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wigs, antibiotics and ...head fungus

Checking her scalp, I found a huge ugly area of a fungus that looks like favus. it is yellowish and also called honey comb. It also attacks the root of the hair, and in that case stops it from growing entirely! Mom has cancer, obviously, or i would not write here, and the course of antibiotics she had had to take due to infections does not exactly make a good point from which to take antimyotics /antifungal antibiotics--they damage her liver even more. There is always one more complication each week and yes, my scalp feels itchy now and I do not have a health insurance that will pay a wig for myself if i caught it from her...of course I told her to mention this to her MD months ago. Just one more thing that she found too bothersome to deal with or remember long enough to look at her note of symptoms when seeing her MD, (don't live near her and only come during complication times or major apopintments) and that could make all of us ill, consequently, as this is highly contageous. Yep I am mad at her because I have told her and there is nothign else I can do but remind her. I am also mad at her MD because I always have to examine her head to tow on each visit and scoop up possible side effects myself.

Anything that has touched the scalp is infected--that inculdes furniture, all her hair flying around, dandruff whreever it setteled, and most importantly her wig which I doubt can be washed in boiling hot water and otherwise will keep reinfecting. Any disinfecting ideas? Any non-toxic-treatment options? What can I do in case I've got it--it's hard to check a head that has so much hair on it ?





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315 tn?1230998574
How horrible for your Mom...it must be so uncomfortable.  As stated above I would go to a Dermatologist,burn that wig and let fresh air get to it.  It is true that the Onc will usually only focus on the ovca and treatments.  Maybe you should call her Onc and let him or his nurse know whats happenning with your Mom before her visits and ask all your questions to him then...since you can't be with her.  Good luck..I hope this goes away soon~~~Joanne
Helpful - 0
16702 tn?1234090645
I have noticed that my Onc only focuses on my cancer and it's treatments and doesn't pay attention to other problems...I am the one who has to ask if I should go see someone about the other problems,,teeth, bones, eyes, skin,,so on...So I have to be on top of things and read all my reports and question each problem and take care of it myself.  Your Mom's Onc would probably refer her to a dermatologist.

After doing some research, I couldn't find anything natural that would be strong enough to treat this problem. Perhaps a visit to Traditional Chinese herbalist and that doesn't work, I would take her to dermatologist.  In the meantime, I would burn her wig, shave off what's left of hair and go topless for a while.  Maybe she should consider wearing natural fiber scarfs...she can get very creative with them.  Should get this under control before winter kicks in (if you have winters where you live).  
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Avatar universal
How old is your mom? I'm 62 and went bald. I really liked it. She might want to consider that, at least for a while.
Helpful - 0
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