Apply cold to fingers to prevent neuropathy and loss of nails.

charlotte14

Anyone heard of any company that has "special gloves" you can use during chemo to apply the coldness to nails? Or any other suggestions?

I am going to start Chemo on 1/08/2013 and am told I will loose my hair.  Suggestions if I should cut it soon or should I wait  till after starting Chemo and then get my hair cut?  Will be getting Cytoxan and taxotere. Probably should start looking at wigs now.

Thanks for any help.

Charlotte

mdg

I don't know the name  of the company that does the gloves I used ice in baggies.  I do know the name of the company for scalp cooling to keep hair is Penguin Cold Caps.  I had TC x4 and kept my hair.  Good luck!

Melrosemelrose

In Canada, the patients are offered ice gloves/mittens to ice their hands.  I purchased some Neoprene insulated wine bags from Target for $7.00 each and used those to hold the small ziploc bags filled with ice  on my hands and feet during the Taxotere infusions.  I also wore a pair of fingerless gloves on my hands and thin athletic socks on my feet to help keep my hands and feet warm.  You can also use frozen peas if you want and place those over your hands and feet.  I know some place the frozen peas/ice in insulated lunch sacks or just place the ice bags in the bottom of men's socks and put your hands/feet in the socks.  I had also thought about using oven mittens/pot holders to hold the ice bags in place.

As for the hair loss, it is truly a very personal choice.  Some buzz before they start chemo; some buzz after the hair starts falling out; and some do not buzz at all.  I had waist length hair Feb 2012 when I had my lumpectomy; a short bob March 2012 when I had my UMX and April 2012, I cut my hair to a short boy cut.  I did not buzz/shave my head after the boy cut.  I just let the hair fall out. I can tell you that there may be hair in the shower drain which can be a little unnerving.  You have a choice when you first see that.... you can get very emotional, cry and have a meltdown or you can look at the hair, clean out the drain and move forward.  I did the later of the two---- I said out loud... wow the hair is going and I knew it would and so the time is here.  The head hair started to fall out about 14 days after the first round of chemo.  I was getting very annoyed with the hair being everywhere-- on me, my clothes, my pillow.... just everywhere.  I used a lint roller to help pick the hair off of me.  One of the reasons I did not buzz my head is that I had had enough hair cuts in the span of several months plus I just wanted to see how much of my hair would actually fall out.  It was like a personal science experiment to me.  At the end of 6 rounds, I still had a very very thin veil of head hair plus some new duck fuzz growing.  As of today, I have a very short edgy looking boy hair do and one pre-chemo hair.  The head hair grew back and people have asked me where I have gotten my hair cut at!!!  I tell them I've had the most expensive haircut and skin exfoiliation that I've ever had!!!  I do have a wig that I never wear.  I got it free through the American Cancer Society's Look Good Feel Good program.  You might want to check that program out because one can receive a wig and makeup kit (makeup class).  I wore baseball caps, hats, bandanas, Buffs & knitted caps to cover my head and help keep it warm.  No matter what you decide to do with your hair, remember that you are still beautiful no matter what.

I don't know if you are getting  Neulasta shot the day after your chemo.  If you are, you may want to ask your onco if it's okay for you take a regular 24 hour Claritin to help prevent the bone pain associated with the Neulasta shot.  There is an ongoing clinical trial investigating this.  I took the Claritin the morning that I would receive my afternoon Neulasta shot and continued to take it for9 more days.  The clinical trial protocal is to take it for 7 days in total.  I did not experience bone pain from the Neulasta shot; however, I did have occasional muscle aches/jt pain which is associated with this chemo regimen.  

Wishing you the best.... If you need some further explanation about the icing, private message me with your questions.

kmadigan

I can only respond to the hair end of things.  For each person it is very different, but I made the decision a few days before chemo to donate my hair.  Even though I had already cut it to almost shoulder length, the hair on the middlie of my head was long enough.  My husband and I did it together - I cried during the first few cuts and then began laughing because a mullet that would have made Joan Jett proud began to emerge.  Once it was cut I couldn't stop touching it, and I felt a little odd going out.  But now I embrace my shaved head.  I can't tell you how many people have stopped me to say what a nicely shaped head I have or how much it warms their heart to see someone embrace their cancer.  Again - what worked for me may not be what is right for you.  Best of luck!

Kate

mjchris

I wish someone had told me about icing fingers and toes.  I think you should try it.  After 1.5 yrs my fingertips are still a tiny bit numb and nails keep splitting so I keep them short.  I live in the desert so it really bumed me out that the tips of my big toenails detached from the nail bed.  It's permanent, but if I keep them polished they look okay.  The drugs help a lot and hurt a little maybe, but hang in there.  I lost my hair before second chemo.  I got an inexpensive mail order hair halo and wore it to work under a baseball cap.  It was very comfortable and those that didn't know it wasn't my own hair would not have guessed.  MJ