An Unexpected Lesson: What my Hair Loss Taught Me

 Head Shaving Day: Dec 17, 2012

A year ago today I sat anxiously in the chair of the hospital boutique waiting to have my head shaved. My sister Beth stood by my side and documented the event through her camera. With each stroke of the razor I watched my hair fall to the floor all around me. But I wasn’t sad for the loss, I was relieved. Only two weeks after the first chemo my hair began shedding -- strands of hair collected on my pillow at night, and covered my clothes during the day. My thinning hair had become a nuisance. Shaving my head was a way for me to take control, it was a victorious moment!

Fast forward to today, nearly 9 months since my last chemo, my hair is now 2-3 inches long and full of curl. Reactions to my new hair have varied. Overwhelmingly, people are surprised by the amount of curl coming in, but the truth is, for the last 2 decades I straightened my hair each morning. I fought my curls. I believed my natural hair made me look unkempt and awkward. I spent 30 minutes each day blow drying and applying a flat iron to my hair in order to tame my locks and keep up with the trendy straight hair image.

Hair growth at 9 months from last chemo

That was then. 

A benefit of  having cancer is that it makes you instantly aware of what matters most in life. I'm thankful to have hair again, whether it's curly, wavy or straight-it's all mine! As reflected by my head full of curls, I’m learning to live more freely, and accepting things as they are. My curls are forcing me to "go with the flow" and to stop stressing over items I can not control. Most importantly, I am grateful for this second chance to discover who I really am rather than worrying about what others think of me.

Appy Travels: Engaging Apps For Family Road Trips

Thanks to the generous donations of friends and family, we were able to spend last week in Florida to celebrate the completion of my cancer treatments. Due to cost, we opted to drive. Traveling with 2 teenagers and an energetic 9 year old for 13 hours was challenging.  But I must admit I love road trips--I enjoy exploring, admiring architectural elements, visiting unique landmarks, but most importantly I value the opportunity it creates to bond with my kids.

Realistically, my vision of a family road trip is not the same as my children. They would prefer to spend the entire trip plugged into their electronic devices.  Knowing this, I planned ahead and loaded my iPhone with several travel apps to test out during our journey. After using the apps, I was surprised to discover 2 things:

1. The apps that scored big with my family were merely electronic versions of the classic car games I enjoyed as a child.  
2. Using apps actually increased our interaction--we worked together to search for items, complete activities or locate landmarks.

Below are 6 of the free travel apps we enjoyed the most, consider using a few for your next trip:

Field Trip app

Field Trip: If it was up to my husband we would stop and read every historical marker we passed during our travels. Thankfully, Field Trip brings the information to my phone instantly as we approach a site. Select the type of items that interest you, including historical sites, architecture, dining or museums and Field Trip will push a notification card listing nearby attractions based on your selections. Discover hidden destinations and brush up on your history along the way.

License Plate Game app

License Plate Game: Track the state plates you find during your trip. This app provides an image of each state plate and marks the location as you find them. You can upload images of non-standard issue plates to add to the challenge. Everyone was engaged with this app, in fact my kids continued to hunt for plates outside of the car.

Marathon Car Bingo app

Car Bingo: There are several versions of car bingo available in the app store, we enjoyed the Marathon Travel Games version the best. You will search for random items such as signs, vehicles, animals, bridges in order to complete bingo. You can play as a family to complete one board or play individually by downloading the app on multiple phones. Warning: this becomes very competitive after a few rounds!

Mad Libs app

 Mad Libs: The classic word replacement game for your phone. This is a great way to include everyone in the car and share some laughs. The free version includes 21 different stories. Words can be typed manually or entered by voice recognition. The app also includes options for saving and sharing upon completion.

RoadAhead app

RoadAhead Highway Exit Finder: Working with your car's GPS to find the nearest rest area, restaurant or gas station can be cumbersome. This app utilizes your phone's built in GPS to pinpoint your location and presents merchants organized by upcoming exits. You can easily filter the results by category, including gas stations, parks, restaurants, grocery, and more.  Our kids enjoyed using the app to locate their favorite restaurants and plan our pit stops.  We found the gas station price list and user ratings very helpful too.

InstaPlace app

InstaPlace:  Create postcard-like greetings quickly with this fun photo tool. InstaPlace is a location based app that places an overlay over your photo to display your current location, date or other custom text. The image can be saved to the camera roll or shared instantly with your family and friends through popular social networking sites. This is a fun and unique way to document your trip. If you like this app, be sure to check out the Instafood and InstaWeather.


