Hair Hair Hair - Another question

Ok ladies, I'm off to radiation this morning, topless.  I'm 9 weeks PFC and I figured if I want to go to Universal Studios topless on Sunday, I might as well take a baby step and go to radiation topless today.  Its not like anyone there would be shocked I have cancer.  Wish me luck, I was feeling very confident when I woke up but the nerves are setting in

 Love all the hair pics, Carroll, I love your hair now. 

Kay, not happy with the color mines coming in at all but hopefully it will go back

I did it!  Got pretty good replies, actually one of the ladies I see every morning asked if I had just shaved my head in preparation for chemo.  Apparently she moves onto chemo after Rads.  I feel really good that I was able to talk to her about it for a minute and tell her that I didn't find it nearly as terrifying as I thought.  I'm hoping to invite her out for a coffee and maybe share my experience with chemo.  I think that if I had someone to talk to face to face it might have eased my anxiety a bit. 

It did feel really good to help, when I told her how terrified I was to start chemo, the look on her face as she said she was too made me feel so bad for her and I knew that horrible feeling. 

Druanne:  Two of my girls donated their hair to Locks of Love after I lost my hair to chemo.  My little one kept saying Locks of Love was going to make a wig for mommy. They were both so proud.  I never wore a wig but was thinking that I bet even if you have the underhair made for yourself (I think it's a great idea) you might still be able to donate your hair after you don't need the underhair any more.  As long as it was clean and long enough when you cut it off the headpiece.

HI, I stopped wearing my wigs the Friday before Halloween; then Monday at the office Halloween gathering those that didn't see me Friday were doing a double take and someone said to me "wow, how did you get all your hair under that" - I guess they didn't know that THIS was me and THAT for the past eight months were wigs! HA, but I changed my wigs up all the time so either they were really dense or they thought I was some sort of style freak changing my hair so often. Haven't gone back to the wigs this entire month, hair is still real short - about an inch and half  to two inches..last hard chemo was early Feburary, last Herceptin was beginning of November, so I'm hoping NOW it starts to grow.

Funny experience: on a road trip a few weeks ago, at a pit stop and I was washing my hands at the sink, employee walks in and screams and I just about jumped out of my skin as I whirl around...and she then says: OMG - I saw your short hair and thought you were a MAN in here! I just laughed, and said nooooo...the cancer took a lot but I'm still very much a LADY thank you very much and walked out - to everyone (and it was busy) staring at the bathroom wondering what the 'commotion' was - I just raised my hands and said "Ladies and Gentleman, THIS is what a cancer patient looks like!" She followed me up front and continued to tell me all about her uncles brothers wifes cousins sister (or whatever it was she was saying) who had cancer...she seemed way more embarrssed then I was..but then...I've been dealing with it for a year and after you show your chest to so many doctors, nurses, etc - even someone thinking you're a MAN doesn't cause much embarassment.  Yep, if there's a good side to having this cancer, it sure cures one of being self conscious!  But I bet she'll never comment on anyone's hair again!!

So with you guys. I'm over it. Wish people would just stop trying to convince me "how good" I look. It's like they are trying to make me feel better. Listen people, "No this isn't exactly how I see myself, but I'm here, I kicked cancers ass, and one day soon...I will look like I want to."

Spitnspunk - I think your name is very appropriate      I am only 10 weeks PFC, my hair is just more than an inch long but I have not encountered a single comment other than from my family who are all big teases.  I'm still "chia mom" to my daughter...lol.  And now I'm in a race with one of my grandsons to see who can grow their hair the fastest, he got a really short cut a couple weeks ago.  He's 6, so it's amusing.  But nowhere else has anyone made a comment.  I think the only people who have obviously noticed are mall store clerks, who offer to help more frequently than I have encountered in the past.  And the one "public" comment I had was when I was wearing a hat, and a little girl (maybe 8) in Marshalls yelled out in her loudest voice, "mom, I know why that lady is wearing a hat, she doesn't have any hair!!!"   It was too funny and I can just imagine the mom's embarrassment. 

I do usually wear girly earrings, sometimes pink ribbon ones, when I am out.  Maybe people see that and figure it out.  Yup, this is what cancer looks like!

And I agree about showing my chest.  I'm trying to figure out why I need to "change" into the horrible hospital gown when I go to rads.  I could just as easily slip off my shirt in the treatment room and then put it back on when we are done.  It would be faster and I wouldn't be subjected to the useless gown that wraps around me three times! 

hello everyone i havent posted for awhile just thought i would share. yesterday it was three years ago that i received first chemo i remember laying on sofa watching christmas parade in local town and not feeling so good. we said then that we would go next year. we have gone to the christmas parade  three years now. it is like the anniversary of the first day of my new life. keep going girls the other  side of it all is so wonderful makes you really realize what you have and could have lost but you are strong and beat it. have a very merry christmas and a happy new year to and keep the hair growing.  sharon

Spitnspunk made my day!

If cancer doesn't teach us but one thing:  women are judged by appearance FIRST.  And you know what, I sort of reveled in freaking people out.  It was a big release for me to stop having to "fit in" with long hair cutie expectations.  I'm different now, and I like it!

I did it too! Yesterday at 9 weeks PFC I went out without my wig or a hat! It was fab. I'm not ready to ditch the wig for work yet - I plan to wear it for another 3 weeks and then come back after the Xmas holiday wigless.

Hi everyone, long time lurker here...

I will be posting a pic or two just as soon as I get my camera charged.  I'm just over 11 weeks PFC and feeling more comfortable with the hair that's growing back in.  I have enough eyelashes and eyebrows to not look completely like a cancer patient!  I also feel like every pore is sprouting hair.  My face is a bit furry and don't feel like I can get a close enough shave on my legs.  Never thought I'd be happy to have to shave again!

One of my chemo buddies suggested I look to this thread for any tips on what to do with the facial "fur."  Any suggestions?  Any insight into how long before it sheds?

I'm also wondering how you knew you could pull off the topless look.  I'm starting to experiment a little with going without around the house (I never really did before, since boyfriend's mom lives with us... the only time I went bald was on the upstairs level since she lives on the ground floor).  Last week I went topless when visiting at my parents' house.  Today I spent pretty much the entire day topless around the house and BF's mom didn't made some stupid-ass remark so I figured I can't look too bad.  And then, this afternoon, a good (male) friend of ours came over and my BF invited him in so he saw me.  His reaction was kind of like, "Wow, look at you!" in a good way, not in a damn-you're-a-freak way.

So I'm thinking the time is coming soon.  Maybe give it a few more weeks and then start the New Year without scarves?  I'll probably post pics to get your honest opinions first. 

bak, I didn't really see anything until 6 weeks

My hair took a cool three months to be anything remotely passing as "hair".  We are all different.  I got to the two months pfc with hardly anything, and thought for sure I was one of the women who loses hair permanently...

Luv-your 5 week picture is way more hair than I have;) I just have to be patient! Maybe by the end of next week,,,,,

yeah KiwiMum!  It feels great doesn't it?  I have been topless for a month  now and I love it, dont even think about it anymore I have just accepted this is who I am, and now out in public I dont get any stares and still have people at work make comments about me getting a short haircut but oh well they will get over it.  I dont wanna take the time to explain to all my customers why I have short hair.