I MUST BE GETTING REALLY USED TO HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF PEACH FUZZ ON MY HEAD & NOT WEARING MY WIG AROUND THE HOUSE MUCH ANYMORE. I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF OOPS INCIDENTS WHERE I EITHER FORGOT TO WEAR IT OUTSIDE OR HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT STAYING ON IN PUBLIC. I REMEMBER LAUGHING, A LONG TIME AGO, WITH MY FRIEND JANIE AS SHE DESCRIBED HER WIG FALLING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORE. AFTER SHE & HER SON JEFF GOT OVER THE INITIAL SHOCK, AND THE SURPRISE OF A MAN THAT HAPPENED TO BE NEARBY, ALL THEY COULD DO WAS BREAK INTO FITS OF LAUGHTER. THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU EITHER LAUGH OR CRY ABOUT IT. AND NOW I HAVE A FEW TALES OF MY OWN TO TELL. WIGS TEND TO BE A LITTLE ITCHY & HOT AFTER YOU'VE WORN THEM FOR A WHILE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT OUTSIDE. MY WIG IS USUALLY THE FIRST THING TO COME OFF WHEN I GET HOME FROM ANYWHERE FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY MY SHOES. THAT WAY I AM INSTANTLY MORE COMFORTABLE. I HAVE ACCIDENTLY ANSWERED THE FRONT DOORBELL ONCE OR TWICE, WITHOUT THINKING TO THROW SOMETHING ON MY HEAD FIRST. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THE NEIGHBOR LADY WAS VERY UNDERSTANDING, NOT EASILY DISTURBED, AND KNOWS I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH CHEMO FOR QUITE A WHILE. A FEW DAYS AGO, I WENT INTO THE BACK YARD TO PUT BIRD SEED INTO THE BIRD FEEDER THAT MY GRANDSON CALEB MADE WHILE THEY WERE HERE. IT USED TO BE LOCATED IN A QUIET CORNER OF THE YARD ON THE TOP RAIL OF THE FENCE & IN THE SHADE OF A SMALL TREE. ARTIE HAD MOVED IT TO A MORE CENTRAL LOCATION SO HE COULD WATCH THE BIRDS BETTER FROM HIS RECLINER, BUT THE BIRDS DIDN'T SEEM TO LIKE THE NEW SPOT. WHEN I WENT OUT TO PUT FOOD IN THE FEEDER, I DECIDED TO MOVE IT BACK TO WHERE IT HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN & MAKE THE BIRDIES A LITTLE HAPPIER. I HAD TO STAND ON TOP OF THE BRICK PLANTER AT THE BACK OF OUR YARD TO REACH IT & THEN STAND ON THE BRICK PLANTER IN THE CORNER OF THE YARD TO PUT IT BACK ON THE FENCE WHERE IT USED TO BE. AFTER I REFILLED IT AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE, I HAD THE SUDDEN REALIZATION THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A WIG OR SCARF ON MY HEAD AND THAT WHILE STANDING ON THE PLANTERS, MY HEAD & SHOULDERS WERE VISIBLE ABOVE THE FENCE, TO SEVERAL OTHER BACK YARDS AROUND US. OOPS! I GUESS THAT'S NOT THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN, AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT A BIG DEAL, BUT IT COULD BE A LITTLE SHOCKING TO SOMEONE WHO WASN'T PREPARED. THEN YESTERDAY IN THE ALLERGY DOCTOR'S OFFICE, I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF MY HEADBAND . I WAS STARTING TO GET A HEADACHE FROM IT PRESSING IN A LITTLE TOO TIGHTLY. IT HAS SOME SMALL TEETH ON THE UNDERSIDE TO HELP KEEP IT IN PLACE. WHEN I REACHED UP TO PULL THE HEADBAND OFF, THE TEETH HELD ONTO THE HAIR & YANKED MY WIG MOST OF THE WAY OFF MY HEAD. THE MAN SITTING NEXT TO ME PRETENDED TO STARE STRAIGHT AHEAD AT THE TV IN THE WAITING ROOM, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE HE SAW. I WAS A LITTLE EMBARASSED AND AS QUICKLY & QUIETLY AS I COULD, PULLED IT BACK DOWN & TRIED TO ADJUST IT, ALL THE WHILE TRYING TO LOOK NONCHALANT. BUT WHAT CAN I SAY? IT WAS THE FIRST TIME FOR MY WIG TO COME OFF IN A REALLY PUBLIC PLACE, BUT I'M SURE IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME. THERE ARE ALWAYS NEW CANCER ADVENTURES WAITING AROUND THE CORNER. I SAW MY FAMILY DOCTOR LAST FRIDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I FOUND THE LUMP & HE ORDERED THE MAMMOGRAM, ETC. THAT STARTED THIS ADVENTURE. HE WANTED TO SEE WHAT MY HEAD LOOKED LIKE WITHOUT THE WIG SO I PULLED IT OFF & SHOWED HIM, BUT I DIDN'T MIND. THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN IT ACCIDENTLY FALLING OFF. MY HAIR IS NOW ABOUT A QUARTER OF AN INCH LONG AROUND THE FRONT, SIDES, & THE BACK, BUT REMAINS MOSTLY BALD IN THE MIDDLE OR CENTER BACK. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ROBIN HOOD FANS, I HAVE THE FRIAR TUCK LOOK. I'M SURE THE MIDDLE WILL FILL IN TOO EVENTUALLY. IT JUST TAKES TIME.
