Back to the Root of Things...

Kind of a goofy pic...but this is my new haircut!

I'm liking it a lot-it feels like 'me' :). I grew my hair out for the wedding and that felt right at that time and this feels right now-I guess it's the 'artsy haircut' in me!

Today, I am grateful for: this week OFF!! , friends, family, a great weekend and God!

Rach

Amazing How a Haircut Can Help...

The long hair-Before

The 'longer bob' but shorter hair-complete with sunglasses and 'tough girl' look-After

I was starting to finally feel better anyways but on Saturday, I got some hair chopped off and I started to feel more like 'me'. The long hair-while pretty for the wedding-just wasn't me anymore. Let me know what you think...I was going for the 'longer bob look'. I think I'll eventually get it even shorter because I really liked it that way when it was growing out after chemo, but this will work for now.

Please check back in the next few days for some super exciting news and it requires your help! I can't wait to tell you about it!

Today, I am grateful for ever exciting news, life, food, hubby, family, friends and God.

Rach

Oh, side effects...

So, I have a new one...and it is puzzling me. My hair seems to be thinning. I think I had one semi-bald very small spot in the back for awhile but I thought that was just normal-like a cowlick or something. The thinning probably isn't even noticeable to most people unless you are around me a ton. I'm becoming a little self-conscious about it though (even though being bald never seemed to phase me) and have come up with good ways to wear my hair to try to cover it up. Yet, some of those ways, like ponytails may be exaggerating the problem. My poor hair has been through a lot. It does amazingly well considering it fell out 3 times and wasn't that far from the radiation on my back.

Lately though it feels like more comes out in the shower and in the morning when I get up. When I brush my hair back it seems thinner. I'm not sure if it's all the yanking the past couple months for the fashion show and wedding stuff or what. I haven't started any new meds and honestly really haven't felt stressed even with everything going on. I'm really ready to get a shorter haircut again. Thoughts-do you think this will help or hurt the problem?

Today, I am grateful for: friends, family and God. Life is beautiful and a new chapter has only just begun.

Rachel

Braid My Hair

Heard this song for the first time last night and it touched my heart...thought I'd share.


Braid My Hair
by Randy Owen

She could be the first female president
Or be the doctor whose experiment
Finds the cure to what she's in here for
But right now treatments keep her sick in bed
That baseball cap never leaves her head
And while she sleeps I sit and dream
One day I asked her what do you wanna do when you grow up
I soon found out I wasn't dreaming big enough
She said, I'm gonna ride my bike, I'm gonna climb a tree
Gonna fly a kite, score running little league
I'm gonna go to school, make a friend, be able to run again
Take off my mask and just breathe in the air
But most of all I'm gonna braid my hair
She could question God, Lord, knows I would
She could just give up, I don't think I could be that strong or fight so long
How can such a little girl have such big faith
And even through the pain she still prays, saying, God will make a way
For me to ride my bike, for me to climb a tree
I'm gonna fly a kite, and score running little league
I'm gonna go to school, make a friend, be able to run again
And take off my mask and just breathe in the air
But most of all I'm gonna braid my hair that's down to my waist
Then I'll get it cut so they can make
Locks of love for some little girl who's just like me
Wonders if she'll ever be
Able to ride her bike, able to climb a tree
Able to fly her kite, and score running little league
Able to go to school, make new friends, be able to run again
Take off her mask and just breathe in the air
And most of all she can braid her hair
She can braid her hair...

Today, I am grateful for: an amazing massage therapist, feeling pretty good about my project, friends, family and God.

Rach

Hair

I was thinking the other day how long my hair is getting-the longest it has been in about 10 years because of the chemotherapy treatments. My hair would start growing back after the end of a period of time after the treatments. Then, I would relapse and chemo would wipe it away again.

I miss my shorter hair sometimes and liked it that way most of the time. I am growing it out for the wedding and maybe after that it will get cut again-a more artsy cut or something.

Hair also kind of annoys me-a pet peeve or something-I really hate when it's on my clothes or something. I think it was the grossest though when I was bald and I would find it on me somewhere. I knew there was no chance it was mine! Ugh.

Today, I am grateful for: being ok with whatever state my hair or non-hair is in, a day to try to clean and catch-up, an awesome girl's night last night!!-thanks ladies!, family and God.

Rach

Hairy Situation

My Bio class got cancelled so I did not get to share my story and speech that I had prepared. I did not find out either until I got to school. How I wished I could have gone to bed earlier AND slept in. Oh well! I guess I will present Thursday.

I am getting my hair trimmed tonight and it's getting so long-the longest in 9 years since I was first diagnosed! I'm partially getting it trimmed for our engagement pics-any suggestions for an outfit, please!!

I thought it would be appropriate to share a poem about my hair from 4 years ago...

From September 15, 2003: Hair Care was written when I got chemotherapy a third time for the third time I had cancer (and also went bald a third time).

HAIR CARE

I must remind myself
I am beautiful
Hair or no hair
It does not change me
It cannot alter me
I am in control
I need to
Believe in myself
Know it does not matter

But still
It hurts
I stand out now
Screaming to the world
‘I have cancer’
‘I am sick’


Today, I am grateful for: health, friends and family and a little shopping break from school.

Love,
Rachel

What if Humans had no Hair?

Today, a good friend of mine and I went and toured 'green designed architecture'. There was a sort of festival too about reusable, renewable, all that good stuff. The weather was GORGEOUS and it felt good to be out enjoying it as we drove around town trying to find these houses on the tour.

The dinner tonight with grandma was very nice too. We hit up a legendary fried chicken joint, per her request, and enjoyed every minute of catching up!

Click here to read the blog on: What if humans had no hair? (It was in the newspaper this weekend and intrigued me since I was bald three times...)

Now, off to all the homework I've been putting off!

Today, I am grateful for: friends, family, a great place to live, feeling good and great weather lately!

Tomorrow's 'adventure': Computer Arts class and homework...

Love,
Rachel