I admit it, just like eveyone else, I thought I want to live...who cares about hair??? It is just hair right???
That attitude lasted until I found out that I had less than 10 days to come to grips with going from long hair to bald! I had just finished three weeks of procedures and was headed to my first chemo and I was supposed to find a wig before all of my hair fell out. Truly, it was all a bit overwhelming.
As a planner, I naturally had a plan :) I was going to the same hairdresser who gave me my very first haircut (an emergency cut after having a braid get caught in a neighbor's go cart...long story). Nevertheless, John Siggers is a wonderful man who brought me in on a Sunday when the salon was closed to give me the best Farah Faucet haircut of the 80s! I was very excited!!!
I've been going to Siggers on and off ever since (basically when I can get to ATL for an appt.) since I was a child. All of my high school friends have either had their haircut there or worked there over the years.
Paula, my best friend for over 20 years called Siggers and set me up for a private cut so that I could control the hairloss (those that know me understand). Unfortunately, Walker, who is just 3 1/2 has a bit of a thing for hair. So, I had to prepare him that Mommy was getting the summer haircut just like the dogs. He could relate to that. I was not crazy about this reference as I knew how close to true it was.
Back to Siggers: Chad (John's son) took me in and brought me down to the special room to talk about the plan. He had the shears in his hand and I was feeling a bit sick. My friends Paula and Kim were there....cameras in hand to document the occassion (pictures attached if I can figure out how to add them to this blog). John could see the look in my face and decided to make it more of a haircut. They took me back up into the salon and gave a full wash, massage, eyebrow wax and even made a template for me when I lose my eyebrows along with some make up lessons and skin care. I felt like a princess on a day that should have been anything but fun.
Back down in the room, we all gossiped about high school....sorry Buckshot, some good stories came out about you :) John slowly took my hair shorter and shorter. He took his time to give me time to get used to the change. He is really a wonderful man! At the end I had the Melissa Ethridge haircut. I tried to be excited about it and the control I had taken, but everytime I looked into the mirror it was a reminder of what I was facing.
Siggers comped my whole visit and John gave me a great big bear hug...27 years after he had given me my first haircut...I told him to expect a happy ending!
It was actually 14 days exactly before I lost my hair. I thought to myself, I made it 2 weeks maybe I will be in the 8% who don't lose their hair??? Then, after brushing my teeth that very day, the hair was all in the sink. Mickey shaved the rest for me the next day.
I am now bald and getting comfortable with it. Some days I go out in just a ball cap and other days I wear my wigs. I have a fun one and a conservative one (they really don't look that much different). Walker and Stephen like the fun one b/c it looks messy like my real hair. I like the conservative one b/c it looks the way I want my hair to look :)
In the end, I really do just want to live and it really is just hair (that will ideally grow back)!
That attitude lasted until I found out that I had less than 10 days to come to grips with going from long hair to bald! I had just finished three weeks of procedures and was headed to my first chemo and I was supposed to find a wig before all of my hair fell out. Truly, it was all a bit overwhelming.
As a planner, I naturally had a plan :) I was going to the same hairdresser who gave me my very first haircut (an emergency cut after having a braid get caught in a neighbor's go cart...long story). Nevertheless, John Siggers is a wonderful man who brought me in on a Sunday when the salon was closed to give me the best Farah Faucet haircut of the 80s! I was very excited!!!
I've been going to Siggers on and off ever since (basically when I can get to ATL for an appt.) since I was a child. All of my high school friends have either had their haircut there or worked there over the years.
Paula, my best friend for over 20 years called Siggers and set me up for a private cut so that I could control the hairloss (those that know me understand). Unfortunately, Walker, who is just 3 1/2 has a bit of a thing for hair. So, I had to prepare him that Mommy was getting the summer haircut just like the dogs. He could relate to that. I was not crazy about this reference as I knew how close to true it was.
Back to Siggers: Chad (John's son) took me in and brought me down to the special room to talk about the plan. He had the shears in his hand and I was feeling a bit sick. My friends Paula and Kim were there....cameras in hand to document the occassion (pictures attached if I can figure out how to add them to this blog). John could see the look in my face and decided to make it more of a haircut. They took me back up into the salon and gave a full wash, massage, eyebrow wax and even made a template for me when I lose my eyebrows along with some make up lessons and skin care. I felt like a princess on a day that should have been anything but fun.
Back down in the room, we all gossiped about high school....sorry Buckshot, some good stories came out about you :) John slowly took my hair shorter and shorter. He took his time to give me time to get used to the change. He is really a wonderful man! At the end I had the Melissa Ethridge haircut. I tried to be excited about it and the control I had taken, but everytime I looked into the mirror it was a reminder of what I was facing.
Siggers comped my whole visit and John gave me a great big bear hug...27 years after he had given me my first haircut...I told him to expect a happy ending!
It was actually 14 days exactly before I lost my hair. I thought to myself, I made it 2 weeks maybe I will be in the 8% who don't lose their hair??? Then, after brushing my teeth that very day, the hair was all in the sink. Mickey shaved the rest for me the next day.
I am now bald and getting comfortable with it. Some days I go out in just a ball cap and other days I wear my wigs. I have a fun one and a conservative one (they really don't look that much different). Walker and Stephen like the fun one b/c it looks messy like my real hair. I like the conservative one b/c it looks the way I want my hair to look :)
In the end, I really do just want to live and it really is just hair (that will ideally grow back)!
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