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06-26-2007, 08:14 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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Before chemo I had thick, brown hair with some gray and lots of wave. After chemo it came back curly in the back (very curly - looked like a perm) and wavy and thick everywhere else. Since a few haircuts and highlights the curl is gone. (also hardly any gray at all) I still have lots of hair (meaning thick) but my hair is pretty straight now. Especially on the top. But that's ok. Like lots of others said I have hair, so who's complaining? Like I always tell people, "since being bald there is no such thing as a bad hair day anymore." Hahahahahahahaha!
Mary Jo
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
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06-26-2007, 09:08 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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OK, time for the the hairdresser here to weigh in...
Treatment of cancer with drugs may cause apparent complete hair loss. This is because these drugs are designed to kill cancer cells, which are cells that are growing out of control. Other cells that are growing very actively may be affected too: these may include cells in the bowel lining and also in hair follicles. This leads to a 'break' in growth and an inherent weakness. Often, once the drugs are stopped, the patient's hair starts to grow back, but when it reaches the surface it tends to break. The hair that subsequently grows may look quite different from the old. This is because the growth patterns of the sensitive cells of the hair bulb may still be upset by the effects of the drug.
So essentially, it takes time for the inherent weakness/cell sensitivity caused by the chemo to be reversed. It is like baby hair, starting all over again... and immature hair (baby hair) is inherently weaker and often extremely unruly/curly... and that combined with pissed off, sensitive chemo terrorized cells makes for interesting hair regrowth patterns. Over time as the drugs make their way out of the body and the hair starts to mature, it becomes stronger and often reverts back to hair as usual for most of us.
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Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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06-27-2007, 10:37 AM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Rowlett, TX
Posts: 138
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I LOVE the image of "pissed off, sensitive chemo terrorized cells" (*laugh*) . Thanks.... (Sure describes my fingernails to a T)
__________________
Janet in Rowlett Texas
Dx July 2006 IDC 1.8cm, ER-/PR- HER2+ (FISH 7), KI67 High (60%) grade 3, TOPO II neg
Aug2006: lumpectomy, SNB (4 nodes neg), Stage 1
Jan 2007: Finished 6 cycles of TCH (Taxotere, Carboplatin, Her ceptin). Then Herceptin every 3 weeks.
Feb 2007: Completed Radiation
May 2007: Stopped Herceptin due to low LVEF (49%)
July 2007: LVEF now 44% -- starting Coreg
May 2008: Heart NORMAL! Yippee.
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06-27-2007, 11:22 AM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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chemo curls disappeared with my first haircut a year after my last chemo treatment. Hair back to what it was like before!
__________________
Suzan W.
age 54 at diagnosis
5/05 suspicious mammogram-left breast
5/05 biopsy-invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS,8mm tumor,stage 1 grade 2, ER+ PR+ Her2+++
6/14/05 bilateral mastectomy, node neg. all scans neg.
Oncotype DX-high risk
8/05-10/05 4 rounds A/C
10/05 -10/06 1 yr. herceptin
arimidex-5 years
2/14/08 started daily self administered injections..FORTEO for severe osteoporosis
7/28/09 BRCA 1 negative BRCA2 POSITIVE
8/17/09 prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy
10/15/10 last FORTEOinjection
RECLAST infusion(ostoeporosis)
6/14/10 5 year cancerversary!
8/2010-18%increase in bone density!
no further treatments
Oncologist says, "Go do the Happy Dance"
I say,"What a long strange trip its been"
'One day at a time'
6-14-2015. 10 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!
7-16 to 9-16. Extensive (and expensive) dental work done to save teeth. Damage from osteoporosis and chemo and long term bisphosphonate use
6-14-16. 11 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
7-20-16 Prolia injection for severe osteoporosis
2 days later, massive hive outbreak. This led to an eventual dx of Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria, an auto-immune disease from HELL.
6-14-17 12 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
still suffering from CIU. 4 hospitilizations in the past year
as of today, 10-31-17 in remission from CIU and still, CANCER FREE!!!
