Chemo Was Mean To My Nails

     We all know that chemotherapy causes hair loss, but did you know that it also affects your nails?  Many patients are often surprised by the effects some chemotherapy drugs have on their fingernails and toenails. The good news is that this doesn’t occur with every type of chemotherapy, and it doesn't necessarily happen to everyone. 
      So what happens? Chemotherapy tends to cause the nail beds to become discolored. Nails often become brittle and dry causing them to break and crack easily.  As you can see on the right, this is happening to me. Five of my finger nails have starting cracking much lower than I would like. They get caught on everything, and I can't scratch, which makes my skin itch all over just thinking about it!
     Lines can also develop in the nail related to each cycle of chemotherapy. Beau's lines occur as you nail temporarily stops growing. The lines then grow out with you nail. You can sort of see some faint white lines in my nails in this picture. 
     I do feel fortunate though, some people can experience nail loss where the nails eventually lift completely off the nail beds!  Sounds awful...I'll deal with the breaks and invest in a good back scratcher. :)

Today was Treatment #9.  I was able to stay in town for today's infusions.  My awesome sister-in-law Brandi came to hang out with me. So lucky to have her in my life.  

 

any chemotherapy patients face side effects from treatment that are unexpected. One such side effect is changes to the fingernails and toenails. This side effect doesn’t occur with every type of chemotherapy, nor does it occur with every patient. However, those that face this side effect find it challenging and often just as horrifying as hair loss.Nail changes take the forms of lines on the nail, discoloration of the nail bed, and brittleness. Some people experience nail loss where the nail lifts completely off the nail bed. Dry cuticles are common. It’s very important to take care of the hands and feet, including the nails, during chemotherapy. These areas are prone to infection and are often forgotten in the myriad list of chemotherapy side effects.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_2312380_manage-nail-changes-from-chemotherapy.html

any chemotherapy patients face side effects from treatment that are unexpected. One such side effect is changes to the fingernails and toenails. This side effect doesn’t occur with every type of chemotherapy, nor does it occur with every patient. However, those that face this side effect find it challenging and often just as horrifying as hair loss.Nail changes take the forms of lines on the nail, discoloration of the nail bed, and brittleness. Some people experience nail loss where the nail lifts completely off the nail bed. Dry cuticles are common. It’s very important to take care of the hands and feet, including the nails, during chemotherapy. These areas are prone to infection and are often forgotten in the myriad list of chemotherapy side effects.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_2312380_manage-nail-changes-from-chemotherapy.html

Many chemotherapy patients face side effects from treatment that are unexpected. One such side effect is changes to the fingernails and toenails. This side effect doesn’t occur with every type of chemotherapy, nor does it occur with every patient. However, those that face this side effect find it challenging and often just as horrifying as hair loss.Nail changes take the forms of lines on the nail, discoloration of the nail bed, and brittleness. Some people experience nail loss where the nail lifts completely off the nail bed. Dry cuticles are common. It’s very important to take care of the hands and feet, including the nails, during chemotherapy. These areas are prone to infection and are often forgotten in the myriad list of chemotherapy side effects.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_2312380_manage-nail-changes-from-chemotherapy.html

Many chemotherapy patients face side effects from treatment that are unexpected. One such side effect is changes to the fingernails and toenails. This side effect doesn’t occur with every type of chemotherapy, nor does it occur with every patient. However, those that face this side effect find it challenging and often just as horrifying as hair loss.Nail changes take the forms of lines on the nail, discoloration of the nail bed, and brittleness. Some people experience nail loss where the nail lifts completely off the nail bed. Dry cuticles are common. It’s very important to take care of the hands and feet, including the nails, during chemotherapy. These areas are prone to infection and are often forgotten in the myriad list of chemotherapy side effects.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_2312380_manage-nail-changes-from-chemotherapy.html