POST MASTECTOMY

Hi Margie

I know it is easy to say it and not as easy to implement it but you really need to not worry to much about Chemo now - not until they tell you that you will be having and what type.

Different types have different sideeffects and you do not necessarily lose the hair on all of them.

I am having the AC Chemo and in that one you definitely do lose the hair and most of it gone in week 3 post 1st session. Sadly while we are supposedly losing all hair on the had and we lose the underarm hair, facial hair and pubes one damn thing nurses told me will not go is leg hair ??. I mean seriously the big 'G' has a warped sense of humor - hair and eyebrows and lashes go but leg hair digs in and withstands the lot....

To be very honest with you loss of hair is not that big of a deal once you start Chemo. I mean it was a huge deal for me previously but then in week 2 I shaved my hair to a crew cut (No 4 as advice in a look good feel better workshop) and frankly took me couple of days to get used to it. Day 19 my hair started to seriously shed in 24 hours about 80% of it was gone.  I am getting really irritated by the little hairs that are dropping off like crazy and making me itchy as they land on my neck, face and get caught in my clothing plus yes scalp does hurt as they start to drop. One thing that I found really weird that I am not getting uset at is the thinning hair or the almost bald patches. I honestly think that the crew cut I sported for 7-8 days prior to it falling out got me so used to it that it is the main reason why baldness is now not at all upsetting so I highly reccomend crew cut way before it starts to shed (that is IF you are having AC). 

But again, if it is Chemo, your Oncologist with tell you all possible sideeffects way in advance. And if they say you will have Chemo I really reccoment enrolling into a look giid feel better workshop as we got a lot of really usefull information on how to care for our skin and scalp during chemo. I did it day 3 of my 1st session and really really helped me understand what will happen. 

Again, some regimes can be more grueling and others easier and while I know someone that has worked 3 days per week through 6 sessions of AC Chemo (it was a desk job) you need to be prepared that while having Chemo there are days when you feel completely wiped out and not even up to walking from one room to another. There is also the so called "Chemo fog" and it is not a myth. On AC at least it hits the 1st day and lasts good 4 to 5 days and it really interferes with your perception of what is going on arround you - so much so that I read labels of my meds 5 times and while speaking to myself loudly what I needed to do and what the label said I still took wrong meds and almost overdosed on the serious stuff. And another lady having it even though I warned her about my experience a week later did in fact take wrong meds herself and ODed... Sorry if I am scaring you here but only mentioning it as if you do end up on AC Chemo since it seems from comments of most people on this forum that Chemo fog and feeling super tired initial few days to be common to us all if you work as a nurse those 2 you really need to consider very carefully as they will make your job really difficult.

It is not all doom and gloom - if it turns out to be AC Chemo you can read blogs I am many other women have been creating on this site describing our experiences gives others idea what could happen to them and help them prepare ?

All in all, at times hate it, but overall it is managable and at the end the damn cancer gets wiped out so long term gain outweight the short term chemo frustrations ??

For now just take it easy, rest up and relax and feel free to message me any time ??????

Hugs

Jel.