I'm Official and From Mullet to A-line FF

I really did write this post last Friday, but just as I was going to put pictures on it, my computer slid off my chair and the video cord came loose (that's what I know now).  I just got it back today and am updating...Stay tuned for tomorrows FF from this week....
1.  It's nice to travel, but it's also nice to be home.  This week has been a great week!  I had 4 days off Friday-Monday, worked Tuesday and Wednesday.  I'll take it!  I feel like I've gotten so much accomplished, but feel like I still have so many things to do before going to MVY in just 3 weeks!
2.  Saturday we had a baby shower for my cousin Laura and her twins.  I'm excited to be able to hold them soon.  I also went on a little shopping spree. 

3.   Sunday I went to a Marven Goldstien and Vanessa Joy fireside.  It was so enjoyable, especially the filled cup cake they had afterwards.
4.   I got my hair cut Monday by Aubreys sister Brooke.  She did an awesome job!  The mullet came off and I got a slight A-line.  I finally feel like I have a normal hairstyle and am not just growing it out after chemo.  I will admit I'm getting really excited for the shortest layer to hit my neck.  Wooohooo.

5.  Monday was a me day, (ok most day's are me days), after I left Brook's I went for a massage.  I'm not one to splurge on massages, but I bought a groupon for 3 and so I had my first one.  This girl was amazing and gave me the best massage I have ever had!
6.  I'm official!  I have both an AZ drivers license and license plates.  I dread going to the DMV, but I got my car inspected and got both a license and plates in less than an hour.  How often does that happen?  I admit I was a bit sad to have to give up my NC license, because my hair was long and I think it was the best drivers license picture I've ever taken.  This one isn't so pretty.

7.  Because I didn't have to spend my entire day at the DMV I decided I'd spend a little time at Talbots.  I'm a Talbots snob, especially when they have 50% off the lowest marked price.  Sometimes a girl needs to shop twice in 1 week!  I did get rid of several shirts in my closet this week to replace the few that I bought yesterday, one included the shirt I wore almost 11 years ago when I graduated from PA school.  Silly that I've kept it all these years.  I looked at it thinking, "wow I was so tiny then."  What happened?  Cancer grrrr.
8.  Today I learned how to fold socks and towels correctly at the Temple.  It was actually fun.  I'm pretty sure my mom would have been proud of my folding skills
9.  After the Temple I picked up my cousin Lauras kid's since she is on bed rest with her twins.  I took them to Cafe Rio and then we spent 3 hours at Tumbleweed Park.  It is such a fun park.  Deborah and her kids joined us at the park.  It is fun to sit and chat with Deb.  Today was the perfect Spring day, 80 and windy!  I don't know what Aunt Leslie complains about, the weather this month has been beautiful!

Hair, Glorious Hair

When you have cancer and you lose your hair to chemo you are desperate to know when your hair will start growing back. 

October 2013

When I was bald I looked to find blogs that showed hair re-growth after cancer.  I found a few, but it was really hard to find and there wasn't much out there.  So I vowed when this was all said and done, that I'd write a post for someone who might be needing the reassurance that yes, hair grows back after chemo.  Yes, the first few months of regrowth are down right scary and no I didn't run around town looking like this very often.  I still wore hats and scarves until the first week in March.  By then I looked less like a freak of nature.  I will admit I do still feel like I'm having the ugly hair grow out stage, but by now I don't look like I'm growing my hair out from chemo, but more like I deliberately had short hair and am growing it out from a short hair cut.  Sometimes I wonder what is harder being bald or having the ugly grow out hair style.  I so look forward to the day my hair is down to my shoulders; maybe a year from now it will I can only hope.

People often ask me if my hair was this curly and this dark before chemo.  My response is always, "yes it was curly, but it was always so long, so of course it wasn't this curly and I think it is the same color, maybe a little darker and definitely more grays eek."  I'm pretty sure my hair is curlier than before, but we will see once it gets longer if it ever gets there. 