Appy travels everyone!

Top 10 Positive Outcomes of Going through Breast Cancer Treatment

After receiving my final infusion this week, I feel I can officially declare "I'm a breast cancer survivor"! My year long cancer journey has taught me many things, but most importantly it has reinforced the importance of positive thinking. When I first heard the words you have cancer, I knew I couldn't control my physical condition, but I could control my mental state. Half the battle of fighting cancer is  maintaining a healthy spirit and positive mindset. Despite facing many challenges in my life, I have always been a positive person and cancer wasn't going to take that away from me.

Fighting cancer is tough, I'm not trying to camouflage that. I endured surgery, lymphedema treatment, chemotherapy, radiation and year long infusions. But throughout my treatments I never complained, I recognized that I was lucky to have treatment options. Each experience, no matter how challenging, meant I was gaining more time to be a wife, mother and friend. There are many people who do not have treatment options.

A few weeks ago I was asked to be the survivor speaker for Carroll Hospital Center's Pink Fling event. During my speech, I shared my "Breast Cancer Top Ten", a list of positive outcomes to having breast cancer. I'm hoping by sharing my list it may help others facing a cancer diagnosis (not just breast cancer) see a positive side to the journey that lies ahead.

Top 10 Positive Outcomes of Going through Breast Cancer Treatment

10. Get ready quickly in the morning

Thanks to hair loss from chemo you save so much time: no need to shave your legs, shampoo, condition or style your hair. Just wash your body and go! Another bonus- you save money on haircare products and salon appointments.

9. Forces you to slow down and take time for yourself

Like most moms, it was not in my nature to sit down and rest. Infusions force you to slow down, relax and take time to catch up on tv shows, books and movies.

8. Develop a new appreciation for food

Many chemo patients experience a change or loss of taste. Between each infusion I had exactly two days when my taste would return, and on those days I ate slower and savored each delicious bite! Another benefit: once you begin to taste again, you eat healthier and take time to examine what you are putting in your body.

7. Increases your creativity

When you lose your hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, you became really good at creating illusions.  Pinterest is a really good place to discover make up tricks and unique hair coverings for cancer patients. I also had fun with tying scarves in different ways to cover my port during the summer months.

6. Opportunity to experiment with a different look

Have fun with wigs and hats and don't be afraid to try something new. Rather than sticking with my blonde hair, I opted to go with a brunette wig (my natural hair color). Your skin color and texture will change, treat yourself to new make up and take advantage of the Look Good Feel Better program for free beauty items and advice.

5. Receive random acts of kindness

Cancer can provide you with a real sense of community. Your friends and family will want to do something to help...let them! Now is not the time to worry about maintaining control of every aspect of your life (this took me a while to realize). This may include meal preparation, running errands, or house cleaning.  Additionally, many companies offer special promotions for cancer patients. For example, Brick Bodies provided me with a free membership while I was undergoing  treatment. Be sure to ask your nurse navigator about offerings in your community.

4. You will never need to buy anything pink again!

As soon as you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you will begin to accumulate pink items from family and friends. As the title of my blog suggests, pink was not my color. In fact, at the time of my diagnosis I didn't own a single pink item! Now, I 'm sporting pink ribbons, shirts, purses and pins to raise awareness. I'm proud to be a survivor and advocate for breast cancer.

3. Strengthens relationship with caregiver

Throughout all the treatments, appointments and daily stress, your relationship with your caregiver will become stronger. My spouse, my caregiver, is my rock. I have a new appreciation for him and his unconditional love for me. Be sure to take time to thank your caregiver, they are an unsung hero!

2. Reasons to celebrate

Being alive is a blessing. Cancer helps you prioritize what's important in your life. I laugh more now, enjoy simple moments with my kids, and appreciate normal every day moments.

1. Creates new opportunities

It's been said the Chinese symbol for crisis is a symbol that also suggests opportunity. Your cancer journey will lead you to new beginnings, friendships and milestones. Cancer has introduced me to amazing people, both survivors and caregivers, who provide me with hope and inspiration each day. This experience has also been the motivation for me to speak in public and begin this blog. Unexpectedly, cancer has enabled me to touch many lives and I am thankful for each moment.