Thank you all again from Laura Update on DICE T... - My Ovacome

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Thank you all again from Laura Update on DICE Trial

Lindaura profile image
42 Replies

Thanks to you all for your encouragement and the new reminder to all of us to NOT suffer in silence, but to let our CNS or our Chemo team know if we are not managing under our side effects.

Today I am including a photo of my temporary image, as my lovely blonde locks are deserting me rapidly.

This is delighting my daughter as it serves to demonstrate that even though I did not have my third Taxol infusion, it is obviously still working it’s magic.

I do feel a lot stronger and a lot hungrier! Went to my local hospital for bloods and walked all around, unaided!

QUESTION: as my hair falls out, the back of my skull feels sore. I feel as if my scalp was bruised. As if someone hit me with an iron while I was sleeping.

Otherwise, I feel pretty good.

Anyone else experience this?

Hugs to everyone,

Laura

PS: I AM going to go for the cold cap next time!

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Lindaura profile image
Lindaura
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42 Replies

Looking fabulous! glad to hear you are feeling better. x

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply to

Thanks Lyn,

Pixie cut will last a few more days I think..,

Hugs,

Laura

in reply toLindaura

I found wigs too uncomfortable to wear all day so kept them for going out in the evening, during the day at home I wore a selection of scarves, annabandana.co.uk/ were very reasonable, I also re-discovered baker boy hats which I love, blast from my past!! xx

Vicx1977 profile image
Vicx1977

Aww you look lovely Laura, you have such a positive outlook on life. You are giving so many of us lots of hope. Lots of love, vickie x

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toVicx1977

Thanks, Viv,

Such a strange trip we are in. Our journeys are all different and the same, diverse, yet similar, but we never can be certain about what awaits us.

Not an exact science for our doctors either..

Hugs,

Laura

Beauxbelle profile image
Beauxbelle

Dear Laura,

Having been with Vicki on most of her treatments I wouldn’t do the cold cap. In most cases that I have seen, most people lose their hair anyway and the cold cap is both uncomfortable and painful. That is just what I have seen and spoken to various people about.

But it is your choice when all said and done. This is just my opinion on what I have seen and heard.

Love and hugs to you on your on going journey through this awful disease.

Barbara (Yoshbosh’s Mum)

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toBeauxbelle

Thanks for that. I shall keep it under my hat. It was just more heartbreaking than I thought it would be to see it go. And the mess!

Hugs,

Laura

So happy to see your smiling face. I was just beginning to worry why we hadn't heard from you. Looking surprisingly good after your gruelling ordeal. Who needs hair! Easy for me to say as I haven't lost mine yet. Its thinning a little but I bought wig this week in readiness. Had a tough week with carbo/caelyx but good advice from my chemo team re anti sickness tablets and laxatives worked. I was told to triple both and it worked within a day. Needless to say I didn't move far from the bathroom.

All the best for your next infusion.

My love to you,

Angela xx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toGemimablackvelvet

Oh yes, that’s how I found out about emend!

I did keep my hair on Caelyx.

Probably why i am so bummed to lose it now.

Two years of lovely blonde hair, literally down the drain!

Hugs,

Laura

Manchesterlady profile image
Manchesterlady

Lovely to see you . You look fantastic. You are a very inspirational lady . So pleased that your feeling better and stronger xxx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toManchesterlady

Thanks, Sheila,

And I am so hungry now!

Amazing!

Hugs,

Laura

delia2 profile image
delia2

Great picture! Glad your spirits are up. You look gorgeous! Take care!💕

delia2 profile image
delia2

Also, it is normal for your scalp to hurt when your hair is coming out. Unfortunately mine hurt all through frontline. PS are those records behind you in the picture?

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply todelia2

Thanks, Delia,

Yes, those are records. My husband and I were crazy rock musicians back in the day and those were all the records we listened to.

We don’t even have a record player anymore.

