Is Bald Really Beautiful?

Hi Allie,

A diagnosis of IBC is an automatic Stage IIIB.  If the scans
you have prior 
to treatment show any metastasis you are then considered
stage IV.  After 
you have surgery and the doctor gets your pathology report
back he may 
restage you.  My doctor restaged me to stage II.

I started to lose my hair exactly two weeks after the start
of chemo.  The 
gal I bought my wig from suggested that instead of shaving
my head, to pull 
it out.  That way you don't end up with  stubbles.   So, I
went home that 
night, sat in front of the TV and pulled my hair out.  I
must say it didn't 
put up much resistance.  I also must add that looking at
myself in the 
mirror after I had done that made me sick to my stomach. 
First impressions 
are based on appearances.  I've always been very fussy about
my hair.  
Before chemo it was very thick and naturally curly.  Now,
it's thin and 
straight.  It's been quite an adjustment.  But hey, I'm
still here.

Welcome to the group.  I'm glad you found us.

Hugs and Prayers,

Jan     Sandy, OR

Dx'd 02/11/02  53. 4x3 Taxotere. 05/20/02 bi-lateral,
R-prophylactic, 
L-MRM, nodes clean, clear margins. 4x3 FEC, 37 rads with
boosts, ER+, PR+, 
Her2Nue-, Arimidex. Neuropathy in both feet, lymphedema left
arm. NED


>From: "Arlene Griffith" <ma2gram3msn.com>
>Reply-To: allie47mybluelight.com
>To: ibcibcsupport.org
>Subject: [ibc] Is Bald Really Beautiful?
>Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 11:50:50 -0500
>
>Hello everyone:  My name is Allie,  I was diagnosed with
ibc in Oct.  I 
>noticed the ususal symptoms....a red rash on my breast,
a fullness, 
>enlargement of the breast , inverted nipple, itching and
tenderness.  
>Initially my dr. prescribed antibiotics as he suspected
infection, but at 
>the same time he also ordered a mammagram within 72
hours.  It was the 
>mammogram and subsequent ultra-sound that showed the
cancer.  I was told 
>the same day of mammogram and ultra sound that I had
cancer...but I was 
>also scheduled for biopsy two days later which
"officially" diagnosed me.
>
>I feel very lucky in that my surgeon is an Associate
Professor of Surgery 
>at Dartmouth Medical School and she is so on top of
things.  Although the 
>biopsy and follow-up tests did not define my cancer as
ibc...she believed 
>it was and proceeded to treat it as such.  In less than
a month of the 
>mammagram, I had my first chemo treatment.  I am
scheduled for the 2nd one 
>this week.
>
>I was sick for one week following the 1st
chemo....contracted a virus on 
>top of it...but once that passed I felt as good as new. 
It's been 
>difficult for me to accept the reality of this....it
often feels as though 
>it is happening to someone else....but this week has
been a difficult one.  
>I started losing my hair a few days ago....and that has
been a big dose of 
>reality for me.   It's strange...I don't feel bad about
losing a 
>breast....but losing my hair is something else.  I never
thought I was so 
>vain...but I guess I am.  I can't find a scarf or hat or
turban, or 
>anything that makes me feel good...at least not yet. I
got frustrated and 
>cut my hair short the other day....but I'm still
"shedding" big time.  I'm 
>trying to get up the courage to just shave it all off
and get it over 
>with...but as yet haven't been able to do that.
>
>Anyways...my course of treatment is as follows:   4
sessions of  
>chemo...every 3 weeks...then 12 weeks of taxol and
herceptin.  Surgery will 
>follow, then 40 weeks of taxol and herceptin.  Radiation
may or may not be 
>required.
>
>One thing I am concerned about, of course, is what stage
I'm at..and my 
>chances of survival.  My dr. is reluctant to give me an
answer..and wants 
>to wait until the masectomy.  Is that the norm?  I wish
he could be more 
>definative....I read much info on the internet...and it
terrifies me.
>
>  I have a wonderful support system in place....family,
friends, and my 
>boyfriend...the love of my life - Phil.  I am indeed a
very lucky 
>woman....and I am staying as positive as I can.   I have
my "down" days.. 
>but not many of them.
>
>  I just wanted to introduce myself....and tell you how
good it feels to 
>know you are all here.  This is a wonderful site....and
I feel privileged 
>to be amongst so many special "angels".   God
Bless,  Allie
>
>________________________________________________________
_________
>Share your latest news with your friends with the
Windows Live Spaces 
>friends module. 
>http://clk.atdmt.com
/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.
live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=create&wx_url=/friends
.aspx&mk
>
>--
>** List address: ibcibcsupport.org
>** Information - subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, etc.:
>**  http://www.ibcsupport
.org/list/
>** Donations: http://www.i
bcsupport.org/donations.html


-- 
** List address: ibcibcsupport.org
** Information - subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, etc.:
**  http://www.ibcsupport
.org/list/
** Donations: http://www.i
bcsupport.org/donations.html

I Hated my wig at first because it was hot and scratchy.  I
went bald
in the summer when I wasn't working and wore scarves or hats
to keep
my head from getting sunburned when I went out.  At home I
just went
bald a lot of the time.

When I went back to teaching in the fall, I wore my wig to
work, and
soon learned that after a couple of washings it felt much
better.  i
had thought it would be hard to restyle, so I had postponed
washing it
as long as possible.  Now I would advise people to wash the
wig before
you ever wear it.

Losing my hair was a terrible trauma to me, but in a couple
of weeks
being bald didn't bother me much.  I was also surprised that
it didn't
seem to bother my teenaged children until I realized that
they were
used to seeing rock stars, etc. with much stranger hair
styles than I
had.