I like the curly look, it is super easy.  I can even blow dry my hair on high and in a few minutes it's dry and I'm out the door.  I try to wear it straight sometimes, but it just isn't my favorite do right now, I think because it has too many layers and the bang doesn't quite stay behind my ear, almost but I have a hair cut scheduled May 18, so it will get cut again. 

Here you go:  18 months of hair grow out.

Early December 2014

Christmas 2014

January 2014

February 2014

February 2014

March 2014

Early April 2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014 1 year from OVC Diagnosis

First Haircut June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

Second Hair Cut Oct. 2014

Early November 2014

Thanksgiving November 2014

Christmas2014

January 2015

Early February 2015 after 3rd Haircut

Early March 2015

End of March 2015

April 2015

The Miracle of Hair

This week marks the 1 year anniversary of my last chemo treatment.  It is hard for me to believe I went through what I went through with cancer.  It was such a hard time, even though the last 2 1/2 months may have been just as difficult emotionally.  Today I was the guest speaker during our Primary Sharing Time.  The topic was on faith.  I talked to the kids about the faith that it took for me to struggle through cancer and losing my hair.  I told them that I have 9 nieces and nephews who I was determined to live for.  I talked about how these kids prayed that I would get better and how their faith grew as they saw this miracle take place.  I then told them about Aidree's prayer at Thanksgiving how she prayed that my hair and eyelashes would grow back and how Bridget said when I was crying over the prayer, "Why you cry?  Your hair grow back."  The sweetest thing occurred in the kitchen last week when I was home, just before Tristen drove back to SLC.  Bridget and I were the only ones in the kitchen.  She looked at me and said, with a slight question in her voice, "Heavenly Father made your hair grow back."  I said, "Yes Bridgy, He did, because he answered your prayers." I hope that my nieces and nephews never forget the miracle that they witnessed.  I truly feel like a miracle and am so grateful for miracles in my life.  I was reading this week in Ether 12 of the miracles that the Lord performs, but only after we have faith.  How grateful I am for the many examples in the scriptures of those who had faith and the miracles that took place because of their faith...Oh the difference a year makes!

CA 125 Update

I forgot to mention last week that I got my CA 125 results from when I was home:  less than 6!  That is less than ever!  It means that is is basically 0.  Yesterday I was thinking about how so so-real this past year has been.  It's crazy to think that I went through cancer, chemo, surgeries and am now back to working and my normal life.  I'm happier and feel healthier than ever before!

Now if this hair would just grow quicker, that would be nice...

I'm feeling like my hair looks like the teenage boy who is being rebellious and doesn't want to cut his hair, because that is exactly what my hair looks like; bad.  But it also has the older man look too, curl that is slightly wavy/frizzy; ugly.  If I don't have gel in my hair it's a bad thing.  I'm going to try the Emma look today (fohawk like), her hair always looks cute, we shall see what happens...ok so I don't have a close up of her hair, but this is what I found of you Emma, including one of my favorite RS activities(last one)!

Peach Fuzz

Believe it or not....I see HAIR (actually it is peach fuzz in the form of hair) and not just on my head!  It's like one day it wasn't there and the next by golly it was!  My head has a nice shadow of dark peach fuzz like this...

I know I'm far from any kind of hair style, but this is exciting.  I've been told it takes about 4 months to actually have enough hair to have any kind of style, so that means March?

In the airplane restroom ( I know funny place, but the close quarters helped the situation) today the lighting was just perfect to allow me to see a few eyebrows and eyelashes. I was so excited I shared the news with the stewardess who was just as excited as I was.  I have a few strays left from chemo, I wonder if I should just pluck them and wait for the regrowth...or leave them.

There are other places where hair is starting to appear too...Still no hair in the axilla or legs, but I'll be pleased as punch if it never grows back there.

Oh the things you take for granted...