"Oh Where... is My Hairbrush?"

One of the biggest signs of going through chemotherapy for a woman has to be the loss of hair...

For me it has been a bit of an emotional letting go of what has been my unique person...a thick head of long hair has always covered my head.   My children have also suffered to watch the loss of my hair and it has indeed caused a bit of stress for them.  It also outward evidence that I am fighting a hidden enemy within my body, cancer... It's real now.

My first step was to save my long hair for another...I could not imagine letting it literally go down the drain. Sarah and I went to a local hair salon and donated my locks to the charity "Locks of Love". They make wigs for children going through cancer treatments and who suffer from permanent loss of hair.  It felt good to do something positive with a pretty negative situation...it made it worth while.

The next step was waiting...

My hair took its time and did not fall out until week three following my first chemotherapy treatment...one day, as I brushed, it started...hair came out in hand fulls in the shower...for about a day or two I put up with it as it began to thin...many of you know my hair is very thick...it took about three or four days before I started looking like a mangy old cat.

Taking matters into my own hands, we (my dad) shaved the rest off.  It just felt better to be free of it.



  Now I wear a new look...I'm a hat person now...

 A Romantic Dinner Out with Hubby

...and a little bit gypsy some days too! 

 My Second Round of Chemotherapy...

This weekend we realized that Thomas had been slowly cutting off  bits of his hair over several days... Each day he cut off more and more...so he could be like mommy... So after he cut a near bald spot off the top of his head...we made the realization (he was hiding his hair in the closet)...we gave him a nice close buzz in solidarity... It truly is a blessing to be loved so much.
 

I just love this little Boy...

There are pros to having a bald head...you don't have to spend any money on hair care products...or salon visits... and you don't have to spend any time brushing or styling hair...none.   And you can get your children to message your head with oil any time... It's wonderful.

In spite of all the pros...I do miss my hair... It will grow back...and I am thankful for that.

For now I will try to embrace the new me... I am fearfully and wonderfully made...God is pruning me so that I will grow more in His likeness... And for this I am thankful and ultimately how I can find joy in even this small trial.