Encourage one another...the aftermath.

 Since 2004 this blogspace has been a place for encouragement.

A place for beauty. friends, faith and fun.

I was short on those things and felt too overwhelmed to share my illness with the world.  So I didn't.

As Nora Ephron says "Everything is copy."  ("meaning that anything and everything that happens to you is fair game to write about.")

Nora died of a blood disease.  And she did not write about it.  

I could not write about my cancer either.

I could not even communicate well about it to my family.  Patrick became a great liaison for me. He kept our families informed about each appointment, about the healing of wounds, ER visits and low days.  

As Ethyl says about Norman in On Golden Pond, "You are my knight in shining armour, don't you forget it." I now say this earnestly about my dear husband.

There is a reason, I'm sharing this now.  Because  I've needed encouragement ABOUT MY HAIR and have not found any on line.  I'm going to provide pictures to show the progression of how hideous it is to lose your hair (it was for me) and how long it takes to grow back.  

"This is what you want to share, Donna?"

Yes. This what I want to share.  

In a nutshell I will fill you in:

Sept 15, 2023 I was diagnosed with Triple Neg. Breast Cancer. .9

Nov 15, 2023 Surgery. Lumpectomy. Three lymph nodes removed to check for cancer.

Nov ?, 2023. Clear margins.  Lymph nodes clear.

Dec. 20, 2023 Chemo starts. four rounds. 

March 4, 2024 Final Chemo

May 5, 2024  Hospitalization for blood clots in leg and lungs

May 15, 2024 Radiation starts.  

June 5, 2024 Final Radiation. 

All done.  We've done what we can.  Just hope and pray this nasty form of cancer hasn't traveled.  And for that... I just wait.  

Wait and grow my hair!

See....the weird thing is as I was hiding away with my cancer so no one had to know, my hair is a blabber mouth after all the treatments are done.

Okay.  Here we go with the pictures.  Ready.

Should I  bury the lead and show you my hair now? nope. gotta wait.

I bought hats. I don't like hats. But I bought hats.

Got a trim just before chemo.

I tried a cold cap.  This is suppose to save your hair by making it so cold that the chemicals can't get to your hair roots. You wear it during chemo and it adds hours to your treatment.

 It is costly. 

Ice on my hair after wearing the cold cap.

Finished with first chemo and first cold cap.

Feeling just fine and ready to go home.  

Wondering how I will feel in the days to come...

Three weeks later.  My hair started falling out.

Jan 11th, 2024

I'd say over 70% of my hair fell out.

I started wearing hats.  I would not look at myself in the mirror.

You see, my hair was the last thing I had going for me.

Don't argue.  Everything else. Pretty much shot.

Now I looked like Ben Franklin on a good day and Gollum on a bad day.

And so I wore hats and was happy to have those long strands to create the illusion of still having nice hair. ha.  The second Chemo I was mad about the hair falling out and an ill timed comment by my doctor's assistant....and I could not deal with the cold cap so decided not to use it.

(Good news about that, I got a big refund)

And this was my winter.  Watching Kdramas.  Being lonely. 

One day at a time.

I washed and fluffed my hair.  

I know so many, maybe even most would shave it all off but not me.

 I liked my strands.  A lot.

And then this happened to my face!

I'm showing you this because it's just too hilarious.

I'm humbled enough already...

thank you very much.

Then I saw this picture of my hair in my memories.

Nice hair girl.

Last day of Chemo.

The strands of hair are almost gone.

Almost. Gone.

So I cut them. 

Now.  So we can see how fast/slow my hair grows. I will date them.

May 3, 2024

Two months post final chemo.

May 8th!  

OMG. 

My hair is growing.

Looking good in back. 

May 21. Feels so soft.

But terribly embarrassed to be in public without a hat.

But let me tell you a funny thing about hats on bald heads.  They slide up and off.

It's very annoying.

Janet sent me lip gloss to look more feminine.

Maybe a scarf will help.

May 31, 2024

June 5th 2024

Done with all treatments.

I am the bearer of cowlicks.  My widows peak is returning.

June 14, 2024

My hair color is exactly like my brother Jim's now.  

June 14, 2024

I found a headband with a bow.  This makes me happy and I can go out in public.

June 22, 2024

June 24th 2024

It feels really slow.  

Quite thick. But not as long as I would have expected

June 27th 2024

July 4th 2024.

four months post final chemo.

July 21st.

It doesn't feel like it is growing.

Only if I look back at the May pictures am I reminded of how it was.

Aug 6th.

Aug 11th 2024

A good week of hair growing

Today. 

August 14th

Washed and fluffed.

Aug 14th 2024

Aug 14th 2024

Five Months Post chemo.

I will continue to update you all on the state of my hair.

1. The cold cap did not work for me at all.

2. I have taken two vitamins and used one serum on my hair.

I do not know if they worked.

I used vitamins and serum from Champo.

And I used Mary Ruths Liquid Morning and Hair growth vitamins.

I'm not horrified to look at myself now. So that is really good.

And now I've outed myself about The cancer so I don't have to hide and you will know why my hair is so short when I post on FB or Insta or here.

Patrick is retired now.  He has been my helper as mentioned above.  That gives me a good topic for next time I think.

The helpers.

Please don't be mad at me because I couldn't share more publically.  I know you would all have been praying like crazy for me.  

Love you.  Missed you. Mean it.

Donna