Hair falling out?

Hair today gone tomorrow
Even before my hair started falling out I to cut it short in anticipation for the fallout, but for me it began when my hair started to hurt . Kinda like I had had my hair pulled back as tight as I could for hours in a ponytail and then letting it go. That's what it felt like. Regardless to say I ended up pulling my hair out one day while laying on the couch. Interestingly enough it felt good to me, a relief. When my husband and kids came home they found me with a little baggie full of my hair and a scarcely covered head. So we decided to have a head shaving party. I sat down on a chair and they all got to shave a portion of my head. Quite a fun family filled night to say the least. I should turn our tape into America's funniest home videos. After a few days I got some stubble back. Hurt even worse, so duct tape took care of that. I look back on it now it it all seems very funny. If you have a Look good feel better (ACS) program in your area they can assist you with wigs and scarfs. I was more partial to scarfs myself. Wigs are hard to keep on when you don't have anything to attach them to. Ended up glueing them on but when its hot outside, the glue gets kinda melts and then your hair moves around on ya if your not careful. So It was scarfs for me. Then after a while I didn't really care any more so I went without anything. It was really kind of liberating to do that for me. Anyway hang in there Jackie. My thought and prayers are with you. There is light at the end of your journey and you will reach it. Take care.
Crystal

CrystalW said:

Hair today gone tomorrow
Even before my hair started falling out I to cut it short in anticipation for the fallout, but for me it began when my hair started to hurt . Kinda like I had had my hair pulled back as tight as I could for hours in a ponytail and then letting it go. That's what it felt like. Regardless to say I ended up pulling my hair out one day while laying on the couch. Interestingly enough it felt good to me, a relief. When my husband and kids came home they found me with a little baggie full of my hair and a scarcely covered head. So we decided to have a head shaving party. I sat down on a chair and they all got to shave a portion of my head. Quite a fun family filled night to say the least. I should turn our tape into America's funniest home videos. After a few days I got some stubble back. Hurt even worse, so duct tape took care of that. I look back on it now it it all seems very funny. If you have a Look good feel better (ACS) program in your area they can assist you with wigs and scarfs. I was more partial to scarfs myself. Wigs are hard to keep on when you don't have anything to attach them to. Ended up glueing them on but when its hot outside, the glue gets kinda melts and then your hair moves around on ya if your not careful. So It was scarfs for me. Then after a while I didn't really care any more so I went without anything. It was really kind of liberating to do that for me. Anyway hang in there Jackie. My thought and prayers are with you. There is light at the end of your journey and you will reach it. Take care.
Crystal

Yeah I remember the sore
Yeah I remember the sore scalp. My scalp felt bruised for about a month. ouch!

Within 20 minutes
Hey Jackie,
After my first treatment, it was about 2 weeks and I started noticing one day that my hair was beginning to fall on my shoulders. When my mother went through this, she was in the hospital and when she would turn her head, some would fall on the pillow. She asked me to get her hair brush and just brush it. Within about 20 minutes, it was all gone. She just sat there like a proud woman and I feel to pieces. My husband came in and she atated, see my head looks better than yours...he is particially bald. We laughed and we laughed at many of the oddities of cancer. When I was dealt the cancer, I called my sister and we sat in the bathroom and within 20 minutes, all my hair was gone. I was not proud like my mom and Clare and I just wept. It was really strange seeing all my hair just sitting in the sink. When my husband came home, I had a scarf on. He stated, "Honey, while your at home, we are not doing scarves....be yourself. He took my scarf off and stepped back. Took a hugh laugh and stated "Finally I have more hair than you." He was always jealous of my thick long hair. Once the last chemo ended, it was about 2 months and then I had a good thick black shadow of hair. Within 1 month, I stopped wearing my wig out in public and was just meeeee. I has now curly and rather quite nice. We are here. Angela

rjjj said:

Thanks all!
Today is day 17 post first chemo-treatment. Your advise stories and poems are great and it is so nice to hear from you all who have been there. My head does feel like someone pulled my pony-tail that just started last nite. I ordered a wig and a couple cute hats from ACS and was surprised at how reasonably priced they are.
I'm feeling so much better.. that i thought i would go into work. (they let me come and go as i please) but my vanity won't let me. Don't want to go and have it falling out in front of people. I know i will feel better when i'm over this baby step to the finish line..and it helps to know that you have all been there done that! I will send you my naked picture when it happens. Kathi I loved yours and you are beautiful with or without hair..inside and out.. your stories and poems made me laugh and that is just what i needed.
God bless
Jackie

That's funny, Jackie...
Day 17 here (Moopy's first infusion was 01/08/2009), and so is Moopy's hair. She does report that tight hair-pulling sensation that she read about here. As a guy, I can't help but feel bemused at how she's taking the temporary loss of her hair worse than everything else (diagnostic mammo, biopsy, diagnosis, mastectomy, port, second opinion, first infusion) put together. But then again, I'm a guy. I'm not expecting to be understood. Certainly not here, at any rate.

