Hi,
I am new here and I so hope someone can help me. I have or had stage 2 rectal cancer, I had operation early December and they took it all away, no stoma, 41 lymph nodes were tested and all cancer free. But the was a slight extravascular involvement so they want me to have chemo now, once a week at hospital for 30 weeks, consultant said it's a very mild dose of Fluorouracil!
He said that if I choose not to have it then I have an 80% chance that the cancer won't come back and if I have it that percentage goes up by 4% to 84%..
I asked if my hair would fall out and he said no, the drug I'd be given doesn't make hair fall out, however looking on line later it says that hair loss is likely. I'm not vain, it's just that I feel that my hole identity will change and I'm scared. I wanted to go back to work but I'm not sure I could face people. I've had long dark curly hair all my life, it's grey at roots but I colour it, I'm 58 and I'm lucky to look a lot younger. It's your eye lashes and eyebrows too, I'm naturally dark haired and colouring and I just feel my confidence will go and I won't be able to function as I did. I suffer with depression anyway, for many years and I'm scared it will make it all worse.
Nurse said that I shouldn't loose my hair but it may thin, and I couldn't colour it. All sounds vain I know but it's what helps me face everything and I'm scared.
Can anyone advise or tell me if they have had same
Thank you
