hair loss

Hi cbme123,

I agree with jengoll - wait until you start shedding. Depending on your chemo - usually happens after 14 days approximately. So you have some time to "be normal" and make decisions.

You will know when it is time - on day 17 my hair became lifeless and dull and started falling out, my scalp was tender to touch - dh did the buzz shave.

Keep my fingers crossed that you are one of the lucky ones and will not lose all of your hair.

Good luck

Deb

it is very traumatizing to loose the hair, i had long hair and it was devastating, i cut mine after the second tx but it was too late it was coming out in big clumps, i then shaved it before the third tx.

The hard thing to tell first timers is that you never know exactly which se's you will get and how hard they will hit. You just have to be preprared for anything from constipation to diarrhea, loss or change of taste, loss of hair, nausea, fatigue, stimulation, aches. Some are from the chemo meds, and some are se's from the meds that are supposed to prevent se's (how ironic is THAT?).

The anti-nausea meds cause constipation, so the fewer you can manage with the better. It's really a balancing act. The first tx will be your learning curve. If you know you have certain problems already like acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome, then you have to ramp up your meds for those conditions as they can be exacerbated by the chemo.

In my case, I had awful constipation after my first tx, so I chose not to take one of the stronger anti-nausea meds the next time (Emend). Instead, I used Compozine for a few days afterwards, and kept it to a minimum. I also double dosed my laxitive (Senecot) on the day of treatment and for two days afterwards. While things weren't "normal" (how could they ever be?), they were not very bad and I remained comfortable.