January 2016 Chemo!

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  • Planet
    Planet Member Posts: 42
    edited February 2016

    imageHi there everyone! I had my first Chemo 1/29/2016. Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin. I get to have 6 rounds every 3 weeks. As you can see in the photo, I have a port and very thin but longish hair that's naturally curly. (Here it is straightened as I only wear my curls when I can air dry them and it's too cold in the winter). I have suffered with "female patterned baldness" for over ten years and watched as my lush curls dwindled despite employing all kinds of drugs and snake oil. Needless to say, I'm not cold capping to save this hair!


    Instead, I spent a whole paycheck on this wig Saturday.

    image

    It's the hair of my dreams, and half the FB friends didn't realize it's not my hair even though my hair hasn't been this thick in forever! When I decided to buy the wig, I had them give me a buzz cut so the cap could be fitted to my head. It's not pretty and I doubt I'll ever photograph myself bald. Here's the proof that it's a wig.


    image

    I went back to work Monday and wearing the wig for 12+ hours for 2 days straight, it only felt like I was wearing a headband. I may never go back to my "biological hair"!

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 813
    edited February 2016

    You look great, Planet!

  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    Planet...wig is beautiful. So natural. You look great. I love my hair but started wearing a wig longbefore I began treatment. I had it styled to look exactly like my natural hair. No one knew it was a wig. I bought three and will probably never get rid of them. And I really like my medium buzz cut (still have hair, although falling rapidly). After it grows back I'm doing a short buzz and my wigs. With wigs, no more bad hair days!!

  • Veronica31
    Veronica31 Member Posts: 97
    edited February 2016

    Planet: I love it!! You look spectacular! You rock that wig well!

    One thing I realized about this whole process is that everything you choose to do hair-wise that you feel most comfortable with is THE RIGHT CHOICE! It doesn't matter if you want to rock the bald (like me), go with hats, or do the wig thing. It is not about anyone else in the world but yourself and the right decision for you. No one could have gotten me to be comfortable with the bald look even a day before I was ready to do it for myself. It's an emotional roller coaster. No one has a say in what makes you feel beautiful or comfortable but you.

    I feel so lucky to have this group to come to and see that we are all going through the same things. Thank you all for sharing yourselves and your experiences : )

  • Lumpie
    Lumpie Member Posts: 1,650
    edited February 2016

    Planet, that wig looks spectacular on you!  (Mine look like a bad Halloween costume!)   

    Regarding hair:  I am doing TCH.  I know there is lots of discussion on here about hair.  Loss seems to vary.  I had shoulder length hair.  When the loss started to be a nuisance, I cut it to @ 1 inch.  I was surprised at how much was left.  It's continuing to fall out a little at a time.  I manipulate it as little as possible.  When I "style" it (fluff with water) in the mornings, it looks like a cat shedding badly (all over my hands and the bathroom).  I have been thru 2 of my 6 rounds so far.  My doc had said I should expect it to be gone by now.  **Just wondering how long it took/is taking for you all to lose your hair?**  I am sure not going to complain about still having hair but, as usual, not having much idea what to expect is disorienting.  Story of our lives these days, huh? 

  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited February 2016

    looks great planet.

    Veronica Ita! I'm rocking bald now...but who knows maybe I'll try another wig one day??

    Lumpie I am just over a month from my first chemo ( different regimen but I do have the cyclophodphide which I understand is the one that causes the mosthair loss). My hair is short, I look bald, but there is definitely still peach fuzz and fully bald spots

  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited February 2016
  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    Lumpie...I'm three weeks from my first infusion. Hair is falling out everywhere. In my eyes and got some in my mouth last night. This morning I cut as close to my scalp as I could. I see one bald spot. Second infusion is tomorrow. I suspect by next week it will be all gone. I will NOT be rocking the bald look. But, I envy those who can do it and look beautiful. I love my wigs. They've been very comfortable, but that might change against a bald head. I wear them all day with no problem, even in 80 degrees. We're all different even as we travel this shitty BC road. Love this Jan 2016 group‼️❤️❤️👍👍

  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    EYEBROW UPDATE...I posted a few days ago that I bought human hair eyebrows from Headcovers.com. Just tried them on today. No good, especially considering they cost $50 a pair! However, I ordered several turbans from them and they are adorable. Pass on the eyebrows and check out the hats, caps and turbans.

