had lump removed 3rd july clear margins and nothing in lymph nodes..today ive seen my oncologist and he's now put me on a course of chemotherepy i will be having FEC chemotherepy 6 sessions over an 18 week period and then a 3 week break before i start a 3 week course of radiotherepy they did say that i would most deffinatley lose my hair which im not sure wether to have cold cap or not ..( im a hairdresser with bright red hair.. and the thought of none dyeing and cold cap vs no hair and a wig has got my vanity kicking in .. just wanted to try and keep a ittle piece of me ) so any advice would be more than welcome and no about no doubt when it happens it will freak me out a little i'd be lying if i said it wouldnt but the minx in me is itching to shave all my hair off lol xx:womanhappy:
soooooo i Just wondered if anyone else was on this treatment and how they coped with it and any helpful hints tips and ways to cope would be really apreciated
TIA
MAXINE XX
:heart:
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I’m so sorry to hear you are now a member of this club that nobody wants to join. Congratulations on getting clear margins and no lymph node involvement.
The first piece of advice I will give you is to join one of the monthly chemotherapy threads. The latest one is August 2014:
Here you will meet others undergoing chemo, so you can share experiences, tips and advice. I can’t really help with the cold cap as I didn’t use it. I had my hair cut really short, then when it began to fall, my OH shaved my head for me. You will know when it’s about to fall, as your scalp becomes very sore and tender.
Many women dread the hair loss, which is why the cold cap (when it works) is a good idea, but it does make each treatment take longer. Some try it, then give up after a couple of goes. Actually, I found having no hair very liberating. But then I didn’t have beautiful red hair and I’m 63, so it didn’t really bother me.
Anyway, wishing you all the best for when you start your treatment. Oh, and another tip - not saying that you will suffer nausea and sickness, but if you do, take the anti sickness meds they give you before you are actually vomiting as it is easier to prevent it than to remedy it afterwards.
Hi, I’m also a hairdresser, so when was diagnosed in Jan this year n had a double mastectomy in Feb then chemo my 1st thought was ‘not my hair’!!! It was long n blonde ( well highlighted) but even so still made me feel sick of thought of losing it. Anyway when I started my chem I did use the Paxman cold cap for 2 sessions, my hair did thin quite a bit, but for me the worst thing was getting migraines n jaw ache from the prolonged cold, I had it on for 6.5 hours!! By 3rd chemo I just couldn’t face it so decided against it, 2 weeks later it really started thinning n my scalp was sore so after a bottle of Merlot I sat down n got my hubby to shave it off! What a relief!!! Felt so much better n actually free from worrying about how my hair will look each day, I get up now n put my make-up on n no worry jowmy hair looks, so many people. Even blokes have said how great I suit being bald, lol!! So what ever you decide is up to you. You need to stay strong n keep positive n the time will fly. I’ve just finished my chemo n now having Herseptin every 3 weeks. Ask anything you like! Take care Angie x
awe thanks Angie I’m 11 days after my first fec now and loosing a few strands at minute… think I may do same too and shave it off when chunks start to fall out … plus side is I get my wig tomorrow so no more bad hair days lol xxx