Cancer is the pits for many reasons. It throws your life into turmoil
on every single level. You may never fully recover from the effects of
chemo. You may have a little extra fatigue. You may just never feel
quite the same. One of the things that happens with chemo is the
dreaded hair loss. I know there are a lot of people who say the hair
loss doesn't really bother them. Well, I can tell you honestly that it
does bother me. I love having hair. One of my favorite things to do is to
twist my hair with my finger when I am thinking, when I am nervous, when
I am bored, and just all the time. You can't do that with a wig. So,
here I am in cancer remission. That is a blessing and a wonderful place
to be. But I am still waiting for my hair to grow! I am also dealing with the new color. I had mostly brown hair before chemo. I covered the gray with semi-permanent hair color. I don't think this much gray can be covered and look even remotely natural. So, I am adjusting to short hair, gray hair, and curly hair. I do like the curls. I hope they stick around, but I have read that isn't likely. I had my last chemo in mid January of 2015. This photo was take in late May.
This photo was taken a few days ago. That is my sun hat. We are actually going on a trip in a few days. So, I am feeling well enough to travel.
I am taking biotin, folate, b12 and full spectrum b vitamins to help my hair grow. See my video on wearing a wig during chemo at the end of this blog post.
I am still having quite a bit of pain all over the place! I can't take Advil, Aleve or Aspirin due to kidney damage from the chemo.
What is working for me is Boswellia and Curcumin. I am taking those 2 to 4 times a day along with extra niacinamide. These are good for pain, kidneys, liver, inflammation, pancreas, and several other things.
Best wishes with your fight with the beast of cancer or any other illness.
No matter if you are wearing a wig, hat, or post-chemo hair growing in, you always have that sweet smile! I personally LOVE hats and, living in FL, wear them a lot in the summer.
Chemo definitely does "interesting" things to hair. My father survived Stage IVa inoperable throat cancer, diagnosed in September 2008. He went through a grueling therapy that included wearing a chemo pump 24/7, 5 days/week with what he was told were the strongest combinations of chemo available. (He was blessed to have been assigned an oncologist who had just come to our relatively small town from the Moffitt Cancer Center and used chemo protocols not yet known by the local doctors.)
He was 76 when diagnosed but in remarkably great health in general due to walking approximately 5 miles/day and taking a LOT of vitamins and supplements. His hair was gray and straight before he began chemo; it grew back in black with a slight curl that has remained; the curl that is, he gradually went gray again but more of a salt & pepper look. He has been given a clean bill of health. I like to share his story with others as a source of hope. I've had doctors think I'm lying when I tell them he survived this particular cancer but they don't factor in God. My father, as far as I know, is not a believer, but had many churches that our extended family attend praying for him. I continue praying he will recognize his healing as a gift from God.
Thank you for including the various supplements you are taking. I am in need of some support in various physical areas and some of those supplements I will definitely check out!!
No matter if you are wearing a wig, hat, or post-chemo hair growing in, you always have that sweet smile! I personally LOVE hats and, living in FL, wear them a lot in the summer.
ReplyDeleteChemo definitely does "interesting" things to hair. My father survived Stage IVa inoperable throat cancer, diagnosed in September 2008. He went through a grueling therapy that included wearing a chemo pump 24/7, 5 days/week with what he was told were the strongest combinations of chemo available. (He was blessed to have been assigned an oncologist who had just come to our relatively small town from the Moffitt Cancer Center and used chemo protocols not yet known by the local doctors.)
He was 76 when diagnosed but in remarkably great health in general due to walking approximately 5 miles/day and taking a LOT of vitamins and supplements. His hair was gray and straight before he began chemo; it grew back in black with a slight curl that has remained; the curl that is, he gradually went gray again but more of a salt & pepper look. He has been given a clean bill of health. I like to share his story with others as a source of hope. I've had doctors think I'm lying when I tell them he survived this particular cancer but they don't factor in God. My father, as far as I know, is not a believer, but had many churches that our extended family attend praying for him. I continue praying he will recognize his healing as a gift from God.
Thank you for including the various supplements you are taking. I am in need of some support in various physical areas and some of those supplements I will definitely check out!!