TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

bjquilter

I've decided today is the day to shave my head. I know I'm going to feel naked but I want to go out and start gaining confidence with this new look. Thanks everyone for the input.

meg2016

I lost almost 30 pounds on chemo, to the point where my MO had me working with a nutritionist to try to keep weight on. I had a little weight to lose but not that much and not that fast. I had so many food aversions and a lot of things that didn't agree with my system, plus extreme diarrhea (I blame that on the Perjeta) and ton of muscle loss because I had some issues with exercise (back to the diarrhea) and lots of acid reflux PLus my chemo was almost six months. I slowly gained most of that weight back once I resumed a normal diet after chemo (but also started putting muscle mass on again with exercise.) So I agree with the advice of just eat what you can to try to get through it. Weight gain/loss during those treatments aren't a great indicator of any long-term effects. I oddly liked chinese food more during treatment (egg drop soup, lo mein, fried rice), I think because it was both bland and a little salty. I survived on chicken noodle soup and bone broth, applesauce, canned peaches, ramen, breadsticks or baguette with butter (warm bread was more palatable to me than cold for some reason.) Then every now and then I would get a crazy craving for something, like a BLT and have to have one. These are mostly not things I normally eat, chemo palate is crazy, I always compared it to pregnancy, you never knew what would be good from one day to the next.

moodyblues

bjquilter As you shave/buzz your head, I will be thinking of you. For me it wasn't difficult to do the actual task but, I only recently (last two or three weeks) have been going out without a head covering. I went out the first time 'bare' in honor of a friend who was ringing the bell....she always bore that beautiful bald head of hers. Each day it gets easier. At this point, I feel it signifies to others that I have been through the battle and I am still walking- thanks be to the Father! My poor eyebrows though are an embarrassment....they are a HOT MESS!

Dannajae

Dannajae

Wig

Dannajae

The rest of the fuzz is coming off now, but not brave enough to go out in public without at least a head covering. Losing my hair was not devastating because of vanity. It was devastating because it made cancer real.

SpecialK

dannajae - that is a really great wig - you look fantastic! Your hair in the pic above that is very close to what mine looked like too initially.

Cherry-sw

dannajae, this is a great wig, it looks so real.

moodyblues, I am impressed by your courage, I wear a hat everywhere, even at home sometimes, I hot this thin cotton hat to wear in the early fall and to sleep in, but it is totally impossible to have it on while sleeping, it is moving in opposite direction when I am moving and so on.

HapB, I really hope your issues will resolve soon.

SpecialK, any news about your hearing return? I hope it is on its way to get better.

KimCee

Way to go BJ Quilter - you will really feel better, you have put yourself in control

KimCee

Dannajae - you look freaking awesome! Your top picture is exactly what my hair looks like now. Waiting for it to disappear completely. Your wig looks great!!

HapB - still sending you hugs and praying for you!!!

Special - yes, any positive advances on your hearing?

I'm sporting a straight hair copper wig and everyone, and I mean everyone, likes it way better than my natural hair. Guess I looked like poop most of my life

bjquilter

Mooodyblue, it didn't bother me at all. I went out right after with no head covering and felt great. Then I made a mistake going into a dressing room with horrible lighting. I went looking for a hat right away. Still think i'll go without head covering occasionally.

moodyblues

bjquilter. I am glad it went so well!

Cherry, not so courageous, getting there though. I am sick and tired of covering my head! Freedom, it feels like freedom! I wore a covering on my head at night for a short period of time because my hair/scalp was sensitive but, like you, it kept moving around too much.

Dannajae

Thanks, everyone! My head is itching like crazy, and I now look like a crazy old man with patches of white hair sticking out. No going anywhere without a wig or scarf right now

PoseyGirl

Danna, your wig is so natural looking...you look great with wig or without. I too just decided to get it over with and shave it off. It was torture feeling clumps come out constantly. I agree that it made it feel very real. Here is me before...1st chemo. I will post how it progressed and how it grew back. Why not lol

PoseyGirl

The dreaded cuttin

PoseyGirl

Newl bald. I was still in shock.

