Patkid Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 Ohhhh........ we get it now............. When they say you lose your hair........... YOU LOSE YOUR HAIR Brian thought he was being pro active by visiting his barber when the clumps started coming out. He got a "marine do". HOWEVER All the little hairs still kept coming out...........and now they were "bristly" and "itchy" and all over his clothes, his pillow, his ball cap..........his chair.......... (he told me I should have opted for a poodle...........) We ended up putting a dining room chair in front of the TV and, while Bri watched his driver, Dale Jarrett, get caught speeding on pit road during the Nascar Race, I shaved his head. We managed to laugh and Bri quoted all the loving messages that were left for us when we first posted about his hair. It feels so good to have people "GET YOU" and understand your feelings. Thank you Thank you Thank you Pat and Brian (who looks really just fine with NO HAIR.......) Bless his heart and Bless all of yours'............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 Hey, Pat, Shaving the head may not have been the best thing. There is a chance that Brian will develop something called Folliculitis, which is an inflammation of the hair follicle. If he starts to develop hard, painful, raised, red bumps on his scalp contact his Oncologist right away. Hope this bypasses him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patkid Posted March 20, 2005 Author Share Posted March 20, 2005 YIKES ..................I had no idea............................I am going to pray that God will make up for my stupidity w/ grace and take care of Bri. I am stunned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remembering Dave Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 Dave shaved his head as soon as he started losing his hair - actually he went to a hair cuttery and had them do it - he didn't want to have "chemo hair" - and everything was fine, no problem with the scalp. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogfam Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 My mom just lost her hair too. It was hard seeing her for the first time yesterday with out a scarf or anything, but I reassured her that she's still beautiful and always will be. This has been the hardest part so far for her. But, God is good, and His grace is sufficient, always. Prayers for you and brian. Keep the faith. Christy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAnn Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Speaking of hair (or the lack thereof) I actually have a "little" (and I mean little!) bit of fuzz coming in! I am really happy to see those little guys, every one of them! I haven't had hair for almost 6 months, was getting ready to give up on it, but now that it has made it's re-appearance I couldn't be happier! (Although I'm still funny looking ) Hair is the least of our worries....... TAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieLR Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Oh, I'm not sure if we mentioned... Wait till you see what you may end up with when it comes back! I used to be dishwater blonde with TOTALLY straight, limp hair. I'm not sure what to call what I have now. Hey, it's hair! It's much more coarse, black with a ton of grey & get this... CURLY! Hair is like a box of chocolates! Take care, Melanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geri Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I too shaved my head at the get go......my daughter asked me to please leave the kitchen as I was leaving hair everywhere! I had already decided that the mangy dog look was not for me and didn't look back at all. I went the wig and hat route and hated both so decided that if my family didn't have a problem with my bald head the rest of the world would have to make do. I went through a New England winter with no hair and no hat. I had lost silver straight hair and it grew back grayer and curly, when it was growing again I saw the back of my head on a very humid day.... I decided that I resembled our friends gray poodle after a haircut! Talk about Jean Harlow waves. I now have my silver straight hair again and it's much more trouble than washing my head every day! Stay strong, it's only hair and it will grow again. Take care Geri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBeth Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Dear Pat & Brian, Yeah, it's just hair and when you put it into perspective with everything else that is going on, it seems pretty insignificant. I personally think that my bald husband looks gorgeous, but it was a little startling when it first began to fall out. We had to shave his head for his first brain surgery and just as it was growing back, he began to loose it from the chemo. We woke up in a really upscale casino/hotel where we were celebrating our anniversary and it was ALL OVER the pillow. We were checking out that morning and we still laugh and wonder what the maid must have thought about that. The second time he lost it (from WBR), we were on a flight home from Disneyworld and when we got up from our seats to get off the flight, it was all over the back of his seat. TAnn...I think you endured your WBR just a week or so prior to Bill's and he is just beginning to get some fuzz again too. The weird thing is that the hair is coming back very thick and dark in some areas and thin and grey in others. I'm voting for the bald look again, but whatever, he looks GREAT to me! Hang in there Brian and I hope the scalp rash bypasses you...we have never had any problems and Bill has shaved his head several times. Love and prayers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justakid Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I did the same thing. When I had surgery I had hair all the way down my back, I had it cut up to my ears in anticipation of it all falling out. Plus I didn't want my 8yr old to freak when it went from real long to bald (figured stages were better) Once the hair started to come out in handfuls (all over!), we shaved my head to the Marine do.......but it still kept coming. We pulled out the razor. I did develop a rash all over my scalp. I talked to my (worthless Oncologist at the time - I've changed Docs since then) and she said don't shave your head again (thank for the help). Anyway, I used a cortisone cream and it cleared up. Luckily I didn't have to shave it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe B Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I, too, shaved my head when it started falling out.... I didn't have any problems with my scalp as a a result. Brian should be A-OK. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patkid Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 Thank you for the words of support. This whole thing is awful enough without feeling like I did something to sabatage our efforts. We will get through this...........the learning curve is rather steep. Thank you for being here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Pat, My apologies if my sharing a potential adverse effect of head shaving upset you. I thought about not saying anything...but then I thought about all of the people I've know in the real world who did develop Folliculitis and decided that forewarned was forearmed. It isn't so common in those who use an electric razor and have a buzz or military type haircut. I was told that between the depressed immune system and the tiny cuts and irritations to the skin that occur when someone shaves using a razor blade it puts them at risk for this infection. And I found out the hard way that even if you do have your hair cut in a buzz cut using an electric razor you can still end up with Folliculitis. At any rate, I hope Brian doesn't have any problems at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Duplicate Post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patkid Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 Fay, No need to apologize..................I am new to all this and appreciate any input or advice. Thanks for caring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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