new thread
Hello all,
Its been quite some time since i have posted here but the past year has been very busy for me. First of all a new house purchase last november, new car purchase in january and a job promotion in March. I havent posted update pics in over a year but im at mid back length right now. Some of you may not remember me but i have been lurking here for a while now. I would like to thank each and every one of you for all the support through the awkward stages.
On a more serious note i was diagnosed with Testicular cancer in May. I will tell you its been a long and stressfull 3 months. The doctors have been definetly keeping things moving fast for me. I went into surgery within a matter of hours after being diagnosed.(Yes, I did have to have one removed) I was very suprised that the surgery was outpatient and i went home the same day. The surgery went 100 times better than i thought it would. I was back to work 1 week later and feeling better. I went through radiation treatments as a precaution. I pretty much got radiation to all of the places that testicular cancer normally spreads to. They did a PET scan before going through treatments and it came back negative.
The radiation treatments went alot better than i thought they would. The doctor said i would have some side effects.....I had almost none. I was still going to work every day during the treatments....everyone at work thought i was crazy for even being there. But hey, if im feeling ok, i will be there. Im now starting follow up visits with the oncologist. Luckily testicular cancer has a very high survival rate these days. Im also thankfull that i had no obvious spreading and i caught it in time.
I just got word from the oncologist last week that one of my tumor markers was slightly elevated.....but not high. He said that it could possibly be from the radiadion.(Tumor markers are blood tests by the way) I go back for another blood test next week so they can recheck it. If anything would happen to come back, my next battle will be....my worst nightmare....Chemotherapy. Im very worried and stressed about this. The side effects are far more serious than radiation from what i hear. I have been doing research online about treatments for my cancer and i have a very good idea of the kind of chemo that i will have to get. Its called BEP.(3 different chemos in one) I have looked at the side effects of this one......I almost got sick after reading the complete hair loss side effect. I checked a few sites and they all said 100% of patients receiving this chemo gets this one....along with nausea and vomiting. I think i can deal with every side effect except for the hair loss. I may be stressing over this for nothing and may not even need it. Im just very concerned. I have talked to my girlfriend and family about how i feel about this and they all have said...."Its only hair and it will grow back". Its like its no big deal to them. Kind of got me a little upset. I just wanted to get some of this off my chest. Sorry for venting.
Now for a question. Is there anyone here who has had chemo or know someone who has? If i recall, someone here told me that a board member here has. My main question is if i have to have this chemo, will my hair grow back just as thick as it was before i started treatments? Will it effect my terminal length? Someone i work with told me that her sister had chemo 10 years ago and her hair is super thin and she permenetly lost her fingernails after treatments. Im sorry, i know i should be more concerned for my life but still very concerned for my hair as well.
Thank you for reading and any tips or help would be greatly appreciated. Take care all.
Erik H
My Mom passed away 1 month ago of melenoma. I can tell you alot about chemo and radiation. First of, there are many kinds of chemo, some are much gentler than others. I noticed my moms hair did not fall out when she was on the less intense interferon, but did fall out when taking the harsher chemo, and she took a few different kinds. It grew back gray, and a different texture, but her cancer was much more extreeme than yours. Talk to your doctor to find out for sure, but it will probably have an effect both now, and later as to color and texture.
Thanks for your feedback TommyTurbo. Like I said before, im not sure if I will need it just yet. Further tests and scans will decide my fate i guess. I am aware that there are many types of chemo out there and all have different effects. I will try to stay as positive as i can about this.
Erik
sorry to hear that your mother passed
Hi Erik,
I am so SO sorry to hear about this. You will be in my thoughts and prayers, and I wish nothing but the very best for you.
Rest assured, though, that I have met cancer survivors, --- in fact 2 very good friends of mine (both women), who had each gone through Chemo therapy. In both cases their hair grew back quite thick & full (and in fact frequently get compliments about how nice their hair looks)!
It would be hard not to stress re. worrying over the future in a situation such as this; but, if at all possible, please remember that there have been many, many remarkable recoveries and even total remissions (including books written on the subject), --- and in every case I've ever read or heard about, one's mental outlook is creditted HUGELY in the recovery (by both medical professionals and the patients themselves).
In any case, please keep us posted, --- and again, our thoughts & prayers are with you.
Sincerely,
Ken in San Francisco
Hi Ken,
Thanks for your feedback. I know i probably should not stress over the future but its very hard for me not to. I am trying to stay as positive as possible about this. Im getting lots of support at work as well from coworkers. Makes me feel better to know that everyone i work with is concerned and willing to help.
