Chemo Without Losing Your Hair!?!?

I had heard about these when I was in chemo - cooling caps to prevent hair loss. They were knew and being tested and not really available. Now new research shows that wearing a cooling cap seems to prevent hair loss for most patients during chemo for breast cancer. Sounds easy doesn't it? No pills, no real side effects. I could wear a hat during chemo easy, peasy.

I think (based on what I have heard and am not sure I remember all the details correctly) that patients wear a cooling cap during their chemo session and then keep it on for another 45 minutes or so. Small studies have shown that women who wear the cooling cap, lose less or very little hair than the women who don't wear a cooling cap.

Currently there is one cooling cap approved for use in the US and another under review by the FDA. Sounds cool, literally. The way they work is that they cool the scalp to around 37F and slow down the cell division process during chemo:

"Researchers don't know exactly how the cooling caps work. One theory is that cooling constricts the blood vessels in the scalp, slowing the circulation and thereby reducing the amount of toxins to which hair follicles are exposed.

Or it may be that cold slows the growth of hair follicles, making them less susceptible to damage from chemotherapy, which targets rapidly dividing cells.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, says it could be that "by slowing down those cells whatever mechanism it may be — either starving their blood flow or slowing them down straightforwardly — the net effect is beneficial, causing hair not to fall out.""

But of course there is a small snag with this:

"While chilling the scalp may seem to carry few risks, Lichtenfeld says there is a theoretical risk that inhibiting the effect of chemotherapy in the scalp could allow metastases to take hold there."

So hmmm.... Maybe not so much.

Okay, so I like the idea that you can go through chemo for breast cancer and not lose your hair. Losing your hair is so emotionally damaging. Believe me I hated losing my hair. There are no pictures of me bald - I made sure of that. I still don't think I have emotionally adapted to it still.

But if there is the potential that you could get mets to your head as a result? I am not sure I would be comfortable with that. I know people who have gotten mets in their skull so its not that out there. And they are so new that there is no long term research to show this.

So there is a downside. I would have to think about this seriously and look at more research before I would be comfortable with this.

A long hair story

Finally, nearly three years after cutting it all off, my hair is at that stage where it is annoyingly long. Post chemo I have been getting hair cuts every 8 weeks to allow growing time between. I have reduced the amount of time to 7 weeks recently and now am 1.5 weeks from my next hair cut and its driving me CRAZY!!!! Its okay in the front but in the back and the sides, its driving me crazy... Its too long to ignore but its sticks out and is too short to pull up. Grrr.... But that's a happy grr because I have been waiting for this for a LONG time. I would rather be aggravated than bald.

The solution for hair issues

You get cancer, you have chemo, you lose your hair, you wear a wig, and wait FOREVER to have your hair grow back. Forget it, I have a new solution. Research should be done to figure out how to add automatic hair growing to the equation. This could be done something like the old Crissy dolls from the 1960's. These were the ones where you could automatically grow your doll's hair from short to long just by turning the dial on her back. Then we wouldn't have this long waiting period of getting our hair back to its desired length. This is called 'creative thinking' or 'thinking outside the box'. If someone could figure this out, they could get very rich.

Okay, enough thinking for today. I still have my cold. My back still hurts. My husband is home sick another day. However I do feel somewhat better and will actually attempt a walk with a friend outside today. Maybe some fresh air will help. Well, that's the idea anyway. I also have some work I have to finish and some errands to run. Today is errand running day. Tomorrow, believe it or not, is another snow storm. We live in the 9+ inches area. Too bad I can't shovel. I am so upset. However my extreme supervisory skills will kick in and I will make sure my husband handles snow removal correctly.

Yesterday I did go to the gym, work from home, and go to work. Not very exciting but I never claimed to be exciting.

The Two Party System At Home

Well maybe we have the three party system (the cat clearly belongs to the KT (kitty treat) party and is lobbying for the rights of indoor cats - especially to remove the barriers to allow them outside). Last night our one registered Democrat and our one registered Republican decided to watch the Democratic National Convention, together. (This will never happen again.) Our conversation was as follows:

"I'm going to throw up."
"Will you be quiet?"
"He said the exact opposite of that two weeks ago."
"I'm trying to listen to the speeches here."
"That's not a convention - its a rock concert with a few politicians."
"Look, SHUT UP."
And finally, "I'm going upstairs to read so I don't have nightmares." (well, I didn't say the nightmares part but I did think it.)

