Look away now if you do not wish to delve in to the female 'nether regions' or read anatomical descriptions! Okay, for those of you who can take it, I will tell you my tale. A year ago I was prescribed Letrozole (brand name - Femara) for breast cancer. It did its job, shrank the tumour so much that the surgery I subsequently underwent was far less radical than had been originally planned.But.... what this drug does is completely stop the production of oestrogen... and my cancer was oestrogen positive (meaning the little blighter fed off oestrogen). However, oestrogen also has GOOD POSITIVE things to do in the body chiefly to keep the vagina lubricated and the whole of the female nether regions in good working order. So.. take away the oestrogen and bingo - NETTLES IN MY KNICKERS! My bits dried up... I got fungal infections... any pee landing on my bum cheeks sent me screaming off into outer space.
I mentioned (very coyly) problems to the surgeon at my last check-up in August but he muttered about it being the best available drug for my type of cancer and I scuttled away. (Well you do, don't you? Surgeons are God, after all!) I visited my GP who prescribed anti-fungal creams which helped but still left my vagina bone-dry and uncomfortable. However, this morning on my check-up visit with the oncologist I actually plucked up the courage and told him about the NETTLES IN MY KNICKERS.
This oncologist is probably in his early forties, charming, urbane... I'm fair fat and sixty! I am not of a generation who talks willingly of my 'bits'. Accompanying him was a young doctor (not introduced... come to think of it, he could have been a kitchen fitter for all I know!) and a very young nurse. You need to know this to know how desperate I was to speak up about this problem... it was like taking a run up to jump off a very high cliff. I could not even look at young doctor (or possibly kitchen fitter person) or very young nurse but spoke to charming urbane oncologist... and he had the 'charm' to sort it without me wishing to climb further under the floorboards.
Result - change of drug to Tamoxifen together with another drug Vagifem. The Vagifem is a locally applied oestrogen which is dispensed via a device similar to a Tampax applicator. In other words - a plunger with a tablet inserted which one inserts into the vagina and it shoots the 'pill' to stick to .... something... not sure what! This is only short term whilst the Letrozole works its way out of my system and the Tamoxifen takes over. Both drugs have their side-effects but it seems Tamoxifen will not whither my bits. Watch this space!
FormerMember
Oh Kate I'm so sorry, no really I am because I laughed when I got to the bit about pee... and the kitchen fitter. Well it reminded me of the technician who did my ECG, 21, spotty and male - have no problem with spotty 21 year olds but I did wonder why I always have to fling my clothes off in front of old men or spotty 21 year olds.
You poor love, I can imagine how uncomfortable it must have been and thats just telling your charming, urbane oncologist - can I swap him for mine - she's a similar age but certainly not urbane or charming.!
I'm also oestrogen responsive, so have been told I will have tamoxifen, but if I don't get on with it I make a note that I don't want the intchy knickers one.
Good luck with the Tamoxifen and I hope your bits soon return to their former self.
thank you for making me laugh as I read about your nether regions and the problem you were having. I hope that things are better now " down under" and your knickers are a bit more comfortable! Isn't it just as well we can maintain our sense of humour cos our dignity goes right out the window! All the best love Jules x
Fraid to say I laughed like a drain too, although wincing with the familiarity. My limited experience of this is when the sweet chemo nurses announce in hushed tones to expect something "down under" once the toxins go walkabout throughout my system, which turns out to be a 5-minute onslaught of chronic indigestion-type feelings coupled with exactly what you describe! It's so horrible that when it's gone, I'm almost glad to have had it, such is the relief...cannot imagine it being an on-going thing!
No James Bond Bad Egg could dream up the exquisite tortures of side-effects. Perhaps we should pool our hideous experiences and submit a script??
I had the carpet-fitter experience; be-acned earnest teen on practical experience, and like you, his presence was barely flagged up, let alone "you don't mind a pre-pubescent fondling your breasts, do you?" I told my GP, who said he was frankly astonished that anyone allows it (he used to wonder as a student why people didn't scream, "get that scruffy boy OUT OF HERE!"); apparently all training is done on computers these days anyway. Presumably it's so that they can learn the legendary humanitarian skills of the senior docs. A bit like making Jack the Ripper head of a women's refuge in my view, but of course they know that nobody's ever going to stand in the way of "progress" and "learning".
Tis a far far better thing you do, my groovy friend, keeping us laughing. Here's to the tampon experience!
I had a glandular disorder which involved my visiting my consultant about once a year for a while. Well, I was 14, and had been stripped to the waist, when my consultant arrived with 8 medical students. No apology, no "You don't mind students do you?" I was seriously embarrassed. I had breasts, not little tits. Consultant caught on just in time and said to the students, "You will notice with this disorder that the lips tend to be white, regardless of the colour of the lipstick. (I had white lipstick under the pink one), then cut the consultation as short as he decently could.
I had to remind myself that doctors have to learn from someone. So at 64, I am not going to be phased by students. Except when my GP had a student in with my normal consultation, I stuck to the essentials and didn't mention anything I wasn't certain of. I'd like to have an argument about my medication with a student present..
I'm glad you got your medication hcanged anyway. You got a result, and I really hope it works well for you
Hi Kate - you will have to excuse me, but since being diagnosed with cancer, I should be carrying a large sandwich board with arrows pointing down at me; proclaiming; "Beware! This woman is in possession of a: "really weird sense of humour", lol I kid you not when I say, I almost peed myself with laughter at the pictures you painted of your abysmal embarrassment when faced with the oncologist and who was he? "a kitchen fitter". BUT, I take my hat off to you, as you handled yourself with admirable decorum!! Aw, you are PRICELESS and should be bottled, lol I hope your nether regions now find all your plumbing in good working order as it should be. I also hope you do not experience any more discomfort - and thank you Kate, for the great laugh on a day when I could especially do with one, hold on tight, with lotsa love kate xxxxxxxxxxx
