Celebration | Anniversary

Bella1819

13 years

827sweetp

thanks for your response. yes i am 61 years old. I am trying to figure out how to change my age on my profile. Yes Chemo is rough . my hair is starting to fall out. so much to cope with it seems overwhelming at times.

Lynne-I-Am

Totally agree, there is a lot to cope with. I found it very difficult when my hair started falling out, after all we ladies take great care with our hair and it is a good part of our overall appearance. At first I bought a nightcap so I did not get hair all over as it was shedding. Two months after starting freshmen though I thought enough was enough. It was Christmas Eve and my husband and I were visiting my daughter and her family when I asked my son in-law to shave my head. Beforhand I went into the bathroom, looked at myself in the mirror and thought “ this is one more thing Cancer is taking from me”. I cried, because I felt my old self was disappearing. Then he shaved my head. Surprisingly I had a sense of freedom. I had made a choice and made the decision. I had always worn hats periodically when out and about, now I just stepped that up a notch. Surprising how cold your head gets when you are bald. My husband also shaved his head. I posted our couples bald photo in front of the Christmas tree here on WhatNext that year. Dealing with the thinning hair is a very personal choice. Some ladies never shave their hair and choose to wear scarfs or caps when out, others shave their heads and wear nothing. You choose what fits you. Your hair will grow back after frontline chemo is finished it just takes a few months. Mine came in very curly at first.


When I was diagnosed I was very sick. I had been misdiagnosed for seven months. My abdomen was full of ascites and I was having a hard time breathing. On top of all of this, my gp gave me up to two years to live after looking at my CT scan. I AM STILL HERE! I took a mild anti anxiety medication which helped me through the chemo. My husband and children gave me strong support throughout but the extra support I received from the other survivors on WhatNext meant so much too.

Consider keeping an open line with other survivors either with a local support group or here online. I have met and talked to many survivors these past five years and they continue to give me the emotional support all of us need. You can talk to any WhatNexter on their walls. The higher the numerical number beside their names the more active they are on the site. Being able to talk to someone about your fears, being able to vent, just sharing experiences with someone who has been there is a comfort.