teachers working during chemo

our darling 2nd grade teacher was stricken a few years back.  she is so cute.. a petite barbie doll blond and well loved for her dedication and kindness.  We were all shocked and saddened by her hair loss and double mastectomy.  We were all struck dumb when most of the girls cut their hair to donate to locks of love and the boys to one up them  (every single one of them) shaved their heads.  that's like 300 buzzed boys... they had a hair cutting festival as a fund raiser.

She's doing fine now and her blond hair is about 8 inches long.

myself?.. i only had a few bad days.  I don't teach, but have a very active work load.  I barely missed.

Just thought I would share this with you. I had originally posted it back in December on my home group page. You must first understand I had set Dec 1st as my goal to go topless(wig). That morning I had decided my hair was still to short and didn't have the courage. It was only between 1/4 and 1/2 inch long. I haven't worn my wig since. 

We have a second grader in our school that has some form of lice that you can't get rid of. She's had it for at least 2 years that I know of. Don't know all the details but that her parents shaved her head bald to help control them. For a month or so she always wore a hat. Last Monday December 1^st, she came bearing her 1/8 of an inch head of hair. She was very subconscious of it and when walking in the hall would pull her shirt over her head to hide it. Her teacher made her pull her shirt down and you could see the embarrassment she felt as she walked by my class. I pulled her to the side and took my wig off to show her my hair. I told her I wouldn't wear my wig anymore and that we would get through this together. Fridays we always have a morning meeting in the gym with the whole school present. I invited her to sit with me if she wanted and we could show the whole school our new fashion trend in hair together. She chose to sit with me and the whole time I don't think she once thought of her hair.

Lori,

The thing that was amazing was that I never even thought about it. I just did it to help her feel better. I understood how she felt. In doing so it helped me. It was strange how things turned out. I did it to help a child and in return she gave me the courage I was lacking. I love my job because I love making a positive difference in a child's life. I wasn't expecting a child to make such a positive difference in my life.

Hi

I will be working through as well, hopefully!  4 X AC then tamoxifen for 5 years. 

My chemo will start early Feb. so I'm just starting to look for head-covering options. Any recommended web sites?

I'm high school media/technology specialist and teach a section of English so some of the tech work I can do remotely.   Everyone has been very supportive--I  even have a private bathroom (abandoned after a special ed. class relocated) so I can race there if needed. It's not well heated and I teach in central Minnesota so quick trips!   I'm hoping that will reduce germ exposure and I can keep my stock of antibaterial soap, etc.

I'm hoping to have enough hair by September to forgo any wigs/scarves, etc.  

 Best of luck to you!!

DoubleMammyWhammy on the first page of this thread I gave a link for scarfs. They have long tails so it felt like I still had a long pony tail.

I applied a long sick leave right after my dx. I am a subject teacher and my students are from grade 1to grade 3.  I was so scared at that time and not in the mood to teach any longer. I don't think these kids can understand what happens to me? Also I cannot deal with so many un-expected situations during the class.

Hi all,

I am a teacher at an alternative high school.  I work with at-risk adolescents - specifically, teen mothers.  I was diagnosed at school (wasn't it nice of the radiologist to call my classroom phone???) and remained at school until the day before my MS.  I will begin chemo on the 20th and applied to our sick bank for the rest of the school year.  I need to use my own 40 sick days (all that I have...) before the sick bank kicks in.  Sometimes I wonder if I have made the right decision about not returning before next Sept., but my job is EXTREMELY stressful and I don't know if I could handle the heavy emotional needs of my students while I am trying to care for myself.  It was difficult enough when I was "healthy"!!! When I asked my Onc, he said, if I don't need to work, it would be better not to - but if I have to, I have to.  I have a great long term sub in my classroom who knows my girls well and although my students and I  had an emotional parting in the beginning of March, I think that the back and forth of me being there some days and someone else being there the other days would be harder for them then just having me gone.. Being a type A personality, and a mother of four, I can't remember a time when I wasn't working or feeling responsible for someone in one form or another.  As such, not working through chemo is probably the first time ever that I have stepped back and said, I need to stop and take care of myself first.  That was quite a challenge.  It would have been easier and more like me to storm through it all and show everyone how strong I am. But if  there is one thing having BC has taught me, it is that I really haven't been  in control of anything. Sometimes we just need to let someone else take the wheel. So I am trying to use this time to get to know myself a little better and to give myself the care that I have always given everyone else. 

Tammy.