Brenda Bowles is a nurse, but she admits that when she was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer, one thing that didn’t really occur to her was that she would lose her hair. “That only became real to me when I was signing my consent form for the chemo,” she says. “As soon as the pharmacist said ‘alopecia,’ it hit me.”
The prospect was daunting at first. “I had a lot of hair,” she says. “I had big hair. And I had to work to get it there.” She admits that it was tough when, about two weeks after chemo started, her hair began to fall out in clumps.
Bowles could see that her son, who was 23 at the time, was devastated by what was happening to her. So as her hair was falling out, she asked him to shave her head. “I felt like it was something he could do to help me, to be involved.” Bowles says her family was incredible during her treatments. “They were there for me every step of the way, and I never did chemo alone.”
For the first few weeks Bowles wore hats or beanies to cover her shaved head. “But it was July by then, and it was hot. And I decided I didn’t care anymore. That I was just going to be me. That I am a warrior.” The hats went.
Bowles is also grateful to her friends and colleagues for the support she got during treatment. She received her chemotherapy at the same hospital where her office is, and her team would come down to keep her company while she was getting the infusions. “They would sit with me, talk with me. They actually decorated my chemo chair for my birthday!” she says.
Bowles had her last chemo treatment almost six months ago, and says her hair is growing back. “It’s three different colors now, which is kind of interesting,” she says. “People ask me if I got it highlighted.”
Although she loved the big hair she had before, Bowles is still surprised by some of the conversations she hears in her ovarian cancer support group, where people think about forgoing chemo because they don’t want to lose their hair. “I feel really blessed that I was able to overcome that,” she says. “I just feel that I’m a warrior. That’s what I told myself. I’m alive, and that’s what really matters.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Brenda Bowles is a nurse, but she admits that when she was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer, one thing that didn’t really occur to her was that she would lose her hair. “That only became real to me when I was signing my consent form for the chemo,” she says. “As soon as the pharmacist said ‘alopecia,’ it hit me.”
The prospect was daunting at first. “I had a lot of hair,” she says. “I had big hair. And I had to work to get it there.” She admits that it was tough when, about two weeks after chemo started, her hair began to fall out in clumps.
Read More Bowles could see that her son, who was 23 at the time, was devastated by what was happening to her. So as her hair was falling out, she asked him to shave her head. “I felt like it was something he could do to help me, to be involved.” Bowles says her family was incredible during her treatments. “They were there for me every step of the way, and I never did chemo alone.”
For the first few weeks Bowles wore hats or beanies to cover her shaved head. “But it was July by then, and it was hot. And I decided I didn’t care anymore. That I was just going to be me. That I am a warrior.” The hats went.
Bowles is also grateful to her friends and colleagues for the support she got during treatment. She received her chemotherapy at the same hospital where her office is, and her team would come down to keep her company while she was getting the infusions. “They would sit with me, talk with me. They actually decorated my chemo chair for my birthday!” she says.
Bowles had her last chemo treatment almost six months ago, and says her hair is growing back. “It’s three different colors now, which is kind of interesting,” she says. “People ask me if I got it highlighted.”
Although she loved the big hair she had before, Bowles is still surprised by some of the conversations she hears in her ovarian cancer support group, where people think about forgoing chemo because they don’t want to lose their hair. “I feel really blessed that I was able to overcome that,” she says. “I just feel that I’m a warrior. That’s what I told myself. I’m alive, and that’s what really matters.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
