Can we talk about these bras
So! Can we talk…we all know that I had a bilateral mastectomy….and…we all know that I had silicone implants. Simple, known facts. But, what you don’t know, and I would think that this is a common problem among US, is that it’s almost impossible to find a comfortable bra! Yes, it may sound trivial but, believe me, it’s major! The tightness around the midriff, the stays always pinching, the seams are even bothersome. I’ve long been searching for a solution to this seemingly “frivolous” discomfort.
Before my surgery I purchased every fancy push up…pull up…zip up…clip front…water loaded…foam cup…. underwire device ever know to man. Or…I SHOULD say woman! I used to love all the different ways you could try to enhance, cover-up, or lift up whatever you had or didn’t have as an “endowment” on the topside.
But now, I don’t even really need to wear a bra, because what I have really is not going to succumb to age or gravity. They are fixated in that same youthful, eternal position of uplift and fullness. In short, my bosoms are positioned and will remain so for a very, very long time…actually, the envy of even any 20 year old woman! Plus, the best part is that this look will last a lifetime.
Well then you say, “Just what is she complaining about?” No more shopping endlessly for the “perfect” look in a bra…that money could now buy some other frivolous pretty like lace panties and such! But, nonetheless, there ARE times when wearing a bra is more than for tissue support. Sometimes…it’s just a stretch from puberty. Remember when you had to stuff the bra cups for just the right jut? Remember when you just couldn’t wait for the next size cup to be needed? Well those memories also bring back feelings of femininity. It’s the feeling of being a lady…the feminine touch of lace and silk. Also, there’s the practical side. Mom always said, “Make sure you have clean, non-holy underwear on because what would people think of you if you’re in an accident?” That thought sometimes runs in my head and I think, “If I’m in an accident and not wearing any bra, what would people say?” I never did know who these people were or why they’d be undressing me but…there it is! Two schools of thought here…wear the frilly intimates that bother every part of my skin now…or…take a chance of “people” talking about me per chance of an accident.
Moving on, I know there are sports bras. But a sports bra is just that…a sports bra. It’s intended to smash the boobs, hold everything together so that there is no jiggle, and just about come up to your neck! You can’t ever wear anything with a plunging neckline or even a modest neckline. Those bras fit the bodice higher than any shirt…like I said…just about up to the neck.
OK, where am I going with this ranting? Let’s get to the meat of this subject….what do I really need in a bra? I’ll make a list.
Basically, my bra should have:
1. Two pieces of triangle shaped material to accommodate my implants.
2. A strap on each side to hold things up.
3. Must fit loose… I can’t stand anything snug anymore.
There, you have it. Three basic requirements shouldn’t be too hard to fulfill. I went shopping with a mental list of these criteria.
Here we go again! I’m in the lingerie department…and you know…all lingerie departments are the same. There are way, way, way too many options to make any sort of intelligent or quick decision!
The confusion starts. Ok, bras…let’s see…hhmmm…under wire…nope…padded…nope.
Ok here’s one…size 32? Yeah right! That will never go around me. And what about cup sizes? This is going to be much harder than I thought.
It’s getting perplexing…B cup…C cup…these aren’t working… I am no longer a cup nor do I fill a cup the same way that I would have spilled into a cup before surgery. In the fitting room, the bra cups sort of just lay on my chest. My implants are not filling the cups as the bra manufacturer anticipated. Gosh! There has to be some bra distributor attuned to the many breast implanted women in this world! Where are they and what are they waiting for…I am looking for them!
Do you know that you can spend an entire afternoon just in the intimates department and still not have anything in hand to solidify a sale!
