My Journey… My Detour!

So the stress and fear of having your hair fall out is real! My hair was so dirty, to the point that my scalp was itching and I was terrified to wash my hair. TERRIFIED!! I am not ready!  I finally washed my hair on Saturday with such panic!! So far the loss has been minimal. I am assuming after my second chemo session it will start falling out at a faster rate. Seeing myself bald will make all of this more real! I am terrified of that! Chopping off my hair was hard enough! But I have been able to deal with all of this so far because I still recognize myself in the mirror. After this Wednesday’s session I might be in for a rude awakening!

I had my first nose bleed today. The doctor told me it would happen. The chemo makes the inside of your nostrils dry. They recommend putting coconut oil inside your nostrils to help. I have been doing that, but i guess i forgot yesterday. This morning while i was brushing my teeth I saw all the blood in the sink. Also, if the air is too dry it can cause a nose bleed. I will have to start sleeping with the humidifier on.

People really don’t understand how your body changes while you are going through Chemo. You have to change all of your hygiene products: toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, body wash, etc. Your skin becomes extremely sensitive. You have to be careful with everything. My doctor gave me a 7 page document of “dos and don’ts” during Chemo. I had to take the list with me when I went shopping.

I have never been a big make-up person, but I have even changed my make-up routine to make sure nothing irritates me. I went as far as to buy this “gel” from my cancer center that is supposed to help prevent your eyebrows from falling off during treatment. Its $50 and only lasts 3 weeks. I will needs a few months worth of this stuff if i want to keep my eyebrows. You have to brush the gel on your eyebrows and eyelashes every morning and night. I tried putting it on my eyelashes and it irritated my eyes. So I am hoping I can at least keep my eyebrows. I am sad about my eyelashes! I pray they last throughout this process!!

During Chemo you are more sensitive to smells, so everything has to be unscented. I can get a Mani & Pedi but i can’t cut my cuticles because of the risk of infections. For that I rather just keep my nails natural. But i hear even your nails change.  You are also sensitive to tastes. I have to use a plastic fork because a metal fork will leave a bad taste in my mouth, and it might alter the taste of my food. Isn’t that some sh*t!?