A Big HAIRY Deal

2004 was a big year for me.  I didn’t know it going into the year but it would completely change my life forever.  I was a carefree young woman in her early 30s with a good job, a great husband, great friends and plans for a family.  Then, in March 2004 I was diagnosed with cancer.  The specific details are irrelevant.  I was horrified.  My husband was petrified.  My family was terrified.  I was completely lost.  This does not happen to me.

Then a few days before I started my first round of chemo there was a knock on my door.  When I opened it my four best friends were standing beside a limo with 2 bottles of champagne.  They whisked me off for an amazing Chemo Celebration (don’t ask…it seemed funny at the time).  We first went to the salon to have our hair "done".  All of us got new very short haircuts and donated our hair to charity.  The picture above shows how much we got chopped.  Then after getting our make-up done we went shopping.  The girls bought me some great Chemo Clothes – "comfy but still fashionable" – and some hats and scarves for all of our new short do’s.  We then hopped in the limo and spent an evening eating, laughing, and sharing our hopes and fears for what was to come.

I look back on this now after 2+ years cancer free with the fondest of memories.  This evening made me realize I was not alone in this and that I did have some control over what was happening.  I often wonder why it took the threat of me losing my hair for us to get the nerve to cut our hair short and donate it to someone in need?  I absolutely love spending time with my friends and doing something good at the same time makes it even better.

Although this story is about me I want to thank the four best friends in the world – Carla, Lori, Sandy, and Mel for being crazy enough and loving me enough to think up the Chemo Celebration.  I will never forget it.

Janet is an urbanmoms.ca member and mom of 1 from Vancouver, B.C.