Hair loss was not a big problem. I had informed my kids that I would lose my hair. I ordered a beautiful straight-hair, copper-colored wig, completely different from my normal black curly hair. I took it as an experience to be different of how I normally am. It was very amusing going around and seeing friends that would not recognize me.

Losing my hair caused me to let go of my lifelong obsession and attachment to it. No more curling, coloring, or bad hair days. I wear it as short as I can and love the gray that grew back in. It’s my badge of honor and adds to my individuality. Another way to simplify my life.

Whenever I had chemo I would picture little Pac-Men going in there and gobbling up the cancer globs. When I told my nurse she laughed and said that was a very good visual to have. I don’t know how that idea got in my head, but that’s how I pictured it. Maybe it came from my doctor telling me how the chemo worked and what it was going to do in my body. I got sick but after changing my nausea medication it got better. I lost my taste for pretty much everything, but soup tasted pretty good as well as toast and vanilla ice cream. I also craved Big Macs which was strange because I never ate those things, but they sure tasted good to me now. But I haven’t had one since, can’t even look at them. Losing my hair was the most traumatizing thing for me. I didn’t look sick till my hair was gone, then you’re reminded every time you look in the mirror. Before I lost it I went to get fitted for a wig and, when I wore it, no one could tell the difference.
(Linda Bryngelson, New Brighton, MN)

I didn’t experience any adverse side affects from chemo. When I was told I would lose my hair which was almost waist-length, I went to my coworkers and told them I was in cancer treatment and wanted to shave my head as a fund-raising effort for cancer research; they donated over $3000.

What helped me a lot to get through chemo was getting pissed off that I had this disease.

My husband kept on reminding me that all the side effects were a small price to pay.
(Esther Matsubuchi, North Vancouver, BC)

My experience with chemotherapy wasn’t very bad. I had heard all these horror stories about fatigue, vomiting, loss of appetite and, to my good fortune, none of those occurred. I even continued to do my usual workout routine. After losing my hair, I preferred wearing baseball caps and hats to a wig. I was now ready to go anywhere lickety split. Take a shower and throw on a hat, how easy is that! It helps to look for the silver linings during your journey. Actually, it is quite a shock watching your hair fall out in clumps down the drain and eventually seeing yourself bald. Being bald for me was a constant reminder everyday that I was a cancer victim.

The only complication came after a particularly stressful Board of Education meeting the previous night, and my blood pressure was so high they sent me home. That was a wake-up call, and I decided to resign from the Board to concentrate on my health. I heard that chemo tends to make you gain weight, so I enrolled in a water aerobics class at the local Y as a preventive measure. Now, 7 years later, I’m still doing it.

Chemo was the worst experience I’ve had in my whole life. It totally takes control of your body. I never was nauseated but, after the second cycle, weakness hit me so hard I was in bed for four days. It’s so hard to describe. I couldn’t stay up but I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t read, watch TV or listen to music. My mind raced and I dealt with almost toxic anxiety. Yet I only missed 10 days of work in the 12 weeks of chemo. And I never missed one Friday night of our tradition of Chinese food.

With chemo, some people have a much rougher time than others. I was one of those people. It made me very ill and my blood counts would drop so low the nurses would be phoning me at home to see if I was alright. When I was feeling well I ate whatever I wanted. I deserved it. A good wig is a wonderful thing. Not only does it make getting ready to go out very simple and quick, it makes you feel normal. No one looks at you with those sympathetic eyes, making you conscious of your condition. You can spend a day out and almost forget you are sick. I loved just being able to put my hair on and go—it was fabulous.
(Jennifer, diagnosed in 2001 at age 27)

I had all the side effects possible and no medication helped. When I lost my hair, my husband did not like it and told me, “You don’t have to look at it!” My daughter was sad at first but later was very proud of her mother—my boys thought it very “cool.” Plan your life between the chemo treatments and do this before you start. I got very sad at times but had decided to be “the running, bald chemo-patient.” I ran
everyday, not fast, but I did it everyday. When I didn’t feel like it, my family forced me out, and when I came home I was happy again, and the tiredness chemo gives you was gone for some hours.
(Karen Lisa Hilsted, Denmark)

