"Better a Bald Head than None at All"

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This morning I sat at our dining room table within eyeshot of the one restroom in our house.  The door was open and I watched Stephanie wash her hair in the sink (because it is too much work to get all the way in the shower every day with the bandages.)  She asked me to come into the bathroom to see something so I walked in and she proceeded to show me handfuls of hair she was brushing from her head.  The time has come.  The chemo is causing her hair to fall out.  


 I stood there in the bathroom rubbing her back as she continued to take more and more hair from her head and I fell back to earth quickly.  Over the last few days, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we have worked to get back to normal.  I guess what we were trying to do was keep our minds off of reality.  As I stood there with her watching the sad process of my beautiful wife strip her hair from her head, I lost it.  I could no longer be the strong stoic husband I had tried to be.  Seeing her hair fall out so quickly really hit me and it has nothing to do with how she looks because even with thinning hair she is gorgeous.   Losing her hair is just a very visible reminder that my wife is beginning the battle of her life.  The battle for her life.  


 I sat on the edge of the bathtub as she dried her hair and all of the emotions I had been holding in poured out of me.  My beautiful, sweet, stinky, loving, and smart wife has cancer and she has to endure this grueling process.  Reality hit hard. 


 The Hairier Side of Things
Stephanie and I had a good time playing dress-up with the large selection of wigs they have for patients at the Brown Cancer Center resource center.  Below you will see a gallery of some of our favorites.  She could literally rock every wig in the place and look beautiful.  Everyone watching her try them on was in awe of how great she looked with all of the wigs.  


 (Some of the pics have captions for your reading pleasure.)

"Hi I am here for the Annie audition."




Yes - carpet and the drapes

Julie Mays



Sporty Step-on-me
I'm so fancy, you already know

Country club casual 

Trouble

Days of Our Lives audition



Like I said, carpet and drapes
Middle school Step-on-me

Real hair

Glamour Shots

Do you spell blond with an e?

I was just so tired of dealing with long hair ughh...

Is this a wig?  

The silver fox

I kissed a girl and I like it!

Shake it off Shake it off.... and don't play my music on Spotify

I like fast cars, tattoos, and whiskey

Um like I should have been a stylist duh

















Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 7, 2014 at 3:16 PM

    O my gracious I love it.....I prefer the one with the caption, I am done with the long hair one UGH. Looks like Steph.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KatieNovember 7, 2014 at 3:58 PM

    I like the Katy Perry--Steph could totally rock some bangs

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownNovember 7, 2014 at 4:41 PM

    Stay strong. She is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownNovember 7, 2014 at 7:26 PM

    Hi there! You don't know me but I am a friend of your cousin (Shannon Duff)--she posted a link to your blog. First I want to encourage you that people all over are praying for you. I'm so sorry that you are having to walk this road but I know that God's hand is on your lives. I have some idea of what you are facing and dealing with...I finished chemo for a very aggressive lymphoma in February and have these exact same pictures of myself one year ago. I remember that day--it was such a mixture of sadness, horror, hilarity (oh my gosh I look ridiculous), and stoicism (I WILL BEAT THIS and do whatever it takes to get there). I wish I had the perfect words or wonderful answers, but know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. If it would benefit you at all I'd be happy to talk anytime (my husband sounded so much like Greg does in his perspective) or if you are interested in the "blog" I kept during my treatment (actually--not quite done yet--still need to get a clear scan) here it is: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tracivia
    All my best,
    Traci Via

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kristin UNovember 18, 2014 at 9:51 AM

    You are gorgeous NO MATTER WHAT!

    ReplyDelete

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