Erik
Greetings, Erik, you're a brave man for posting what you're goin' through AND to endure these treatments. Yours is the least virulent kind of cancer. I speak from experience; cancer of one type or another runs in my family. That and diabetes as well. One grandfather had had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, his wife, my grandmother, had a teratoma that turned into ovarian cancer, my other grandfather got colonic cancer, and one of his daughter's, my aunt, my mother's sister, had had stomach cancer, with one of her (adult, now middle-aged) children ALSO coming down with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Everyone underwent chemo. Yes, their hair fell out. Yes, it was thin at first. Eventually though, it all returned BACK to its wavy thickness.
It's a gruelling process, for sure, since, as you know, it's basically fighting an "invader" with toxins, that hurt us as much as they hurt the "bad guys" they're being sent in to kill off, but it's a choice you'll have to make.
I'm not a doctor. But, PLEASE, consider options. As I had told Rich-In-NY (see post) months ago, look up the Hippocrates Health Institute. Their approach is completely naturopathic. They have decades of great results CURING people of terminal and chronic illnesses of all kinds.
Please go to this link, their July e-newsletter:
http://swiftpage1.com/hippocrates.hippocratesinst/C070719131600/speasapage.aspx?addr=6
They were first started by Dr. Ann Wigmore and expanded by Viktoras Kulvinskas. First established in Boston, Mass. they're now in Florida, a place that they insist whose sunny weather adds to the healing process.
Good luck and great health to you in your recovery, Erik! We're all rootin' for ya!
Quenyan
Quenyan,
Thank you very much for your feedback and advice. I will definetly look into it. If it came down to it, i would probably go through with the chemo. So far, i have alot of trust in my doctor.
Erik
I know a woman who's hair grew back even thicker than before the treatment + it started curlying. I hope you to get well soon and I hope you won't have to do that chemotherapy. Good luck.
Thanks for the feedback. Im hopeing that i wont have to either.
Erik
Hello , i'm gland your not in danger that's the most important fact...
for you hair don't worry if you lost it, like i said in rich's post , my mother lost her hair and they growed stronger than before.
be confident and everything si going to be ok.
Cya
My hair journal
Thank you for your reply Angel. Glad to hear that everything went good with your mother.
Erik
Hi Erik,
First of all, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to you, I have never met you before, as I only joined last fall. You sound like a wonderful guy.
I just wanted to say that I was genuinely distressed to read this news that you have shared with us today on the hyperboard. However, I was delighted to hear that the radiation therapy went as well as it did, and got the worst of the cancer out of your body. Of course, it would have been a real blessing if all the cancer had been defeated by the radiation.
Unfortunately, I cannot offer much advice or input as to how the chemo will go for you. But remember, your health is the number one concern right now, getting every trace of the cancer from you is the number one priority right now. Just remember, that ALL of us are here to give you our support every step of the way, do not hestitate to stop in the board anytime that you feel you could use a few words of encouragement.
My heart goes out to you, and rest assured that I will have you in my thoughts and prayers, today and every day.
Take care,
David
Hello David N,
Thank you very much for the greeting and your concern. This is a great group of people here and in so glad that i stumbled upon this place nearly 3 years ago. Its very nice meeting you and thanks again for your kind words.
Erik
Erik,
I'm sorry to hear about the cancer, but you are right, testicular cancer (among other cancers today) have a good percentage of remission, sometimes total remission. You have to stick to the treatment no matter how hard the side effects can be. There is always treatment for the side effects of the main treatment (well, that's medicine).
As a psychologist I cannot agree with Ken more, mental factors play a HUGE roll on recovery on any illness and disease. It seems you were able to manage stress and be brave enough to share your story with us. You know people on the board will always be supportive and giving you the best words.
I've seem a lot of patients going through Chemo and Radio, it is not only for the longhaireds, but what most of them fear about the chemo is the hair loss. I'm not sure about how it affects later growth, but I'm sure it does, how I don't know. It might be as people posted earlier.
It's time to make changes of life style, change the way you see things that troubled you, it might be a cliché, but your body is warning you that something is not going right. Read the signs your body is giving to you (as it goes for almost all diseases). I'm not sure how psychotherapy trends are where you live, but 10 or 12 sessions of supportive psychoanalytic psychotherapy would really help (I'm not talking about a psychoanalysis).
I hope everything goes good with you. My support and best wishes.
Res.-
Thank you for your post. Yes, my odds of beating this are very good but theres allways that feeling i get sometimes. I will keep everyone posted in the future.
Erik
Erik... I'm so sorry this happened to you. Noone on earth deserves such a thing happening.
But look, the important thing is that your surgery went well, and that you have high probabilities for everything to go for the best. I know of a lady who had cancer, and she was bald for some months, then her hair got back JUST THE SAME as she had it before. Please don't fret on your hair, I know it must feel so sad, I would be devastated if I would lose my hair someday, but you have to focus on your health. Remember, there is no hair without life, so focus on it first! The hair will come back...