I am living in my husband’s music studio now because it is close to the downstairs loo.

Been here for two years.

Hugs,

Laura

27-359 profile image
27-359

Yes, I had the sore head when on Carbo. It felt like it was at the hair roots. Once all the hair was out, it stopped hurting.

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply to27-359

Thanks so much. That’s a relief.

It didn’t happen to me in first line.

It’s pretty painful if I want to comb out my remaining hair.

Hugs,

Laura

Spirit22 profile image
Spirit22

Glad you are feeling stronger! Lovely picture you are looking fab Xx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toSpirit22

Thanks so much. Feeling better, too.

Hugs,

Laura

LittleSan profile image
LittleSan

So glad you're feeling stronger. It's so gutting losing your hair isn't it? Not to mention the discomfort you're now feeling - the prickly itch of it letting go. I found the loss of my eyelashes awful too. I'm a big mascara fan and even my eyeliner was washing off without the stability of eyelashes. I found a great waterproof eyeliner though and created an illusion of lashes by putting dark eyeshadow just in the far corner of my eyelid. I can't tell you how pleased I am that I can put mascara on the stubby lashes that are now growing back - I'm looking more like me! Shallow as it sounds in this complex and often traumatic world of OC, its so important to recognise myself when I look in the mirror!

Keep reminding yourself that it's just temporary and you will get your gorgeous blonde locks back. Keep on keeping on. Love and strength to you.

Sandra 💐😘

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toLittleSan

Thanks, Sandra,

Yes, just when I began to get comfortable with the new me!

I guess I was foolishly hoping that weekly Taxol would not be the same, but hey?

It is!

Toxic taxol.

Hugs,

Laura

Jud15 profile image
Jud15

So good to see you looking so good and feeling much much better. I had real pain in my roots with my hair loss from taxol but as someone else has said once it had gone so had the pain. But I've always had a sensitive scalp so may have been me.

Jx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toJud15

I guess it wasn’t just you. My head must have been a lot harder last time.

Good to know that no ones been beating me in the head in the middle of the night!

Hugs,

Laura

ellseybellsey profile image
ellseybellsey

Laura you do look lovely and I am happy to hear you are feeling stronger and better still you are feeling hungry. I had a very sore head when my hair fell out on both chemo lines, I used rub alovera into my scalp and that did help.

Ellsey xx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toellseybellsey

Thanks for the tip,

I will try that!

Hugs,

Laura

Eriksendi profile image
Eriksendi

My scalp also hurt when my hair came out with taxol. I rubbed organic coconut oil on my scalp and that kept it nice - no problems! Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better. Sending hugs x

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toEriksendi

Thanks for that.

Good to know my scalp is normal!

Hugs,

Laura

Neona profile image
Neona

Lovely photo! I used the coldcap and thought it was well worth the effort. Only hurt for a couple of minutes and was reasonably comfortable after that. Kept about half my hair and looked pretty normal except very thin on crown where the cap didn’t fit properly.

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toNeona

Thanks for that.

I guess my jury is still out on the cold cap.

I can’t really cope with the shedding either...

Did it still fall out in handfuls?

Hugs,

Laura

Alifit profile image
Alifit

Hi Laura

I’m so pleased that you are in a better place than you were. I’ve just finished 18 weekly taxol and have still got hair. It stopped coming out at around 10 weeks but is now falling out more quickly. My head does hurt - I guess it’s because the follicles are somehow damaged by the chemo. I decided against the cold cap partly due to the discomfort, but mostly due to the extra time which would be added to my already tedious time having the taxol and associated meds to prevent an allergic reaction!

Good luck with your continuing treatment, Ali x

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toAlifit

Yup!

That is the extra problem. We are already devoting so much time to treatment, and so much of our treatment makes us feel awful, it’s hard to choose something that adds to our discomfort.

