My last post was a repost of some thoughts after being given my formal diagnosis on Friday, July 29, 2011. That was the day we met with the breast surgeon and nurse navigator to hear the pathology results from my biopsy two days before. There was a lot of information thrown our way that afternoon. Thank goodness for my husband who had the capacity to take it all in and ask all the right questions because I pretty much shut down.
There were questions like “How do you feel about your breasts?” There was medical terminology to describe the cancer invading my body. Then there was a tentative course of treatment suggested. At least some of it was tentative. They knew that a mastectomy of my right breast was a definite. Radiation was questionable based on some more information that would need to be gathered. And of course, the dreaded word chemo was discussed and strongly suggested considering my young age.
When I momentarily checked back into the conversation about what was happening to me, what I heard was, “Expect chemo and you WILL lose your hair.”
Um, excuse me? You can have my breasts, but not my hair! After all, I could hide the fact that I had a boulder uni-boob with the expanders, but there would be no denying something was amiss walking around without hair and eyebrows. I always knew chemo would be the worst part.
So I tried to find the fun in it. I tried out different hairstyles that I never imagined I ever would, and the need for hair and hiding what was happening found their proper place.
So today I thought I would take you along on my hair journey over the last five years…
First cut before my mastectomy surgery
Next was a pixie cut before chemo started
The day we shaved my head in the kitchen
Thanks to my sweet friends who threw me a hat and scarf party shortly after my hair was gone, I had lots of choices.
When my hair finally started growing, my white patch made it’s appearance.
First dye job to cover up my white patch
The growing out process was not easy. There were days that I most resembled a mushroom.
Post-salon selfies became a passion
To stay dark..
Or lighten it up with highlights? It seems this continues to be the question so I tend to leave it the season.
Speaking of hair, on our first day of summer I asked the kids to make some goals for the summer. While my daughter is perfecting her shoe tying and my son is memorizing his state capitals, I am trying to learn some new ways of styling my girl’s hair. Although I now know hair is something I can do without, it sure is fun to have it!
One of the new styles I have been practicing on my girl