The Bald and Beautiful?!

Since I last posted, I have been a busy bee! 
The whole week after my appointment on Monday, was spent in preparation for the next week.  {We just got back on Saturday evening}{post coming soon!} 

The first stage was to shave my head.
It was getting pitiful up there, y'all!! 
I washed my "hair" on Saturday evening and a LOT came out.  I had a full handful with one swipe.
Sooo, it was time to just let it go.  Besides, I had been lint rolling my hats, scarves and my sheets...sweeping up hair ALL the time.  It was time.

From the very first time I heard that my hair would PROBABLY fall out, I knew what I wanted to do.  So, I must first introduce Ashley.  {Click on her name and it will open a new window to her page. She knows nothing about me, or me linking to her, but she is a part of my story, as well!}

She made a video when she chose to shave her head.  Her daughter is/was at the time of the video, a little older than Charlotte, or about. Her daughter AND her husband both took a few swipes on her head!  After her head was shaved, she gave her daughter markers and let her draw on her blank canvas head!!  It was so inspiring to me.  She was so strong and to make it easier on her daughter, letting her draw on her head?  So awesome! Perfect thing for my girls, since they are so little. 

Charlotte seemed fine with it.  She laughed when we first told her it might fall out.  She thought her mom being bald was hysterical! I am glad she was handling it so well! 
But, I wasn't sure how well it would go over when the time actually came.

Here is a direct link to her video.  I wouldn't dare post it directly to my page.

So, I got that stuck in my head that that was what I wanted to happen.  My experience wasn't quite as serene and calm as Ashley's, but it went right along with how my life normally is! Ha!

I warn you, the hair that was left on my head was sad, pitiful and gross looking.  Just warning you:

 

 

First up is Charlotte:

 

Next is Audrey:

 

See little Sadie up there?! She was ready for her turn!!

 

YAY!!

 

Then, my presh nephew, Levi, got a turn!

Can't leave the boys out!

 

My sister, Lisa, couldn't wait to get her hands on my head.

She actually thought I wouldn't LET her shave any.

I don't know why she would think that....

I trust her.

Maybe.

I told her, she couldn't mess it up...

 

Last, but, definitely not least, my dear/sweet husband!

 

 

He did most of the work.  I am glad he could do it.

 

Now that the hair was all gone, it was time for artwork!

 

Great face on the back of my head!

 

 

Audrey didn't care too much for the process, so she sat and watched.

Sadie tried to try a dog, but Jackie had to step in and help her a little.

Bless her heart, she was getting frustrated it wasn't turning out like she wanted!!

 

Levi's turn!!!  

You can see Sadie/Jackie's dog...kind of...?!

 

 

Jackie wanted to draw, too!

 

 

Lisa was ready to go with 2 things she wanted to put on my scalp.

 

 

All done, ALL smiles!!

 

 

 

My dad and Wanda came over to be with us, as well.

They didn't get in on the shaving or the drawing.

 

 

 

She thinks she's funny.

 

But, she has been a huge blessing to me during this time.

Definitely makes up for sucking as a big sister when we were growing up...

HAHAHA! Oh goodness.  I'm kidding. Sort of.

 

My mom was also there, but she didn't get in on the action, or the pictures.

 

After all was said and done, I was ready for my hair to be gone.

I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would.

I think if I had done it weeks ago, I would have freaked out. 

It had to be the right time.

Praise the Lord! It was a huge relief to get the hair off of my head and my floor!

 

Thank you for bearing with me through all the pictures! 

I do have a video, but I am keeping that just for our family.

 

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

       Isaiah 40:31

 

 

Blessings

The Lord has truly blessed me in this trial.  I have had the honor of having my name lifted up in prayer by many people: my family, church family, friends, missionaries around the world and complete strangers!  It has been an amazing sight and has humbled me in ways that never would have happened otherwise.  It has been awesome to see the Lord work through people, bring people together, helping other people and helping to lift my spirits!
Some other really cool things have come about through this trial: the High Fives For Kari "craze"  :

Here are just a few of the awesome pictures of awesome people:

My beautiful church family on a Sunday night.

 

Some of the most fantastic Oncology nurses EVER!