6-14-18 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! NED!!
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06-27-2007, 08:50 PM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 715
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fun subject and "sad" party....read last paragraph
I am having fun with my curls. I have never had curly hair before chemo. My last chemo was Aug 06. I keep it short and fluffy. I am sad to say that I think the right-hand side is starting to go back to my normal, stick-straight. I look a little lop-sided right now (my hair, not my perfectly matched breast prosthesis).
I, too, am happy to have hair and happy to be here.
Sunday we attended a beautiful party for a dear girlfriend (age 52) that invited 170 friends to say "goodbye." I had never been to something like this. There was so much love under the outdoor tent, that we were all honored to be invited. She has fought pancreatic cancer for 14 months and her team of doctors said there is not much else they can offer her.
She was beautiful and fun. Her husband was a fantastic host. I do not know how they had the courage to do this, but you could tell they were pleased with the opportunity to be with all their friends and share the love and support from us and from God. The invitation said, "sorry for the short notice on the celebration party.....we think God has planned a different future for Emily."
I still pray for miracles for everyone who needs one.
Catherine
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Catherine
Found my own lump in the shower
April 2006 at the age of 58
Stage IIB, ER- PR- HER2+++ multi focal tumors, largest 2.3cm
Chemo first: AC/Taxol over 16 weeks
Bilateral mastectomy Sep 06
33 rads after the surgery
1 year of Herceptin completed Dec 07
15 years and no recurrence as of April 2021
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06-28-2007, 12:21 AM
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#26
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Posts: 1,867
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Hi!
It has been 1 1/2 months since my very last chemo treatment. There seems to be quite a bit of hair growing back, but it is only about 1/16th inch long so way to early to determine if it is straight or curly. My head looks like a huge dark 5 o'clock shadow around my head, but I can still see my scalp. It is getting very warm and humid over here in Hawaii and I wish I had enough guts to go public with my head bare because it would feel so much better then the wig, scarfs and caps in this weather. My head is shaped REALLY funny in the back so no way can I go public bare-headed.
Maryanne
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*** MARYANNE *** aka HARRIECANARIE
1993: right side DCIS, lumpectomy, rads
1999: left side DCIS, lumpectomy, rads, tamoxifen
2006:
BRCA 2 positive
Stage I, invasive DCIS (6mm x 5mm)
Grade: intermediate
sentinal node biopsy: neg
HER2/neu amplified 4.7
ER+/PR+
TOPO II neg
Oncotype dx 20
Bilat mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction
oophorectomy
2007:
6 cycles TCH (taxotere, carboplatin, herceptin)
finished 1 yr herceptin 05/07
Arimidex, stopped after almost 1 yr
Femara
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06-28-2007, 02:54 AM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: London, England
Posts: 96
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Paulie Walnuts
Hi Chelee
I'm behind you in terms of where I'm up to with treatment, and have enjoyed smiling and laughing along with everyone's comments so far. Great response! And so nice to have a bit of a lighter topic. My hair was shoulder-length, thick, brown and wavy before chemo fallout. Now, 7 months after finishing chemo, it's curly, very dark brown but with more grey.
Depending on the weather, the look varies from mad professor to quite cute, or Paulie Walnuts, my husband called it, referring to the new streak of grey at the front.
__________________
Caroline
Diag. March 10th 2006, aged 46.
Invasive ductal carcinoma, 2cm + multifocal. Stage 2, Grade 3
HER2+++, ER+/PR+
Right mast. May 2006. 6 of 20 nodes positive
FEC x 4, taxotere x 4; port implanted after 6 cycles
Rads x 25
1 year of Herceptin ended Nov 07.
Arimidex 5 years
Considering reconstruction, maybe soon...
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07-11-2007, 10:26 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 144
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Funny, I had curly, I mean curly like people always asked if I had a perm before chemo. Now my hair is straight as a board. And I've been off chemo for 2 years!
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