  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited February 2016

    how do you respond to people that say "everything happens for a reason". Without hurting them or making them feel bad?

  • Myraknits
    Myraknits Member Posts: 264
    edited February 2016

    LovesToFly Since I don't believe it the way they mean it I answer with "yep, you can find meaning in everything if you chose to".

    If they push the fate angle I say "Hey, that's so great that you find comfort in that, I see it a little differently."

  • Myraknits
    Myraknits Member Posts: 264
    edited February 2016

    Planet Where's the like button? You look fabulous! I'm gonna schedule a wig fitting at ACS as soon as I shave it off but I don't know if I'll ever wear it other than going out. Nice to have options.

  • zinny
    zinny Member Posts: 281
    edited February 2016

    planet, you rock that hair! You look fantastic!

    Cathytoo, I had looked at those brows - good to know! I am going to need help if they go, because mine are massive and I have no idea what I would draw in!

    Chemo #3 down. Just have to get through the next 4 hours of frozen head.

  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    Zinny...check out Anastasia Brow Stencils. $20 for a set. Their eyebrow powder is excellent

  • Wendiwithani
    Wendiwithani Member Posts: 108
    edited February 2016

    Can I just say that I love all you ladies! Y'all never fail to make my day. :)

    Planet, your wig seriously looks amazing! I am loving all the bald heads. I haven't worn my wigin a couple of weeks (including going to work) and haven't missed it yet. I am a baldie around the house always and have ventured to take out the trash with a naked head but haven't worked out the nerve to go out and about. My honey keeps encouraging me to. We'll see.

    Today I used an infinity scarf to cover the noggin and I really like the way it looks and feels.

    image

  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited February 2016

    Beautiful Wendi!


    I have quite a variety of pencils and powders for my eyebrows, I personally prefer pencils, they draw more like lines, I think powder is better to make a good base now. Either way, without any of my own eyebrows to guide me, I'm just not convinced I can do something that is going to look convincing no matter what kind of pencil or powder I use! I guess I need some kind of stencil, I thought I brought a stamp thing looks cool too. I probably won't buy it yet because I may not lose all my brows.


    I'm not sure if I told you guys but my friends mother gave me her Racquel Welch memory cap wig. I don't like it it makes me look like my own mother, but it is so comfortable...Way more comfortable than any of my three wigs. Today I bit the bullet and bought one in the style I like more, hopefully it will come soon.

    I've gotten used to walking around bald or in hats, but I would still like to have a wig that I find truly comfortable for when I do want to wear one…sometimes when I'm going out with my friends or family and don't want to feel like I'm being looked at, when spring comes and I don't want to wear hats as much, etc.

    I don't really like wearing scarves, it's for a stupid reason that you guys may or may not understand. I am Jewish and live in a very Jewish community, a lot of orthodox women choose to cover their hair/heads with scarves instead of hats. Whenever I put one on, I am mediately think I look orthodox. Obviously there's nothing wrong with being orthodox, but it's not how I identify myself and it bothers me to look in the mirror and feel like I look like I am.

    By the way, I thought I wasn't chemo pause because my period was due a couple days ago and never came. But it came today! I'm actually relieved because I've been having some random pains in my stomach that were bothering me and making me scared they were mats, but now I'm pretty sure they were just period pains. Since it is only my 3rd time menstruating in about seven years (pregnancy then Mirena), I'm still not sure what to expect!)

