post frontline chemo update

Editgrl said:

Cucu

Anytime you can write "overall fine" it's a good sign.  And I'm happy to hear the headaches are less.  Are you still drinking the carrot juice for that?

I will be curious to hear when your hair starts coming back in.  I have a friend who has only been out of chemo about 2 weeks and she tells me that she is beginning to see new hair already.  That seems awful soon to me.  I've heard at least 4 weeks.  Is that optimistic?  And does it vary depending on the type of chemo?

I lost my hair 4 times now.  The 4th is just starting.  The other three times all st arted to come back at about 3 weeks with very fine fuzz.  I used to have thick, long red hair, straight as a pole.  Each time my hair came back in darker with a little blond sprinkled inbetween.  It was also soft and very curly, kind of ringlets.  My eyebrows and lashes also returned fairly quickly.  never got hair back any oher place.  Be patient it should return. Hugs and prayers, Lou Ann

survivingsu said:

Eyes on the prize - for sure!

I like the eyes on the prize suggestion too.  I have found there are some things that just take a long time to improve after treatment.  This is what I have found in my experiences so far (no special order):

1.  It took almost 2 years after treatment to feel back to normal with gastro/intestinal stuff

2.  My hair came back about the same, but it is thinner on the top - that might just be regular aging and hereditary rather than cancer treatment, who knows.  As a side, my stupid wirey chin hairs remained through it all, even when I was completely bald twice, and had no eyelashes and half eyebrows!  I have my eyelashes and brows back, and unfortunately the chin hairs are as strong as ever.  I believe chin hairs will survive forever like cockroaches and rats...and taxes.  :0)

3.  I had more aches and pains at first after treatment, especially knees and hips.  As I did more walking there were less aches, but it takes a long time and is rather subtle.

4.  The same for tendons.

5.  I'm convinced chemo really did a number on my teeth!  I had bad teeth to start with, since childhood.  I neglected them in later years, focusing on caring for my parents and then dealing with my own cancer.  Now I have to catch up, and after treatment I've found a sudden increase in dental issues.

6.  My energy level was horrible after treatment, until they checked my thyroid and got that balanced.  Now, I feel like my usual self.

7.  Trying to lose weight sucks rocks - probably due to a combination of heredity, age, and maybe the treatment.  I feel better, am good at walking better than I have in years, but the pounds remain

8.  It's been 6 years since treatment now.  Some of it is just a blur.  I have found my outlook improves over time.  When I was newly finished with treatment I felt bad that my body had the cancer in the first place, almost ashamed for being the first in my family dealing with cancer, then I gradually changed my view and look at it more like - that I was lucky to survive and live in an age/location where treatment was possible.  I also have guilty feelings from time to time, not understanding why I survive and many really good people have not. 

Sorry to ramble a bit, but I really wanted to let you know things change over time,

All my best,

Susan

I have learned that having half eyebrows is often caused by hypothyroidism.  People who haven't had chemo but have had thyroid disease often have half eyebrows, too.  Chemo caused me to lose all my hair everywhere, and when it came back in, I only got half my eyebrows back.  I think I have a little less eyebrow hair than I did with the hypothyroidism alone.  The hair on my head came in fuzzy and wavier, plus a different color (more gray) about a month after chemo ended.  Now, it's straight and mostly brown.  I have blonde highlights in most of the places where I should have gray.  The gray I do have is underneath the other hair on one side only so it doesn't show much, which is nice. 

Cucu me said:

hair's growing

Sisters,

few days alerady and 5weeks after chemo#6 my hair started to grow, but still can not say color, structure, bald spots....

Nowhere else yet...

That is truely exciting  It will get color as it grows longer.  Each time mine came back it started out almost transparent.  The 1st time it ended up almosy blond (I was a redhead) and very curly.  The next 2 times it was a little darker, but still curly. My hair had always been absolutely straight, so I thought the curls were extra special..  I had a lady from church tell me I was so lucky I didn't have to pay for my hairdo. LOL.  I miss my long thick red hair, but have exceped that that part of my life is gone.  Right now, my husband says my bald head is sexy. (He doesn't always tell the truth)

Don't  worry about other areas, eye lashes and brows do come back, just a little slower,  Some ares don't come back  Yay! No shaving!

Hugs and prayers, Lou Ann