pains – This is one that is really difficult to come to terms with because if you do feel constant aches and pains you worry it’s something more sinister also feeling aches and pains can just make you feel like you are making very little progress in recovery. It can affect your mood. I suffered a lot of stiffness and joint pain after chemo, it got really bad at one point and my pharmacist recommended I start taking Seven Seas Joint Care Supplement he said it was fine to take with Tamoxifen and I have to say since I have been taking them I am much better I would go as far as to say 100% improvement. If I run out and don’t take them for a week or two I start to feel myself stiffen up and ache again.
Poor Short Term Memory/ Brain Fog – this is a bit of a frustrating one, I wouldn’t have the best memory myself. I remember returning to work after being sick and that’s when I noticed the Brain Fog I just wasn’t as sharp as I had been previously. Thankfully that has improved but it did take 2 – 3 years.
Anxiety / Negative thoughts – this is another tough one, anxiety and negative fearful thoughts are just the worst, it’s hard to catch a hold of yourself and make those thoughts and feelings go away. It’s important to acknowledge these feelings and understand why they are there. A breast cancer diagnosis will shell shock you , however you don’t have to be a slave to these feelings and if time does one thing it helps you manage them. I’m not saying they will disappear but here are some things I do when I am feeling this way.
- Get the help of a mood shifter, that can be listening to my favourite song, watching a good TV programme, just something to distract you from your thoughts.
- Night time would be worse for me so I pop on a guided meditation to help relax me and steer my mind away from negative thoughts
- Exercise – without this I would be fecked, I always feel better after I’ve done some form of exercise
- Try focus on the now – when I am feeling extra anxey I take a moment and think of where I’m at and what I’m worrying about, if these worries haven’t hit me I think about what my situation is and that usually calms me. I really try live in the present as much as I can. There is a brilliant book called “The Power of Now” I suggest you all read it.
- Share your worries, if it’s a chat with a pal or reaching out to the page get your fears off your chest once you talk and are heard that usually helps
So there it is girls, none of us are perfect and none of us are alone in how we feel. But there are solutions to most problems it’s just finding it!!!!
