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maryroset1's avatar
maryroset1
Member
10 years ago

How ironic life is?

Hi to all the inspirational ladies out there

I thought i would share something lighthearted with you all that if nothing else will hopefully give you a little chuckle..

I finished active treatment a year ago and have been on tamoxifen now for 11 months.

This morning i started to think about my carefree life in my 20s. Single person and completely self absorbed. I was thinking about the electrolysis appointments i used to have usually weekly to get rid of unwanted hair on my top lip. Couldnt stand looking at it just had to get rid of it and my treatment was pretty successful. 

Fast forward 20 years or so and now i am what you consider middle aged and post bc treatment.  During treatment i remember how freaked out and teary i was when my hair started to fall out..i had scalp cooling and it wasnt meant to happen. Your hair from other places disappears too...to this day i dont know where hair from down there went.....i didnt see it fall out!!!!   Well now i acknowledge that tamoxifen has given me fuzz on the side of my face and wayward dark hairs popping up on my chin neck and top lip.  While i was plucking said hairs in the bathroom this morning it made me think how i would have been able to fund my daughters dream trip to Disneyland on all the money i spent on my electrolysis treatments ??. Had i known then what i know now about hair loss and gain  i reckon i would have made different choices....to spent all that time and expense trying to remove something which hindsight has shown is pretty insignificant anyway in the whole scheme of life.  You just gotta laugh..

Yes i have a few stray hairs here and there but to i am a breast cancer survivor and how cool is that..

To all the ladies still undergoing treatment take inspiration in knowing you will get through it stay positive nothing is achieved by thinking negative thoughts...absolutely nothing. Hoping that in time you can look back on the ironic things in your life and laugh about it too.

I am sending positive thoughts your way....????

Maryrose 

 

  • Kim_R's avatar
    Kim_R
    Member
    10 years ago

    Thanks Maryrose,

    isnt hair a funny thing? And we spend so much money and time on it. I have calculated in what I have saved on hair dressers I can now fly to Paris, ok I was hair obsessed before BC but now over it. I find it very strange that I still have hairy arms (interesting I am not the only one) and I shaved my legs before first chemo and that hair grows, but slowly. No hair on the head or under my arms and not many pubes. Count my blessings I still have eye lashes and brows. I feel like someone is messing with me! Anyway you made us smile today good luck with it all. I will be finished treatment by Christmas. I have given up asking for hair extensions just health will do.

  • Kymvass's avatar
    Kymvass
    Member
    10 years ago

    Thank you for the smile Maryrose.

    There are so many ironies with the breast cancer experience I've been finding, hair loss just one of them ??

    All the best to everyone going through it today. 

    Cheers

    kym

  • gaye_hill_73's avatar
    gaye_hill_73
    Member
    10 years ago

    My daughter had hers tattooed on as she has never really had anything but a bit of blond fuzz.  Looks great.

     

  • gaye_hill_73's avatar
    gaye_hill_73
    Member
    10 years ago

    I loved your post, very good to have  chuckle.   I agree with your comment regarding being positive.  It is the only way for oneself and the family feel more positive as well.  I do not need Chemo and I have my Radiation mapping next Tues.  I start the treatment on the 16 Nov and finish the end of Dec.  I start my Hormone Therapy after that.  Another thing I have done is only take one step at  a time.  It makes us feel great as we get through each one together. 

    Take care and look forward to a few more posts.    xxo

  • Kazzi's avatar
    Kazzi
    Member
    10 years ago

    Hi Maryrose,

    You do make me laugh this morning! Thank you.

    It still amazes me that I can keep my hairy arms but it disappeared everywhere else.  When my teenage daughter read the BC info book, she commented how good it would be not to shave my legs!! My head hair is growing back slowwwly. It's too many chemo induced hot flushes for wigs and I'm sick of head scarves, so to celebrate finishing radiation on Friday, I'm going out with the girls with my new baby hair and glittery ear rings! It's too short to tell what it'll be like (I had curly hair before)

    The next stage is tamoxifen next month & I look for stray hairs! In the overall scheme of things, it's all good.

    Keep on smiling,

    Karen xx 

     

  • Doll's avatar
    Doll
    Member
    10 years ago

    Thanks Maryrose, your post made me smile.  

    And made me think about the money i spent over the past few years having laser hair removal from my legs!  If only i had known that the chemotherapy would be much more effective hair removal.

    I was hoping that a few stray nose hairs would fall out but still waiting!

  • Tigertail1's avatar
    Tigertail1
    Member
    10 years ago

    Love it, you are so right about it all.

    Thanks for cheering me up ,as i start my first chemo  session this week and was feeling a little blue about it all but now the smile is back on my face thank you

  • maryroset1's avatar
    maryroset1
    Member
    10 years ago

    Hey clangley

    Hope you get the curly hair you wish for. I had curly hair before treatment and post chemo i have curly tight ringlets growing. 

    Good luck with the rest of your treatment and keep smiling. ??

    Maryrose 

  • Robyn_W's avatar
    Robyn_W
    Member
    10 years ago

    Very relevant post!!! I also have the fuzz on the side of my face from Tamoxifen,and I couldn't care less!!! BC has made me feel so strong .Like you,I can certainly look back and see many things in my life that were so wasteful in the big scheme of things.I hope that I am being a good role model to my daughters and also female friends,in that they can see I have got through BC and I am just fine.I actually feel pretty proud of myself,and I also know that I am very lucky.So like Maryrose says,nothing is achieved from negative thoughts and feelings.Keep smiling ?? Cheers Robyn xox.By the way,before BC I never liked my eyebrows.Now I don't have to worry because they never grew back!!!!!!!!