My Onco Doctor did not mince words when discussing the side effects of chemo. There were tons side effects double talk--- may, could, might, but when he got to hair loss, he said "you will". The side effects from my first round have been manageable, for sure. Could I hope for the same manageability with my hair? The various literature out there suggests that you might have "hair thinning". Okay, I can do hair thinning, after all I have enough hair on my head to make most stylist have to take a break mid cut, and it fast growing, too. Since receiving my diagnosis, I have not colored, over processed with heat or chemicals, have keep it short, and not washed daily... I am not a hair person to begin with, so that lifestyle change presented no problem. A friend even located a chemo cold cap called the penguin cap, that you wear to your treatment, in hopes that the cold would chase away the heat seeking chemo drug. The "T" portion of my chemo attacks fast growing cells (hair, nails (not yet), and inside of mouth (yes)). Unfortunately, the solution was found after I had started, too late. Can I hope that I will be more of column (a) thinning, and less of (b) total hair loss? However, a (c) selection would be splotchy hair loss like a dog with mange... According to others that have traveled this road, it is (c) for your head, and (b) for the rest of your body...and it usually starts on day 13 (tomorrow) after your first treatment. My scalp has tingled and itched since my first treatment, but no signs of hair loss. However, it will be a black Monday for sure if my pillow case is furry when I get up in the morning. I have performed a quick inventory of hair.... starting at the top, eyebrows and eyelashes--will miss those for sure, how does one look surprised, shock, or give the patented "Lyle" raised one eyebrow when expressing frustration or displeasure? Upper and chin hair - excellent, can save on that monthly waxing expense...however, will it come back longer and stronger when it regrow? Underarm and leg hair---same as upper and chin hair. Brazilian bikini wax with no wax--okay it will be something new, but guess that is not a big deal these days if you are much younger or thinner and sporting the "look". Believe it or not, that is the second comment you get from chemo patients and second question you get from friends. Now you know, kinda like the Scot and what is under his kilt. So, to review the inventory and vocab for the day---I am 24 hours out from the beginning of a hair sumani--- alopecia universalis--which I will hereinafter (like my legal wording)be referred to as "Humpty Dumpty Syndrome" (HDS)---the Hump didn't have hair or eyebrows, we can relate...and there are days that I feel like I have fallen off a wall. I wonder, could I file for disability or at least a handicap parking sticker? It would come in handy at various hospitals.
In preparation for my upcoming HDS, a pair of long time church friends took me on an adventure on Friday. They are quite the pair...related by marriage. One is a zany (great Words with Friends word) gal, that can make you silly laugh---but is really a pretty good listener. The other is a 7 year breast cancer survivor and has become my guardian angel. She has been done this road before, a nurse by profession, she is holding the flashlight as I walk down this new path. We went wig shopping at Andrea, lunch at Hillstone (Houston's on Kirby, new name, same menu) and dessert at the Chocolate Bar in Rice Village. If laughter is the best medicine, I should not have to take any additional treatments of chemo. Something about putting on wigs--serious ones and silly ones---like the blond shoulder length ball cap number--that makes losing your hair just a little less frightening. The clients were chemo repeats---not the chemo but the wigs. They enjoyed the wigs so much that they have continued to wear them for years after they finished. Interesting, not sure I will be in that group--wigs are a little hot and itchy for my taste. Those of us who are new to hair loss--that would be me and a < 30 year old with her mother, with long blond hair. (I said a special prayer for both her and her mother---she had just begun her journey, so young and so afraid---) And last but not least, the mother of 3 young boys that didn't want to be bothered with hair issues...think va-va-voom blond wig....guess that is why she has 3 boys. I left with 2 wigs, a little more auburn than I am right now, a little more youthful than I might have selected on my own. Both cover my eyebrow area with flirty bangs---between that and my glasses, I won't be getting out the eyebrow pencil. Lucky you, I struggle with a straight line--an arched brow would be totally out of my ability range...and tat eyebrows are totally on the red marker list. We even nicknamed the fuller of the two. There is a certain news anchor on Channel 2 that has sported the look in the past...that would be so Eddie's fantasy--just add a yellow jacket, and I'm there. Like I said, laughter is the best medicine. My kids are rolling their eyes about now. With that and my every growing box of head gear, I will look different every time you see me...if I am sporting the rainbow wig from Halloween when the kids were little, you are free to laugh, if you think I look silly in the more expensive ones, just say so, and laugh with me. I want to share the gift of laughter.
Karen, Rosie, and Kacie
Believe it or not, this is the same style wig on all three of us. See, you won't even recognize me...I am the blond in the middle.... Other than my vocabulary lesson today, the life lesson I keep learning day after day in this journey is that you will receive many acts of kindness, words of support and friendship from so many people from both your past and your present. In accepting that gift I need to remember to share it with others when their struggles come. Thanks again to you all for your gift of friendship.
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