I am so sad for you but look, science is really advanced these days and you will make it. I wish you the BEST luck, may God be with you, as your family and friends, stick to them.
Best luck for you Erik, everything will be fine =)
Thank you very much for your feedback Joao David. Im so glad to hear that others are rooting for me on this.....i really need it.
Erik
Erik,
So glad you caught it in time! I sincerely hope your upcoming tests go well for you. Don't stress about the chemo stuff...you may not even have to go through it. I certainly am hoping that you'll get through this with flying colors. I know how much your hair means to you but, if it comes to it, you really must focus on your health. Just hang in there and keep the faith. My prayers are with you!
Take care,
Brett
Thank you for your reply georgiaboy100,
Im trying very hard not to stress the chemo but its stuck in my head. Thanks for your support and i will keep everyone posted on how everything is going.
Erik
Welcome back Erik, I am glad to see you back here. I am amazed that with all the things you have had to deal with that you even thought of this place at all. We are lucky you did. I have missed chatting with yo :)
Congratulations on the new house and the new car purchase. Those alone are quite stressful in themselves. Even bigger congratulations on the job promotion! That is terrific news. Amazing you have been through so much and were still able to work the whole time.
I sincerely hope that the worst is over with and that you have beaten back the cancer for good. Did the doctors give you any kind of probable estimate on the cancer returning? It is a coincidence but Rich also posted yesterday about growing his hair back after chemo as well.
Hey Chris,
It has definetly been a long time since we have talked. I hope to get back into that soon. Thank you very much for your reply and your concern. I seem to have alot of trust in my doctor. He seems very aggressive and takes every little thing he finds very seriously. I feel as if though im very well taken care of and im glad hes my oncologist. He didnt give me any specific information about the cancer returning.....but....he did say that there is a slight chance that it could return at anytime in my life. So my follow up visits are a lifetime commitment and are very important to go to. I will keep you posted.
Erik
I had just went through a tough batch of chemo and treatments to help control leukemia . I had side effects and complications. I lost my hair and if you need the chemo which I hope not I would reshave my head in solidarity with you. Emotional support which I found a lot through my friends and my mlhh community helped me stay strong. I feel the pain you are goingh through and how scared you are. I want you to know you have a brother here who will be with you in spirit. We need you to get better. Erik stay strong .
Rich
Hello Rich,
Your post almost put a tear in my eye. Thank you very much for your support and concerns. I just read your post and im very happy to hear that you made it through your treatments. I really hope things continue to go well for you. I will definetly keep you in my prayers. Its very nice that you are willing to reshave your head for me.....but that is totally not nessicary for you or anyone else to do. You made it through a tough round of chemo and you deserve to regrow your hair. I hope your journey to long hair goes well too. I hope your side effects and complications were not too serious. If i do have to do the chemo thing, maybe talking to you may help? Its very nice to know that there are others out there willing to help me. Im very glad i found this place. I will keep you and everyone else posted on how everything turns out. Take care of yourself. Hope to chat with you sometime.
Erik
Erik,
You're very brave for both posting your experience and also for going through what you are going through instead of living in denial. That is surprising that you got treatment so quickly.
Remember that blood tests are not always stable. It seems that is the case here anyways. It all depends on what lab they send it to, which seems ridiculous to me. And as your doctor said, it could have been because of the radiation treatment that you did have. It is definitely a good idea that they are going to do another test, since it could reveal more controlled results when comparing them...
I would say that it would be best to take things as they are and not try to catastrophize things, and especially since there is nothing certain at this moment as far as I have read in your post.
You are doing well right now, and that is what really really matters, the here and now.
With grace,
Yair
Hello yair, Thank you for your post and your comments. I will definetly keep you and everyone else here posted as to how things turn out.
Erik
Stay strong and focus on getting better. You hair can and will grow back again.
Thank you aaron. Trust me, im trying very hard. Good to know that there are lots of people out there that are willing to help.
Erik
It pains me when ever I hear that one of us is sick or suffering, and I'm glad you're doing well after the radiation treatments. Hopefully further tests will show that the last test was an anomaly and that chemo will not be necessary. But either way its' important to keep a positive attitude to get back to and keep good health. (an important message for all of us!)
Take care,
Bruce
Thanks for your reply Bruce. Im trying very hard to stay positive. I will keep everyone here posted on how I make out.
Erik
There's nothing worse than thinking you finally got through the health crises hurdle, to only find an anomaly setting you back temporarily. Been there, doing it now, do I get my t-shirt when it's over? Not cancer for me, but after being sick for well over a year, and a battery of tests, and new meds, I finally am feeling better. After losing a lot of my hair, I am experience new growth.
