Who Needs Hair Anyway?

Well yesterday was the second day I had been dreading for the past 8 weeks (the first was starting treatment).

Yesterday I regained what little control I have in this whole situation.

Yesterday I lost my hair.

Had I waited to lose my hair naturally I would have been waiting for another 9 days. It would have started to fall out in large clumps. I would wake up with piles of hair lying on the pillow.

I decided to say a big "screw you" to chemo and shave my head before that could happen.

I have had this planned for a while so I asked my best friend to come into town and go wig shopping with me. I tried on so many that they started to blend together by the end. I did decide to get two (both similar styles and colors). I will be wearing a wig until my hair grows back long enough to create some sort of pixie cut (like Michelle Williams) so having two will be nice. I was able to bring one home but had to have the other one ordered in a darker color.

I was initially planning to have my head shaved in a salon, but as the time got closer I decided that I really wanted to do it at home. I knew that I would most likely cry, and I felt more comfortable crying in front of Derek and friends. We turned it into a small party; we had four friends here and through the wonders of technology our good friends in South Carolina were able to join us as well.

Even though it was upsetting and I cried throughout most of it...I wouldn't change a thing about how it happened. I was surrounded by people that I love and was glad to be able to share such a big part of my journey with them. They also helped keep my spirits up afterward as well!

The party didn't stop with my shaved head, since Derek decided to have his shaved as well! Once he was done my friend Adam joined us too. Pictures are at the bottom!

As an update from my last post, I am very happy to say that I have been feeling great for the past several days! All of my digestive issues have resolved, my weight is back to pre-treatment range, and I really don't have any fatigue. I was able to walk 2 miles this morning and another 2 this afternoon. My thrush has mostly resolved. I still have mouth sores so eating gets uncomfortable, but still very manageable. I had another blood count on Friday and while all of the counts are lower, they are all still within normal limits with the exception of my platelets. Tomorrow is supposed to be the day my counts are the lowest, so I am really hoping that I will continue to feel good for the next week and a half.

"You've only got three choices in life: give up, give in, or give it all you've got." - Unknown