I was not able to do the fourth treatment due to complications so I was not allowed to participate in the Herceptin clinical trial that I had chosen after much research. My creative solution for dealing with hair loss was to wear hats. This was the worst part of the treatment. Losing my hair for a few weeks would be tolerable but when you are looking at 8 months, it feels like you are carrying a sign “I have cancer!” All my normal routines were affected—I was too sick to even think about cleaning, eating, or washing clothes. My cats were by my side constantly for four months. Without them, I do not know what I would have done. I lost interest in food and lost over 20 pounds.
(Sharron, diagnosed in 2002 at age 62)

My hair was my pride. It was more difficult dealing with the loss of it than the loss of my breast. I bought some really cute hats. I absolutely detest those turban things. I was learning to laugh again. I remember going out on a really windy day without my hat and chuckling at the fact I didn’t have to get bent out of shape
because my hair might get messed. As sick as the chemo made me, I’m thankful and fortunate that these drugs are available. I gained a lot of weight; chemo made me very ill so every time I felt queasy, I would eat to stop it. I experienced sensitivity to some smells and tastes during and after treatments and even today. I was unable to look at anything red for a very long time. Perfumes and aftershaves nauseatingly smell like fly spray, and garlic, vinegar and olive oil were intolerable. I was just too tired most of the time to do much other than become intimate with the couch. My husband, a wonderful cook, would make anything my heart desired.
(Virginia, diagnosed in 2001 at age 57)

I wanted to live. How did I get through it all? I kept myself busy, very busy. I lived my life as if everyday was my last.

My hair hurt so much as it fell out. The nurse saw that I was sad and I started to cry, so she told me to go home to get my wig and come back. She cut my hair very short. It was a very emotional moment, but she took all her time to take care of me. I felt relieved yet not quite reassured with the wig (I felt as if I had a dead rat on my head), but I got used to it. After chemo sessions, it took me days before I could eat again. I lost 10 kilos (22 lbs.). Before the operation, I wanted some photographs of my naked body because my body would never be the same anymore with two well-balanced breasts. I also wanted some photographs without my hair. A friend of mine took me to a woman photographer, a real artist, and she took some pictures of me in black and white. They are so beautiful. I didn’t show them to many people up till now. But I am very glad that I have a souvenir of that period. What I did most after each chemo was lie down and rest and not move. I had to vomit many, many times, even if I drank just a little water. I had the smell and the taste of the chemical products everywhere. I can still recall that smell now. The best thing to do when I felt sick, was being alone in my little corner. But when I felt better, I wanted to go out, to see my family and my friends, and to enjoy life in the measure that was possible.

I had a pulmonary embolism during the chemo. I felt tired but thought that it was normal. One night I felt like “bubbles” on my chest; it lasted 5 minutes and went away. I mentioned the event to my husband. At the next chemo my doctor asked if I had anything special so I said no, but my husband mentioned that I had complained about the chest pain. To my surprise the doctor became very serious and started asking a bunch of questions. He ordered a set of tests, and the last one showed that I had a double pulmonary embolism. The morale is: always mention your symptoms, always tell your husband or someone about your symptoms, and always bring someone along when you go to your doctor so that he/she can complete your information.

I bought a real-hair, expensive wig but I rarely wore it. It wiggled, my head was hot, and I thought everyone knew it is a wig. So I became the hat lady. Every food tasted like I was licking the side of a car. Ate jars and jars of crunchy pickles—they seemed to mask the metal mouth.
(Heather Resnick, Thornhill, ON, diagnosed in 1997 at age 43)

I had morning sickness from the treatments, contracted conjunctivitis and lost weight. I felt better if I could talk with my family and friends every day. I have always felt better to say out loud what the voice in my head would keep repeating about the entire cancer ordeal. My taste buds were practically useless. I was eating by memory of how foods should taste to me. I got the food textures, but I needed extreme, strong flavors if I was to taste any food. My food needed to be extremely salty, sour, sweet, or flavored with garlic or onion.
(Kristina, diagnosed in 1995 at age 39)

Chemo was difficult, and I got pretty sick. When I knew my hair was going to fall out, I had a party with a bunch of friends, two of whom were hairdressers. They shaved my head, and it helped to give me a little sense of being in control. I did get a wig but didn’t like it so I mostly wore scarves. There is much I don’t remember, but my husband says I laid on the couch a lot and slept.

