My neighbor has a smile on her face again. She’s kissed her cancer good-bye. A fond farewell. In her mind, it’s over and life is good.
Not everyone shakes off treatment with such gusto. It’s almost as if she separated that part of her life from the rest of it. Cancer happened, she dealt with it and now it’s stuffed in a box, sealed and put away for good. Adios, beast.
She may have declared freedom from her disease, but it hasn’t quite done the same. The signs of chemo are hanging on….she’s still wearing big floppy hats, scarves and a really wonderful wig. She even has just bangs to wear with ball caps and they look great too. But she’s anxious to chuck them all and get back to having hair…her hair.
So what’s really bugging her now is the first signs of new hair growth have begun. But it’s coming in gray and fuzzy. I’m not sure which is worse, the gray part or the fuzzy part. I reminded her that many times the first hair that grows back isn’t the final growth. I’m not sure that’s helped much. We were laughing about the fuzzy part.
But until she sees more of what’s coming, she’s sticking to those hats.
I say, let the fuzz see the sun! It deserves a little fresh air.. after all, it’s given my friend her smile back. Peach fuzz=Happy.
May 11, 2012 @ 1:55 pm
Congratulations to your neighbor!! The peach fuzz days are the BEST for what they mean. I always well-up when I see someone with it or hear about someone who is growing it. As far as how it comes back, everyone is different, for certain, and these early days are definitely not the final growth as Laurie says. I have a photo of the early re-growth days that looks like a kinky, curly mop top with several hair colors (yes, gray is one of them). In time, as it grew out, it came back with my original color pattern (yes, the gray but also the brown), but its texture is finer and softer. As Al so humorously points out, the same or different, it does come back!
May 10, 2012 @ 8:47 pm
Al, that is funny!
I do hope her reminders of cancers visit will allow her to forget it’s presence in her life. It’s great that she has her hair coming back, and well the gray is not gray, really is just platinum.
May 10, 2012 @ 7:07 pm
I’ve always thought that the head scarves were really cool for girls and women….gives a chance for some splash and style while letting others know that you are in the fight. Once the hair begins its sprouts, I say “rejoice and be thankful”. It is as if the “winter of your life has now given way to spring”….spring always brings hope….so just as the fuzz on one’s head signifies spring and a new beginning, let it be out there for all to see and give Thanks.
For me, radiation killed the roots so my hair, on one side of my head, did not return. It is OK. I’m an old guy and my hair was receding anyway. Soon, I’ll have enough space on my head for another face…LOL.
May 10, 2012 @ 7:53 pm
Al…you make me chuckle!