Hair re-growth after Taxol/Carboplatin

RGW
RGW Member Posts: 60
edited March 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
I just finished 3 rounds of Taxol/Carboplatin, then have 6 weeks of radiation and then another 3 rounds of chemo. My question is, should I expect some hair re-growth during the next 6 weeks? I know it will all fall out again with the upcoming chemo, but was kind of hoping to have some peach fuzz soon.

Comments

  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #2
    Hair
    I had the exact protocol you're on...good buddies! After 3 chemo yes you'll have some "peach" fuzz and that's it. I completed my treatments July 31, '09 and didn't stop using wig/scarves until December 12th. The hair regrowth goes faster in summer...goodie for you, but generally very thin. I told myself I'd take off the wig after my 2nd CAT-scan, which was December 12th. My oncologist told me chemo stays in our bodies until about the time we're not wearing our wigs....fyi!!

    How are you feeling after 3 chemo sessions? Be prepard for radiation as it will give your bowels a challenge and zap your energy big time...at least for me.

    What stages, etc is your cancer? You can click on my posting and see my specifics. Don't know if you have specifics as can't pull up when have the email going.

    Best to you and take care...
    Jan
  • RGW
    RGW Member Posts: 60
    #3
    jazzy1 said:

    Hair
    I had the exact protocol you're on...good buddies! After 3 chemo yes you'll have some "peach" fuzz and that's it. I completed my treatments July 31, '09 and didn't stop using wig/scarves until December 12th. The hair regrowth goes faster in summer...goodie for you, but generally very thin. I told myself I'd take off the wig after my 2nd CAT-scan, which was December 12th. My oncologist told me chemo stays in our bodies until about the time we're not wearing our wigs....fyi!!

    How are you feeling after 3 chemo sessions? Be prepard for radiation as it will give your bowels a challenge and zap your energy big time...at least for me.

    What stages, etc is your cancer? You can click on my posting and see my specifics. Don't know if you have specifics as can't pull up when have the email going.

    Best to you and take care...
    Jan

    Thanks
    Thanks for your reply. I have UPSC Stage IIIC, had surgery March 2 this year. Other than being neutropenic this week, I feel fantastic. I was able to go to my son's college graduation out of town last weekend & fared well.

    I am a little nervous about radiation. I have a tendancy to have GI issues, so was very relieved that a combination of Emend/Zofran/Compazine held my nausea and vomiting off. I don't think there is anything to prevent diarrhea from radiation, just treat it when it happens.

    I am still working full-time (but this week at home due to the neutropenia).

    I forgot to put my hat on the other day when I went into Whole Foods & didn't realize it until I got back in the car. I live in the DC area and no one even looked twice at my baldness. However, when I was in Upstate New York for my son's graduation, even just seeing me in a head scarf stopped people in their tracks. I was stared at all weekend long. It didn't really bother me, I just thought it was weird that there was such a difference in geographical regions.
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #4
    RGW said:

    Thanks
    Thanks for your reply. I have UPSC Stage IIIC, had surgery March 2 this year. Other than being neutropenic this week, I feel fantastic. I was able to go to my son's college graduation out of town last weekend & fared well.

    I am a little nervous about radiation. I have a tendancy to have GI issues, so was very relieved that a combination of Emend/Zofran/Compazine held my nausea and vomiting off. I don't think there is anything to prevent diarrhea from radiation, just treat it when it happens.

    I am still working full-time (but this week at home due to the neutropenia).

    I forgot to put my hat on the other day when I went into Whole Foods & didn't realize it until I got back in the car. I live in the DC area and no one even looked twice at my baldness. However, when I was in Upstate New York for my son's graduation, even just seeing me in a head scarf stopped people in their tracks. I was stared at all weekend long. It didn't really bother me, I just thought it was weird that there was such a difference in geographical regions.

    You're Welcome
    I'm Uterine 3C and all testing doesn't show a thing...yeah!

    In reference to radiation and bowels, they do give you a list of what to do eat and not eat. Plus an over the counter to help slow the fastness of bowels. I just love lots of roughage -- fruits, vegies, oats, etc -- and had to learn to not eat those as much. Quite interesting but if I can do it, so can you. Docs of course always have meds to prescribe, but I'll try anything before the Rx.

    Interesting information on how the variance is with the head coverings. Oh well you might have also been in a very different area just in that region. You know where I live one side of town is laid back and nothing on head would be hip and other part of town I'd be stared up and down.

    What's neutropenia? Have to google it, but off to lunch...

    take care
    Jan
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #5
    RGW said:

    Thanks
    Thanks for your reply. I have UPSC Stage IIIC, had surgery March 2 this year. Other than being neutropenic this week, I feel fantastic. I was able to go to my son's college graduation out of town last weekend & fared well.

    I am a little nervous about radiation. I have a tendancy to have GI issues, so was very relieved that a combination of Emend/Zofran/Compazine held my nausea and vomiting off. I don't think there is anything to prevent diarrhea from radiation, just treat it when it happens.

    I am still working full-time (but this week at home due to the neutropenia).

    I forgot to put my hat on the other day when I went into Whole Foods & didn't realize it until I got back in the car. I live in the DC area and no one even looked twice at my baldness. However, when I was in Upstate New York for my son's graduation, even just seeing me in a head scarf stopped people in their tracks. I was stared at all weekend long. It didn't really bother me, I just thought it was weird that there was such a difference in geographical regions.

