ive just had my first oncology appointment today to find out my treatment plan and she confirmed that the cold cap won’t work for me because of the drugs that they are gonna use and so I will defo lose my hair. I’m thinking about cutting it off before hand but don’t know when. Should I do a week before first cycle or as it starts to fall out.
im having 6 cycles of EC-T .
im glad I know now what my treatment plan is coz since my surgery in July I’ve just been waiting.
feeling a little bit overwhelmed and slightly scared at the thought of it all xx
Hi Kazaa, I had ec-t (3 of each) last year, finished just before Xmas and cold capped throughout. I did lose some hair but by no means all of it,and ended up having it cut short anyway. It does depend on how the cap is fitted, it must be tight, my hair was damp and conditioner applied beforehand.
it did lengthen the time I spent there considerably, especially on ec, I think an hour before then hour and half after.
It all feels like a different life when I think this time last year I was half way through chemo with rads to go. Although I worked and ran throughout, ec was fine but t did floor me a bit but, today I’ve done a spinning class, aquarobics class, worked from home and looked after my 2 yr old grandson.
Its very daunting at first but take one step at time and any questions or you just want to rant, this is the place.
Hi, I’m a week behind you and have my appt with the oncologist on Monday. I used to bleach my hair and I just had all the bleached bits cut off leaving it very short, to get used to the idea of losing it. It’s a bit of a shock but my head isn’t as weird a shape as I thought it would be! A friend who has been through chemo said you can get a prescription for a wig from the NHS which might be worth exploring. It is overwhelming, but although I didn’t think I was going to need chemo, now I know I have to have it, I just want to get on with it in a way.
I think there is a forum on this site for people who start chemo in September that we can join.
Kazza81 - first of all a big hug to you, before you start it all does sound overwhelming. I had FEC-T (so similar) about 3.5 years ago. I used the cold cap for 2 sessions but like ruthie2 says it needs to be fitted properly and mine wasn’t, so I lost hair from the top but not the sides so decided to give up (it looked very odd!!) But it did mean I held onto some hair all the way through, just enough to show at the edges of a headscarf, and I only shaved it all off at the end so it could all grow back at the same rate. It’s a very personal thing and you should cut/shave when you feel the time is right for you, there is no “right time”. If the cold cap is something you want to explore, then I would definitely speak to your team again - or call the lovely nurses on the helpline here/or message them for more advice.
Hugs too to Carmen Verandah. I wish you both every strength as you go through chemo, and it would be very worthwhile joining the September chemo thread to share questions and experience with others at the same point.
Hiya, I’m about the same stage as you, op in July and phone appointment with oncology a week ago. I’m have I got fec-t starting within the next couple of weeks, and the waiting is killing me. I hope to try the cold cap but will see what happens. They say I should keep a lot of my hair if I have the cold cap so it’s worth a try.
good luck to everyone , and this time next year it hopefully be all over with
Hi I started my chemo on 3rd sept I cut my hair short beforehand as I was told I would lose it. Now my head is tingling so am getting it shaved at the end of the week,hard decision but I decided I prefer to be in control of when it’s gone rather than seeing it fall out.
