My toe nail fell off!

sweetvickid
sweetvickid Member Posts: 459 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Here it is almost 4 in the mornoing and I got up to get a drink. My pinky toe felt wierd and when I looked the toe nail is gone! Damn! Didn't think it was one of the nails I needed to watch.

The nails on my hands all look horrid either half of the bed is white or purple black. I was so optimistic that with being careful and taking a little care they would just grow out. Now I wonder.

Comments

  • e_hope
    e_hope Member Posts: 370
    have you tried keeping a
    have you tried keeping a clear polish over them.. that is what I was told to do to help preserve them...

    I only lost part of my big toe nail and had some thicking.. but 6 months out and everything is all back to normal
  • mwallace1325
    mwallace1325 Member Posts: 806
    They will come back
    I had acrylics on and didn't realize what was happening until they began separating from my fingers with my own nails. But a few months later and they're back. Good luck.
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member

    They will come back
    I had acrylics on and didn't realize what was happening until they began separating from my fingers with my own nails. But a few months later and they're back. Good luck.

    I also lost my pinky nail
    I also lost my pinky nail and big toe nail. My finger nails were the same as yours. It does get better with time.Use hard as nails or something like that to protect what you have. My toe nail looks terrible. Not sure what to do about that.
  • laurissa
    laurissa Member Posts: 773
    Horrid is right
    Mine are the same, half lifted off the bed. I'm hoping the new growth will be healthier since chemo is over. So far, they're still on.
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930

    They will come back
    I had acrylics on and didn't realize what was happening until they began separating from my fingers with my own nails. But a few months later and they're back. Good luck.

    They will grow back. I am
    They will grow back. I am sure it was a shock to you! Good luck to you!
  • Flakey_Flake
    Flakey_Flake Member Posts: 130
    You Will Grow Another
    I believe I am keeping all my toe nails, but have lost all but two on my fingers. I've found the best way for me to keep them on until the new one grew off was with a good paper surgical tape. Turn it over on one end, so you have a non sticky surface to cover the nail, and wrap around the finger a couple of times. This will stay all day if you can keep your hands out of water. (yeah - Right!) But they are quick and easy to change, and not too difficult when you have to use your left hand to tape the right.

    It must have been a heck of a note to wake up with a toenail missing. You just never know what will happen to you on this journey!
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member

    You Will Grow Another
    I believe I am keeping all my toe nails, but have lost all but two on my fingers. I've found the best way for me to keep them on until the new one grew off was with a good paper surgical tape. Turn it over on one end, so you have a non sticky surface to cover the nail, and wrap around the finger a couple of times. This will stay all day if you can keep your hands out of water. (yeah - Right!) But they are quick and easy to change, and not too difficult when you have to use your left hand to tape the right.

    It must have been a heck of a note to wake up with a toenail missing. You just never know what will happen to you on this journey!

    I'm glad to read that the
    I'm glad to read that the nails come back normal--I fininshed chemo last Oct.09 and now 1/4 of my big toe nail has lifted and the other one is very thick and lifting as well.

    Flakey_Flake is soo right we never know what will happen to us on this journey!! That may be a good thing!

    Sher
  • Flakey_Flake
    Flakey_Flake Member Posts: 130
    Sher43009 said:

    I'm glad to read that the
    I'm glad to read that the nails come back normal--I fininshed chemo last Oct.09 and now 1/4 of my big toe nail has lifted and the other one is very thick and lifting as well.

    Flakey_Flake is soo right we never know what will happen to us on this journey!! That may be a good thing!

    Sher

    For sure! If anyoe would
    For sure! If anyoe would have told me all the details I might have had second thougts. But once one starts down the path, it is a drill of one foot after the other ... step by step ... inch by inch.. Mile by mile ... But once one gets through it all We will probably turn back and look at our path, and find a giggle or two, and the wisdom and heart to help others who are taking a similar path. Having cancer is kind of like having a child. You give it your utmost all, and hope for a good outcome. Although I don't care for comparing cancer to children, but what you end up in the situation seems similar to me. We would certainly give our all for our children, and would certainly give our all to this battle. A toenail or fingernail are only battle scars. We don't win the battle without them. It's like my grey hairs. I did alot to get them. I'm not going to hide then. Those who can get past them will find a great smile and sense of love, life and understanding that is worth looking past hair color. Those who can't get past it, wouldn't appreciate it anyway. Everyone here is fighting the good battle. We are warrior sisters and will help each other in any way. We heft out spears with enouragement. We stab our spears with the help of our medical professionals, stabbing the beast with treatments proven to kill, we lick our wounds with the Grace of God who gives me the strength to go one more round, one more battle. This battle may take my hair, take my finger and tonails, take my strength and leave me feeling wounded on the battlefield. But wounds heal, and we will all keep on fighting. Treatment by treatment we will get through and we will give whatever we have in us to have our dance with NED, It is what we are about. We love being alive ... and will give that love to all around us. It is the love of God, and it is undefeatable.