But then some incident has my doctor concerned, so a year later, I'm back and forth to the freaken; hospital for more tests. I just took back the holter monitor today, had an EKG yesterday before being fitted with it. Noyjing like trying to sleep with a bunch of wires glued to your chest, and some big box hanging from your neck. I have an upper GI and an EEG and a bunch of lab tests to go. The anomaly? These are all to 'rule out' possible problems.
So, while my problem isn't yours, I can empathize just the same. I am telling myself that it is nothing, until the tests say otherwise. The anomaly is most likely medication related. You have to do the same. It may be a quirk in the testing, and you may indeed be fine. It's hard not too worry, but worrying doesn't get you anywhere. I believe very strongly in power of positive thinking. The glass is ALWAYS half-full, never half-empty.
I feel your frustration about your hair. Maybe because you are male, others don't think it should be as big an issue for you. Yes, you can grow it back, but it is a part of you that you are going to mourn just like any other part of your body. I will be praying that the test results come back in your favor, and that you are done with this dreaded disease. And that you won't need to deal with chemo and all it's nastiness. And then hopefully both of us can say "Been there, done that", and even have our t-shirts to prove it.
Yours in thought and payer,
Carol
Thanks for your reply and feedback Carol. I hope everything goes in your favor as well. Be sure to keep us posted on how everything goes. I would love to wear that "been there done that" shirt.
Erik
Hi, Erik. I'm glad that you were able rid yourself of this cancer before it had a chance to spread. I sincerely hope your next tests show that everything is fine and that you won't be needing the Chemotherapy. I hope you feel better and have a speedy recovery. If you need anything, Holler at us. We are all here to support you.
Thank you for your reply and support chris. Im also glad i caught it when i did. Take care
Erik
Erik,
As the Quakers say, "I will hold you in the light."
Caledonian
Thank you Caledonian for the support and reply. I will keep everyone posted.
Erik
Two things:
1. My dad had the same thing happen to him and he would up leading a long life so I am very much hoping the same for you.
2. My brother-in-law had chemo 2 years ago and looked kind of like Kojak or Yuel Brenner for awhile but now his hair is totally back to normal. But he didn't loose years of hair. I have worried about something like this happening to me too and it would really suck to the max, not to mention the cancer part. But maybe you won't have the real extreme chemo blast and you'll keep your hair. Keep us informed and good luck.
Thank you for the positive feedback Rob. I do understand this is very beatable. Im also hopeing that i will not have to have it at all. Also good to know that your brother in law grew his hair back with no problems.
Erik
My mum had chemo after breast cancer surgery. Her hair grew back as soon as they stopped. AFAIK everyone's does. Ironically, she has never had long hair in her life though. I think most women have had slightly longish hair at some point in their lives, but not my mum, not even in very old pictures. One odd thing is that her hair grew back dark instead of grey, but it then greyed very rapidly.
I would be pissed off at the thought of chemo too. Given that hair grows half an inch per month it will be years before you begin to look like yourself again. I can relate to that, even though your family apparently can't.
There are some things that can be done to stop hair loss in chemo, but not much interest in them seems to be shown by the hospitals. There is some kind of system to cool your head during chemo to prevent hair loss, but apparently it is expensive and seldom installed, and I recently heard that there is a new drug to prevent hair loss caused by chemo, although it may not be available yet.
Good luck finding anyone in the medical establishment who thinks patient's hair is important. I get the impression that they are so focussed on whether patients survive that they aren't usually interested in how the patient looks or whether it makes them feel bad.
Hi Erick,
I am looking at this site for quite a long time because I love long hair. My activities and professionnal life always stopped me to get my hair as long as I wished ... and may be I was not ready to face the criticism going with it.
Well, all this is not important !
What matters me is your cancer and your fear of chemiotherapy.
I am NOT a doctor ! but it happens that I am involved in the business of Propolis.
Propolis is a substance made by the bees to protect their behive.
The propolis coming from Brasil and which is called "Green Propolis" has extremely great properties and enhance the effected of Chemiotherapy when both Propolis pills and chemiotherapy are combined.
This way, the requested quantity of chemio can be reduced and the side effect of Chemio are reduced.
It has been already tested in Japan with great result.
BE CAREFUL: it is not the miracle solution !
The first test made on human are very positive but I do not want to tell you that everything will be ok for you.
We are talking about Your life and I have no right to give you over hope !
It would be unfair from me.
I just would like to draw your attention on this "Green propolis" pills. Talk about it to your doctors ! Search on the net !
My purpose is to give you a direction. My purpose is to help, nothing more.
On my side I am in the business of Raw propolis, not medicine. I beleive you can find the pills in the States. Personnally I don't know where to find them.
Please check with your doctors as I cannot help you to find them.
I am, myself, not living in the states (i am french living in Asia )
Just investigate, and keep me informed of your progress,
All the best !
Joel