Hair Loss at Halloween

I can’t believe it is nearly a month since I last did a blog post – I thought I was doing well writing them every week but life takes over some times.

So back at the end of September 2015 I had my hair chopped from waist length to a “pixie” cut. I went to the local training college hairdressers and the young girl who did my cut was somewhat disturbed that I wanted so much cut off and had to check with her supervisor first. I did feel a bit bad after she spent so long on it that it would probably fall out within the month!

So the first chemo was on 24 September and I used the cold cap in an attempt to keep my hair. It wasn’t too uncomfortable but, I think, not as sophisticated as some systems. Other hospitals have a machine which pumps cold hair onto the scalp, mine was a neoprene hat which was stored in a freezer and had to be replaced every 45 minutes.

So how did the chemo affect me? Well I took my steroids and anti-sickness pills like I was told to. Had a headache for the first day and felt tired for a few days. A week after my first treatment I installed myself in our “shed”, logged on to do some work and went to band practice. Managed a few walks (only as far as my local shop) and did some sewing.

Day 15 and my eyelashes started to fall out. Day 17 and I had a tingly scalp and my hair started to fall out. My son kindly informed me, after spending the day visiting Loughborough Uni, that I had a bald patch.

My blood count was too low the day before my second chemo but luckily after a re-test on the Thursday morning the treatment was able to proceed. A week later and my daughter and I went to see the “wig man”. He was amazing and ordered me a wig which I hadn’t tried on but he guaranteed was “the one”.

27 October and I was asked to help out a local band at a contest on 31 October – apparently the wife of the guy they had lined up to play was having a mastectomy the day before the contest – couldn’t really refuse could I! So I turned up to a rehearsal the night before the contest wearing my new wig and no-one batted an eyelid. Must have been good (or they were too polite to say anything).

So Halloween, not something I “celebrate” and I am at the barbers first thing in the morning before leaving for the band contest having my head shaved by a pregnant witch.

This weekend we were going to go to the band contest to have a listen this time (I played for them again last year and won!) and to go and see my mum for the weekend. However a telephone call from my daughter wanting to come home put paid to that. We have not seen her since she left for uni. She came home 2 weeks ago but we were away in Yorkshire so didn’t see her. (We were going to go to Carcassonne in France but, unfortunately, due to the devastating floods they had there we did not feel it appropriate to go).