And....there goes the hair

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’ve heard various things about losing one’s hair during chemotherapy, it will come out in clumps, when your scalp starts to tingle/itch/hurt, that’s when it will really start to fall out…

After my second chemo, it became more noticeable, but the defining moment came for me this morning. When your falling-out hair gets tangled up in your not-falling out hair, causing great big rat’s nests that you’re reticent of combing for fear of pulling out the not-falling out hair…well, time for sacrifice has come.

I did have one big rat’s nest, and when I did attempt to comb it, I got a HUGE clump of hair in my hand. A double handful.

So, I wore a UCF baseball hat to my daughter’s play this morning and while we ran our errands, and when we got home, I sat down in the kitchen and let Ivylad do his thing.

First, he cut my hair very short, then took the electric shaver to it, then covered my head in shaving cream and took his vibrating Mach 3 razor to it. Bless his heart, the perfectionist that he is, it took him an hour and a half…I’m thinking Demi Moore in GI Jane, swoop, swish, and we’re done.

I was a bit weepy about it, the first time I took a shower this week and realized, no, I can’t fool myself into thinking that clump of hair in my hand is just random loose hairs, but then I got it. If the price of permanently keeping the Ladies is temporary hair loss, then that’s okay.

I still have my eyebrows, so I don’t look too bad. Just call me Lt. Ilia from Star Trek; TMP, (although I have taken no Oath of Celibacy :smiley: )and as soon as Ivylad is up to it, I’ll post the before and after pics.

Janis, right now I’m wearing the pink camo do-rag you sent. Solfy, I have the cotton bamboo cap you sent me. It’s a nice neutral color, so I shall probably wear that more than pink one that I knitted. But Monday, I will wear my pink knitted cloche with my pink knitted shell and my newly taken in suede skirt (I’ve lost 19 lbs, go me!) and my big dangly earrings.

Baker, I’m saving your beanie propeller cap for casual Friday, to wear with the t-shirt my step-mom sent me that says “I’m too sexy for my hair, that’s why it’s not there.”

2

Aww I got teary-eyed reading this post. Go, go Ivylass! I bet you look fantastic and what a sweet man to take an hour and a half to do the honors.

3

Hmmmm, cloche, earrings, suede skirt…

I’m picturing a combination of Clara Bow and Edie Sedgwick.

What could be sexier?

4

Your hair may be gone (for now)
But I can see that you have your spirit, your determination and your optimism…

I don’t pray, but you have my warmest wishes and nothing but positive thoughts for complete success in your fight!

I once heard that a simple four word phrase that was one of the most empowering things I ever encountered. I offer it to you:

“I BELIEVE IN YOU”

May your days be easy, may your recovery be complete, may your heart be strong, and may your friends and family be there just as much as you need them!

Regards
FML

5

sounds like you are knitting up a storm. that does help with the weight loss. keeping hands and mind busy.

keep slopping and slapping. that august sun is wicked on the topless (tophatted is always in and sophisticated).

6

[Obligatory Insensitive Male Remark]

But Bald is Beautiful!

[/OIMR]

More seriously - I’m sorry to hear that the expected has happened. And glad to hear that you’re dealing with it with as much grace and determination as anyone could hope for. Keep us informed, and keep going!

7

As others have said, it sounds like you’re dealing with this with a good attitude.

You have a lot of strength, ivylass. You’re in my thoughts.

8

Sorry to hear about your hair! Sending more healing thoughts your way.

Keeping you in my thoughts.

9

Well, I do pray (no offense, FML), so unless you object, I will keep you in my prayers as well as my thoughts!

You have a very strong spirit, and you rock!

10

Like I always say, I’ll take all the prayers, lit candles, good wishes, and shaken voodoo sticks I can get!

11

shakes his voodoo stick {{ivy}}

12

I’ve got links to my chemo pics, but Ivylad is having issues uploading the GI Jane pictures. We’ll have to wait until my son gets home.

First day of chemo, the hat is from Baker, the teddy bear is from rocking chair.

The beginning of my cloche

13

That’s the thing to remember: it’s temporary. If your experience was like my most recent bout of alopecia aerota, just as you start to become used to looking kind of strange, the next day you’ll wake up and realize “Hey, it grew back! When did that happen?” My thoughts are with you. :slight_smile:

FWIW, check out Our Cancer Year by Harvey Pekar.

14

Lt. Ilia,…mmmmmm…she was hot!

Best wishes to ya.

15

If you get to feeling really adventurous, one of my bead-supply catalogs once featured pictures of an employee who had lost her hair to chemo and decorated her head with those stick-on bindhis in an elaborate pattern. She looked like a million bucks (and had a thousand-watt smile to boot).

16

By NO mean would I take offense in you offering any support, in any way you can… any issue that you feel requires prayer, or that motivates me to offer my own support supercedes mere forms of delivery!

Let’s just get behind and PUSH for the good thing anyway we can!

FML

17

100% in agreement. So we’re all good. :cool:

18

Take care of that noggin–don’t let it get too chilly in the evenings, and don’t get it sunburnt! It’s just hair, though it must be awfully strange to lose it, and if shedding it is the price to win, don’t let it get you down. Hang in there, and keep fighting!

19

Yep - it will come back :).

You’re doing a damn fine job bearing up Ivylass. Really.

20

You go girl. As women, our hair is more than just a head covering. It has to be more than a little traumatic to see it come out in clumps like that. Keep that positive attitude of yours and nothing will overcome you.