19 replies to this topic

[cam_kris]

Has anyone else seen a dramatic change in their looks?  I have aged 20 years since my dx.  wow, it is amazing.

my hands look like they are 90 years old and my face looks it as well.  the wrinkles have came out of the woodwork

my husband says it is the stress of everything, i suppose it is, but just didnt think a person could change that much in such a short time

it is also embarrassing when i see people for the first time since dx.  comments like, ohhh, this has really taken a toll on you... are the pills

really hard on you?...are you sleeping ok... and the list goes on. 

so i am just wondering if anyone else is sharing a road map on their face like i am......and I Hate it with a passion!! 

[Floa7]

I had lost 30#'s when diagnosed, Man had I aged, All wrinkled up, cheeks on face sunk in, arms were wrinkled, legs looked nice thou.

I have gained 5# s back. I am on the big G and my eyes are swollen up, got rid of those crows feet.... lol My hands look old but my arms and cheeks (face) have filled back out.

I had my hair colored in March, maybe the sun had bleached it white, but the roots have all growed back in dark.

I am actually feeling good about myself.

Just be thankful were alive.

[BY196]

I just remarked on this the other day! The changes in my fluid levels are causing most of the problems, I think; my weight has not fluctuated much in either direction. Either I'm dehydrated and I look gaunt with saggy skin or I have edema and my face is puffy (or like today, one eye is swollen almost shut and purple--nice).  I have been going through old photos and putting them in albums and I estimate I have aged 15 years in the last three.  (I was diagnosed just under two years ago.) I definitely work on being thankful I'm not dead but some days it's just so hard.

Beth

[mariebow]

hi camkris there is a  post that I started that said something about wrinkle skin and not so young looking skin, my legs are wrinkly sagging skin, which someone said that it looks like crepe paper and it does.  also i am beginning to see a little chicken neck like one of the ladies on here said she had.

[Susan61]

Hi:  We did have this conversation awhile back.  I am on Gleevec.  I wake-up every  morning with the puffy eyes.  Cannot wear make-up like I used to.  Lost my eyelashes and some hair in the beginning.  The hair filled back in, but the eyelashes never came back.  I have little stubs that I try to apply Mascara too. Gained  lot of weight.  Started out gaining with the Gleevec, and then the rest was emotional eating to make it worse.  Have not been able to take it off.  My hair went completely Gray, so now I am blonde because they say blondes have more fun.  Still waiting for the fun to begin.

I think if I lose weight my skin will sag and show my wrinkles, therefore, I still have pretty good skin.

    Like Floa said.  Just be thankful we are still alive.  I Thank God everyday.

Susan

[cam_kris]

thanks guys for commenting,

I thank god everyday i wake up and every night before bed, I am so very thankful i am alive and feeling this good no one knows!!  at my dx i was told i had ALL. I have never been so scared in my entire life.  I stayed up and prayed all night.

I was told I wasnt going home for a very long time.  talk about being a wreck, unbelieveable. 

to tell you a little story, during that night as i said i prayed so hard, god and i had many talks.  the nurse came in and gave me a journal to keep track of my days,  that is the last thing i wanted it a journal!!!  but during the night with nothing else to do i opened it up and there was a bible verse in there, just one but i used that the rest of the night.  it gave me hope and a calming heart to face tomorrow.

that night i told god if he allowed me to have CML instead of ALL i would do something to help cancer patients just like me. I made a promise to him and strongly meant every word.

the next day i was told i had an 80% chance it was CML  i went home and all i could think about is my promise.  what could i do to encourage other patients like me.  I came up with the idea of a bookmarker with inspirational verses on it, just like the one I used all night, the night before.    so upon receiving your journal when you are in the hospital you had something to mark your page and read the message of hope, strenght and courage. 

it took me three months to make these and get them printed.

right now i have them in several states in cancer hospitals, and have had absolutely wonderful feedback from them.

if anyone would like one for themselfs, or would like to give some to your hospital, i would be more then happy to send them to you to give them out or just message me your  hospital and i will contact them and send them out directly. this is totally from my heart, and hope and pray if i help one person, it was worth everything

so yes everyone, i am so very thankful for my life. 

sorry to ramble on,

Kris

[Antilogical]

Ditto to all of the previous comments.  I have puffiness above & below the eyes, lash loss, thinning eyebrows, crepey / fragile skin, & weight gain from edema.  I can't blame my rapidly graying hair on the CML, as it was already turning as fast as the autumn leaves even before my diagnosis.  I told everyone I added silver highlighting to my hair. 

[mariebow]

I would like to have one.

[TeddyB]

My eyebrows are a little thinned out, my hair is thinner, ive lost some hair on my arms and legs, and i looked like i was 90 around the eyes for a few months (im 37). My hands also get sores/tears on them from dry skin if i dont use hand cream each time i wash my hands.

After a few bad months i suddenly got my face back, and i now look 37 again, my hands and hair are still the same, but ive only been on Gleevec for 5 and a half months so im hoping it will get better, as all the other side effects have worn off.

I am just so happy to be alive, and that i seem to be responding well to treatment so far (3% PCR after 3,5 months, down from 93% at DX)

Hans

[cam_kris]

Great Marirebow!

please email me your address and i will get one out to you

cameron@polarcomm.com

Thank you for taking the time to get one and i hope you enjoy it!

Kris

[sharcare]

Kris, What a wonderful idea and great way of keeping your promise to God.  I would like to take u up on yor offer of sending me some to give to my local cacner center.  How can I privately send u my address?  (I'm new to all this)

Shar

[TeddyB]

Hey Billie

Id like to look 20 again, well maybe not 20, but 25

[cam_kris]

Thats GREAT Sharon

Please just email me your address and i will get them out to you tomorrow!

cameron@polarcomm.com

Thank you!!

Kris

[cam_kris]

lol   I will never look 37 again, but  a couple years wouldnt hurt!!! 

thanks everyone for your comments !

I was just wondering if it was just me that looks like this.

I have put back on a couple of .lbs but it didnt go to my face!  LOL

but as we all say, Im very thankful  to be alive!! 

[eithne01]

Hi all, hope your'e all doing well.

I love this question/discussion.  I thought i was holding my own on glivec after two and a half years, but a  change to Tasigna put that to bed!

I did three months on Tasigna due to glivec side effects, (now back on glivec) I ended up in hospital with critical ischemia, two bypasses later and

five weeks of hospital, I look like i'm eighty years old. For now i'm just grateful to the best surgeon in Ireland, but I imagine after a few monts recuperation and physio

I might start to look a little younger. I'm 46yrs old. ( Clarins is the best for  moisturisers etc, x

[eithne01]

Hi Billie and everyone

hope you guys are all doing well?  My recovery is slow but sure thank God.

I learned a valuable lesson, if I think somethings wrong, then something's wrong..  I now know not to put anyone on a  pedastal,

Even the oncs and haemotologists!  They are human beings, not God. Thank you Billie for keeping me in your prayers, I can't tell you how much it means.x

Regards

Eithne.

[mariebow]

Thanks cam_kris I received those bookmarks today, they are so nice, I have several friends and acquaintances who would surely appreciate these as I am. Mariebow