Lasted over 6 hours, a fire alarm and an evacuation, still attached to the refrigeration unit looking for another power point…
Now we’ll see if it helped…
mousy
PS Don’t know it was just me but once they started the chemo drips the cold felt less noticeable. I think maybe the chemo was heating me up from the inside.
mousy
Glad your coping with ok it.
Fingers etc crossed that it works for you.
Chanel
As it turned out they had to dilute the gemcitabine drip as it was hurting my veins a bit, so we were running a bit later than they were hoping… at least I was still cap on and “dripping productively” during the fire alarm/evacuation…
But as it got to around 4:30pm and we had only just finished the gemcitabine they said I could start defrosting… said it was an hour and a half after the paclitaxel that it had to be on and it had been…
I’m not entirely convinced they were right and think they seemed to be trying to close the department at 5pm… Are they really saying the hair doesn’t fall out with gemcitabine? I think I need to read up on it a bit more.
I need to go back for the next course on 5/7 and want to do the cap again unless the hair is already out by then.
And I’m a bit perturbed that I haven’t seen any sign of the wig person as yet… How on earth do they front up with a wig in time for when you need it if they haven’t even taken the order yet???
Anyone had experience of gemcitabine by itself with or without hair loss?
mousy
I kept mine Hi
I was on FEC and then taxotere and the taxotere is suppose to bad for hair loss. I had the cap and yes my hair thinned and i needed a wig (although i wasn’t allowed an NHS wig as they would not give me a perscription while i was having the cold cap) which i bought privately. I went and ordered it and the lady kept it to one side for me in case i needed it and when i did i just went in and bought it.
I had shoulder length hair which as i said thinned but after two months of wearing the wig i now have enough (although short) covering on my head to wear my hair i didn’t lose fastened up - i just have to mousse down the fluffy new hair but if you saw me you wouldn’t tell at all.
My eyebrows thinned and i just thickened them out with a brow pencil - my lashes were quite sparse but didn’t go altogether as for the rest of my body - not a single hair (its all back with a vengance now though).
I really believe stick with the cold cap when mine started thinning the nurses said “are you sure you still want to bother” and i’m so glad i did because i personally feel ‘back to normal’ now and my last treatment was the end of March.
Let us know how you get on.
Kaylou x
Ah, that explains why the wig person didn’t show up then…
Well, I’m not a scarf/bandana person so I guess I’ll have to put up with a hat if there’s a bit of a gap between the hair loss and the wig’s arrival.
I’m thinking the cold cap ought to be more successful with shorter hair because the elements would be getting closer to the scalp itself. Guess it depends whether the chin strap made the contact a good one up top or not…
mousy
PS Getting itchy down below tonight… Suppose it’ll be a blessed relief when that hair bogs off…
mousy
I’ve not had gemcetabine but had two of it’s relations - vineralbine and capecetabine and never lost my hair with these. I was told that the ones ending in ‘bines’ don’t cause hairloss. So don’t worry about that one - it’s the taxane one that causes the hair loss.
Losing body hair is a strange experience but at least as it’s coming upto summer you won’t need to worry about hairy legs or armpits - not much of a consolation I know but I try to look for the best things rather than concentrate on the worst bits.
Wigs - they keep changing the supplier where we are treated so I would ring the breast care nurses and ask again to be put in contact with her.
Kate
word of advice Hi, just wanted to add another word of advice - when they put the cap on they should press it down onto your head as well - if they don’t make you sure you press it down as much as you can as i had a couple that they didn’t push down and when my hair started thinning at the crown one of the nurses said it was probably due to it not being pushed down properly with earlier treatments.
Also if they put the little pieces of cloth on to cover your ears - make sure they don’t cover your hair as thats were is thinned most too - move it about til its just covering your ears only.
Hope this helps
take care, kaylou x
Hi Cecelia
I have had 3 FEC and 1 TAxotere (2 still to get), I also used the cold cap. I still have my hair -albeit very thin now but can get away with not wearing anything on my head if not too windy.
Did not lose my eyebrows or eyelashes although they have also thinned slightly. Not sure if it may depend on the type of chemo as I think mine may have thinned more since starting the Taxotere.
Anyway good luck with your treatment and hope you hang onto your hair, brows and lashes.
Best wishes
Lesley
mastectomy morning i had a mastectomy 3 weeks ago i have found it not to bad only a little bit of discomfort i been back to hospital last tue to have it drained an i got to go in this dinner time to have it drained again has any one had the same problem an is this the norm