To continue on my quest. Now here’s one…material…check…size…check. I must try this one on. Well, this 38 is snug. I’d like it to be a little looser. Let me see if they have a 40. Have you ever picked up a size 40 bra? A size 40 bra…this is a whole new world of bras. It is like going from a 27 inch TV to a 52 inch big screen in one fell swoop. The material is wider, the cups are larger, the straps are even thicker! If I move into a size 40 bra I will have crossed the threshold from small world to big world. Now, don’t get me wrong, and I don’t mean to offend anyone, but there is definitely a distinction between big and small. And, if you are one of those women patronizing the larger sizes, there is a need in intimates for ALL sizes. Nevertheless, for me, big and way, way too, too big. And, I have come to the realization that my criteria for selecting the perfect bra will never be met in the size forty ranges. I guessed that I’d have to settle for the 38 bodice and 38 whatever cup size and deal with the snug, uncomfortable fit.
But wait. Here comes the most extraordinary story ending and the marvelous solution to this so-called supposedly inconsequential problem!
I, as one of the “implanted” people, was on one of my endless hunts for the faultless bra. And, as you know, it had to be womanly and yet comfortable. I was surrounded by so many brands and so many styles again. Just then a salesclerk come up to me and proceeded to offer her assistance. I thought about it and decided, “Well why not divulge my dilemma!” Nothing to lose and nothing to gain…or…everything to gain, at least maybe something with a little more comfort than I’ve had these days in wearing a bra. I bared my soul…well…anyway the minor burden I’ve had to deal with as to the discomfort and tightness of the sizing that came with wearing a size 38 bra. I also explained the reasons for not moving up to the size 40 world. I told the WHOLE story!
To my delight, she casually offered her solution! “Have you tried bra extenders?” She asked. What! Bra extenders…what are they? Where are they? Let me see them! There they were in packs of three…white, black, and beige. They are little strips of material with hooks on them to attach to the back of your bra so that the bra is looser around the bodice. Lo and Behold!!! A miracle! Welllll….not a miracle but pretty darn close! I bought two packs, not wanting to chance not finding these little savers. You may not think that they make a difference but, believe me, that minor change is unbelievable! Comfort is back in my life! Lace and frills are back on my bodice! I can go without, I can wear the sports thing up to my neck, or…I can wear the extenders on any pretty bra and feel like the lady, the woman that I am!
BLOGGING WITH ALICE
ANTICIPATION
I know…I talked about anticipation when it was wintertime. And, I also talked about anticipation when it was summertime! Well...guess what!!! We are always waiting for something or another...always something to happen...something to worry about...or something to be excited about...however you approach it...it's called...ANTICIPATION!!!
Kind of hard to imagine, right? How can I lump every expectation into one word?? Easy...and think about it...it’s true.
Anyway, Winter, Summer, Spring, or Fall...on the whole, anytime is a wonderful time of the year! Do you wonder why I always pick on the seasons to express anticipation? The explanation is simple.
There was the swimming and sunning in the Summer. The Fall brings beautiful leafed trees and breezes. Oh, and Wintertime is cold but the white blanket of snow and the glistening icicles are breath-taking! Bringing us back to the fantastic season of Spring.
Spring in all of it's glory starts life all over again!! Yes...life is good with all of it's ups and downs, sorrows and happiness, expectations and disappointments...or success! These are all tremendous feelings to experience. Plus, they all fit into that perfect, simple definition of the word...ANTICIPATION!!!
But gosh! Am I trivializing the "A" word too, too much? Is my description of anticipation way too general? I don't think so...why...even waiting for a fresh cup of coffee in the morning is called "anticipation" in my book!
So, I'll go on record saying,
"Yep…ANTICIPATION!!" It keeps us going, doesn’t it?
And so …there, you have it…
ANTICIPATION!!!
ADDING YET ANOTHER HAT!!!
I would like to introduce myself!
I am Toni Korleski, Director of Communications-BeyondPinkOnline.com.
You will be totally comfortable with me once you read my story. So…get a cup of java and relax as you enjoy my journey to reach this point in my life. You will feel that total comfort level of being with an old friend.