We had never watched a political convention together before. At the last election, my husband was mobilized in the army and probably conveniently out of town at the time. We will never watch another political convention together again. Its just as bad if we watch local access TV and see town meetings in progress... I think the two of us will unite and work to disband the KT party's efforts instead. And keep our thoughts to ourselves on the presidential race in the interest of pleasant conversation.

In the meantime, yesterday was a VERY frazzling day. I went to work (big mistake) and there were 21 phone messages from one day! It took me an hour to get the 21 messages because the (damn) phone kept ringing and I kept answering it. Then the phone rang nonstop all morning and there was a steady stream of people dropping by to register for classes and ask questions. I ended up staying later than I wanted, got home too late to do the work I needed from home. then I had to rush to go get my nails done because I had forgotten about that appointment. Then we went to pick up our new car. Finally, we settle down to relax and its the damn convention on TV!

Thankfully there are only a few more days for the Republican National Convention (which we wont be watching together in the interest of marital harmony) and then the world of TV watching will return to normal finally. For the past month, it has been Olympics, DNC and then the RNC. All our favorite shows have been reruns. When will the new fall season start? Soon I hope. (See being part of the TV watching problem again...)

Today, I have to work, get my hair cut (didn't forget that appointment), meet a friend for a walk, and then go out to dinner with another friend. I also have work from home for three different groups. Some how I will squish it all in. However, when I am busy and running around I don't get to obsess about the foods I can't eat because of my stupid gall bladder. But a friend yesterday did offer to eat fried foods for me so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Hair update

It was a year ago today that I woke up on the day of my second round of chemo and my hair was falling out. We have since progressed through bald, chia pet, and sheep's butt look onto the poodle look. My grandparents had poodles. They were nice dogs. Probably nicer than sheep but I am not a dog person. The cat likes my hair. But I don't. I need another hair cut. Perhaps all the curly crappy stuff will be cut off and my original hair will begin to return. We shall see.

Yesterday I watched more obscure sports in the Olympics - Dressage. One reason it is so obscure is that the German team has won the all round gold medal 7 Olympics in a row. That means they have won continually since 1984. The Netherlands I think was second. Some American, I wasn't really paying attention, I believe came in 21st.

Don't tell anyone but yesterday I didn't really do any work. I should have worked for about 4 hours but I didn't. I went shopping and organized my office. I also met a friend for coffee and got my nails done. It was sort of a day off. Today now I have lots and lots of work to do.

Darn

I don't think I can pass for 21 with my short hair... Well, maybe its because my new cut is different than 1982. The stylist did point out that now that the back of my neck is exposed, I should make sure I wear sunscreen there for a while as my ponytail was protecting it!

Also, I did want to report that my shoulders are slightly less uneven than previously noted.

Finished HP

Yes, I finished HP VII. No, I won't tell you how it ends. I will say it was very different then the others and it pulls together a lot of stuff that was mentioned in the earlier books so I now I want to reread the rest of them, again.

Off to get a hair cut today. I found a picture of me from 1982 with short hair which I am bringing to ask them to copy. So if you knew me in 1982, I will look the same. (The few gray hairs, laugh lines, and flab will be rendered invisible by my new hair cut and I will look 21 again.)

OMWAH sightings

Over my many recent visits to Lahey and its nice, new (and not free) parking garage, I believe I have discovered the center of the universe for all the OMWAHs out there. First of all, an OMWAH (Old Man With A Hat) is usually seen driving a late model Lincoln or Cadillac approximately 15 MPH under the speed limit, braking often, parking badly and usually blocking a long line of cars. Well the Lahey parking garage seems to be the center of the universe for the OMWAHs of this world. Usually I get stuck behind one as I near the clinic. Then in the parking garage, they brake every time they see someone else's lights - even if it is someone who just pulled into a parking space. They also often go the wrong way through the garage, and make 20 point turns to pull their giant land yachts in to a slot! Tell tale signs are also the multiple dings and dents, and long scrapes down the side of the cars. Not to be sexist, OMWAHs can also be women. Parking can take a great deal of time if you are stuck behind one in the garage.

Anyhow, both of us are more relaxed today, but still freaked out. I have FIVE (count them), five whole days without a Lahey appointment. I almost don't know what to do with my time but I am sure I can find something. This whole thing is just really scary. They say its early, I am young, etc but now as I wait to meet with the doctor again I start to feel like every little ache and pain in my body is related to the cancer and there wont be much they can do.

I have made the decision before I start chemo, I will donate my hair to Locks for Love and then get it cut really short. Poor kitty, he does like to sleep on my hair... He will have to adapt too!