Just read (the early part of) this thread for the first time. Re chemotherapy and it's unfortunate side-effects, may I relate a story? I have a bell-ringing friend, Sue, who, with a toddler & a babe in arms, was diagnosed, about a year ago, with breast cancer. I happened to meet her early one morning, while it was still dark, just before Christmas as I was walking the dog and she was walking to work. She hailed me with "Hey, look, I've got even less hair than you, now", and took off her cap (it was frosty) to reveal a shining dome. And under the street-lamp, her pate glittered. She'd stuck silver stars on it for the Christmas party at work that afternoon! She is one brave lady. (I saw her at a ringing practice last Tuesday: hair grown again, and she seems as good as new; but, of course, she's not out of the wood yet.)