Starting Chemo Feb 2010?

Hi Donna,

I went to the website headcovers.com and order a sleep cap, and a few scarves.  I had them in 5 days.

Best to all.

Stacey

Faithfulc, did you shave your head before all of your hair fell out, or did it just go on its own? Mine started falling out slowly four days ago, and today it seems to be coming out quickly. My scalp has ached the past couple of nights while trying to sleep, so I'm hoping that will stop when the hair is gone. I still can't bring myself to buzz it off, but I have a feeling it will be gone shortly anyways. I have a few head coverings ready but just ordered a chemo scarf off eBay to have something more lightweight now that it's getting warm here.

I hope those starting this week have an easy time and that everyone is doing well. My second infusion is this Friday, and I have an expander fill the day before. Keeping my fingers crossed for all of us.

Cindy

Faithful and Cindy, mine is starting to go, too (day 16), but just larger groups of strands, not clumps yet. I don't want to get to that point where it's all over my pillow, but I'm also pretty shaky about shaving it. I guess I just have to bite the bullet and do it tomorrow-- my stylist, who's a friend, is on call to come to the house to do it for me.

 I'm feeling great on this third week... bummer that the going-bald thing has to rain on my happy parade.....

Hmm, my head's not achy at all, and mebrown, I'm a day ahead of you. It's just itchy. Maybe I'll be spared the aches.... or maybe if I buzz it tomorrow I can skip the achy stage? I guess my hair is hanging in longer than some others. I hope that's a good omen for my eyebrows and eyelashes....

momoB - Taxol is short for Paclitaxol and is different than the Taxotere ('T' in TC), I don't know the specific drug differences, but have heard that is tolerated much better than T, A or C...Benedryl is given with Taxotere due to the high percentage of women who have an allergic reaction to it.

Thanks for the comments on Vitamin D...I forgot that I had posted it before...bad short term memory these days along with other crazy things...like I took my house phone to work instead of my cell phone...I was like what the heck???    My husband bought me flowers and he timed me at 10 minutes before I noticed them after walking by them a few times and then sitting down 2 feet from them, I was like OH!!!  Flowers!!!  Where did they come from??? Duh!!   Its a good thing I can laugh at myself and blame the chemo, otherwise, I would seriously get my head checked!!!  LOL

Sorry to hear others are loosing their hair and I totally agree with faithfulc that the anticipation is worse than when it is OFF....although I now have acne on my head...need to research what I should be putting on my scalp??  Any thoughts??

Thanks for sharing everyone, we will get through this together!!

Leta

Like others posting, my hair started coming out in earnest a few days ago.  Had it shaved yesterday by a friend who is also a stylist.  He worked on my wig and got it looking ok.  I wore it to work today, and though I like the hairstyle and color, it feels mighty tight.  By the time I got home, I was anxious to "take off my head."  I imagine I'll be wearing hats and scarves much of the time.  We have a local cancer closet with freebies, and I got a few knitted hats to wear.  Thanks to this site, I ordered from headcovers.com as well.

Stocked up for next tx on Thurs.  I know now how much I should be hydrating before and during, and what I can take for stomach issues, so hope this time will be easier.  Since my DH is leaving town tomorrow, a friend will be going with me to the clinic.  She's offered to stay with me all day if I want.  It's heartening how some folks step up.  

However, not all folks do, and I'm a bit tired of some of my co-workers' curiousity and questions.  I realize they see me only on my good days and think things are going fine.  They know fatigue is a SE of chemo, and don't realize I've felt really sick at times.  "So, when's your hair going to fall out?"  is hard when you're putting off the inevitable buzz.  I put on my prickly armor when I go out and save my meltdowns for home.