    By the way what do you ladies use for birth control? I hope it's OK to ask. All of the information that came to me regarding my chemo medication said to use two methods, but I'm not sure what that would be. I don't really feel like getting an IUD right now, obviously we're using condoms, what else? Not really very worried about it, I had a very hard time getting pregnant last time and I'm 9years older now and probably not very fertile, but obviously I would hate to get pregnant now.

  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    Wendi...you look absolutely beautiful. It won't be long til I have to make the decision to hide or show!!

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 813
    edited February 2016

    The Raquel Welch wig I was given is a memory cap. I bought a gel band from headcovers.com to ear under my wigs. It cushions the wig on your scalp. I've bought a few other things from them as well. I was looking into buying my third wig, and there was another site that had it for $56 less than headcovers.com. I asked if they price match. They will, but it might not be returnable, yada, yada. I went to order it the next day from me and they had lowered the price! It should arrive tomorrow.

    Anyone else's stomach very acidic? I'm taking prescription Zantac twice a day, and it is still bad for the first week post chemo. Last night I broke down and took a Pepcid Complete too.

    Wendi, you look awesome! Too cold to go bald here this time of year.

    Jill, I don't have to worry about that, had a partial hysterectomy four years ago.


  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    LoveMyVizsla...I read that Tagamet works the best. I have some on hand just in case. Ginger drops work well too. They're hard to find. I did find some at a health food store...not GNC.

  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 146
    edited February 2016

    Wendi and Planet......the wig Planet looks fantastic..is it real human hair? Wendi....leopard scarf looks amazing!! Go girls....I sport caps and bald at home and wigs out and to work

    image

  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited February 2016

    looks great dewflygirl!

  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 146
    edited February 2016
  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    DFWFLYGIRL...fabulous‼️👍

  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited February 2016

    Cathy thanks for sharing about the human brows. I was curious. I just started practicing drawing eyebrows on my hand and my forehead, how weird is that? I'm just trying to be prepared for when they are gone if it happens.


  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 146
    edited February 2016

    Thanks Cathytoo...would love to see yours. ....all the beautiful January girls:))

  • Wendiwithani
    Wendiwithani Member Posts: 108
    edited February 2016

    Thanks ladies!

    DFWFLYGIRL, Your wig is super cute and completely looks like real hair! My wig is a Jon Renau synthetic. I've been thinking of getting one similar to yours for a lighter, different look for me. Mind me asking what brand/style/color she is? :)

    By the way, I'm a DFW native transplanted to SoCal about four years ago.

    Jill, have you YouTubed eyebrow tutorials? Or looked on Pinterest. It's my current obsession. Lol! I swear it takes me about 10 minutes to do my eyebrows now because I think if I'm bald, by gosh my eyebrows better be on point all the time! They needed some work on the pic I posted earlier. :)

    MissBee, missing you around here. Hope you are doing well.
  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 813
    edited February 2016

    Cathytoo, thanks for the reminder. I was gifted two different kinds of ginger chews. Is Tagamet prescription

  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 146
    edited February 2016

    Wendi,

    I love having brows "on point":)) My wigs are both Jon Renau. ..the one in the picture is called the Cameron and I have a second one in same color but a bit longer called the Rosie. They are both synthetic as I couldn't get my head and pocketbook around the price tag of real hair in the lengths I wanted. (Over $1000:each) These are very close to what my real hair color is and style so hard to tell they are wigs and wear them daily to work for at least 8 hours :))) Many of the ladies on here sporting cute wigs..amazing scarves (like yourself)....beautiful bald heads.....rainbow of loveliness:))

  • Wendiwithani
    Wendiwithani Member Posts: 108
    edited February 2016
    Yes! And as Veronica so eloquently said it, "...everything you choose to do hair-wise that you feel most comfortable with is THE RIGHT CHOICE." ;)

    Going to look your wigs up online now!
  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited February 2016

    LoveMyVizsla...Tagamet is OTC, not prescription

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