I came into this world as a daughter. I started life as Antoinette Roberts. My dad was a WWII veteran and Mom was a stay-at-home wife…a tradition and socially accepted philosophy of those times. Well, being born, I also immediately gained the stature of being a cousin, a niece, and a granddaughter. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, I soon became a sister to my five brothers and three sisters. But, I’m getting ahead of myself because I want to talk briefly about the little friends I accumulated as I grew up, also. There were those neighborhood friends that I had and we played together at the local playground and built little houses with blankets on the front porches…yes we all had those front porches across the front of the houses.
As time went on, school came into the picture. And, I became a classmate, a student, and a school friend.
I hope you’re not getting bored but, it is kind of fun remembering all the different ways my own personal being effected others in the universe. Although …yes, a certainty… my presence was of inconsequential importance and even non-existent in the eyes of many people.
Anyway, I graduated from high school and went on to college, actually Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. Yep, it’s true. In those days the joke among my sorority members…oh, by the way…that gave way to sisterhood status! Oh yes, the saying was that we were all there to receive our “MRS.” Degree!
Sure enough, I met my husband Joe there and we made plans to marry and start a family. So there you go! I became a wife, a confidant, and a mother. I also became a daughter-in-law, a sister-in-law, a niece-in-law, a cousin-in-law, a granddaughter-in-law. Although, being a mom four times over also made me a taxi driver, a volunteer, a baseball coach. Having three boys and one girl added to the variety of jobs (oh I meant to say joys), that motherhood entails. These are all the added pluses of life’s little pleasures.
Through my married years I managed to earn my BS in Education degree from YSU and went on to earn my realtor’s license. Believe me! Selling and listing real estate properties is a life’s trip in itself!! These two accomplishments brought me the status of becoming a teacher, a salesperson, a co-worker, and believe it or not, again…a taxi driver! I’m not exaggerating. Properties are for sale all over an entire county…that’s a lot of showing and driving!
As time moved forward, I became a column and features journalist and an office manager which gave me more titles. I was now a boss and an independent contractor. Gosh, all the hats I’ve worn! It’s a wonder I have any shoulders or hair left!
Oh no, I’m not done. We’re just coming into the middle-aged era. Now there come the titles of mother-in-law and GRANDMOTHER! Oh yes, mother-in-law four times and grandma with twelve grandkids. I am definitely blessed with a multitude of titles!
So, when I became a retiree I was thrilled to move to Columbus to be with my daughter and her family. You did notice that now I’m titled with “retiree.”
Since my daughter, Alice Krumm, is a breast cancer survivor, I’ve since become a caregiver as part of her life. I am also her dedicated and avid supporter!
Reaching back through my life’s experiences and wanting to put them into practice and continue to help my daughter in any capacity, I’ve now become Director of Communications of BeyondPinkOnline.com .
I’ve transitioned from my birthname, Antoinette Roberts, daughter, and emerged as Toni Korleski, Director of Communications of BeyondPinkOnline.com. And I will now become your liaison and aide in any special needs regarding questions or comments on our website, BeyondPinkOnline.com
Thank you and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my journey of titles and hats as much as I’ve enjoyed writing about my wearing the many titled hats that I’ve worn.
Do You Know What That Darn Chemo Did To My Hair?
So! You must know that one of the side effects of chemo is the hair situation. Well, as you know, I went through chemo and yes, I lost all of my hair. And, I mean all of it! But, we’ll talk about the obvious right now. I guess I could just mention the other places briefly here…and take this to mean wherever your thoughts might lead you…bald in places that I had not seen bald in many, many, many years. You’re not surprised?? Then let me tell you about what I’m dealing with now.
Oh, but first I have to back up. You’ll need a little of the historical saga.
Before I went through treatment, my hair was wavy, maybe some would say curly. It was not the “I never have to do a thing to it” look. The natural wave was just enough to give me that unruly look. Besides that, it was so slow growing that I could never attain a beautifully long hair coiffeur which of course I desired because I didn’t have it. You know, that’s not exactly true because my impatient side always stepped in.