MY FRIENDS SIA & MARIA CAME BY TODAY TO SEE ME. BOTH ARE NURSES AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, WHERE I USED TO WORK. THEY BOTH HAVE WORK & CHURCH & BUSY FAMILY SCHEDULES TO JUGGLE AND I APPRECIATE SO MUCH THE TIME & EFFORT THEY WENT TO ON MY BEHALF. WE HAD A GREAT TIME CATCHING UP. MARIA BROUGHT US A JAR OF PEACHES SHE HAD CANNED. THEY TOOK ME OUT TO BRUNCH AT BLACK BEAR DINER TO CELEBRATE THE END OF CHEMO. THEY WOULDN'T LET ME PAY FOR ANYTHING, AND ON TOP OF IT ALL SNEAKILY BOUGHT ME A CUTE MUG THAT SAYS "BEARLY AWAKE" WHICH IS A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF ME IN THE MORNINGS. I'M NOT A MORNING PERSON, I'M A NIGHT OWL. I ALSO GOT TO EAT A TASTY STRAWBERRY WAFFLE WHICH I HAVE BEEN CRAVING FOR SOME REASON FOR QUITE A WHILE. I REALLY ENJOYED MYSELF. THEY BROUGHT ME HOME & CAME IN FOR A FEW MINUTES. WE VISITED SOME MORE & I GOT TO SHOW THEM THE INNER WORKINGS OF WIGS & WHAT MY HEAD LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT IT. THEY SAID I LOOKED VERY PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS-LIKE WITH MY NEW SUPER SHORT HAIRDO. IT WASN'T ALL THAT HARD TO TAKE MY WIG OFF THIS TIME, SO I GUESS IT GETS EASIER WITH PRACTICE.
I CALLED MY BROTHER THIS AFTERNOON TO WISH HIM A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. IT WAS GOOD TALKING WITH HIM, WE'VE DONE QUITE A BIT OF TALKING SINCE I STARTED ON MY CANCER ADVENTURE, BUT HE SOUNDED A LITTLE DOWN TODAY. HIS WIFE IS OUT OF TOWN ON A JOB INTERVIEW AND IF SHE IS OFFERED THIS JOB, IT WOULD MEAN MOVING TO ANOTHER STATE. THEY WOULD END UP ABOUT 3 HOURS DRIVE FROM WHERE MY AUNT & UNCLE LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI. LAURA HAS COUSINS THERE THAT THEY'VE VISITED A NUMBER OF TIMES, BUT I'M NOT SURE MY BROTHER IS READY TO MOVE THERE. THEY'VE LIVED IN SANTA BARBARA FOREVER. THIS WOULD BE A REALLY BIG CHANGE. PLEASE PRAY THE LORD WILL HELP THEM MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS & HAVE PEACE ABOUT WHAT TO DO. I KNOW LAURA NEEDS A RELEASE FROM THE HIGH STRESS OF HER CURRENT JOB WHICH PROBABLY PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN HER RECENT ILLNESS & HOSPITALIZATION. SHE'S DOING MUCH MUCH BETTER NOW, BY THE WAY.
I ALSO GOT TO TALK WITH MY AUNT DARLENE FOR A LITTLE WHILE THIS AFTERNOON. I FOUND OUT MY UNCLE DARREL JUST HAD HERNIA SURGERY YESTERDAY. HE SEEMS TO BE DOING WELL, GOT TO GO HOME THE SAME DAY, AND EVEN TOOK A SHORT WALK DOWN TO THE CORNER & BACK TODAY WITHOUT MUCH IN THE WAY OF PAIN MEDS. HE NORMALLY WALKS ON A DAILY BASIS & ALWAYS HAS FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. HE'S A PRETTY HARDY SOUL FOR 87. I'M VERY IMPRESSED. I GET SO TIRED SO VERY QUICKLY AFTER JUST A LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT. I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO WORK UP TO IT SLOWLY. ONE STEP AT A TIME.
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