PoseyGirl

Just starting to come back....

PoseyGirl

I will delete all these later lol...and more recently, here it's coming back. Have to wear tubes as it's an Afro otherwise.

PoseyGirl

but for Hallowe'en I went all NAshville and I loved wearing a long, red wig lol.

Anyhow, that's my hair journey. Love to all of you; we know how daunting this is.

Dannajae

Thank you, Posey Girl, for sharing!!! This was me at diagnosis.

SpecialK

All - nope, still no return of hearing, but I'm still on anti-virals. ENT says this can be a slow process, or, this may be it. Should know when I see him again in 3 months.

Posey - you look great at each stage of hair/not hair! I looked like Gollum, lol! Could not pull off the bald thing. Like, at all.

Dannajae

Then I cut it short to prepare.

Dannajae

specialk — You can’t hear because of a virus? I missed that. :

SpecialK

dannajae - yes, likely a latent virus in the chickenpox/shingles/herpetic family - not something I came in contact with recently, but something I was carrying around - possibly for years. This can cause SSHL - Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss, which is sometimes reversible if caught early enough and treated with massive steroids and anti-virals.

Dannajae

SpecialK, I'm so sorry. Is it connected to your treatment? I had a very mild case of shingles when I was 38.

Tess, Thank you for the tips.

SpecialK

dannajae - No, not connected at all, just a random occurrence.

PoseyGirl

Hi Danna, it's so interesting to see peoples' original looks; hair can really change appearance, can't it? I think you can look great with several cuts.

SpecialK, I have several pictures where I look like Gollum. There is one I can't look at; I look very old, my new hair was white stubble coming in (which became mostly brown), my skin tone was bad... of course I am only posting better photos lol.

I am so sorry the hearing isn't improving yet. With viruses, it can take months for bizarre symptoms to go away. So let's hope your meds start to help and that you see improvement. But question...can meds really help anything viral?

Hapb, I did nothing to assist my hair. I've always had a ton of hair...thick. So that's just how it went for me.

Question off topic of hair...do any of you wake up some days and just struggle with darker and scary or depressed feelings? Some mornings I will feel that awful pit o used to feel constantly. Tomorrow evening I have an MRI which I'm sure is a possible trigger. I just feel constantly vulnerable

SpecialK

posey - there are a limited number of anti-viral drugs available, but they do work - they are the reason HIV is now a controlled disease for many. The particular anti-viral I am taking is effective against the family of viruses they think caused this. On the scary thoughts - it does get better with time, and yes, imaging and appointments trigger those feeling for most. Hang in there!

Blownaway

HapB - Please search my older posts to read my experience with Herceptin and heart failure. My normal EF before treatment was 56. After 7 infusions of Herceptin, it was 35. It has recovered to the low 50's. I'm surprised your onc has given you a choice of continuing treatment. Mine simply said, "You are banned from Herceptin for life. We should not challenge your heart with Herceptin again." I only read your last few posts so I don't know how your situation compares to mine.

Cherry-sw

PoseyGirl, you look amazing and all this new hair, if I can half of its growth by the time I can no longer justify going out in a hat I will be thrilled. I do not count on it much though, for the first time here I rejoyce that springs are so cold in Sweden, i can probably wear a hat throut May. Unfortunately I will now lose all my 1 cm long new hair on EC. But how did you manage to stay that skinny?! I gained 10 kg and cannot look at myself in the mirror, all this fat is in my way.

SpecialK, I wish you get your hearing back. This is no consolation but one of my best friends in high school became deaf on one of her ears while being pushed and fall on the water surface with her ear. I just remembered always keeping myself on the right side when I talked to her.

This EC is kicking my butt, I felt nauseaus throghout the day, last night I woke up and felt that I was about to vomit but I did not because I hate it and after some time it subsided. It is nothing like Taxol, it is a real deal chemo, how did everybody else do it.

Cherry