Old lady chin :-(

Just to let you know I get some chance to still follow you. No advice on this issue. Day at a time. Rick.

Most of it will improve with time.  Lhermitte's will subside. 

Some of it, not so much. Got nose hair?

Deb

who has wondered what exactly rads did to our skin....I swear I look 10 years older than I did when I was sick...most of that aging is around my chin and mouth!  I thought once I gained a little weight the wrinkles would fill in....so far, it's a no go!   I still have the Lhermitte's, too....so that may be something that takes more time to go away...tho I must be getting used to it, because it doesn't surprise me anymore.  I keep in mind that it took John nearly two years to get back his spit and his taste...so basically, at under a year out of treatment, we're still babes in the woods....and I keep hoping that I'm just being impatient, too.  I can lick my lips tho, and that is an improvement!

What I really can't get used to is the neuropathy in my hands....I can live with it in my feet, but my hands drive me crazy.  That's supposed to improve some, too....another wait and see. 

LOL at Deb and the nose hair....THAT didn't come back, and I don't miss it...ha!  Neither did those pesky lip hairs that came with menopause....not missing them a bit either!  So I guess taking the good with the bad is the way we got to do it. 

It does help to get to say something about it, tho....doesn't it?

p

Billie,

i remember the day I had noticed a few grey hairs.. My dad told me they were worry greys. Again while Dan was going through treatment I looked in the mirror and noticed softness in my skin around my mouth.. Yep this one you all might share with caretakers! A freind of mine had some plastic surgery a year ago, he doctor says that the skin needs the smallest molecule moisturizer you can find - it will absorb what fits. So the use of serums is better if you want your skin to suck it up and fill in.

And I would not doubt, that even if each of you have "Old Lady Skin", we caretakers love that look, because you are looking back at us! Wear it with pride.

Kari

I noticed some aging in my face after treatments too, but also realized I'd stopped using all my skin products (except moisturizer on my neck for radiation). Looking young(er) was important to me for my work, since I'm in a young industry surrounded by folks 10-15 years younger. My spouse is also 11 years younger than I am, so the combination of that plus work led me to investigate anti-aging skin care. :-)

There are some fragrence-free anti-aging creams that help fill in wrinkles, firm skin and restore collagen. It might be worth giving them a try for a month to see whether it helps. I use Philosophy products, and here's one of the moisturizers that might help with collagen: http://www.philosophy.com/skin-care-moisturizers/full-of-promise-restoring-cream,en_US,pd.html.

I'm 8 months post-treatment and the Lhermitte's is starting to fade. It's still there but only when I lower my head quite a bit. Like right now, I'm looking down to type this on my laptop and I don't feel it--I would have felt it a couple months ago. So it does start to fade, and I bet it's one of those things where it's so gradual you don't even notice it's gone for a while. :-)

I'm trying to remember to massage my neck because I do have turkey neck and I think some swelling. I definitely still have some tenderness in my neck. I think losing a lot of weight so quickly made it worse!

Laralyn said:

Don't feel petty!

We've been through a lot and it has changed us. I'm pretty sure chemo put me into early menopause and while I was pretty sure I would never have kids, and I was running out of runway for it anyway... I wasn't thrilled to have the runway unexpectedly and completely removed by cancer treatments. So yes, it ages us, but I look at it as the opportunity to continue to age. :-)

I got to LA a couple weeks ago, and we're settling in. I'd love referrals! My radiation oncologist in San Francisco (who is AMAZING) recommended Dr. Lee at UCLA.

I'm gonna be there near the end of the month...

Billie67 said:

John and Laryn
John, where exactly will you be when you come here?

Laryn, I actually go to USC Head & Neck for my ENT/surgeon and I see Dr. Markarian....(323)442-5790. I absolutely love him! He is very good at what he does and he always has a big hug for me and always takes as much time with me as I need. I did go to UCLA for a second opinion when I first started this journey and I didn't see Dr. Lee but I wasn't happy at all. It just could have been the dr I saw but I wasn't even that impressed with the facility (as far as Head and Neck goes). My son goes there for urology and I love that dr but not so much the H&N unit.
My rad onc is Dr. Hovenstine at Torrance Memorial Hospital (310)517-4675.
I know it's more important that we keep up with the ENT but just in case you want to see or need to see the onc he is really nice. I actually have had to see a couple of his associates a couple of times and they were equally as nice and comforting. The staff at both of these offices are the best!
What area are you in....as you know, LA is huge!
Billie

Actually flying into SF on the 21st, staying in Inverness (just North of SF), then flying out on the 24th...(my birthday).

My son is getting married, they were up in SF for several years, but he and his fiancee' have been down in Venice Beach for a year or so now...

Going to try and hook up with Steve (Hawk711) while there.., would love to get together if I can squeeze it in... I know it's quite a haul from LA area though.

JG

Billie67 said:

John
I'm much much closer to Venice. SF is about 7 hours from me and you'll be even more north than that. Too bad you are not going to Venice :-(

Sounds like I'm going to need a future visit, LOL....

Actually my wife has never been to California, so that might work out.

I went to school in your area (somewhat), as a very young child...K, and 1st grade... We would go to Huntington Beach back then..., or I should say "Tin Can Beach:..

JG

Billie67 said:

John and Laryn
John, where exactly will you be when you come here?

Laryn, I actually go to USC Head & Neck for my ENT/surgeon and I see Dr. Markarian....(323)442-5790. I absolutely love him! He is very good at what he does and he always has a big hug for me and always takes as much time with me as I need. I did go to UCLA for a second opinion when I first started this journey and I didn't see Dr. Lee but I wasn't happy at all. It just could have been the dr I saw but I wasn't even that impressed with the facility (as far as Head and Neck goes). My son goes there for urology and I love that dr but not so much the H&N unit.
My rad onc is Dr. Hovenstine at Torrance Memorial Hospital (310)517-4675.
I know it's more important that we keep up with the ENT but just in case you want to see or need to see the onc he is really nice. I actually have had to see a couple of his associates a couple of times and they were equally as nice and comforting. The staff at both of these offices are the best!
What area are you in....as you know, LA is huge!
Billie

We're right next door, almost literally--Marina del Rey! :-)

The radiation oncologist I was seeing in SF was awesome. I got really lucky that there was a recognized H&N expert who happened to practice (at the time) at a regional hospital. He knows the head of the department of the cancer center of UCLA, and said he thinks they do great work. Maybe it's worth going there once to see how it feels?