The Merits of the Case

I met with the radiation oncologist today for a radiation follow-up visit and to talk about the chemo start date. We have decided that next Thursday, July 26th will stand as the official chemotherapy start date unless my skin reaction to the radiation worsens. So far it still looks and feels like a bad sunburn, but it’s not terrible. If it does get any worse in the next couple of days I will postpone the start date in order to make sure that I’m on the up side of healing and to prevent any further complications. The Adriamycin (one of the drugs I’ll receive during the first four treatments) in particular can retard the healing process, so we have to make sure that I am well on my way to being healed before we start.

After that appointment, I jumped in the car with my friends Kim and Suzy (both are neighbors…Suzy is my hairdresser extraordinaire) and headed to a local wig shop. Although I was looking forward to hanging out with them, I was NOT looking forward to wig shopping. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea of wearing a wig…ever…no matter how much I hated being bald.

And wouldn’t you know, I left the shop carrying a receipt for not one…not two…but three wigs. Suzy and Kim and the incredible staff at the store helped me choose a blond wig that is very similar to my normal hair style and actually looks real, a partial fall that I can wear under hats when it’s hot, and a completely unexpected and kind of cool dark brown wig to boot. (For those of you who know her, with brown hair I look eerily like my sister Molly.)

Exhibit A--Is it Kim or is it Molly? (For the record, I did NOT buy this wig! Can you say "1980s?" All I need is shoulder pads and I'd be set.)

The best part was how much fun we all had trying on wigs. Kim and Suzy tried on just as many as I did, and I think we tested every single hair color and style in the store between the three of us. We tried on gray, red, brown, pink, black, all shades of blonde, long, short, medium, braided, curly and straight hair. We laughed constantly and it turned into a fun excursion rather than a painful one. I was truly amazed at how real the wigs looked and even felt. I still can’t imagine wearing one, but I’ll have several to choose from if I want them.

I still don’t have any pictures of my new super-short haircut, but in the meantime click below to see a few pictures from the Great Wig-Buying Adventure. (I know that the pictures below are cut off...I don't have time to fix it right now, so just click on the photo album link over on the right to see the full pictures for now!)