Week Off! Yipee!

This was week 4, AKA the week off chemo, in my regimen. And how did I make the most of the extra 8 days of energy? -So far I have used it to be frustrated about housework.  What a waste! Mentally I know it is a waste, but I can't seem to harness my mood and get focused on something that is worth my energy.  (OK, now you know my dirty little secret)
How do you do it?  How do you get through the stuff in your house when it gets too cluttered.  I used to be so good at it, but perpetual clutter is one thing in my life that has changed with cancer.
Honestly, I can go on for days about all of the things that have changed for the better in my life as a result of having cancer.  But, this one - having too much clutter - is a shame to me.
Ok - enough.  That topic is off the table for tonight.
I'm bald!  It is finally over.  Loosing your hair is really weird.  I anticipated doing a great little blog series on what it is like knowing that someday another cancer patient will be going through alopecia may read this blog and would be glad to know what to anticipate.  So, lets skip to the last chapter of "How to loose your hair".
Days after loosing my hair the first time I had cancer I was at the mall with some of my sisters.  It was summer and my poor little body was dealing with a lot of hormone changes.  First, right in the middle of the shoe store I had a hot flash!  Second, I was learning to wear scarfs and couldn't get it tied so that it would stay in place. These two things and others I have forgotten by now made me just rip my head covering off right there! I heard a sweet little girl about 5 years old turned to her dad and say, "look Daddy, I think she has cancer".  That poor dad, he was trying to hush her and make her not say anything, I guess he was embarrassed that now he and his daughter were being singled out just like bald me.  I just turned and in a "you are so smart and courageous to tell the truth" voice told dad it was ok and told her she was right.  That little girl knew cancer - from such a young age - she had already had a front row seat to this show.  It really opened my eyes to the reality - everyone has had cancer touch their lives.
At least one other time during my shopping trip I was stopped by someone who had danced with cancer and wanted to encourage me on my journey.
My Sinead O'connor II experience it has been interesting.  At work, people have been extra careful to smile big, other mom's in the girl scout troop are so aware of the hair change and worried about me.  Me? I am just worried about how my kids are responding.  When kids see mom go bald it all becomes serious.  That makes sense, right? - if mom's bald - we got problems!
So, Monday when I found that the itchy scalp was distracting at work and just annoying I came home and asked if the kids thought it was best to wait for hair to fall out or to shave it off.  Luckily, they thought it would be best to shave.  So I asked if they would like to do the shaving - of course!!!  So, I hired 3 new hairdressers.  It was good for them to have some of the control - they finished off my hair - it didn't just happen while they watched.

Aren't they cute!  And, look - they turned me into A Hollywood Warrior, GI Jane.