Thanks guys i’m feeling so much better! 
and i was given tamiflu yes! and now im on high dose steroids until they figure out what’s going on with my cortisol levels! one step in front of the other hay today is about getting this bloody MRI out of the way!
Thanks for the positive vibes guys 
Thanks guys for all the love 
I think a few down days is expected and not sure my head has actually come to terms with everything! I’ve worked from home so had that to distract me throughout!
@dilly all the best for your op today - I do hope Mr Dilly has the chocolate ready for after! Let us know how you get on xx
@Mairead_49 glad chemo went ahead! And I’ve just followed your instagram x
@tessie86 just seen your post on BCN that’s brilliant well done you!
@slc1 glad you’re feeling a bit better today, hope the MRI goes ok xx
@poptart will update re the serum, I can’t see it’s working but maybe it is as still have quite a few lashes!
Sorry not tagged everyone to be honest it’s more than my chemo brain can cope with 
Hi All, just popping in this thread for a bit of advice (I’m at Feb 26 starter), did anyone shave their hair off before shedding began and if so, was that better in terms of the hair loss you physically see? I’m going in to my second EC next week and am pondering just going for a big cut now to minimise the emotional distress of hair everywhere?
Thanks all, hope a lot of you now starting to come out the other side x
Hi @herts82
I had short hair to start with. Short at the sides and a quiff on the top. I had the sides done a grade 2 before starting chemo, then as the second infusion was due I just went for the full shave. The quiff was coming out in clumps and it was like having a Persian cat as a sofa companion when I looked at the cushions.
I cried the weekend before I had it done, but come the day of it happening I was more relived than anything. For me it also felt like a progressive step even if that step wasn’t a very nice one.
Good luck with your treatment. xxx
@herts82 I’m cold capping so slightly different, but I lost about 85% of my hair anyway and only had mine cut to a pixie cut last week after 9 cycles. Previously I was left with just long wispy bits of hair and then much lighter areas where the hair had broken off. I had to wear a hat everywhere, but now I’ve cut it, I don’t need to wear a hat and it looks fine. More importantly, I don’t have to deal with the heartache of losing hair anymore as you don’t notice it when it’s short. I wish I had cut it earlier and avoided all the weeks of hair loss. So my advice would be to have a big cut now - maybe just a short or pixie cut rather than a shave, and you’ll probably feel so much better. Best of luck!
@Mairead_49 mine is tessastewart86 on Instagram 
Just sent you a follow!
@dilly Lots of luck for surgery! Let us know how you get on xx
@herts82 I had shoulder length hair and found it quite hard with the amount of hair that came out and I did need to shave it all because it was mostly on the top of my head, but I know people that have had hair loss but just thinning so they haven’t needed to shave it all. It is more just what you are comfortable with.
Thanks all very helpful advice, I currently have shoulder length hair and am cold capping so maybe I will just go for a shorter style to begin with and see what happens. I currently cry every time I think about losing my hair so I know this will be a big step but just another one to get through.
Sent follows to @tessie86 and @Mairead_49 
Mine is needing an update but is @f.u.big.c
I haven’t posted for a while and getting the page up to date is a weekend job this week!
@herts82 I had shoulder length hair too, and got a pixie cut at beginning. It was good because I liked the cut and felt at least it’s a style I can aspire to grow back quickly after chemo . I cold capped at first , but still developed a monkish bald top ,with bushy sides! I’ve abandoned cold cap now as I couldn’t bear it personally, and hair is falling more , so will get a proper GI Jane v soon.
I’ve seen how good people look with the full shave, so don’t think it’s anything to be scared of . I think it will be good to be able to see the grow back when it’s over!
Currently delaying a little as I like the fringe bits that still show from under hat, while they are still available!
Just catching up!
