Good evening everyone
I have seen two Macmillan TV adverts this evening, as well as lots of adverts on their Facebook site - and this website - for Brave the Shave,
This is encouraging people to raise money for people affected by cancer by shaving their head - it has fostered a climate where people think it is showing support to people who have lost their hair by doing this too.
Even my own daughters offered to shave their heads when they knew I was to have chemo and lose my hair - talk about brainwashing!
I can't think of anything that would have made me more upset than to see them lose their hair too.
I have pretty much powered my way through 8 cycles of DC and had every side effect it could throw at me, one stay of a week in hospital, and four times they called me in because of various things, two bad reactions in the chair - but the one thing that reduced me to tears wasn't being told I had cancer, it was being told I would lose all my hair in the second week of the first cycle.
And I don't need to tell any of you how hateful I found having huge handfuls come out in the shower (and I had short hair so hadn't thought it would be so horrid).
And then your eyebrows and eyelashes go - and your femininity feels like it's being stripped away bit by bit.
Frankly I find people who say they will get their head shaved as support, and that say they do it to "share" our experience haven't a clue! They might choose this, we haven't chosen it - and wouldn't.
It may sound over the top to some of you, but I find this whole campaign offensive, insensitive and patronising - particularly seeing people smile while having their head shaved, and people cheering. I didn't smile, and my daughter and husband didn't feel like cheering when they shaved my head.
Ok I'm cool with my look now - the very shiny head (not a short razor clipped look) - but I would prefer not to have had to experience any of this.
If you agree - please let me know.
I have messaged Macmillan previously and never even had a response. I've commented on Facebook under their posts in the past urging people to find fun ways to raise money (and there are so many) and not to do this for me.........and there is always a huge response in terms of "likes" and comments from people in our reluctant community.
If people are with me - maybe we can convince Macmillan to stop this barbaric approach to fund raising. Either like this post or put a comment of support please - if you don't agree, that's fine, no need to do anything!
Well - that's my rant over - you might have noticed I feel a tad passionate about this!
Hi Jen72
I feel your pain - and it must have been so hard holding it together for  your children when your head was shaved, I cried like a baby!
I had 8 chemo cycles of Abraxane and Cychlophosphamide. I kept my eyebrows and eyelashes until cycle 5 then they abandoned me and I felt very hurt as thought they were showing excellent solidarity with me til then! Have had my first op on 4 July - elected for therapeutic mammoplasty as quite a large area still to go and as I'm a 32H preferred a reduction rather than reconstruction. Happy to report all 3 lymph nodes clear and clear margins - the great news which my oncologist is really proud of is that I was grade 3 fast growing aggressive (3,3,3) and the residual cancer removed was grade 2 (which he described as lazily slow) so the chemo had done an excellent job in addition to shrinkage - and bodes well for the future.
My last chemo was 23 May and my eyebrows are back, I have little stubby eyelashes and about 2mm of hair on my head - not much at the sides though. You can still see my scalp but it feels so nice not to be that shiny bald look anymore! It's soft and feels like velvet - my granddaughters love stroking it! Must admit so do I! Waiting to start 4 weeks radiotherapy now. Then second op to give me a matching pair around next April......have to say I'm in love with my pert 2O year old looking new boob 
My husband says he doesn't care if it doesn't grow anymore than this as he thinks it's sexy......and he actually really means it....he's a Yorkshire man and isn't one to not say what he really thinks! He's always had a thing about Sinead O'Connor though!
I feel very comfortable being hatless in public now and rocking my rock chick look - actually ended up overcoming this one one day in a restaurant during the early hot spells around my 6th chemo adding a massive hot flush and just had to do anything to get cool. Hardly a second look from anyone which was a surprise to me.
Hope your last chemo goes well - I can also report the joint pains (mine were crippling) have stopped already. I think mine were always at their worst due to the GCSF injections. Some peripheral neuropathy - toes are worst but gabapentin is really helping.
The best bit is its a bit like child birth, once it's over all the pain and misery starts to be a memory.
The only one that still brings tears to my eyes is standing crying in the shower with huge handfuls of hair, and having my head shaved - and I think this will always stay with me......and that's why I hate the ads so much.
Big hugs to you - you've almost done it......and as Dory says "just keep swimming....." X
