Starting chemo November 2012

Jenifer I've also struggled with the hair issue. I think I've finally made peace with it.

There's a lady in my church, in her 60s, who has a really nice pixie cut. I asked her who does it and she gave me the info. She's been going to this stylist for years. Said she's really reasonable and she's just down the street from me.



I see the onc on the 26th to get result of scans, and to get the ball rolling on chemo. I'm going to Hope's Boutique in the Cancer Center same day to have my hair matched for a wig. My hair is auburn and is long & thick. This is hard, but it will grow back.



I plan to wear the wig to church, but will probably wear hats & scarves the rest of the time. When it starts to fall out, my husband will buzz it off for me. I really dread that!



We'll get through this. We're in the fight of our lives. It will all be worth it.



FIGHT LIKE A WARRIOR!!!

sickofpink and sfrey I am happy to hear that you both found men who truly love you,  don't allow yourself to feel bad. So sickofpink, enjoy your tea and sfrey before you know it you will be that strong healthy woman - no bait and switch, just a turn in the road.

We've been married for 45 years and been through the lingerie and tea, lots of turns in the road (good and bad) men cope, in fact they get protective..

Today the doc told me I can expect it to start falling out next week, thats 3 weeks after my 1st treatment, I'm ready.

Jen love the frankenboobs theory! About the hair, we are all in the same boat so when you feel bad, come here - where your friends are.  I think most of us got our hair cut shorter already. Maybe all meds don't make your hair fall out. Ck with your Doc.

Junebug did you order anything?  I keep browsing but hesitate.  At least I have my wig ready.

Everyone have a good night tonight and a great day tomorrow...

Hair is a big deal. So I learned last night.

I had a hairdresser come over to cut my hair at home with privacy, and wanted to keep my long hair but shorten it to shoulder length, then cut and style the wig to a similar shoulder length cut. This would have allowed me a seamless transition at work, and more privacy. But she decided to cut my hair short for whatever reason (I was an idiot and didn't sit near a mirror), so short it is.

I was so upset last night, as it outs me on the wig. But today, I realized my hair as it was is gone. It ain't coming back for a while, and maybe facing that this week as opposed to when it actually falls will allow a gentle transition into the hair loss. My son was a bit shellshocked watching it all come off. The kids aren't crazy about this cut, wait til they see me next week:)  But then I can put on the long hair again...

 I also think I am going to have trouble keeping the wig on - I have a pinhead as I call it, and even with the adjustable clips to tighten it at the back, it seems to slide around. So maybe wigs aren't for me...

sickofpink and sfrey, i feel for both of you. But I also imagine your partners are more in love with both of you than ever, amazed at your courage and pluck and only to happy to be here for you now. BC tests relationships, but I am pretty sure it can also improve them if we allow our partners in on this experience. In the long run, this is a few months from a potential lifetime together. Let them spoil you silly. You deserve it.

Hi Ladies, I've been reading along each post

Thrush in the mouth, don't go there, blah.....it did my head in for about 4 days post chemo....I've seen icing the mouth through the treatment, 15mins before and after will help....I have my 2nd Taxotere tomorrow so I'm going to try it.

Bioten did absolutely nothing for it...but my mouth wasn't dry, just yucky taste and a 'furry feeling tongue'...dreading it but hope the ice may help prevent that feeling at the least....I'll give anything a try.

Rinsed my mouth with salt water with each meal or snack when I could helped a little.

I'm still working through chemo...only 4 hours a day 3 days a week...gets my mind off things and feel sense of 'normality'.

MeganB I have a wig , we coloured and cut it to my natural color with blonde foils...i left it longer than my shoulder length hair..anyone asks that I don't wish to tell I have BC I will say I got extensions...lol (everyones doing it now a days with the extensions) my wig is human hair sounds like yours is too if you are able to colour.....don't stress too much about your hair being short now, get your wig done the way you want it and perhaps tell the hairdresser to cut it an inch at a time...we cut it on my head to make it easier for me to see my desired length.

