It wasn't long before I got a text from my daughter. Early morning texts from one or two of my four children are pretty typical. We exchanged a few texts and then my cell phone rang. I was surprised she was up early and ready to talk, especially with four little ones. We chatted for about half an hour while I inhaled a bowl of oatmeal. After we ended our call, I sat at the kitchen table and read my Bible. The early part of the day is always the best for my devotional and prayer time.
Glancing at the clock, I realized it was now mid morning. I hadn't even taken a shower! The day was getting away and I had so much to do. I headed into the bathroom and turned on the water. Oh, it was going to feel so good! I jumped in and soaped up. As I lathered up my bath pouf, I noticed my upper arms were already swollen. I get so tired of this aggravation, but know I'll deal with it the rest of my life. My lymphatic system has been disrupted. Lymphatic fluid pools around my arm pits thanks to breast cancer surgery and the removal of some of my lymph nodes.
When I'd finished my shower, I glanced down at the shower floor. There amid the soapy bubbles were many strands of hair. I thought that would have stopped by now. I've been off of the Aromasin for almost 2 weeks. As far as I can tell, it's out of my system but I'm wondering why I continue to lose hair. I haven't studied a lot about Aromatase Inhibitors but I know hair loss is only one of the dark side effects I've experienced.
Cleaning up the hair was gross. By the time I was done, I had a quarter sized wad in my hand. My poor hairs!!! I wondered if the follicles they used to be attached to had died. Perhaps that was the case and I'd never have hair in those follicles again.
I towel dried and put on my clothes. Gently, ever so gently, I combed through my wet hair with a wide toothed comb. I didn't want to break or damage any of my remaining hair. I've always heard wet hair is weaker than dry hair.
I've been taking a Biotin supplement for the past few weeks and I've also been using Biotin shampoo. Biotin is supposed to help strengthen weak hair, promote healthier skin and provide stronger nails. Too much of it can make you prone to skin breakouts though so it's important to drink lots of water while taking it.
My hair was almost completely dry now but I decided to use the hair dryer for just a few minutes to get the damp, underneath portions. As I was blowing my hair, I looked in the sink to see if any more hairs had given up and let go. There were a few dead guys lying on their backs, so I scooped them up when I was done.
I looked in the mirror and saw a wide space on my scalp. My part had grown! I guessed this was where those rogue hairs had been attached before they'd decided to slide onto the shower floor. Hmmm...maybe it's time for a change in the way I'm wearing my hair. I took the boar bristle brush and gently moved the hair to the other side of my face. Yes, that was better! It looked a bit more full too.
It's concerning to lose hair but I'm thankful I haven't lost it all. It's cold outside and I don't think my poor ears could go without some sort of warm covering for the next couple of months. If my part gets any wider, I guess I'll resort to wearing a scarf of some sort or a hat. If even more hairs decide to let go, a wig might be in order. I'm doing what I can to protect the hairs I have left and hopefully the Biotin will encourage new growth as well as strengthening the hairs I have now.
Hair. It's a nice asset to have and it certainly helps define our style, but it isn't absolutely necessary. When I think about hair, I can't help but think of the Bible verse that says God knows the number of hairs on my head. What a concept! He knows the number of hairs on your head, too. I'm glad I don't know the original number of hairs allotted to me and I'm glad I don't know if that number has changed for better or for worse. I'm just thankful I've got some! It's certainly not my intention to sound vain here. I do have empathy toward other survivors or patients who've lost all their hair to chemotherapy. Thankfully, I didn't opt to take that form of treatment.
I wish doctors could understand how hard it is for women to go through all the devastation of physical and emotional changes related to breast cancer. If they did, they'd be so much more understanding when prescribing anti-hormone therapy medications and they'd make sure to explain the potential side effects involved. But that isn't usually the case. It's up to us to read the information that comes with our prescriptions. It's up to us to do our research and talk to others. That's one of the reasons I wanted to share this post today...in hopes of helping someone else who may have just started taking Aromasin.
It's important for us to realize our physical appearance is just an outer glimpse into who we really are...we're so much more than that! Even though I've lost a good bit of hair, I'm not going to let it cause me to feel bad about myself or to feel less than others. It's something beyond my control, but I'm doing everything in my power to put the odds in my favor by taking supplements and drinking lots of water.
So long little hairs...you're heading down the drain. I'm sad to see you go but I'm hopeful new hairs will grow in your place, and if they don't...well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!
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