My hair was doomed. I was doomed. Doom was the word because as soon as my hair started to show signs of any decent length, I would be at my limits of waiting for long, you know, LONG hair. You guessed it. Here come the scissors…short again. Back to the “growing out phase!” This went on for much of my 38 years…well for at least 30 of the 38 years. My mom took care of my hair before that…it was her problem then.
As if this hair of mine wasn’t enough of a problem…I now had to go through chemo! Well! You must have heard what they say chemo does to your hair, haven’t you? YOU LOSE IT!!! Believe me, they are telling the truth! Don’t have to worry about growing your hair out…or…whether it’s long or short…or whether it’s thick or thin…or…whether it’s curly, straight, or wavy…there is no hair to think about!
Anyway, since chemo was going to take it’s hit, I decided to shave my head. A decision I made mainly because I couldn’t stand the thought of my hair falling out in clumps. Who the heck wants to be brushing their hair and it ends up in their hand? Well, I know that you’re supposed to lose ungodly amounts of strands of hair daily due to whatever. And, I always found strands of hairs strewn about on the bathroom floor and wondered if I was going bald from trying to grow my hair and cutting it so many times. But, clumps of hair in your hand??!! No thanks!
And so, the day before chemo started I shaved my head bald! No…I didn’t shave it myself. I had called my hairdresser and she agreed to shave my head. Yep! I looked like “GI Jane” shaved down…as if they forgot to put the wig on her head. Even “Ken” has hair for Pete’s Sake! As chemo progressed, I went from a few millimeters of hair to a shininess on my head that I never knew could exist. Well…you’ve seen some of those bald men walking around town, haven’t you? Did you ever wonder how their scalp got so shiny? Do you think they polish their heads? You can actually see reflections on the top of their heads! No, don’t laugh…I’m serious! Take a closer look the next time you get near a bald guy…not too close…he’ll think your making a pass at him or even worse that you’re some kind of weirdo! You will see what I’m talking about. Anyway, that’s what my head looked like. Amazing!
At any rate, beginning with the time of shaving my head, and with my last chemo treatment being in August of ’06, I really didn’t have any hair to speak of until March of 2007…count them…about10 months of shiny head! So, after almost a year of hairlessness…ah…baldness…and yes…shininess, I decided that this was the time that I was really going to do it. You don’t know what I was ready to do? Come on now…we’re talking hair here. I was going to make growing my hair and have long luxurious locks a mission of my lifetime forward. Humph! Interpret that as “I really, really mean it too!”
To continue with my historical tale, as my hair started to grow, I noticed that it grew in “tiger striped.” Every strand of hair told the story of my rounds of chemo. It reminded me of what they say of a tree that tells it’s age by the number of growth rings within the trunk. The strands showed alternating black and pure white stripes. Thus, I assume that the chemo stripped my hair of any color during treatments and then in-between treatments the hairs grew in with color. Incredible! Do you ever wonder how animals get their different colors? How about their many stripes? Hey, what about a skunk…stripe right down the back! What in the world were they subjugated to! Not only did the striping astound me, my hair was softer that any baby hair I had ever felt.
After a couple of months of this hair - if you want to call it “hair” - I decided I didn’t want the salt and pepper baby “down” on my head, so a hair cut might be in order for a fresh start. Already my lifetime mission is on a temporary delay!
HAIRCUT NUMBER ONE!
Get rid of the striped baby stuff. This took my hair length back to a teensy bit longer that my GI Jane cut …if you can call “BALD” a cut.
Here we go again, waiting for hair growth. But after a few more long, lonnnnggg months, I noticed that the texture of my hair had changed completely. Yes, the texture was in fact different from my usual soft, listless, wavy hair of the past. Also the baby down was gone. My hair was growing in thick and curly….really curly. Notice I said “thick and curly.” Huh…Wow! What’s this? I used to dream of hair like this! Imagine if it stayed thick and curly and kept growing at a decent pace that outgrew my impatience! That would be awesome! I could deal with this…something new and different. What am I saying…new and different? It would be my new lifetime mission accomplished. A dream come true. If life was so simple. Just to have hair that I could work with and wear with pride and watch people envy the color, the curls, the thickness, the lushness. Oh to imagine such tresses. The agonizing waiting for hair growth would be over for me. I could handle this!