(my cousin is a hair dresser so it was easier for me by the sounds of it I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with your hairdresser:( )

Also I purchased my wig from where they wanted me to measure my head and parts around it so that it fits me...with a wig cap on it fits perfect, perhaps try purchasing a wig cap as a suggestion as it is very secure....I don't have to wear it at the moment, but hair is shedding and I just can't wait for it to come out now but slowly and surely it will be a matter of time.....I'm wearing a cute cap at the moment when i go out only because of thinning at the top..I'm taking this a little better now...i'm so vaiin with my hair lol and this is the second time round its falling out...think its a little easier now then when I was 18 back at the other time.......good luck

Thankful, my hair started shedding at day 13 .... i'm now day 20 and Its thinned from the top and i only cut it to shoulder length......hope that helps with your decision.

Hope you all have a great SE free day ladies.

Megan 1. Hair, most of us got our hair cut short - some even got it buzzed.  I bought a Petite wig which fits much better than the regular - good thing because they won't let me return the large one so now I'm stuck.  My doc said I should start losing it soon, I'm at day 15, nothing fell out yet (my 1st chemo was Nov 6)

2.  Make sure you drink plenty of water - lots and lots of water, don't know about black tongue but I did the bakingsoda/salt/water swish and also poked a hole in a vitamin E capsule and put the gel on my white spots with a QTip - it cleared up quick.

3.  Thanksgiving - just eating at my daughters with my kids/grandkids - no crowds for me.  I think we are all germaphobics and we should be..  If your with a bunch of people I wouldn't be kissing and hugging. I think my WBC are up because I have felt fine for the last week but I still don't want to take chances...

Thankful4 - Doc said don't use the Biotene, just the solution below, FYI - I also asked about dental floss and he said just use the kind that's woven, not waxed and not Glade..Gosh, your hair coming out in clumps must have been shocking..any Tears?  I considered getting buzzed when it falls out but I'll wait until that time comes and see what's in store for me.  Yes, I hope all of our taste buds get to enjoy the Turkey and stuffing and everything else we consume. Let's just hope our bowels hold up too!

Traii try the 1tsp baking soda/1tsp salt w 12 oz water, it is more balanced and neutralizes better than all salt. Glad you can still work, your right it gets your mind off things..I need to get out and about more...

Question - Wine I forgot to ask if it's ok to have a glass of wine, does anyone know if we can have a drink or two?  Don't want to alost pass out like one of you almost did..."I forgot who"

Trail-

Love the quite!!! Good luck. Hope ur better



Thankful-

I am having the same dilemma. I am day 12 no significant kiss but know its coming. Picking up my wig today. Let me know what u decide.

Megan-

Good luck with the wig and treatment. Keep us updated on how it goes.

5luv-

I asked at my last treatment about wine the nurse said 1 maybe 2 definitely not a bottle... Cute I said.



Hope everyone's S/E are as minimal as possible. We got this girls !!!!

Good morning everyone!



5luvbugs-no tears.....yet! I'm sure that's coming when the clumps gets bigger! I'm gonna see what the next couple days bring and then decide on what to do. I've got my wig ready but I need to buy some more head coverings. I'm sure I'm not gonna wanna wear the wig *all* the time. Thanks for the baking soda:water ratio. Just curious, did your dr say why to not use biotene?



As for Thanksgiving....we are having it here with just a very small group of family. I have been out and about doing things on my "good days" but I find that I also have become a huge germophobe! I have a 3 year old and 4 year old and 'tis the season for them to have coughs and colds :-/. This makes me nervous.



Oh....FLU SHOTS????? Who has and who hasn't done a flu shot??? I haven't.....I didn't get one before treatment started, unfortunately. My dr says that I can get one but it's only during a certain window of days....has to be right before a treatment but not too close to a treatment...,seems complicated! I'm so afraid of getting "sick" from it but I'm afraid of getting the flu, too!

I got my flu shot before my biopsy. 

I too have become a germaphobe like no other.  Used to kid DD about her hand sanitizer but now I think I might OD on it especially at work.  Target's Up & Up brand has aloe in it so it doesn't dry as much. 

