Where's my hair?

srwruns
srwruns Member Posts: 343
in Ovarian Cancer #1
Yesterday was chemo #6 of 6. I woke up this morning still bald, not even a fuzz starting. I thought my hair would grow back after chemo? (OK I'm just kidding) It was an emotional day at the end with my son there as they pulled the plug. March was always a special month as he will be 20 the last day of this month and now it will be a "rebirth" month for me too. My final CT scans will be later this month and I have loose ends to tie up of blood thinners and a post op lympocele which are related. An early post op scan showed a large lympocele putting pressure on my ilieac vein and nerve...hence blood thinnners as a preventative for possible clotting. If the lymphocele has resolved then I go off thinners also. If it hasn't resolved on its own then we discuss: draining, waiting; next steps to resolve it.

I remember my first post back in October and the support and responses I got from everyone. This board has kept me sane through this journey. I am shooting for "forever remission" and while I stand a good chance (Stage 1c; clear cell high grade tumor) I'm not blind to the fact that clear cell "can be slippery" even though caught early stage. But that bridge will be crossed should I come to it.

For me the hardest part of this has been seeing on this board, and one other I read, and seeing in the hospital the number of young women with young families; or being denied the abiity to give birth coming down with OVCA. I would have to believe that the conventional wisdom must be shifting from this is a "post menopausal" issue. And it seems many of these young women are being delayed DX and TX because they are too "young" for OVCA. My anectodal research say "I don't think so".

Comments

  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    #2
    No hair, just wait
    I had my last chemo on 9/16/2010 and it took until December before I had any "real" hair. My hair is usually fine and very straight. I wear it short and spiked so I didn't have to wait long. I had my first haircut in early January just to try and shape it up.

    Well, after the first haircut it started to grow in a little curly. I had always wished I had a little curl; just enough for the hair to hug my head. I am now wearing it "unspiked", close to my head and I love it! I really hope it doesn't go back to normal. I guess I got something positive out of this otherwise horrendous experience.

    So get ready for a change when your hair does grow in. I had heard the hair may come in a different color (my color stayed the same) or even curly but I guess I had to see it to believe it.

    Karen
  • srwruns
    srwruns Member Posts: 343
    #3
    kikz said:

    No hair, just wait
    I had my last chemo on 9/16/2010 and it took until December before I had any "real" hair. My hair is usually fine and very straight. I wear it short and spiked so I didn't have to wait long. I had my first haircut in early January just to try and shape it up.

    Well, after the first haircut it started to grow in a little curly. I had always wished I had a little curl; just enough for the hair to hug my head. I am now wearing it "unspiked", close to my head and I love it! I really hope it doesn't go back to normal. I guess I got something positive out of this otherwise horrendous experience.

    So get ready for a change when your hair does grow in. I had heard the hair may come in a different color (my color stayed the same) or even curly but I guess I had to see it to believe it.

    Karen

    curls would be ok. I don't
    curls would be ok. I don't expect a color change as my hair was pretty gray...i've been coloring it for years. The little amount of stubbies that were left don't show color. Ah...so it goes.
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    #4
    srwruns said:

    curls would be ok. I don't
    curls would be ok. I don't expect a color change as my hair was pretty gray...i've been coloring it for years. The little amount of stubbies that were left don't show color. Ah...so it goes.

    I have gray too
    and have also been coloring it for a few years. Mostly for fun when I started. Lucky for me my gray hair didn't start too early and I don't have a lot for a "girl" my age. I think I remember you were from SC. I live in Gilroy. Pretty scary time yesterday, huh? Too bad about all the damage but I was glad to read no injuries had been reported.


    Karen
  • srwruns
    srwruns Member Posts: 343
    #5
    kikz said:

    I have gray too
    and have also been coloring it for a few years. Mostly for fun when I started. Lucky for me my gray hair didn't start too early and I don't have a lot for a "girl" my age. I think I remember you were from SC. I live in Gilroy. Pretty scary time yesterday, huh? Too bad about all the damage but I was glad to read no injuries had been reported.


    Karen

    I was up at Stanford for
    I was up at Stanford for treatment but I usually walk the harbor and Seabright several times a week. I was just there on Wednesday and odf course all winter its been peaceful and quiet unlike summer. I will be back in SC on Monday and go check it out. We have two sailboats but we berth them up in Alameda thank goodness.
  • anicca
    anicca Member Posts: 334 Member
    #6
    Congratulations!
    Congratulations on finishing your 6 rounds of chemo! Wishing you achieve that "forever remission!" I'm going for my 6 month after chemo on Tuesday, and hoping for the same. I had my 6th round on 9/9, and by Thanksgiving, had enough hair to sport a "pixie" cut. At first it was straight, and salt & pepper like before. As soon as I started to get any length, it began to curl. I have naturally curly hair and would have enjoyed the straight hair for a change, but I'm happy to have enough hair now to go without a wig or a hat at work. It's much more comfortable.

    I hope they find that the lymphocele has resolved and you can get of the blood thinners and back to all your regular activities.

    I feel the same way about seeing all the posts from/about such young women. I read that the average age for OC is 63, but I wonder if that age isn't coming down now. I can't help but think that if it is, that it might be due to all the pseudo-estrogens we are getting from various plastics and other artificial products we use so much. I'm switching to a stainless water bottle, and urging my daughters to do the same and to buy organic as much as possible.

    DB
  • Rookerbird
    Rookerbird Member Posts: 100
    #7
    Woohoo!
    Congratulations on finishing chemo! That's awesome your son was there to celebrate with you. I have two young men about the same age (21 and 23), and sure do enjoy it when they are home from college/job.

    Praying for "forever remission" for you!
    Kathy
  • childofthestars
    childofthestars Member Posts: 251 Member
    #8
    Hair
    Well done you, enjoy your freedom from chemo and may it last forever....
    I finished chemo in mid Dec last year and my hair is now quite thick, straight and obviously short but it looks more like a short haircut than a chemo head!! My hair is also very grey/white with a few dark bits thrown in (i'm 46!) so I started colouring immediately - don't care what the official advise is regarding this - I felt i owed it to myself to feel at least a little bit normal and 'sexy' LOL!!!
    Michelle x

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