Worried about chemo side effects and possible hair loss. Can someone help me through this?

Hi

I have now reached the chemo stage after my mastectomy.

I am due to start 16 weeks of  chemo every two weeks  very soon.

I am very anxious and upset about hair loss and the brutal side effects they tell you about!

Can anyone who has been through this help me please 

  • Hi there Natalia. I see we both can't sleep! It's nice to connect with someone in the same place as me. Sort of. I am 6 weeks post mastectomy which was very traumatic. I am due to visit the chemo suite on Monday to show me around before I start chemo. Have you not been offered this option? This will either reassure me or make me more anxious. Let's hope it is a positive experience.I can get back to you and let you know if you would like.I can't give you any advice as I too have turned to the Internet for help. I know the side effects are scary but they tell you the worst case scenario and it doesn't mean we will be affected by them all. As for hair loss I think that is a given and we will just have to cope. I do know that the team who will look after me are kind company people and they understand our feelings and are there to help.keep in touch if you would like and I will let you know how it goes.

    Sending you a hug ( we all need one of those,)

  • Offline in reply to Fluff1

    I meant compassionate! 

  • Fluff1 probably it's a little bit to early for me for showing me the chemo suit. Because I don't know yet my chemo schedule. But probably It will be an option.

    I'm really trying to be positive and optimistic. With hair loss I'm a little bit disappointed, because I was growing back them from pixie cut from last few years, I spend a lot of money for Hair care products and now I will probably loose them. But from other side for me the way of thinking ' it's only hair, they will grow back' it's helping. You need to look on the bright side, right now you can find very nice wigs, head scarfs or if you're 100% confident you can rock the bold head look:) 

    I know that all the people in oncology, nurses and other people working there are angels, so they are helpful and will support us during our treatment. So that's a good thing

    Sure if you want to stay in touch send me a message:) I'm here.

    I'm sending you a big hug too:)!

  • Yes positive is the way to go as hard as it is. I am definitely going to put wig and hair covering on my list of things to put in place before chemo. I hope you get your appointment through soon. I will let you know how I get on as I have said.

  • Hi Fluff, your post really resonated with me. Im five years on from my treatments...chemotherapy 8rounds,radiotherapy 15 rounds. I truly understand how your feeling ,I was petrified of having chemotherapy, my son was having chemotherapy, and he said mum  you have to have it ( I didn't think I'd could do it, the thoughts of losing my hair  and how my body would react to the chemotherapy  terrified me ,id told my son and daughter I dont think I can do it) so I out my big girls pants on ,and told my oncologist id have the chemotherapy and radiotherapy.  

    The first chemo I sat there like a deer in the headlights of a car,I didn't know what to expect,I really was petrified.  I was given anti sickness pills before chemotherapy.  I can honestly say the first chemotherapy session i had,was nothing like id built it up to be in my head, it didn't hurt  I didn't  feel sick and that was such a relief.  I did start to lose my hair after the second chemotherapy session, and yes it was distressing ,but I took charge and shaved it all off with hair clippers,yes I cried,but they were happy tears that id took control,I was getting treatments ,which was kicking my breast cancer to where the sun doesn't shine,and it felt good.  Yes as chemotherapy progressed, I did get tired,but I was never sick once,and still had a good appetite. I did have great care  and comoassion from the staff in my chemotherapy unit at the hospital . Radiotherapy wasn't as bad as id built it up to be in my head  either,yes it makes you tired  but its nothing you can't handle,its kicking cancer, and your hair does grow back once chemotherapy finishes . As I said I was petrified ,but I've come through it,I did it ,I bought three wigs  one a bob, and two other longer ones one was a real hair wig  very expensive,but I preferred the other two to be honest, I went to a wig specialist shop ,and the wigs were amazing ,didn't look like wigs when worn. It was a hot summer, so I didn't wear them indoors  I used turbans chemo head scarfs,which I bought on line.  I bought my wigs before I started chemo, so they were there whrn I lost my hair. You've got this,but if you ever need to chat, just send me a message on here . Good luck with it all, im sure you will be OK, your treatments are your way to recovery  just keep that in mind ,staying positive  really helps you get through it all . 