I read somewhere that week 2 is when your white blood cell count drops and you should avoid crowds and such.  Already told my boss & coworkers that if any of them come in sick then I'm going home.  Flat out told the boss it could put me in the hospital.  (She was at work sick remember?)  We have VPN work at home capability but they don't like it.  My thought better to let me work from home or you have to do it yourself. 

I think the constipation part is starting in on me.  Using Miralax once a day but may need to start the twice a day.  Thankfully it has no taste!!!!

5luvbugs - I'm ordering some stuff from tlcdirect.org today.  I'll let you know what I think.  Our cancer center has a boutique but does not carry many large size wigs so I haven't found a wig.  They did have some turban/beenies and hats.  Got two beenies and a hat plus a couple more hats at Target.  Only thing is I didn't think about the hats being 100% and their hot here in the South!!  Wore one to the first chemo treatment and had to take it off  -- too hot!!

My hair did not start to come out until day 14 after first A/C and it was not exactly clumps but would have been soon after so my daughter did a #2 buzz that night. For several days after the little hairs fell out en masse in the shower. I would say that on one of those days, I felt the lowest about the whole thing, hair, Bc, everything but that did not last long and now a month later, and half way into cycle #3, a bit of fuzz has grown but I guess that will fall out and so on through the cycles. One more of A/C next week then Taxol starts. As for chance of infection, I went to 3 evening events last week but only once did I feel I was too close to too many people and we left. I am on dose dense so every two weeks with Neupogen every other day (this cycle 6 times) and seem to feel the worst at the halfway mark - like now, but felt pretty OK for several days after chemo and then seem to feel much better last 4 days before next chemo so am looking foward to the weekend! So it may be around the halfway mark that we have the lowest wbc and chance of infection is what I am thinking.

Have still not done the wig even though it is mostly covered on our insurance - but I don't work and so not sure if I really need/want one. My only advice is not to order too much stuff as I did - I know I won't wear most of it. 

Flu shots - at chemoteach we were told they would tell us when to get it and I keep forgetting to ask at chemo when this might be! But Thankful comment makes sense. 

Marian

Hair or Not!!! It's flying off my head.  It's day 15 and at 9:15 this morning I was getting ready to go out - put a comb to my hair and wala - it's flying off..  After I cried for a few minutes, got the wig out and wore it to the store.  Now I'm just standing around waiting for it all to fall out...or maybe I'll get it buzzed.  Don't want to cook because it might get in the food (good reason huh?) 

Answers: Biotene does not neutralize like baking soda - need PH balance...

Yes, I got a flu shot before treatment but not the shingles shot because it's a live virus - not good for us.

I will drink a glass of wine with my Thanksgiving dinner!

Biotene didn't work for me either and I couldn't stand the slimey feeling in my mouth.

5luvbugs .... thanks for the mouth wash mix...ill give that a whirl!



4 more hours then chemo time....looking forward to it so it will be 2 down 4 to go!



Hairs thinning day 21... mind u i had thin hair from the start...I cried 1 Day seeing it happen to me again....pity I didnt get ut buzzed just cut shorter only because head too sensitive to buzz now

I cant comb it either much just covers the comb but im wanting it out so my wig can go on....my cap is saving me at the moment as i still have hair and it looks good (cap does not hair) lol and its windy here so no cap im thinking my hair will fly off thats how easy its coming out!!



Megan..lol u made me laugh at your wig on the side comment in a meeting.....i needed mine to fit exact as i have a very cheeky almost 3 year old ds and im worried we will be at the shops and in one of his hizzy fits he pulls off my wig....hmmm now thats a scary though!!! Lol



Hope u all have a great day

Traii-

Good luck!!

Txjunebug -

Sorry to hear about ur friend send her over we will help

Thanks Dakota



Sorry to hear aboutbyour friend txjunebug....glad she has a friend like u to get her through this and all of us!

Txjunebug.....sorry about your friend:-(. I will pray for her.