OK friends so you were brilliant with eyebrow advice a couple of weeks ago, now I need you to turn your mind to nails. Again I have never been one to fiddle much with my nails unless you count biting them and the cuticles around them with great satisfaction but the last month or so they have gone manky in the extreme, another side effect of the chemo apparently. It seems I should have clutched some ice or a packet of frozen peas while I was having my treatments but as my infusions went on for about 48 hours each time that was beyond the call of duty and anyway I didn't know. Also I should have worn gloves when doing all that housework I do, oh yes of course. As ever I did none of these things and so have bendy, soft peeling nails each broken down to the quick; they are covered in pretty wavy patterns and ridges a bit like you used to draw for the sea when you were little.
It's amazing how much you need your nails, Stewart asked me to scratch his back in the car the other day and I had to flail around doing the best I could with my soft little pinkies. I can't get the tea caddy open, or when the need arises pick my nose and if some French floozy ogles my other half (yes it's possible!) I will not be able to scratch her eyes out and will have to resort to a knee in the groin or ready wit and repartee.
I have googled and find I should be eating gelatine so have just bought two strawberry jellies from the shaming English shelves at the Intermarche, I prefer raspberry or lemon but beggers can't be choosers. There was little more advice apart from - and Jess over the road from my Jess will like this - soaking your nails in squashed blue iris flowers, trouble is irises are not flowering over here at the moment. So come on friends what should I do, what can I put on them to give them a bit more oomph?
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Hi Jean, I would suggest silica pills (or in what form ever it will be provided in pharmacies in France) plus bathing the fingers in saline solution. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteI have the exact same problem! I tried painting my nails with clear polish, like Sally Hansen Hard as Nails, but it did not help. Maybe I did not put on ebough coats. So now I just try to keep my nails trimmed so they do not tear.
ReplyDeleteNails - I plastered mine in Aqeous cream and massaged my nails daily. Also tried to get out of washing-up as much as possible!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for following my Blog - it is nice to read yours too.
Bonjour! not very good at speaking french, but manage to understand a little and read most menu's etc (including wine list). We will be near to Poitier, near to Civary. Are you in that area?
Kathryn X
Hello Jean
ReplyDeleteI've found these links which are only moderately helpful. I think the things that look most useful are increase iron in your diet, take one of those hair & nail vitamin complexes (possibly not a rip-off after all), take Biotin which is Vitamin B & put tea tree oil on your toenails to stop them getting fungus-ey.
Fingernails: http://breastcancer.about.com/od/lifeduringtreatment/tp/fingernail_disorders.htm
Toenails: http://breastcancer.about.com/od/generalsideeffects/qt/toenail_care.htm
This really is the condition that keeps on giving, isn't it?
Maria McCudden
PS - Now that your eyebrows are back in business, you should practice arching them to frighten off anyone objecting to your skinhead. 'It's a look' - ask them with one sardonic sweep of your eyebrow - 'didn't you know?'