My Hair

We are often identified by our hair whether it be by color, texture, or length.  I have spent most of my life with long hair and was able to wear it curly or straight depending on my mood (or how much time I had).  When I heard the word Chemotherapy thrown into my impending treatment regimen, I immediately knew I would face losing my hair.  Losing your hair seems like such a huge deal (and it is no small deal for sure) until it is your only choice in order to ensure that you are alive to see your kids grow up.  There was no other option than to roll with it and have fun as my hair took a little journey of its own.

Just before my double mastectomy, my wonderful hairstylist, Megan gave me an adorable bob cut (left). We felt this would be easier to maintain since showering was going to be tricky following surgery.  Then as strands of hair began to fall out, I got the pixie cut (top right) to help transition to the shaved look.  When the clumps started falling out making a mess of our bathroom, we gathered the kids around and made it a family event to shave my head (middle right).  Once the hair was gone, I opted to wear hats and scarves and not purchase a wig.  My girlfriends threw a "Hat and Scarf Party" for me so I would have plenty of options to cover my head.

When my hair finally started to grow back, my worst fear that it would all be gray came true.  In fact it came back gray with a large patch of white on the top (top left). Funny how your worst fear seems silly when you are happy just to have hair. As soon as it was long enough, Megan helped me cover the grays with some copper tones (top right).  My hair continues to grow and I look forward to trying out many different styles (and colors) as it grows out.