Starting Chemo February 2013

My hair goes straight up on top, straight down on the sides and is a fuzzy mess in the back.  It's also coming in very light so I still look like I have bald spots.  It is thin on top and thicker on the sides.  It doesn't look too bad from the front but from the back and sides I look like an 80 year old man with a bad case of the mange.  I also think I may be growing a beard.

Heidi - I hear you on the beard - ridiculous! I inquired about laser removal but they said laser won't work because the hair is light.. but the dermatalogist could wax it off.. I need to think about it..

Made my topless debut today and have the picture to prove it!  Was easier than I thought it would be.  Kind of feels like coming full circle. 

The closest I have come to going topless was wearing a ball cap to the grocery store and to a baseball game tonight. I have actually found people are nicer...I got to go first with my buggy all over the store and walking up and down the stps at the ball game no one cut me off, everyone let me go first. It was so nice! I could get used to it!

Yey Heidi!! good for you! I did have a little girl staring at me in church today but I didnt mind. She probably just wondered why my hair was shaved off!! McKatherine good luck on your Rads. Tomorrow is # 21 for me. I am a bit sore and very RED, but nothing I cant handle! I hope my skin holds out for 13 more!!!

LW0919: you've made me feel better...

Went topless for the first day of school today.  If I can stand in front of high school kids with this fuzzy head I can do anything.  Life is good.

You ladies are so brave and you look great. I've only been out in public topless the one time (against my will ) at the water park. But we've all got to do it at some point, right. I'm getting pretty close to ready. I think my avatar should be updated with a selfie I just took. If I did it right.

I agree! I've been going topless since second week of July and probably wasn't quite ready, but I'm so use to it now that I forget how very short it is, sometimes little ones look at me a little funny but or the most part I think it just looks like a real short haircut. So far it is pretty straight with one waves in the back. If it stays straight ill be very happy!

I went to a musical a week ago and my baseball cap didn't go with my outfit so I threw a little product in my hair and went with it.  Tomorrow I get on an airplane to go to AK and I probably wont even worry about it.  I wouldn't consider myself brave just fed up. Trying to figure out how to get my new pic on my avatar

Dizzy - yay for good news!!

Tangles - thanks for the well wishes.

I found out Wed that rads will be delayed a few more days because I had to get my prophylactic side TE emptied.

I was fine with it until it happened today - but honestly it hurts more now than it did when it was expanded. I was babysitting tonight so I took an Aleve earlier, but it's aching again. And it looks freaky - like an inverted donut where the expander port / edges of the expander stick up.



My plastic surgeon wrote a script so I could go get a prosthesis (which is doing me a lot of good on Friday of a holiday weekend), but how in the world would one fit / be comfortable over this bumpy lumpy craziness? Anyone else have to do this? Any advice?

Congrats on "coming out" dizzy. I bought 3 new ball caps today that I'll wear with little sprigs of hair sticking out but that's the best I can do for now.



I have a question for you all...I'm almost 3 months PFC and still have muscle pain, joint stiffness and weakness everywhere. Elbows, wrists, hands, arms, lower back, shoulders, thighs, calves, ankles and feet...literally everywhere. I feel like I'm 80 years old sometimes. I keep thinking it will get better but so far no luck. Anyone else?? Of course it makes me question if it's not something else going on but think the chemo surely should have killed off all of the stray cells that would/could have moved through the lymphatic system. I absolutely hate feeling this old and sore.



On a happier note, 32 down and only 1 more rad treatment to go and I kept most of my skin in tact. I can't wait till it's done!

LW congrats on one more rad! Doing the happy dance for you! I am 4 months pfc and also have a lot of residual joint pain. The neuropathy in my hands is much better, but not my feet. I can't wait to get back on glucosamine, but have to wait one more week. (I'm one week past last rads). I had some arthritis prior to bc, so it's hard to say how much is taxotere induced. Overall-it's really a small price to pay for life! When I asked my mo about all the aches she told me my body has been through hell and to be patient while it recovers. That reassured me and made me realize how much I want this last year to be over, but have to acknowledge that I may have some physical reminders of my battle, but I am still here!

I guess considering what we've all been through, it's to be expected. I'm going to work on changing my diet, no more fried or high fat foods, lots of vegetables and protein. I've started b12 injections again so maybe that will help too. Hopefully by Christmas we'll all be back to normal and will all be sporting our cute shortie short spiked hairdo's for the holidays.

Hi! I guess I belong to this group- started Feb- Mar 2013 with A/C, just finushed Taxotere 3 weeks ago and feeling it more now than when I was actively doing chemo! Had mammogram and pet scan yesterday to determine surgery, but my breast and side and collarbone are hurting so bad today from all of the manipulation! Anyway,was also very tense during the tests so Im sure that didnt help. I go tomorrow for my appt with my onc. Hoping it all goes well.More nervous and stressed now than I have been for awhile, not sure why. Anyway, glaf I found this griuo, thanks for reading my novel, guess I just want to talk to people who get this whole thing!