One bit of advice I got was to take a shower
every day even if you don’t do anything else. I thought that was silly. How could you not do anything except that? But chemo really drains you. Just take it easy, and know when to ask for help. One way I describe it is that sometimes you are so tired, you don’t even feel like breathing. It is tough, but it will pass.
(Julie, diagnosed at age 26)

Oh, this was the worst. I bought a good wig and really didn’t look sick at all which I think helped. I took all the pills suggested to help nausea, vein pain, dizziness, etc. I think you have to take one day full of pain at a time. And always remember someone out there is suffering more than you. I realized that there truly was such a thing as “chemo brain.”
(Joan Fox, Victoria, BC)

Take your prescribed anti-nausea drugs a couple of hours before your chemo. Instead of trying to treat the nausea, I was able to prevent it. If you get mucositis, the lining of your mouth and gums become raw and blistered, which makes it very uncomfortable to eat. You can get a special toothpaste which alleviates it.
(Catherine, Pointe Claire, QC, diagnosed in 2001 at age 39)

Shave your head about two weeks after your first chemo session. You’re going to start losing it shortly after that, and your head will hurt. It feels better controlling the time when you lose it rather than just watching it fall out.

I decided to collect money by shaving my head and giving my hair to the Canadian Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Research. My oldest son who was five thought this was a cool idea. I made an announcement at church and to family and friends as to our intentions, and we started collecting. Three other ladies at church stepped up to the plate and shaved their heads with me and together we collected over $3000. What helped me get through this was my family and church. I pretty much hated every kind of food. I liked tea, and rice in my bouillon. I got sick of water, ginger ale and crackers. I tried cookies made with pot, I ate a lot that night.
(Jacqui, Courtenay, BC, diagnosed in 2002 at age 38)

The steroids to counteract the effects of the chemo made me ravenous, so I ate and just suffered the consequences of gastrointestinal effects afterwards. I gained 20 pounds. The steroids made me hungry, caused insomnia, made my face all puffy and swollen and also made me extremely irritable and nervous. Take your prescription steroids early morning and early afternoon—that might allow you to have a good night’s sleep. I could not make any social plans farther than a couple hours in advance, and I always had to be near a bathroom. My drive to the chemo room was an hour in a freeway, an anxiety-ridden trip every time. The chemo also made my concentration fuzzy, and I made more mistakes at work. I had chemo brain at its best. I noticed that the doctors underplayed the side effects from chemo, and the books completely overdid it and scared you half to death. The most realistic expectations I received were from other women going through the same situation.

Be sure to drink a lot of water before your chemo. No one told me this before my first session, so the nurse had trouble getting the needle in. Then the next day, the vein in my arm looked dark and bruised. I found out later from another survivor that I should be well hydrated before chemo. I drank about a quart (litre) of water before my next chemo and didn’t have any problem with my veins.
(Leslie, Springfield, VA)

I’d feel queasy so I always put something in my stomach the minute I got out of bed (mint tea or a piece of toast). Hair loss didn’t bother me. I had long hair, and I had it shaved off. I paid for human-hair wig,
because a few days before I had tried synthetic-hair wigs and ended up crying (it looked like they put a helmet on my head). Halfway through my chemo I started using scarves and soft hats. I then slowly built myself up to entering a cafeteria with the hat on, ordering a coffee, and taking the hat off. It was like I wanted to prove to myself that it didn’t matter if I had hair or not.
(Laura, Navarra, Spain, diagnosed in 1998 at age 41)

I tolerated chemo but, in reality, I was petrified of its side effects. I rested a lot, even though sleeping was always difficult. I had serious trouble remembering things and extreme difficulty in making decisions about such things as what to wear and what to eat.
(Beverly Vote, Lebanon, MO, diagnosed in 2002 at age 37)

It sucks, but it’s totally manageable. Never have an empty stomach. Eat a little bit of something all the time. It really helps. I had my sister shave my head. It allowed us both a good cry and kept me from the ongoing pain of seeing and feeling all my hair fall out.