Thanks for the planetbuff recommendation, too.  My college son's hair is to his shoulders.  I'm planning to pass on my buffs to him when I'm done with all this.  He can use them as ponytail holders. 

ariesrottie, about the sleep caps... personally I think I'd get tangled up in those big ones. The best-looking bald person I know is my very cool friend Jim, a jazz musician who went bald at 23 and has been shaving what little he has for a very long time. He often wears the small, simple, non-itchy beanies that you can get at good sporting goods or ski shops, the kind that hug the head and don't poof up on top. He says they're great for sleeping, too. I've already gotten a few hats and old-school bandanas but haven't gotten one of those beanies yet-- maybe tonight after work.

ennayttap, I think I have a throat infection, too, but it's not thrush-- just sort of a permanent sore throat and just enough stuff in my chest to get me coughing at night. I finally broke down and started taking the antibiotics they gave me-- couldn't tell if it was just a normal little cold or an infection, but on the fourth night of coughing, I thought I'd better try the antibiotics (I hate to take them because we build up antibiotic immunity if we take them too often). After three pills, no coughing last night, so maybe it was an infection. Is yours in your chest? Or just a sore throat? I've never had anything like this.

Mofend, so hilarious about the cat!! I know my dog is going to bark at me after I shave my head. She barked at me after I got my short pre-chemo cut, and gets scared when people wear big hats.

Day 17, and my hair is still hanging in there! It's tough, I'm happy to say. Strands coming out, but not fast yet. 

My best friend from high school is coming out from the east coast next week for my second round of TCHA.... nice to have something to look forward to that cuts the worry about how I'll react to round 2. And really, it's been like my birthday all the time-- so much attention from my friends and family. One friend yesterday gave me my first installment in what she's calling The Dangly Earrings of the Month Club, to ease my way through bald life. Such wonderful friends I have.

Meeting with the nutritionist today to see if we can come up with a plan that will spare me the full week of intestinal misery for future rounds. I will share any insights, because a couple of you have had the same issues.

Finally, regarding vitamin D, I'm taking it, although I haven't been tested, but suddenly everyone's talking about it. My husband has type 2 diabetes (very strong in his family), and his endocrinologist did extensive blood tests and found him terribly deficient in D, even though he plays a lot of tennis and gets sun. He's been on mega doses and it was still low, so he's on even more now. His endo believes it is strongly linked with diabetes. It's been linked to other issues, too. So we might as well take it....

Hello ladies,

Thanks Leta17 for the info.  Ezscriiibe, thanks for that link.  I was just telling my

friend yesterday that I remembered seeing one someplace and was going to look

for it. 

Well I found out the chemo is working! Woohoo! Had an appt. With onc & the 'tumah' had already shrunk quite a bit. Praise God! She was very suprised it had responded so fast! Now my hair is coming out too, but I'm thankful and am thinking it's the chemo doing it's job!! We have grown to be a big group for such a short month.

I have felt very normal and really can't complain about much. I have not taken any of the prescribed meds yet. They did say Taxol builds up and you feel it more each time. I'm now 1/3 finished with TH!

Went wig shopping with hubby on Monday after Dr visit. Walked into World of wigs, Asian girl said" you looking for wig?" Yes, I replied. " oh, what color you like?" I pointed to my hair, this color. " oh, you want short?" I said, no, kinda like I have now. So she says "why you want wig? Your hair so pretty!" ARG!!

Stacey - stay with us, we have grown attached to ya.

Ilbreed- wonderful news about your shrinking 'tumuhhhhhhh", God is good.

Frosty, Stacy, do both! Feb AND March! **waves**

I spoke too soon this morning about my hair hanging in there. It started coming out in handfuls an hour later, and in the shower it was coming out fast. My stylist friend is coming over in a hour to buzz me. Aarghhh....

faithfulc - thank you for your key points! I start AC 2/26 and will take your advice to heart. I also like the ginger root information from grdnslve. I'm anxious to get started but nervous about the side effects.

my hair fell out in handfuls as well yesterday. I figured I would look in the mirror and have spots missing but I don't. I was told I had a lot of hair just very fine. Now I believe it. I figure in a few more days it will be gone. I'm going to hang onto it until I can see my scalp then I'll have my DH buzz it.

writer good luck with your treatment today. I have my 2nd round tomorrow.