After I bought chemotherapy to deal with my breast most cancers, I misplaced my hair. I made a decision to not put on a wig.

• After I bought breast most cancers for the second time, I needed to get chemotherapy.
• I wore a chilly cap all through my therapies, however I nonetheless skilled hair loss.
• I made a decision to embrace the adjustments to my look and opted to not put on a wig.

I used to be identified with breast most cancers for the second time on the precipice of summer time. First I had two surgical procedures, which fortunately rendered me NED: no proof of illness. Nevertheless, as a result of it was my second breast-cancer battle in 4 years, my oncologists decided that I ought to proceed with chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy.

Like many most cancers sufferers, I used to be terrified to lose my hair. I made a decision to look into methods to mitigate the injury completed by chemotherapy.

I attempted chilly capping and bought a pretreatment haircut

I researched chilly capping, a method to cut back hair loss by carrying a temperature-controlled cap throughout a chemotherapy infusion and thus proscribing blood move to hair follicles. I purchased cold-pack migraine caps to put on throughout my therapies in hopes of preserving a few of my strands.

I additionally lower my hair quick earlier than beginning chemo. On the similar time, my second baby determined to chop off her waist-long hair, donating it to a company that makes and offers wigs to kids who’ve skilled hair loss.

I proceeded to have 12 chemotherapy infusions, as soon as every week, from April to July. We stay within the Midwest, and our summers can get scorching. I made up my thoughts: There was no method I might put on a wig, due to the warmth.

Round week six of chemo, midway via my therapies, my hair began falling out. I discovered hair in my bathtub after I soaked my aching muscular tissues. There was hair on my pillowcase. I shampooed my hair solely each few days as an alternative of each day, and I combed it as soon as a day. I wanted to depart nicely sufficient alone. The extra the hair was manipulated, the extra that got here out.

Between weeks six and 12 of my chemo routine, I misplaced about 60% of my hair. I wished to cease chilly capping, however my oncologist inspired me to maintain going. Sitting in a chemo chair for an hour with ice on my scalp was uncomfortable, particularly paired with having to put on ice gloves and socks to forestall chemo-induced neuropathy. My physician stated that even when I did lose most or all of my hair, by chilly capping my hair might develop again sooner.

So I stored on, week after week. The shedding continued, particularly after I was outdoors with my youngsters and there was a breeze. My hair was fragile and gentle, reminding me of a child chick.

I embraced my hair loss and accepted myself for the place I used to be in my therapeutic

Because the temperature climbed, I cared much less and fewer about concealing my thinning, patchy hair. Even my eyebrows and eyelashes have been mainly nonexistent at this level. Chemo-induced zits lined my face. Even when I might lined my hair with a beanie or a wig, they would not have hidden the truth that I used to be a most cancers affected person. Nothing about my look was because it had been.

I practiced what my therapist taught me: radical acceptance. It was so releasing to embrace the state of affairs for precisely what it was, and even because the chemo coursed via my veins and brought about negative effects together with digestive points, pores and skin rashes, and fatigue, I nonetheless felt like my genuine self. I understood it was a privilege to be at the most effective cancer-treatment facilities within the nation. This wasn’t poisonous positivity; somewhat, I checked out my most cancers journey as a possibility to heal.

I perceive why some most cancers sufferers select to put on wigs and caps. For me, concealing that I had most cancers was merely an excessive amount of work. A wig would not assist me really feel “regular” after I was coping with a number of negative effects of my therapies. I made a decision to simply let it occur. Although I did not really feel engaging in line with society’s requirements, I discovered that being alive was essentially the most lovely present of all.