  • Thank you for your words of support. I plan to get a wig too so I can wear it as soon as I loose my hair. I know I have got to do this but the thought distress me.I will buy some turbans too. I have 8 round as well then radiotherapy. I hope my side effects arn't too severe. At the moment cancer is consuming me.Maybe I will be better once I get in to treatment Did you loose your eye brows and lashes?

    Thanks again

  • Hi  Fluff 1

    Yes when you first get the news its a lot to take in,and hard to deal with. Once you start your treatments, the fear of the unknown  subsides  you  will still have.a few wobbles ( tears ) along the way I know i did because at first its like you arevin a dream,its hard to accept  what you're going through,but don't beat yourself up on the days your feeling low,your.only human and its natural/normal to feel this way,you just have to be kind to yourself, and to your body. Just do what you can what you'd normally do on a daily basses  and if you find your energy is low one day more than another,then just chill out  watch tv,film,or read a good book listen to music or do whatever makes you feel relaxed. I used to tell myself this...I'm really lucky I found my lump ,yes it seems like a long hard slog, that I've got to go through,andbyes some days may be harder as treatments progress  but each day that comes and goes  its killing the cancer,each day I'm getting closer to the finish line  I'm getting closer to getting the news the cancer has gone im getting closer to my hair growing again,to losing the chemo curls  ,and that in its self is fantastic. I think telling myself this every dsy,even on my worst days of feeling sorry for myself,gave me the strengh and determination to kick cancer where the sun dont shine,and knowing my treatments were doing exactly that.,made me smile. Yes I did lose my.eyebrows and some of my eyelashes  not all of my eyelashes.  But I met a lady in my chemotherapy unit who had gone before her treatments to have her eyebrows  done tattooed on,and they did look.good. id never thought about doing that  as I waa scared incase it hurt,or worse still I'd end up with slugs for eyebrows. I just used to use an eyebrow pencil and pencil them in ,and used an eyeliner along the edge of my eyes ,where id list some of my eyelashes.  But now I'm using for my eyebrows as there still very thin from years of overpluckinhg. Maybeline eyebrow tattoo.  Its quite good,you can paint it on before going to bed and in the morning peel it off. It does look dark untill you wash your face.it lasts around a week if you do it overnight, if you leave it on for 2hrs it doesnt last that ling maybe two/three dsys .So if you  haven't tried it ,it may be an option for you. Its not that expensive its £12.99 in boots,but on amazon its sometimes a lot cheaper . Aa I said even though its hard to do,just stay positive,and hold onto  thoughts of your treatments,although tough on you at times,ate actually killing off those vile cancer cells,im such a Woo if i can get through it whi h I have  ,you csn too,and will .x

    1. Oh thank you so much. I will try and stay positive and think that thought this is kicking this cancer in to touch! I will try the eyebrow liner but I am not very good at it!! I wish I have thought about tattoo eyebrows earlier
    2. Thank you xx
  • Im not very good at doing my eyebrows either lol but it turned out better than I thought it would .I was a bit afraid of how it would look  so I applied it  thinner the first time I ever used it I applied it with a mirror that had a magnifying side on it and that really helped too. The second time I did it ,I did it slightly thicket than the first time I did it. And it did look better. I dont like the thick slug tube of eyebrows that some lady's are rocking up with, I prefer mine thinner but each to thier own,do what makes you feel good about yourself . Yes do hold onto that positive thought,and tell yourself it every single day it really does help keep things into perspective. X

  • Ok I will do that. I don't  like slug eyebrows either  I'm trying to prepare myself for all! 

    I am really hoping my intro to the chemo suite reassures me a bit. I will like a rabbit  in the headlights too. I am really hoping it doesnt make me more anxious!

    Thanks for helping.me I do appreciate it x