As many of you might know, I am now half-way through chemotherapy treatment. I have had three rounds with three more to go, at the end of which I hope to be given a clean bill of health. I will know more at the beginning of May because I have a mid-cycle PET scan scheduled for April 30, and I’m looking forward to seeing if my lights have dimmed (lit-up areas in a PET scan indicate areas of concern; less light, less concern!).
Side effects are part of any treatment regimen, as we all know. I have a few. Hair loss is the most noticeable. I have lost about ¾ of my hair. It fell out in fistfuls after the first round of chemotherapy but slowed after the second round. My hair is incredibly thin now, but I haven’t reached a point where I want to shave my head. I keep it covered because it keeps my head warm and because, frankly, I don’t like how it looks. But I’m not upset about it. Hair loss indicates that the treatment is doing what it is supposed to do. I might have what little hair I have left trimmed to be shorter so that, once my hair starts growing back in, it might not look so ghastly. (more…)