I had a port-a-cath put in after the first chemo because I just couldn’t stand watching the “red devil” creep its way up my arm. I wish I had had the port put in when I had my mastectomy, but no one suggested it. One thing that was really nice was my friends had a Hat Party for me shortly after chemo began. It was a fun way to deal with a scary process.
(Julie Austin, Little Rock, AR, diagnosed in 2000 at age 30)

My son and I decided to have a shaving party. He shaved off what was left of my hair right before my second round of chemo. I cried for about a minute, then went on with my life. Around Thanksgiving, my best friend called and said she was sending me a ticket to come spend the holidays with her and her family. I began to cry and told her I couldn’t come because I didn’t have any hair. A few days later I received a box full of hats from her. I ended up flying there a week after my last chemo treatment. I was weak and bald and wondered at times if I had lost my mind, but I had a great time with her.
(Rita, Santa Clarita, CA)

About six recliners were lined up so you could commiserate with the other patients. There was a TV. Nausea medicine was given before each treatment and then I was sent home with pills for the first few days. I found I felt okay until that evening when the nausea set in. Keep that bowl next to the bed. Each person reacts differently. Wearing a wig conjured images of ZsaZsa and Dolly Parton. A wig shop owner was a saint and helped me pick out a wig before I even started chemo and also shaved my head when the time came. She is a breast cancer survivor and carries prostheses and special bras and nighties. She likes you to choose a wig before you lose your hair so she can match it to you.

Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! I had my first chemotherapy the day before Thanksgiving after receiving assurances from my oncologist that no one gets sick the first time out of the gate. Well, with 26 people in my living room (including a director from one of the top-rated shows in television history), I lay on my bathroom floor becoming familiar with all the makings of a toilet. And to pay the oncologist back for his bad bet, my sisters called him in the middle of his Thanksgiving dinner to call in a prescription. My hair was my focal point and the point of everyone’s comments throughout my life, waist-long, luxurious, and beautiful. We cut off my mane to my shoulders, a day later to my neck, then a short-short cut. My husband buzzed my hair off and he himself came home bald that very same day! Everything tasted like metal except for tangerine Altoids, which I ate by the handful—that is, when I didn’t have mouth sores.
(Dawn, North Hollywood, CA, diagnosed in 2001 at age 47)

Hair loss was only a trauma at first. When it first came out my follicles hurt. I got the hair clippers and asked my family to help me. It was a ceremony that we will never forget. As for being bald, I felt free. I didn’t feel shame or embarrassment about my hair being gone. I wore wigs at restaurants to avoid upsetting others. Scarves were more comfortable for me than wigs, no matter how good they look and feel. Soft woolen caps in the winter were very helpful.
(Janel Dolan Jones, Forth Worth, TX)

Bald is brave! Chemo drug was bad news, pain and side effects, so I was switched to another chemo drug and tolerated it better. Some nails are now deformed so I keep them short and filed-down. I have a wonderful family and worked with a great group of people who loved me unconditionally and accepted me where I was. I had a problem with liquids during the last four treatments. Everything had the texture of a thick gel and that would trigger my gag reflex. Not fun at all!

I would go through surgery in a heartbeat over chemo. I somehow can’t believe I went through all of this. It just doesn’t seem like it happened. I was so scared. Some days I didn’t want to get out of bed and I didn’t. I survived because of the people God put in my life. I live with my son who was 17 at the time. It is just he and I and our 5-year-old lab, Jake. After the last treatment, I was so dehydrated I had to be hospitalized. My son helped me shave my head and he made me laugh when he said I could get a job on Star Trek. Friends brought me cute hats and scarves. I became quite good at tying scarves around my head. Normal routines? There is nothing normal when you go through cancer and chemo.

Chemotherapy was the pits. 6 months of #@^*@! My oncologist tried all sorts of medical combinations that might help, but nothing did. I finally was able to have home health for IV hydration and nausea management. Go to a reputable wig shop before you lose your hair. Take close friends with you. It is a tough day. Laugh often and hard. This is not a time to be by yourself. I had a greater reaction than most people to the chemo, so was literally in bed for almost four days after each treatment and off work for a week. My friends and family knew that I was usually feeling pretty good the week before each treatment and we always did something fun.
(Peggy Scott, Waldorf, MD, diagnosed in 2002 at age 46)

Tough but manageable once you get the idea that you’re going to feel like you have the flu... for a solid six months! Emotionally, a strong support network of friends really helped. My coworker left me flowers, balloons, notes, and cards at every milestone throughout the chemo experience.

