WHAT ABOUT THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS?
The treatment may be life-saving but the side-effects can be pretty awful. Hair loss can be deeply upsetting and, even when you know it’s inevitable, fishing clumps of hair out of the shower drain can be traumatic. Many women have their hair cut short and then shave their heads rather than waiting for hair to fall out. ‘Nothing robs you of your self-confidence like losing your hair, and I found wearing a wig very uncomfortable,’ says Felicity Grainger,
74, diagnosed 15 months ago. ‘I found there was also lots of conflicting advice on hair regrowth and whether you should shave it when it first comes through, but I was so glad to see something, I couldn’t bear to lose it. And it was really nice at first – a bit like fur! Chemo has definitely resulted in an enforced change to my hairstyle and
my image – one I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to make otherwise. But now I’m enjoying my new Judi Dench look and beginning to believe friends aren’t just being nice when they tell me it’s very chic.’
If you can bear the brain freeze, cold caps increase the chance of keeping your hair, as cooling the scalp reduces the drug dose to the hair follicles. If it works, your hair will still thin a bit. ‘The cold cap worked for me, but no one told me all my other hair would go. One day I went to put my mascara on and realised I only had three eyelashes left!’ remembers Mary.
Chemo can also leave nails discoloured, pigmented and brittle, and nails may actually fall off. You may find that your skin becomes very dry and radiotherapy can leave it sore and sensitive.
Exercise may feel difficult, but research shows it can improve energy levels and reduce fatigue