Hair today--no, wait, that was yesterday

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Well, it's gone. Hard to believe it left so quickly. You can see it in the last picture I posted. Mary said at the radiologist's office yesterday before her treatment her hair started falling out. By the time she left, it was gone. And get this, oh irony of ironies: the nurse offered her a hat that some woman made for cancer patients. Mary didn't say anything but did ask to pick another color. Why didn't she speak up? She was the one who made the hat, made dozens and dozens--probably hundreds and hundreds when she got sick the first time. Her heart ached for the balding patients she had been in contact with and took it upon herself to make a difference. She bought yarn by the shopping cart full and went to work. She'd ship boxes off to different places that they could be used at. No money was exchanged: this was a labor of love. When Mary and I talked when she was first diagnosed with the brain tumors, this was one of the things she wanted to be remembered for: that she cared about others. At her home was a box of hats, almost ready to be shipped but she was still working on some. Oh, the hours my sister puts into these hats. She gave me and Steve one. I wore mine to church Sunday and got lots of compliments from the women, and insults from the men. They were just jealous though. Mary's voice caught when she told me her hair was gone but she quickly regained composure. She's so brave. So matter of fact. Could anything be done? Hardly. So why cry about it is Mary's philosophy. Her daughter is getting her some wigs and a turban. When we were younger, Mary and I used to see bald people and we'd say, "Hey Mister! Shine your head for a quarter?" I reminded her of that and she said she'd thought of it earlier too and asked Terry if he'd shine hers for her for a quarter. See, there's humor in everything if one looks hard enough. I told her the plus side too was how much money she'd save in shampoo costs. She has about five or six radiation treatments to go. She's still sick on a daily basis and tired. Her spirits remain good and she's looking for good news when her treatments end. Her grandkids continue to be the highlight of her day. She may not have her hair, but she still has heart. Oh, God, please bless her sweet heart! Remind her she doesn't have to be strong on her own. She has You and so many others to help her. Amen.