If I did it again, I would try to avoid reading about the side effects, because you start to believe you have them. I liked popsicles the best. Pizza didn’t taste good at all. My advice would be to avoid foods you really enjoy, because you’ll develop an aversion to them.

I had to go to my journal to remember all the complications and side effects—I guess that means I’m putting it behind me, eh? From a bacterial cold sore on my lip which required antibiotics, to black fingernails, constipation, and hemorrhoids, I found that the hot flashes and night sweats came back with a vengeance. I was so tired and feeling crabby by the fourth treatment, I didn’t do any gardening to speak of. I had no energy to go even for a walk. To top it off, the veins in my arm all turned black and hardened, and the nurses kept blowing the veins when they put the IV in. My hair fell out, no problem for me, but I never realized how hot a bald head could get. I only wore a hat—too hot to wear a wig. It was actually pretty funny having a bald head as I’d forget about it and wander around outside or answer the door without a hat on and the people I’d see would be so shocked. I had no energy, but I did manage to continue to volunteer for the Cancer Society as an emergency aid volunteer.
(Cheryl Otting, Elkford, BC, diagnosed in 2002 at age 53)

I got an email from a breast cancer survivor in South Africa, and she warned me not to use an ice bag on my head during chemo to prevent the hair loss. Then I read an article about the same thing with an ice bag possibly creating a safe haven for the cancer cells to return. So I decided it’s better to temporarily lose my hair.

Chemo was hard. When I was going to have chemo, I bleached my hair blond. That was just a fun thing, something I would never have done before. I got a fever after every treatment. I got burns on my face, hands and feet. I went to work everyday but was not really functional. I was lucky that I had such a great employer.
(Deborah, diagnosed in 2002 at age 46)

I tried lemon, salt, and endless herbal remedies, teas, and diet changes. I must admit that I started smoking again during chemo and this was the only thing that masked that taste—possibly because it covered it with an even worse one! Ha. Marijuana does help with the nausea. My third chemo was on September 11, 2001. Well, that really cheered us all up in the chemo room! Talk about upping the fear factor! Now I wish they’d turned off the TV although, of course, we were all glued to it. I found the nurses and paramedical people were my best source of strength and comfort. Doctors, even the best ones, are just too powerful, carrying control over life and death for you.
(Judith Quinlan, diagnosed in 2001 at age 52)

I was not able to drink orange juice or use salad dressings during chemo, as I found them too acidic. I still don’t enjoy orange juice the way I used to. Since having chemo the last time, I have developed sensitivity to certain nuts like walnuts and macadamia—they make my tongue burn and give me sores in my mouth. The day after chemo I would only want to eat a Wendy’s chicken sandwich, as for some reason it was the only thing that would sound good. When I felt nauseated, putting my face into my dog’s fur and taking a deep breath always made me feel better. There was something so comforting in that. However, smelling his breath was not too pleasant! My husband, Cliff, normally falls asleep the
moment his head hits the pillow. However, when I was wired up from the steroid medication given with chemo and couldn’t sleep, he would lie in bed and rub my lower back and sing to me; what a sweetheart!

Before my first surgery, my doctor said I would only have to do radiation, and no chemo. After the first surgery, he recommended chemo. And after the second surgery my doctors gave me the choice to do chemo or not. I was so confused. I would change my mind every half-hour—yes, no, yes, no. I got two other opinions from the outside and was recommended to get chemo—why not get more odds on my side? Chemo made me very nauseous and sick. They tried all kinds of anti-nausea drugs, which just made me bounce off the wall. I lost 20 pounds, all my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. I loved to drink chocolate milkshakes and eat chicken soup and stuffed grape leaves, a Lebanese dish.
(Lorraine Zakaib, Kirkland, QC, diagnosed in 2002 at age 49)

My Friend is going though chemo and has shaved her head.she said her head hurts really bad. To shower,wear a wig a hat. does anyone know what she can to to make her feel better.