 

 

NLHS {my old high school} cast of The Wizard of Oz

These are just a few of the pictures.  If you like, check out the link above, to see some more!


Another wonderful experience was getting to meet an incredible lady and her husband.
My hair was falling out.  I wanted to get my hair cut.  I had worked hard for months getting my hair to grow and it was upsetting to see it coming out.
I thought that cutting it into a bob would help me transition into losing it.
I tweeted a hair stylist/blogger that lives in the surrounding area.  I only asked her if she KNEW of a hair stylist in the Chapel Hill area that would be willing to come to my hospital room and cut my hair into a bob. {I was willing to pay, too, just FYI}
And, she replied {yahoo!!!} and said she would love to that for me! {Wait....what?!}
I thought to myself,  "no, no! I wasn't asking HER to do it!! She is a much too popular blogger and an uber busy stylist.  This is crazy!"

In her tweet, she asked me to e-mail her, so we exchanged a few e-mails and she said she would be here on Sunday morning to cut my hair!  I was so excited! Excited was an understatement.  She is all over Pinterest with her awesome tutorials and great style and is an excellent blog writer.

My sister stayed with me from Friday on to Sunday.  Jackie had gone back with the girls {that's another post.} Jewel came up on Saturday for a visit and stayed the night.  She volunteered to take pictures of the hair cut.
I was glad to have Lisa and Jewel here, but I wished Jackie could have been here.  I miss him terribly when he is gone.  And I knew he would have liked to have been here for the hair cut, too.
But, Sunday morning this is who showed up at my door:

 

Kate, from The Small Things Blog

She wrote about our meeting, too! link above

 



So, you see my surprise?  I was thrilled!  I was nervous!  I was thrilled!
She even texted me when she was on her way and asked if I wanted anything from Panera.
I KNEW she was nice.
Unfortunately, I had to turn her down for the food: I couldn't eat food from outside the hospital. 
There are some things, most of the time, you can tell from even facebook and their blogs.  And, she is very down to earth and just a girl like me.  She was very sweet, and I was very dorky and nervous.  I am terrible around meeting new people.  Then, you throw in a {personally, what I consider to be } a famous person!?  She may not be as well known, as say, Nicole Kidman, but, the girl is all over Pinterest!  That is famous to me.  I don't have a gajillion followers on my blog and I haven't been "pinned" and "repinned" a blue million times!
Okay, enough gushing. 
She looks EXACTLY like she does in her pictures. She does not need photoshop.  She's just as pretty and put together in person as she is in her pictures. {did anyone really believe I was going to be done gushing!?}
So, of course, I had to have make-up on before she got here. I may BE a cancer patient, but I don't have to LOOK like a cancer patient.  Look good, feel good, right?! 

She came in with her husband {who just happens to be just as nice and they make a very cute couple!!}
I introduced her to Lisa and Jewel.  Then, we got down to business. 
I have been terrified to wash my hair since it really started to fall out.  So, we discussed whether or not I wanted to wash it.  I felt like it would all fall out if I washed, conditioned, and dried it. 
We decided not to do it.  I wanted to keep what hair I had on my head for as long as I could.

I sat in the chair and Kate started doing her thing! We chatted, shared stories and joked around.  Mainly Jewel and Lisa did the latter!

 

 

The cut started and ended so quickly.

 

 

 

 



 

Kate then opened up her bag and said she had some goodies for me! 

 

 

All things she uses and LOVES!! I was so excited! I was blown away by all of the kindness she had shown me.

She and her husband hung around for a bit longer and I asked if they would be willing to do a high five picture for Facebook.  Of course, they are so sweet, they were happy to do it!

 

 

 I was so hyper and jazzed, that I kinda kept talking and I knew they had other things going on.
She also offered to help out with my hair when it started to grow back and we said our goodbyes.

As soon as the hospital door closed behind them, Lisa and Jewel were like vultures on the hair products.  I thought I was going to have to search their bags before they left!!

She was such a blessing to me.  In such a small thing, as hair, she helped me better cope with my hair loss.  I pray the Lord will bless her in her life for the good she did that day!  And, I can't wait to see her again!  hehe