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Scarring is beginning to be an issue


goldendesign

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Title pretty much says it. The radiation treatment was going to cause damage. We knew this. I have sclereoderma which causes excessive scar tissue. We figured this would pose additional challenges.

6 months post treatment and some scarring is becoming evident. I started to lose hair on my face and chin after it had already begun to grow back normally. Not the end of the world I know, but vanity is vanity. My neck has become very tight, I do stretching exercises multiple times a day to stave off the worse effects but essentially I feel like a have a mild case of whiplash on my right side, consistently. Jaw muscles have become considerably tighter, I have trouble opening my mouth wide. A sub sandwich is difficult to open and close over. No more double stacked hamburger patties in the future for me. 

All in all it is not a huge thing. The doctors way of looking at it is correct. "None of this is life threatening, at the moment, just life altering. You can adjust."

I can and I will. Just a weird emotional thing to have to have a constant reminder of my potential impending doom. It was easier to accept when treatment was ongoing and even easier when it ended and I started recovery. Now with no cancer in my body currently to have this start to show up is strange to process.

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6 minutes ago, goldendesign said:

Title pretty much says it. The radiation treatment was going to cause damage. We knew this. I have sclereoderma which causes excessive scar tissue. We figured this would pose additional challenges.

6 months post treatment and some scarring is becoming evident. I started to lose hair on my face and chin after it had already begun to grow back normally. Not the end of the world I know, but vanity is vanity. My neck has become very tight, I do stretching exercises multiple times a day to stave off the worse effects but essentially I feel like a have a mild case of whiplash on my right side, consistently. Jaw muscles have become considerably tighter, I have trouble opening my mouth wide. A sub sandwich is difficult to open and close over. No more double stacked hamburger patties in the future for me. 

All in all it is not a huge thing. The doctors way of looking at it is correct. "None of this is life threatening, at the moment, just life altering. You can adjust."

I can and I will. Just a weird emotional thing to have to have a constant reminder of my potential impending doom. It was easier to accept when treatment was ongoing and even easier when it ended and I started recovery. Now with no cancer in my body currently to have this start to show up is strange to process.

It is indeed.  After womaxx completed chemo we discovered that she now faces a lifetime of nerve damage in her fingers and toes and problems with her memory (known as chemo brain).  Like you she is in remission, but life isn't quite the same as before.  Hang in there.  Attitude is everything and the alternative wasn't so cool anyway.

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1 hour ago, goldendesign said:

Title pretty much says it. The radiation treatment was going to cause damage. We knew this. I have sclereoderma which causes excessive scar tissue. We figured this would pose additional challenges.

6 months post treatment and some scarring is becoming evident. I started to lose hair on my face and chin after it had already begun to grow back normally. Not the end of the world I know, but vanity is vanity. My neck has become very tight, I do stretching exercises multiple times a day to stave off the worse effects but essentially I feel like a have a mild case of whiplash on my right side, consistently. Jaw muscles have become considerably tighter, I have trouble opening my mouth wide. A sub sandwich is difficult to open and close over. No more double stacked hamburger patties in the future for me. 

All in all it is not a huge thing. The doctors way of looking at it is correct. "None of this is life threatening, at the moment, just life altering. You can adjust."

I can and I will. Just a weird emotional thing to have to have a constant reminder of my potential impending doom. It was easier to accept when treatment was ongoing and even easier when it ended and I started recovery. Now with no cancer in my body currently to have this start to show up is strange to process.

Good luck with your adjustment and recovery. Keeping a good attitude and enjoying life as you can live it is essential and it looks like you've got those qualities!

This is the first year since 2002 that I have had no issues with muscles and tendons and there have been a lot of times I'd get depressed when I'd overcome one problem and another would pop up: Achilles tendon then shoulder then hip then ankle then other shoulder, etc. - four muscle/tendon-related operations plus two sinus operations and lots of physical and chiropractic therapy.

Eventually, I realized I would not be able to exercise and run like I did with the high school teenagers I coached in cross country and softball into my early 50's until the Achilles tendons stopped me after 2002.  And THAT is when I stopped getting depressed over physical problems and stopped expecting too much out of my body and stopped generating new problems.

There are alternative activities. It's worth mentioning that my Achilles tendons didn't completely heal until I began bicycling as an adult in 2011 instead of running/fast walking - the guy who fitted me set my seat 1" lower than "optimum" to relieve strain on those tendons.  Soon after, the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis said in an interview that cycling was how he was able to recover from leg problems.

A good attitude means you're ok with adjusting to the best your situation allows. So adjust and enjoy the fact you're in no pain and can enjoy life!

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I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with this, but I'm glad you and your doctors are looking at it with a good attitude.  You have so many positive things in your life that outweigh the challenges.

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20 hours ago, goldendesign said:

Thanks guys. I'm going to make an effort to be here more. I'm on the computer all day so checking in shouldn't be difficult.

I'll make a post with some photos of the lil one tomorrow. For now here's a teaser. Oh and Aire is right. She does make things worth it.

 

Silly faces make her smileIMG_20190413_102024.thumb.jpg.69ebaceecbd82f7490f027f3e425b368.jpg

IMG_20190527_030934.thumb.jpg.15104ae7477d72197549d79eef99b76c.jpg

you brought the quality today GD...Thanks for making Friday great again

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