Effects Of Chemotherapy

[Jenarry]

My mum was diagnosed with early breast cancer in November. She had a lumpectomy and has been having chemotherapy since the first week of January-and she is going onto have radiotherapy afterwards . She has just had her 3rd chemo treatment of 4 and she's not been having the best time with it.
She's 66yrs old but when I saw her yesterday she looks like she's aged 10years in just a few weeks.
Her most recent treatment was on Monday so yesterday she wasn't feeling very well and she has lost her hair and a lot of her eyebrows which obviously makes a difference .
So I'm wondering if once she finishes her treatment she will look like herself again or if this is a long term effect of the chemo. I feel so sorry for her having to go through this .

[Tilly2]

The three people that I know personally, who have undergone chemo and radio therapy, have all regrown their hair but not their eyebrows.

[Mamyalynne]

Chemo can be very debilitating and she will take a while to recover but I'm sure you'll see a big difference soon.

Pay extra attention to a nourishing diet and when she feels well enough lots of pampering.

[dannyk13]

My daughter had chemotherapy after which her hair and eyebrows were affected but grew back some time afterwards.

[Peter Pedant]

pretty awful stuff - I am sorry that she has to do this

yes she will slowly go back to normal
and yes I got my eyebrows back ( and so I think did Baths)

chin up - RT can make you pretty tired as well

[murraymints]

It is very debilitating and you have to be very careful about infection...stay away from coughs and sneezes...etc...she will get over the treatment and hair will come back but probably differently...usually a bit curly or wavy for some reason ... eyebrows can be problematic and I know one lady had them tattooed very nicely.. she will be very tired and a bit weepy..just try and treat her the same but allowances for low mood and fatigue.... a wee treat or two a couple of days after a treatment to raise her spirits....radiotherapy can be a bit more stressful...just be there ..good luck...xx

[Sqad]

Her hair and eyebrows should be back to normal within a 4 month period, but "back to herself again" then it is a matter of "how long is a piece of string as it varies from person to person,depending upon the type of cancer and her mental attitude to her treatment.

[Jenarry]

Thankyou everyone . I don't think it was her hairloss so much. I think it was her skin colour that was probably making her look older than her years and being a bit swollen from steriod treatment. I'm not sure how healthily she is eating at the moment as I know the advice is usually to eat fresh, organic produce.

[murraymints]

Steroids are horrid but necessary ...skin will acquire a palour..but will in time return...eat as healthily as she can during treatment ... even if appetite is not good...find wee tasty tidbits..nice fresh fruit salads etc...

[bednobs]

people's hair often grows back a different texture or colour

[woofgang]

Jenarry tbh (and having been there as a carer) I would get her whatever she fancies to eat regardless of what it is. If her appetite is poor (and maybe her sense of taste has been affected) eating anything is better than eating nothing. If what she fancies is not an especially good diet then add in a vitamin supplement.

[NoMercy]

She's had "lumpectomy" or what we call these days WLE (wide local excision) with [presumably] sentinel node biopsy. This tells me it was not a locally advanced cancer and so I'm assuming she's on a standard 6 x 3-weekly FEC regime.

Side effects vary from person to person but they can add in GCSF injections if she's struggling. They can dose reduce her 75% if she's struggling at full doses.

She needs to speak to the Triage Team immediately in the presence of any infective symptoms. Get her to keep checking her temperature.

[anneasquith]

Oh my .