About two weeks after your first dose of A&C, that mean chemo that makes you so sick, your hair starts to come out. Knowing this, my husband and I made an appointment and went wig shopping before my chemo started. The lady at The Wig Palace was so sweet and kind. She is a cancer survivor, so she was very empathetic. We had fun that day trying on new looks. Since Caitlin wasn't here and was dealing with this diagnosis so far away from us, we took silly pictures and sent them to her. We laughed a lot that day, especially when Connally was the one trying on the hair! It seems so long ago now.
I liked the wig we picked. I liked the look - it wasn't anything my real hair would ever do. I guess they don't make naturally curly wigs. I liked the color. I liked the style. Oh, but I hated wearing that thing. I only did it for the kids at school. The big kids would have rallied and been very supportive, but kindergarteners are just so little. I didn't want to burden their little hearts. Everyday when I left school there was a ball cap in the seat and I would switch from hair to cap as soon as I was passed the playground and out of sight. Once school was out and I was retired, the wig went into the box and onto the top shelf of the closet. Hats became my everyday attire.
It didn't take long after chemo for my hair to start coming back. Now we know what the real color is. I love the gray, and I'm believing my friends who say I look younger. The question was, what about the curl? I loved my curly, wash and wear hair. Since most people who had straight hair report their hair came back curly, would mine be straight? Funny, but that was the thing that bothered me. I wanted my curls.
My sweet friend, Betty Jo, ministered to me by shaving my hair down really short for the shedding days. She prayed over me. She even sang to me. It was a precious time and she made me feel so special. Then, as my hair came back in she would trim and snip and try to get some shape out of the mess. Yes, I got my curls. Most of them. The back is really curly, the top, not so much. But that's ok. I also hoped it would come back thicker, but it didn't. That's ok, too. This is definitely better than it was six months ago.
That brings us to today. I went to see Betty Jo and she worked her magic. I've never had a hairstyle that I loved like this! I hope I will be able to reproduce this tomorrow morning! I may have to sleep with my head wrapped in tissue paper, sitting up, so as not to disturb her masterpiece.
Now that your curiosity is up, I will share a picture along with some from the past year.
This was on my last day of chemo - no eyelashes or eyebrows...
This was made after my first survivor walk...there was a little bit...
This is today....
...It's been a few days since I started this blog. I am happy to report that I once again own a blow-dryer and round brush. It's easy to keep and I am able to maintain the look!
What have I learned? It doesn't matter whether you have hair or not. It matters that you are alive. What you look like isn't the point. The point is that you do your best to reflect the Lord.
Hi Vicki!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated you post, and it was interesting because I saw my brother go through that whole process himself as he went through endless chemo and radiation therapy (minus the wig part). My dad and another brother of mine shaved their heads when he began to lose his hair to support him, and it was really touching for me at least. My family was/is a huge support to my brother, and we receive endless support from our church family as well. What, during your experiences, gave you the most strength to carry on from day to day?
- Sam