    Phew, okay ... off the soap box now. I reckon it doesn't take much to set me off. But it kind of felt good to put into words what I am feeling. Geese, if a toenail coming off puts me into such a rant, what would happen if if the whole toe fell off! I think we all have enough drama going on in our lives right now.

    Never mind if you don't want to. Just me being me and going into a rant at the drop of a toenail. Love to you all. Stay strong and keep smiling (when you smile, everyone will wonder what you are up to.)

    Sharon
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member

    For sure! If anyoe would
    For sure! If anyoe would have told me all the details I might have had second thougts. But once one starts down the path, it is a drill of one foot after the other ... step by step ... inch by inch.. Mile by mile ... But once one gets through it all We will probably turn back and look at our path, and find a giggle or two, and the wisdom and heart to help others who are taking a similar path. Having cancer is kind of like having a child. You give it your utmost all, and hope for a good outcome. Although I don't care for comparing cancer to children, but what you end up in the situation seems similar to me. We would certainly give our all for our children, and would certainly give our all to this battle. A toenail or fingernail are only battle scars. We don't win the battle without them. It's like my grey hairs. I did alot to get them. I'm not going to hide then. Those who can get past them will find a great smile and sense of love, life and understanding that is worth looking past hair color. Those who can't get past it, wouldn't appreciate it anyway. Everyone here is fighting the good battle. We are warrior sisters and will help each other in any way. We heft out spears with enouragement. We stab our spears with the help of our medical professionals, stabbing the beast with treatments proven to kill, we lick our wounds with the Grace of God who gives me the strength to go one more round, one more battle. This battle may take my hair, take my finger and tonails, take my strength and leave me feeling wounded on the battlefield. But wounds heal, and we will all keep on fighting. Treatment by treatment we will get through and we will give whatever we have in us to have our dance with NED, It is what we are about. We love being alive ... and will give that love to all around us. It is the love of God, and it is undefeatable.

    Phew, okay ... off the soap box now. I reckon it doesn't take much to set me off. But it kind of felt good to put into words what I am feeling. Geese, if a toenail coming off puts me into such a rant, what would happen if if the whole toe fell off! I think we all have enough drama going on in our lives right now.

    Never mind if you don't want to. Just me being me and going into a rant at the drop of a toenail. Love to you all. Stay strong and keep smiling (when you smile, everyone will wonder what you are up to.)

    Sharon

    Flakey
    Very nice, pretty much says it all.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    Sher43009 said:

    I'm glad to read that the
    I'm glad to read that the nails come back normal--I fininshed chemo last Oct.09 and now 1/4 of my big toe nail has lifted and the other one is very thick and lifting as well.

    Flakey_Flake is soo right we never know what will happen to us on this journey!! That may be a good thing!

    Sher

    Yikes! The good news is
    Yikes! The good news is that you will grow another one. Sorry this happened to you.

    Sue :)
  • sweetvickid
    sweetvickid Member Posts: 459 Member
    Ritzy said:

    Yikes! The good news is
    Yikes! The good news is that you will grow another one. Sorry this happened to you.

    Sue :)

    Talked with the pharmacist
    Talked with the pharmacist about what was the best way to tape my nails. He informed me that if they are going to fall off there is nothing I can do. But to keep them clipped as short as possible and be very careful about banging them into anything because you don't want to knock them lose before they are ready to fall off on their own. Avoid getting them wet too.
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member

    Talked with the pharmacist
    Talked with the pharmacist about what was the best way to tape my nails. He informed me that if they are going to fall off there is nothing I can do. But to keep them clipped as short as possible and be very careful about banging them into anything because you don't want to knock them lose before they are ready to fall off on their own. Avoid getting them wet too.

    This is good to know. On my
    This is good to know. On my big toe 1/4 of the nail has lifted and I asked my oncol. if I should cut it off and he said no--to leave it to protect the nail bed. It will be pushed off as the new nail grows back. Thankfully it doesn't hurt.
  • Flakey_Flake
    Flakey_Flake Member Posts: 130

    Talked with the pharmacist
    Talked with the pharmacist about what was the best way to tape my nails. He informed me that if they are going to fall off there is nothing I can do. But to keep them clipped as short as possible and be very careful about banging them into anything because you don't want to knock them lose before they are ready to fall off on their own. Avoid getting them wet too.

    Just lost my last Nail - Horray!
    I just lost my last fingernail today, and I am so happy! I was constantly catching them on everything, so used paper surgical tape, folded over on one end so there was a non-sticky part to put on the flaking nail, and wrapped it around a few times. I don't know how I could have gotten by without taping the darn things. Even another couple weeks growth on the new nailbed is a bonus. What has grown out isn't real pretty, but I can almost scratch myself, another bonus, cause I am the only one who knows where it itches!
    Sharon