As my hair grew…did you hear me…it grew! Doesn’t that have a lovely sound to it? It grew! Anyway, the back GREW in a lot faster that the front and sides. And, as we all do when we are “growing” our hair out… I didn’t want to get it cut, trimmed, or touched because…“I was GROWING it out!”
Then the inevitable happened. It just seemed to appear one day. I should have known but I was blinded by my long-awaited lifetime dream…long, beautiful, sensational hair! The realization of the happening set in. I looked in the mirror and plainly saw it. The definite growth of a not so popular hair style. Yes, the foreseeable style called the “mullet” appeared on my head!
Now, we all know that the mullet is not an “in” style. Is it even a style? Is that even a word? Is it in the hair dictionary? What does it mean??? Isn’t it just a word to describe what happens when the back of your hair grows faster than the front and sides of your hair? Even the word “mullet” isn’t pretty! Do you really call that STYLE?? Anyway, determined to keep the growing going and to disguise the unsightly mullet, I used hair gels, mousse, and hair spray. I worked to try to pin that hair back, clip it up, tease it high…but, alas the mullet reared its ugly head every time I looked at my reflection. Say!! If I thought it looked bad, what do you suppose my co-workers were saying about my hair? And, how about my students? I must have looked like an oddity in their eyes! Think about it. First I come into class bald. Okay, sometimes I wore those little cutesy little caps with the glitter and bows. And now…now, I’m sporting the dreaded mullet style. Besides all of this…I’m working to hide this so called style instead of getting a real cut at the hairstylist! That’s it! I couldn’t take it anymore. I was done talking to myself!
Enough is enough. The lifetime mission is about to go on another temporary hold! I had to get real and face facts! I need a haircut. I need to get some kind of style on my head! Let’s deal with this in little steps. How about if I just think of it as having “growing in” styles? That way, my mind will still be thinking that my hair is “growing out” and the mirror will say that I at least have an acceptable hairstyle. I liked that idea. I could move on with a “work-in-progress” view of my mission.
HAIRCUT NUMBER TWO!
Chop the back off and leave the front and sides intact.
This worked for a while. I was able to manage with the help of product aids, but then I noticed something happening. That something took different forms in my mind. There was another monkey wrench thrown into the works…or…here comes another iron in the fire…or…here’s another axe to grind. Yes, I like the axe idea. Maybe I can grind it down to nothing. I think I’ll try that! Oh well, just one more problem to take care of. You know, there’s nothing like hair to occupy your mind, body and soul!
Let me describe the problem to you. The top and the sides were now bushing out. “What? Am I a clown?” I look back at myself and say, “Do you feel like a clown? Maybe you like this temporary look?” And I say back to the mirror, “OK, you asked for it!” so I just used some of those bobby pin things to hold the hair back into place and then sprayed the daylights out of it! This reminded me of my high school days…I was an eighties girl. The ladies and girls in my family came from the town of the “BIG HAIR!” Yep, tease it, pin it, and spray it high. The bigger the hair the better the look! And that look took a lot of bobby pins. I fell back on my expertise of the past. Those little pins are very inexpensive and do the job quite well.
At one particular point…I guess he couldn’t phantom the concept of a top-heavy head, my husband felt compelled to express his opinion. “Honey you have 24 bobby pins in your hair, you could really be at risk for setting off the metal detectors at the airport or the county building!
A reality check for me. Oh, I guess that’s why I’ve been having these heavy headed headaches! There should be a rule limiting the number of bobby pins you can use before you really need to address the hairstyle factor.
Not about to give up on the present growth, I thought, I’ll go with hair clips “Have you ever used hair clips in your hair when you went out in public and not been self-conscious about them? Or, have you ever seen anyone with clips in their hair who actually looked good?”
