Ahead of Our Time
Living with Permanent Chemo-Induced Alopecia
Ahead of Our Time
All Trumped Up contd.
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I’ve read and heard comments from people that permanent hair loss is not a big deal; that I should be lucky to be alive. Yes, I am forever blessed that I am indeed alive. But the accusation that being alive trumps my right to express my displeasure that I am bald is all trumped up! Baldness is a big deal, not just to myself, but also to society as a whole. Go online and search Donald Trump and the word wig or hair. The endless focus and stories surrounding his hairline say it all. I have strong empathy for men out there who deal with male pattern baldness.
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Baldness is accepted by our society at times. Macho athletes now shave their heads and it’s cool. It’s a start. But the baldness of the president-elect of the United States is not accepted. And female baldness is certainly not accepted. There is acceptance for those undergoing chemotherapy. Our society has empathy for brothers and sisters who share in this fight. But then, permanent baldness is another story. If a woman has male-pattern baldness, she is considered unfeminine. If a woman has alopecia, she is stared at like a freak show. Or, she is mistakenly assumed to be a cancer patient.
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Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with being a strong cancer patient fighting for his/her life. But who wants to be labeled for life as something that they are not? Unfortunately, this ugly disease does result in people fighting cancer for the rest of their lives. I’m not belittling the struggles that others face daily that are even more difficult than permanent baldness. I’m discussing this issue only because recent news tells me that it could have been avoided. It is that fact that makes all the difference.
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There are two drugs, Taxol and Taxotere, which have similar outcomes and side effects. But Taxol does not have the significant long-term side effect of permanent hair loss. Taxotere is made by a drug company that has overtaken the market share of this multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry. And the reason women all over the country are upset is that there is alleged fraudulent behavior. Wouldn’t you be upset if permanent baldness could have been avoided?
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Each of the women I met along my journey through cancer treatments had a vibrant, interesting life before cancer. I did. And want to be known for who I am not for what disease I had. Having little hair on my head is a neon billboard that says, “I’m fighting cancer” or “I’m not feminine.” I am much more than either of those labels.
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I’m not going to lie. When I read that the chemotherapy cocktail I was given had de-womanizing effects, I wanted to throw up. But news of the cause of my lifelong, hair-loss hangover was a relief for my husband and me: “Phew! I’m not a freak. There is a reason for this baldness.” Even I, a bald woman, share society’s viewpoint that female baldness is not acceptable unless there is a temporary medical reason.
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But this medical impact is permanent and comes with permanent impacts. For one, breast reconstruction surgery was not recommended for me because the doctors were unsure if I had an autoimmune disorder. The alopecia was a major factor in that. We didn’t know why I had alopecia. And even though I didn’t test with the typical blood test markers for an autoimmune disease, it was clear my body was rejecting my hair follicles. To the doctors and me, alopecia was an outward sign of something inward that wasn’t working properly. And we feared that my body would reject a breast implant as well.
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Over nine years have passed, and many bad emotions have turned to joy as I watch other women conquer this complex curse called cancer. Time heals some wounds. And love is a cure for much. But, hiding my baldness is an ever-present chore. I was in my thirties when diagnosed, and I have a long life yet to live.
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So I am indeed concerned that these doctors, who held my life in their hands, were not given the proper information from the drug distributors about the long-term impact. I have no doubt that, had I been told that Taxotere had a chance of permanent baldness, I would have selected Taxol. I know this because I have notes asking four different doctors the difference between the two. And I was told that the main difference was the inconvenience of getting the Taxol more often. This inconvenience is nothing compared to forty years of wearing a hot, itchy wig. A wig that often has a mind of its own, especially in the wind.
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Some may think, “What is the big deal? There are side effects of these drugs that include a secondary cancer. I don’t hear people complaining about that.” The difference is that I knew of that risk and decided on that risk. The difference is that I made choices based on the information given. Choice. Choice is what makes us human, male or female. Is it possible that most women, not just me, might have chosen Taxol over Taxotere?
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#baldness #breastcancer #chemotherapy #hairloss #sideeffectofchemotherapy #Taxol #taxotere