Still, I might change my mind..,

Hugs,

Laura

Solange profile image
Solange

Hi Laura. I definitely had the same sort of feeling on my head when I lost my hair on Chemo. I also had a very tender scalp at a certain time on each cycle. Never heard from anyone else feeling the same, though, so it's good to know I'm not alone experiencing a tender bruised feeling. Fingers crossed your treatment will do it's job. I do admire the new look on your photo.

Love from Solange. 😊Xx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toSolange

Hi Solange,

My hair is falling even more rapidly today, and my sore head is healing now, and feeling less bruised.

I am trying to decide if I should wear a wig to my next appointment.

I hate to appear enfeebled, even when I am, and the hairlessness kind of adds to that.

Well, I still have two days to decide...

Hugs,

Laura

Solange profile image
Solange in reply toLindaura

You've reminded me of when I was on Chemo a couple of years back and I had to go to have an op on my paralysed vocal cord. (Second attempt and both failed - permanently hard to speak loud enough to be heard) The day before I had to go to hospital my hair, which was unlayered and nearly down to my shoulders at the back and a bit shorter, flicked back at the sides, started to come out in earnest. (I'd been too cowardly to have it shaved off) So when I went to hospital the next day it was pretty messy. When I got into theatre I had to warn the staff not to worry if the cap they put on me fell off, or if they took it off, and it was full of my hair, not to worry. We had a laugh and then sympathy, about it but it made me decide it was time to cut it all off when back at home! I do feel for you.

Hope all goes well for you. Love, Solange 😊

sticky3006 profile image
sticky3006

Hello Laura. Thank you for your update and I’m so pleased you’re feeling a bit brighter and well in yourself. Take care and keep us updated 😃. Sticky 3006 xx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply tosticky3006

Thanks, Sticky,

Being off infusion is kind of wonderful, but it is probably giving me a false sense of better health.

I get a scan in one month, so that will help.

But right now, I wait Til Monday to see if I return to London on Tuesday.

Hugs,

Laura

sticky3006 profile image
sticky3006 in reply toLindaura

Good luck. Will be thinking of you x

Harrygirl profile image
Harrygirl

Hi Laura,

So glad to see you looking well in spite of your ordeals; also glad to hear you have an appetite-I always felt things were more bearable when I fancied eating, don't ask why!

As far as the scalp, mine was sore throughout first line Taxol/Carboplatin, although it was less tender when my hair was totally out. I did make sure I washed it with a very gentle body wash from Shea Moisture with 3-6-9 omegas and moisturized it with almond oil after every shower. Keeping my scalp in good condition helped it not feel so sensitive. Some people recommended Vit E oil too; either way, good scalp care helps decrease soreness if not making it totally resolve.

I wish you continued good spirits and stamina! You are one gutsy lady!

Big hugs,

Christine xx

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toHarrygirl

Thanks, Christine,

Today even more hair has fled and I have taken out a blonde wig that my husband loves, but my daughter loathes.

I have also quickly ordered a couple from eBay, which may get here tomorrow, but probably won’t. The current wig I am wearing makes me look like a country singer, so I don’t mind it.

Kind of: “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” style...

Hugs,

Laura

Katiebairdie profile image
Katiebairdie

Hi Laura

Glad your feeling so much better. I had 8 rounds of taxol with the cold cap and kept most of my hair, just a bit thin on the crown but I became very adept at comb overs. Had almost 3 months break and now back for the next 8. I’ve had the first 2, again with the cold cap.

It is painful for about five minutes and then it settles down. I take the opportunity to read a book and play on my iPad without feeling guilty.

Good luck this week whatever you decide.

Lindaura profile image
Lindaura in reply toKatiebairdie

Thanks for that.

Fortunately, I now have about a year before I have to deal with hair loss again.? And 6 months of baldness facing me now.

Ouch!

Hugs,

Laura

jools53 profile image
jools53

Amazing lady ! Looking good girl 😘😘😘

Wonder Woman xx

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