Moopy's first words to me this morning were "Look! My hair's all still here!" So I made up a little song in her honor.

Oh say, can you see
By the dawn's early light
What so sadly we feared
Would be gone without warning

The blonde curls and cute bangs
On the pillow last night
Stuck around, and now they're
Still all here in the morning!

KathiM said:

I did, so you're next!
This was my 'naked pic' during treatment...lol...

Hugs, Kathi

I was looking for the
I was looking for the picture of me when my hair was just beginning to come back in but I couldn't find it! Saved from embarrassment. It would have scared you all anyway. Not the hair part but my face! My family tends to take pictures of me when I'm making faces.

Kathi, your 'naked pic' looks lovely.

EveningStar2 said:

I'm not on chemo so this

I'm not on chemo so this isn't an issue for me but my mother was a breast cancer survivor and had chemo. She never lost all her hair. I remember talking to her about it and *she* knew that she had lost quite a bit of hair because it was coming out in clumps but she had such thick hair that she looked the same from the outside. But this was years ago and I have no clue what drugs she was on.

Maureen

I haven't even gotten in to
I haven't even gotten in to see the surgeon yet, so I have no idea what we will decide on. But, it sure is refreshing to read what you all have to say. I am not worried if I go thru the treatment that makes my hair fall out. It is falling out on it's own now, and they say that is hormonal. Wouldn't be bad, but it is only falling out where I see it, right in the front of my head! So, to have it fall out everywhere, will be OK with me. It will finally "even" out. ;-)

I love the poems, the verses, the song, and the attitudes! Thanks for a chuckle, when I needed one today. Ellie

mimivac said:

Naked!
I guess I have to now. I had my husband take a few pictures, but none of them were cute! Let me try again....

Mimi

Adorable.....
If you notice, I have a dark fuzz....happened between each infusion...irritating...little pieces falling out after each new chemo...lol!

Hugs, Kathi

BTW, this pic was taken for a local newspaper...so it was flung far and wide....ROFL~

Jan_M said:

Hair loss
My chemo was Jan 5th, My hair started coming out in clumps Sunday the 18th., big clumps every day. Today I finally shaved it all off. I thought maybe it won't happen to me and even though you know it is coming for me it was very depressing. I had bought a few hats and a wig for when it happened so I would not have to go out bald.

It was day 20....
And I was messing around with my beau, saying "Well, it looks like I am one of the 1% who will keep my hair". Grabbed a lock and pulled, just for fun. IT CAME OUT!!! We both just stared at it for the longest time...

I'll never forget. But now, it's part of the past.

Hugs, Kathi

mimivac said:

Depressing
Yeah, it was depressing for me too at first. But, like a lot of crap that goes on with this fight, you totally get over it and move on. Now, I like to think about having a "clean slate" with my hair and all of the styles I will have once it starts to grow back. Just something to keep myself motivated.

Funny you should mention that, Mimi
The Moopster still hasn't lost any hair today (the evening day 17), but is starting to get the symptoms. Her scalp feels tight and sore, and she has a headache. But just this evening Moopy mentioned that maybe she didn't want to keep the hair she had while she had cancer, and that a new head of hair would be appropriate.

Amazing how great minds think alike, no?

mimivac said:

Depressing
Yeah, it was depressing for me too at first. But, like a lot of crap that goes on with this fight, you totally get over it and move on. Now, I like to think about having a "clean slate" with my hair and all of the styles I will have once it starts to grow back. Just something to keep myself motivated.

You are so right!!!!
And the different colors...mine came back almost black with silver (my medal of honor from fighting the beast)...never had that color in my life...lol..and my skin tint changed...

The GOOD news???? I got to go SHOPPING!!!! New clothes, new makeup...WHAT could be BETTER???


Hugs, Kathi