Some oncologists like doing paclitaxel first as a āgentleā way in. Hmmm. I think as humans we like to get the worst over and done with. If you tell me thereās good news and bad news, I want the bad news first. However everyone is different and I know people whoāve hated paclitaxel and been fine on EC and vice versa.
Paclitaxel is meant to be gentler on the hair too and as mentioned I didnāt seem to lose any but it did dry out. Iād also miss giving a proper wash so it looks lank and drab most of the time. It continued to grow during the treatment and I had to cut it back to the short bob Iād started with. However everyone has different reactions and I just got lucky. I completely get the hair fixation we all go through and wish Iād spent less time worrying about it. I did a paxman online class and learnt how to ensure it was tight. I cut up sanitary towels for my forehead to protect it. I also take in my own conditioner. The hardest part for me was coming home after chemo exhausted and having to wash it. Next week will be the 14th time of wearing it. At the beginning I was obsessed with it not being tight enough or having a bump. Now itās like woteva just put it on and leave me be.
Iāve been pondering giving some little tips because again we are all different and need to go through it our own way. At first I tried to carry on as normal as the human brain is designed to resist change not embrace it despite what they may say in the workplace. A cancer specialist told me stop worrying about how it will change my life in the future because the change had already happened so basically start adjusting now.
I spent a lot of money online initially preparing for this process (I donāt use the word journey) - hats, wigs, stuff I thought I would need. It was about being in control. A lot of it went back. I have one wig ready for when the time comes.
Now for stuff I did find useful in case it helps you. On a trip to Future Dreams in London I discovered Moogoo. You can buy it direct or on Amazon. I was told by my cancer nurse to avoid perfumes and moisturise morning and night. I was already buying clean cruelty free products as I have sensitive skin so a no brainer. I have five go to products from their range: body moisturiser for sensitive skin, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and fake tan. They last forever and Iām still on the first bottles of the shampoo/conditioner. They do a cancer pack which I bought but didnāt like and was a waste of money. I use their fake tan on my face for when Iām just too peaky. Itās well priced too.
I also use ultra sun - have done for years - but now donāt really like applying too many chemicals to my body. The solutionā¦ I found Uniqlo do a range of UV protection clothing which you can get online. Iāve bought a couple of lightweight hoodies for Ā£25 each, which are great to throw on for walks and have inside pockets for keys and phone. I can put up the hood to protect my head and hair if Iāve gone out without a cap. Good investment. And if I canāt face them post treatment will go to charity.
My eyebrows and lashes have now completely gone. I use fab brows and wunderbrow - both cruelty free and from Amazon. I never bothered about eyebrows so this has come as a surprise. I use a BB cream from bare minerals that has spf over a plain moisturiser again with spf. My eyelids are always swollen from losing my eyelashes so I rarely put anything on them in case of infection. If I donāt want to scare people a black eyeliner and cream shadow almost looks as good as eyelashes. Otherwise I say just take me as I am. Iāve learnt that people really do not notice or care - most of it is in our heads.
Exercise - so much online about how exercise can reduce chance of recurrence. However when youāre going through this - getting out of bed can be the most you can do. During paclitaxel I built up my daily walking to about 7k steps a day minimum. I follow aadamricharson on Instagram and his advice was just try walking every day. Iām not managing the same number of steps now but every little helps. I did start yoga at the end of paclitaxel and loved it but that ended when between phases I came down with a non cancer related infection. I follow happyyoganewcastle on Instagram and she does online courses. So does future dreams, but I think more expensive.
Also useful to follow online is Dr Liz OāRiordan who co authored the Breast Cancer Bible. She puts out updates on latest research.
I try not to be as hard on myself as I used to. I keep in my head the Bear Hunt words that I read to my kids when they were little: you canāt go over it, you canāt go under it, you just have to go through it.
We just have to go through it x
PS sorry for long message, but hope of use
I had a little Google about it the other night after a particularly bad night and read it was normal. My periods have also stopped. However, Iām 51 and suspect I was perimenopausal before. Going to ask them about it when they call me before my next session.
