I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer, specifically invasive ductal carcinoma. Before my diagnosis, I didn't even know what that meant. Now I have been forced into a reality where I not only know what it means but my doctors appointments and daily thoughts are filled with other previously unfamiliar words like neoadjuvant therapy, metastases, HER2 and triple negative.

I started this blog in hopes that some of the information I share may be helpful to other young women in a similar situation. Rather than posting my day to day experiences, feelings and progress, I plan to share some of the things I have learned along the way. Being dealt this hand in life at 30 years old brings with it some unique issues and questions. Will I ever have kids? How will this affect my relationships with my husband and friends? What is my long term prognosis?

Through this site you may find that my way of dealing with things is a bit different. I want to be educated about my disease and take an active role in my treatment and recovery. I want to understand every part of my pathology report, what it means, and feel confident that my doctors are recommending the best course of action. At each stage in my journey, I have experienced challenges with finding answers to my questions and ensuring that the medical professionals treating me really understand who I am and why my way of dealing with this disease may be unlike other women. My hope is that people will be able to relate to my experiences, learn from them and find some comfort that they are not alone.

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

There Go My Eyelashes

Before starting chemo I spent hours scouring blogs trying to figure out when I would lose my eyelashes and eyebrows. For some reason, losing the hair on my head or the rest of my body didn't seem like a big deal because it can be covered up but I was terrified about losing the hair on my face.
If others are looking for the same answers, here is my experience:

After AC
  • Lost 70% of the hair on my head after 18 days. The rest came out gradually after that but I wasn't really keeping track since I had shaved my hair short and didn't really notice. A lot of women rock the bald look which I commend them for but I personally am so glad I have a wig that I feel confident in. 
  • Still had about 80% of my eyelashes and eyebrows, so it was not even really that noticeable.
After 1st round of Taxol
  • Down to about 50% of my eyelashes and eyebrows
I lost the rest of my eyelashes gradually after the 2nd round of Taxol and by my last infusion, I only had a couple left. I tried not to touch them because the minute I rubbed my eye, they would fall out. 

Now I am 2 weeks post chemo. I still have maybe 20% of my eyebrows left, enough that I don't need to draw them on yet and all of my eyelashes are gone. I find that when I apply a black eyeliner on the top and bottom, it isn't really that obvious. I use a L'Oreal liquid liner on the top and an Annabelle pencil for the bottom.

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