You know you haven’t.
At the checkout line talking to the lady in front of you, “Gosh, such lovely hairclips!
Give me a break! “OK forget the look good or look nice…has anyone ever used hairclips in their hair and didn’t have it look like you were getting ready for a cut at the hairdressers?”
Hey, let’s try the headband…”looks like I’m about to give myself a facial.” Let’s face it…hairclips, mousse, gel, bobby pins, headbands…not the solution. Actually, they’re adding to my problem…and delaying my lifetime mission of Rapunzel hair!
HAIRCUT NUMBER THREE!
Away with the bushiness on the top and sides of my hair… aaaahhhhh now that’s nice. But wait a minute! You need some imput as to how this look transpired! I was trudging along…well not really trudging…but living life. And the hair was behaving itself. It was looking good, manageable, and not so hard to handle…I can live with this. So it went well for a few months and I was enjoying the relief of not obsessing about hair. It was the lap of luxury as far as good hair days go! And then, there it goes. And I mean it went! The bush of hair reared up and roared!
Again, I looked in the mirror…I looked frumpy…frumpy?…FRUMPY! I can’t stand it. I’ve had it…again! The hair is all over the place. It’s on the back of my neck. It’s bushed out the sides. The top is too long. It’s all over the place. It’s taken a life of its own! It was Saturday morning. What am I going to do? I’m destined to give in to the continual hair cuts…short hair. Look at me! I’ve got a big frumpy Afro sitting on my head. As I remember, the Afro hasn’t been the style since the 70’s. Wait! Maybe I could start a new retro trend. What do you think? No, that would be one against…how many people in this world??
I think I might have to grind this axe. Call my hair dresser. Ahhh, no answer…Saturday…she doesn’t work on Saturday. You know what? I can’t wait for next week! Mmmm…how hard can it be to cut curly hair? I mean you can’t mess up curly hair, can you?? But, I can’t see the back of my head. But…my neighbor can.
“Jen, can you cut my hair?”
“What? Are you Crazy?”
“No, Come on, you can’t mess up curly hair…just do it.
I went over to Jen’s and she cut three inches off the back. I was ecstatic. See that. What’s so hard about cutting hair? Nothing to it but to do it! My new motto! But, I was happy…until I got home.
At home, I checked the cut out in the…you guessed it! The mirror! The reflection glass! The imagery of perfection! The very first, last, and many in-between times in the day of things to do! That function, of course, takes precedence over many other necessary duties of the day. Oh dear! Why oh why are “WE” so vain??
“I need more lift on top. I think I’ll just cut some more off the top.” Ah, that looks good.
“Alright, now the sides don’t match the top. Let me see. I’ll just snip a little here and…oh… another little snip there. Definitely, it’s looking really fine! But, now I’m thinking the back is just a tiny bit too long. What I really should do is leave the front long and shave the back up. That would help to give some lift on my crown. Listen to me, I sound like a pro!
Well, I did watch my aunt cut hair over the years. She’s a hairdresser and I learned a lot by the wait and watch and see method. Do they hand out certifications for that learning method? You want to know, do you? Why didn’t you just call your aunt? She can’t use that “doesn’t work on Saturday” routine on you…she’s family! Well, she lives three hours away or I would have used that ace card!
Moving on with this number three haircut, I needed clippers to shave up the back of my neck. Hmmmmm, I do have dog clippers. That’s where having the equipment to trim the dog’s hair comes in handy for double duty on Mom’s hair. Just a little tip for those of you who want to be “in the know!” So I cleaned them with alcohol and forged ahead with my do-it-yourself hairstyling plans. Remember, you can’t mess up curly hair. Bzzzzz….bzzzzz….bzzzzzz….Hesitantly, I looked into the looking glass. “Hey I don’t look to bad. I did a pretty good job. I’d say I look pretty doggone good!”