    RGW you will get some hair regrowth
    I had the sandwich treatment you are getting. I had 3 weeks before the radiation started, the same break as between chemo treatments. Then I had 28 external radiation treatments, and one 28 hour internal radiation treatment. Then a 3 week break before chemo number 4. I never had any problems with the first 3 chemo treatments. My labs were always good.

    The radiation made me tired, and I had some nausea during the last weeks of radiation. Thought maybe it was all the water I drank to have a full bladder for the treatments. I did not have the bowel issues that so many others had. I did not need to follow a low fiber diet like so many did.

    I had enough hair to cover my head by the time I got chemo Number 4, but then it fell out again. I finished chemo number 6 in August and had enough hair in November that I did not wear a hat or wig anymore. I have had two haircuts so far.

    After chemo number 4 I did end up in the hospital with febrile neutropenia and got IV antibiotics for a week. I had an abscess in my lower abdomen (either an infected lymph node, or something was nicked during my robotic surgery in January). Chemo number 5 was delayed a week because of the hospitalization. And then I got Neulasta after chemo 5 and 6.

    Good luck with rest of your treatments. I too was diagnosed with III-C UPSC. In peace and caring.
  • norma2
    norma2 Member Posts: 479
    #6
    Patience is not my virtue!
    Beginning my chemo (cisplatin) in Nov 4 wks after my total hysterectomy I had 3 rounds and did not lose a strand of hair. Finished that treatment on Dec 21st. Still had a full of hair. *Make note, DO NOT BRAG ABOUT STILL HAVING HAIR*. Began taxol/carbol in January. I think by this time I had started living under the delusion that I would be one of the rare cases 1% of people who keeps their hair during chemo. Now what that would prove I haven't a clue. Tells you something about my personality, doesn't it?

    Anyway, one of the doctors, a young female, said well, you are going to definitely lose your hair with the Taxol. Seemed to me she was gloating on my bragging about the fact I still had hair. I thought to myself, "Wanna bet". Again hubris is not a personality trait to cultivate. It is eventually punished. Well, exactly 2 weeks to the date of beginning Taxol the hair started coming out. In big chunks. I developed a facination with pulling it out and letting it fall into the waste can. And it hurt like the dickens. Seemed like the very roots were screaming to be set free. I got tired of this after a week and told hubby, "Go get the dog clippers". After a clipping and shaving, it felt better. I learned my lesson about thinking I was going to dodge the hair loss bullet.
    After all, losing one's hair is a small price to pay, if the chemo kills lingering cancer cells.

    Hair did begin to grow again, sloooowly. I now sport a 1" hair growth that is salt and pepper. I kind of like it. It took 4 months to grow. May keep it short. Easy care and I like it. Clairol is going to miss me.
  • nempark
    nempark Member Posts: 681
    #7
    norma2 said:

    Patience is not my virtue!
    Beginning my chemo (cisplatin) in Nov 4 wks after my total hysterectomy I had 3 rounds and did not lose a strand of hair. Finished that treatment on Dec 21st. Still had a full of hair. *Make note, DO NOT BRAG ABOUT STILL HAVING HAIR*. Began taxol/carbol in January. I think by this time I had started living under the delusion that I would be one of the rare cases 1% of people who keeps their hair during chemo. Now what that would prove I haven't a clue. Tells you something about my personality, doesn't it?

    Anyway, one of the doctors, a young female, said well, you are going to definitely lose your hair with the Taxol. Seemed to me she was gloating on my bragging about the fact I still had hair. I thought to myself, "Wanna bet". Again hubris is not a personality trait to cultivate. It is eventually punished. Well, exactly 2 weeks to the date of beginning Taxol the hair started coming out. In big chunks. I developed a facination with pulling it out and letting it fall into the waste can. And it hurt like the dickens. Seemed like the very roots were screaming to be set free. I got tired of this after a week and told hubby, "Go get the dog clippers". After a clipping and shaving, it felt better. I learned my lesson about thinking I was going to dodge the hair loss bullet.
    After all, losing one's hair is a small price to pay, if the chemo kills lingering cancer cells.

    Hair did begin to grow again, sloooowly. I now sport a 1" hair growth that is salt and pepper. I kind of like it. It took 4 months to grow. May keep it short. Easy care and I like it. Clairol is going to miss me.

    hello Norma
    I was just thinking about you when I saw your reply. You are wonderful and just positive. Hope you are feeling well. My hair just started to grow again like you said sloooowly (laugh) about 1/2 of an inch and I am contemplating leaving it salt and pepper. I hope I can stick to that. Hugs be well. June
  • CaCowgirl
    CaCowgirl Member Posts: 27
    #8
    nempark said:

    hello Norma
    I was just thinking about you when I saw your reply. You are wonderful and just positive. Hope you are feeling well. My hair just started to grow again like you said sloooowly (laugh) about 1/2 of an inch and I am contemplating leaving it salt and pepper. I hope I can stick to that. Hugs be well. June

    You all sound so brave!
    I had my hystertectomy 3 weeks ago & will see my oncoligist for the first time this afternoon. I am very nervous about hearing what my treatment progam will be. It all sounds so scary. I am stage 3 C.
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #9
    CaCowgirl said:

    You all sound so brave!
    I had my hystertectomy 3 weeks ago & will see my oncoligist for the first time this afternoon. I am very nervous about hearing what my treatment progam will be. It all sounds so scary. I am stage 3 C.

    CaCowgirl
    Oh plse come back and let us know how your doc appt goes. I'm sure you'll be in fine hands and have much to share.

    Best of luck!!
    Jan

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