Candy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Hair Day

There's nothing better than a good hair day. Amen? I saw a sign the other day that read, "The higher the hair, the closer to God." :) Isn't that just precious? A good southern woman must've come up with that.

My hair is neither good nor high these days. In fact, it's gone. The chemo will do that to ya.

Dr. Yardley told me when I began seeing her that between days 10 and 14 my hair would begin to fall out. And what hair I had left at the 2nd chemo date, would be gone soon after. Days 10, 11, and 12 showed no signs of my hair falling out. But day 13 was a different story. It was this past Tuesday.

I was getting ready for work and taking one last look in the mirror before I left. I noticed a couple of hairs out of place right behind my ear. I tried to put them back in place but they came out into my hand. I gasped and said to myself, "It's starting." That was a dark day for me. I was depressed the rest of the day. I prayed and asked God to help me not cry at work. By the time I got home, I was getting on my own nerves, whining about it and struggling between letting it all out in a good cry and sucking it up and being strong. I got in the shower Tuesday night and half expected all my hair to come out when the water hit it. It didn't. But I decided then to have my good cry.

I woke Wednesday morning and felt much better about things. Yes, it was still falling out, but I was dealing with it better. Thursday rolled around and I had the top down on my car. I could just see me riding down the street, top down, wind in my hair, and my hair coming out in clumps, blowing back onto the cars behind me. "Honey! Was that a bird we just hit?" I cracked myself up just thinking about it. Friday I went to breakfast with a friend and did a little shopping. I noticed that my scalp was getting sore. Even lying my head on the pillow at night hurt. By Friday night, I'd decided that my hair had to go. By this time I was able to pull out large clumps of it and it was extremely thin.

Saturday morning I had some errands to run. And when I got home, it was time to shave my head. I sat in the chair and cried. It was a gradual process, using guards on the clippers from largest to smallest. My hair is now about 1/4" long. And even though I hated losing my hair, I don't regret shaving it. I have some pretty large bald spots on it.

The woman I met at my first chemo treatment who has brain cancer, Darlene, told me to get a satin pillow case. I went to Walmart looking for one last night but couldn't find one. Instead, I bought a slip. ha! I slid it over my pillow and it worked beautifully. When you are used to having hair, then all of a sudden you don't, a regular pillow case can pull your hair and it feels like you're raking your head through sand. The satin makes it easier to move your head around while you're sleeping.

I went to the Predators game last night and wore a hat and headscarf. I did the same thing at church this morning. The compliments I received were overwhelming.

So, the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad hair day..........God turned it into a blessing. As usual.

I'll tell ya......it sure does make it easier to get ready in the morning when you don't have to do your hair!

The hair thing was my rock bottom so far. And as far as I'm concerned, I can only go up from here. And I have nothing but thanks and praise in my heart tonight.

Everybody have a great week! -