“Oh yeah.. I did it…oh yeah… I got this. I don’t need no hairdresser! You only need a little courage…you know…guts! I put a little gel in the hair and went out to celebrate my success!
HAIRCUT NUMBER 4!
Putting Larry, Curly, and Mo back together again.
I woke up the next morning and looked in the mirror. Yes, it’s the first thing I do every morning…check out the strands. Don’t you? Doesn’t everybody? Goodness gracious! Isn’t that why we have those mirrors all over the place? The immediate thought of the day is usually “What do I look like” and “What’s it going to take to correct it?” So, what I saw was a combination of the Three Stooges. There were parts sticking out like “Larry, bald scalp showing like “Curly,” and surprisingly enough flat spots like “Mo.”
Well now! I certainly can’t go to my hairdresser. I’ve been with her for 15 years. I’d have to beg for help. And besides, I’d most definitely be in “trouble” with her. So, I did the next best thing…I went to the mall. You know, there are a lot of walk-in salons. Did you ever count them? Each one touting excellent results and very, very inexpensive fees! Pushing trepidation to the side, I walked into one of them…don’t ask which one…and put my dilemma in the hands of a perfect stranger of a hairstylist!
Using some sort of distorted logic, I reasoned that after they fixed my fiasco, I could let it grow and eventually be able to go back to my wonderful 15 years of rapport and understanding hairstylist and she would be none the wiser!
Here’s how my luck on the hair saga has been going as you can well see from my ongoing yarn. The stylist I chanced on was a girl who just graduated from beauty school. Believe it or not! She thought I did a good job…warning, warning. So, she thought I did a good job! Great! And she’s going to fix my problem cut! Okay, stay calm…just let her straighten the edges! That’s what she did and then I went home and put the dog shears back in the dog supply gear. I think I’ll leave them there!
I am now using hairclips, bobby pins, gels, mousse, hairspray…anything to keep the hair from afro ing! I’m avoiding any contact with my hairdresser for 6 months. But, I will be waiting for an appointment on her schedule and will leave the scissors in the sewing drawer!
I don’t know if I’ll ever reach my lifetime mission of long hair…but I will have plenty of time to work on it!
Do you see what that darn chemo did to my hair?
IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO KEEP A POSITIVE, UPBEAT ATTITUDE. LOOK AT YOURSELF.
LAUGH AT YOURSELF. EVERYTHING IN LIFE HAS A FLIPPANT SIDE. LOOK FOR IT. WHEN YOU FIND IT, YOU'LL KNOW IT.
AND, IT'LL FORCE YOU TO SEE THE LIGHT SIDE OF LIFE. THINK ABOUT IT.
DO YOU WANT TO ALWAYS BE SERIOUS? DO YOU ALWAYS WANT TO WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER?
IF YOU WANT THESE THINGS THEN YOU WILL GROW OLD FAST. YOU WILL SHOW STRESS IN MANY WAYS.
YOUR HAIR WILL GRAY. FACE WRINKLES WILL APPEAR. YOUR FRIENDS WILL SHUN YOU. YOU WILL BE AVOIDED IN HALLWAYS AT WORK.
YOU DON'T WANT THAT WAY OF LIFE. YOU WANT TO BE THE HAPPY PERSON THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK TO. YOU WANT TO BE THE PERSON THAT PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE AND BE WITH.
YOUR FRIENDS WILL ADMIRE YOU. YOUR PEERS WILL LOOK UP TO YOU. YOU WILL BE THEIR MENTOR.
YOU WILL BE A PERSON WHO HAS CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIFE. YOU WILL BE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO ENJOY THE IMPORTANT THINGS OF LIVING.
YOU WILL TRULY BE FREE TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HAPPINESS, WHETHER IT'S AT WORK, AT HOME, WITH YOUR FRIENDS, WITH YOUR FAMILY, IN THE QUIET SOLITUDE OF YOUR OWN SELF.
YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IT'S TRULY LIKE TO LIVE, LAUGH, AND LOVE!!