Phyllis in Concord, NC
Diagnosed in 1998, now well and doing fine

On 12/13/06, Jan Zurfluh <grammyjan6hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Allie,
>
> A diagnosis of IBC is an automatic Stage IIIB.  If the
scans you have prior
> to treatment show any metastasis you are then
considered stage IV.  After
> you have surgery and the doctor gets your pathology
report back he may
> restage you.  My doctor restaged me to stage II.
>
> I started to lose my hair exactly two weeks after the
start of chemo.  The
> gal I bought my wig from suggested that instead of
shaving my head, to pull
> it out.  That way you don't end up with  stubbles.  
So, I went home that
> night, sat in front of the TV and pulled my hair out. 
I must say it didn't
> put up much resistance.  I also must add that looking
at myself in the
> mirror after I had done that made me sick to my
stomach.  First impressions
> are based on appearances.  I've always been very fussy
about my hair.
> Before chemo it was very thick and naturally curly. 
Now, it's thin and
> straight.  It's been quite an adjustment.  But hey, I'm
still here.
>
> Welcome to the group.  I'm glad you found us.
>
> Hugs and Prayers,
>
> Jan     Sandy, OR
>
> Dx'd 02/11/02  53. 4x3 Taxotere. 05/20/02 bi-lateral,
R-prophylactic,
> L-MRM, nodes clean, clear margins. 4x3 FEC, 37 rads
with boosts, ER+, PR+,
> Her2Nue-, Arimidex. Neuropathy in both feet, lymphedema
left arm. NED
>
>
> >From: "Arlene Griffith" <ma2gram3msn.com>
> >Reply-To: allie47mybluelight.com
> >To: ibcibcsupport.org
> >Subject: [ibc] Is Bald Really Beautiful?
> >Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 11:50:50 -0500
> >
> >Hello everyone:  My name is Allie,  I was diagnosed
with ibc in Oct.  I
> >noticed the ususal symptoms....a red rash on my
breast, a fullness,
> >enlargement of the breast , inverted nipple,
itching and tenderness.
> >Initially my dr. prescribed antibiotics as he
suspected infection, but at
> >the same time he also ordered a mammagram within 72
hours.  It was the
> >mammogram and subsequent ultra-sound that showed
the cancer.  I was told
> >the same day of mammogram and ultra sound that I
had cancer...but I was
> >also scheduled for biopsy two days later which
"officially" diagnosed me.
> >
> >I feel very lucky in that my surgeon is an
Associate Professor of Surgery
> >at Dartmouth Medical School and she is so on top of
things.  Although the
> >biopsy and follow-up tests did not define my cancer
as ibc...she believed
> >it was and proceeded to treat it as such.  In less
than a month of the
> >mammagram, I had my first chemo treatment.  I am
scheduled for the 2nd one
> >this week.
> >
> >I was sick for one week following the 1st
chemo....contracted a virus on
> >top of it...but once that passed I felt as good as
new.  It's been
> >difficult for me to accept the reality of
this....it often feels as though
> >it is happening to someone else....but this week
has been a difficult one.
> >I started losing my hair a few days ago....and that
has been a big dose of
> >reality for me.   It's strange...I don't feel bad
about losing a
> >breast....but losing my hair is something else.  I
never thought I was so
> >vain...but I guess I am.  I can't find a scarf or
hat or turban, or
> >anything that makes me feel good...at least not
yet. I got frustrated and
> >cut my hair short the other day....but I'm still
"shedding" big time.  I'm
> >trying to get up the courage to just shave it all
off and get it over
> >with...but as yet haven't been able to do that.
> >
> >Anyways...my course of treatment is as follows:   4
sessions of
> >chemo...every 3 weeks...then 12 weeks of taxol and
herceptin.  Surgery will
> >follow, then 40 weeks of taxol and herceptin. 
Radiation may or may not be
> >required.
> >
> >One thing I am concerned about, of course, is what
stage I'm at..and my
> >chances of survival.  My dr. is reluctant to give
me an answer..and wants
> >to wait until the masectomy.  Is that the norm?  I
wish he could be more
> >definative....I read much info on the
internet...and it terrifies me.
> >
> >  I have a wonderful support system in
place....family, friends, and my
> >boyfriend...the love of my life - Phil.  I am
indeed a very lucky
> >woman....and I am staying as positive as I can.   I
have my "down" days..
> >but not many of them.
> >
> >  I just wanted to introduce myself....and tell you
how good it feels to
> >know you are all here.  This is a wonderful
site....and I feel privileged
> >to be amongst so many special "angels".  
God Bless,  Allie
> >
>
>________________________________________________________
_________
> >Share your latest news with your friends with the
Windows Live Spaces
> >friends module.
> >http://clk.atdmt.com
/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.
live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=create&wx_url=/friends
.aspx&mk
> >
> >--
> >** List address: ibcibcsupport.org
> >** Information - subscribe, unsubscribe, archives,
etc.:
> >**  http://www.ibcsupport
.org/list/
> >** Donations: http://www.i
bcsupport.org/donations.html
>
>
> --
> ** List address: ibcibcsupport.org
> ** Information - subscribe, unsubscribe, archives,
etc.:
> **  http://www.ibcsupport
.org/list/
> ** Donations: http://www.i
bcsupport.org/donations.html
>
-- 
** List address: ibcibcsupport.org
** Information - subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, etc.:
**  http://www.ibcsupport
.org/list/
** Donations: http://www.i
bcsupport.org/donations.html