@dilly Wishing you loads of luck with your op today and thinking of you. Hope you’re on the mend really soon x
@lumpybyebye sorry, that did make me chuckle, blooming chemo brain. Sorry you had to travel so far but glad you’re getting that break inbetween treatments x
@tessie86 so pleased you’re going to be staying with your parents for a bit longer after this last round. The after effects are definitely lingering longer after each round aren’t they and your parents will be glad to be able to look after you And so well done on raising awareness, off to have a read and a follow x
@Mairead_49 gkad you still managed to get your treatment - you’re ticking them off nice and quickly now. Nearly there! x
@slc1 glad you’re feeling better now and sending all the positive vibes for your MRI x
@loupy really hope your feeling better today and the aches are easing. I had a very emosh day yesterday too. Think it was due to the last pre chemo oncology appointment and them talking about how long it could take your body to fully recover after last chemo and about starting the hormone therapy, on top of the Herceptin. Lalala I’m not listening 
I’m just focusing on last chemo on Monday!
@tigress42 really good to hear you’ve been getting on ok with the Tamoxifen. Think that’s what I’ll be starting with so very nice to read x
And so lovely to see holidays being booked. Makes me feel we’re all starting to come out the other side. Even if we do mostly seem to have extra treatments to go yet, it feels like we’re getting over this biggest shit show hurdle. I’ve got one booked for the beginning of April, whole family going, even my little sister and family who live in Australia so that’s really lovely to look forward to x
Hey @herts82 I’ve cold capped and although I’ve shedded and thinned a lot I’ve (touch wood) still held on to enough for my hair to look ok with no patches. It seems it really is luck of the draw with cold capping and maybe how well the cap fits your head shape, so I would see how you go, you’ll know when the time is right for you if you do decide to cut it x
@snooky that sounds like an amazing trip!! I need to get something booked in. End of May should be going to an airbnb for my best friends 40th.
A break is soooo needed!
@herts82 this was what I was like I cried a lot just thinking about it, I left mine shoulder length until after EC round 2 when the pain and fall out was too much to cope with, felt like a weight had lifted when I had it shaved! Good luck with your treatment and keep us updated x
@herts82 - I’m the same as @snooky.
I had my long hair cut to shoulder length before chemo. I’m cold capping.
I’d say I’ve lost maybe 30-40% of my hair, but it seems to be coming out fairly evenly rather than in one particular place. So while it’s a lot thinner overall, there are no particular bald patches.
It did help that had quite a lot of thick hair to begin with I suppose.
I’ve had 4xEC and 4xPaclitaxel so far.
5 more Paclitaxel to go, so this could all change of course, in which case I’ll make a decision what to do then.
Maybe see how you go and make a decision as and when.
Defo get something booked in, you so deserve it! And will be so nice to look forward to. Will be so fab to get away for your friends 40th too 
x
Thank you very helpful information @poptart @snooky. Have you found lots of hair loss throughout the pax or was it mainly with EC? My pax is planned as 4 sessions every 2 weeks dose dense, so having the infusion over 3 hrs. I’m not sure I could keep the cold cap going through the pax because of that treatment time!
@herts82 I kinda had gradual shedding through each EC but my worst round for hair loss has been this last one, which was the 2nd Docetaxel. The nice thing with Docetaxel is that the post infusion time with the cap on is only 30 minutes instead of the 1 & 1/2 hour with the EC so that makes it a little easier x
@herts82 I had gradual shredding with EC as well.
It seems to have increased a bit since I stared on Paclitaxel (which is strange because I’ve heard a few people report that their hair actually started growing back on Pax as it’s supposed to the the ‘gentler’ of the two drugs). But I guess we are all different.
My weekly Paclitaxel consists of 30 mins cold capping beforehand. 1 hour infusion, plus 1 hour afterwards - so 2.5 hours.
To be honest, after about the first 15 mins I find I can tolerate it ok. It’s the cold hands and feet that I find much, much worse (I’m using Suzipads to ice them to help prevent neuropathy in my fingers & toes).
Yes they gave me dates and times and thankfully accommodated no rush hour times!!
Annoyingly mine starts on a Tuesday, so I’m doing tues-fri that week, then mon-fri the following week, then last one on Monday the week after!
I start on the 17th. I think I’ll mostly be driving myself (I’m not the best passenger 
) and the radiotherapist said I should be absolutely fine to do that and that any fatigue tends to hit in the evenings 
and more towards the end of the course x