Chemotherapy and Hairloss

Every cancer survivor has their share of war stories, but women deal with the complications of cancer treatment in different ways.  For starters, women have a much harder time with losing their hair than men do.  In fact, many women start shopping for cancer wigs and chemo hats before they even get a second opinion.  Blame the media or Hollywood, but we women are obsessed with our appearance – especially our hair!

 

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, chances are you are facing a flood of new emotions and fears about the outcome. Depending on the stage of your cancer and the treatment your oncologist recommends, you could become emotionally overwhelmed before treatment begins. The truth is, many people experience minimal discomfort during chemotherapy, and are even able to continue with work and family activities. Even if you are prone to “chemotherapy sickness” anxiety may still be your worst enemy.

Other than the word cancer, the word chemotherapy is perhaps one of the scariest words in the English language.  While chemotherapy is commonly associated with cancer hair loss and uncomfortable side effects, chemotherapy is still the most common forms of cancer treatment.  Hair loss, pain, loss of energy and nausea are just a few of the symptoms that chemotherapy patients complain about, but hair loss is one of the most noticeable signs of chemotherapy treatment, and it can be particularly devastating for women.

Is it possible to avoid the need for chemotherapy during cancer treatment?

When faced with the reality of chemotherapy, many cancer patients are drained and weary.  Activities need to be cut back considerably, and a comfortable bed is more welcome than ever at the end of each day.  Chemotherapy hair loss, fatigue and a general feeling of malaise replace a waning vitality, which can make many cancer patients wonder if life will ever return to normal.

As a patient dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy, it is now clear why so many cancer survivors recommend buying a cancer wig or cancer headscarf before treatment begins.  This is not a time to be taking on any new challenges but rest assured, it will end, and when it does, there are some steps one can take to promote hair growth.

As a woman facing hair loss due to chemotherapy treatment, finding the right cancer wig or headscarf is probably at the top of your “to do” list.  Cancer-related hair loss is probably more traumatic for women than all of the other chemo side effects combined.

Let’s face it; chemotherapy is designed to do one thing – kill cancer cells.  Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs cannot tell the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells, so it will also eliminate every other fast-growing cell in your body.  This includes hair and blood cells too.

Each chemotherapy drug works differently to target the growth patterns of cancer cells, so it is hard to say how long it will take to lose your hair.  Being prepared with a cancer wig that you love will help you get through this stressful time much more easily.

If you know any woman currently undergoing chemo, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - 1 time per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service.

This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women. It’s our job to pass the word and let them know that there are people out there that care. Be a blessing to someone and pass this information along.

Here is the link:  http://www.cleaningforareason.org

We found this Breast cancer awareness video on Youtube and had to share it with our web visitors.  The note below is from Ann Somers.  Enjoy!

Our daughter-in-law, Emily Somers, created, directed and choreographed this in Portland last week for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves. I don't know how she got so many employees, doctors and patients to participate, but it started to really catch on and they all had a lot of fun doing it.

When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. 
 Please check it out. It's an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer?

Ann Somers

Last week we took a look at the hows and whys of keeping your job while undergoing Chemotherapy. While it's important to understand your motivations, it's equally important to understand the legal climate in which you work. The law contains some specific provisions relation to workers suffering from chronic illnesses. We take a look at them in this article. There are three applicable laws that treat with illnesses and disabilities. The Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Worker's Compensation Act.

Once a person has been diagnosed with cancer, they may have to learn to live with the side effects of chemotherapy treatment for a while. After the initial shock and the whirlwind of tests and consultations has passed, it's time to cope with the consequences of chemotherapy treatment. One such effect is undoubtedly the decision of whether or not to continue with their job. There are several dynamics at work here. A lot depends on whether the person is married or has a partner who can support them, or whether children are involved.  There are considerations other than financial ones. In this article, we take a look at the pros and cons of keeping your job while undergoing chemotherapy and what can be done to work with it.

There are several organizations that aim to help those with cancer in one way or another. Just about every one of them is a non profit organization. While this doesn't mean that they're unprofessional - far from it - it does mean that they rely solely on the goodwill and help that people give them, apart from whatever government grants they can garner.