Wig Shopping!

Two things are for certain: #1 I will live through this. #2 My hair will fall out.

God Sent a Blessing

I was so lucky to meet a girl named Anne in the waiting room the last time I went to Dr Burke's office. She was getting her last saline injection into her breast expanders. Her next visit will be to get permanent implants. I was so jealous.  As luck for me has it, Anne also sees Dr. Dougherty. She has Invasive Ductile Carcinoma just like me. She got 16 weeks of chemotherapy, just like I will.  She received the same chemo drugs I will be receiving.  She is basically the mirror image of me, only she is just finishing her treatments whereas I have just started mine. She was a gift from God. A day has not gone by since last Wednesday when I met her that I haven't texted with her. She is preparing me for what is in store.

Anne told me that I would have about 3 weeks from the date of my first treatment before my hair would fall out. I would get one treatment. I would get a second treatment 2 weeks later. Then my hair would fall out within a few days. She said if I plan on wearing wigs, be prepared. Once your hair starts to fall out, your scalp will be in a lot of pain. Sore to the touch. She said at this point, you will not want to try on wigs because your head will hurt. So get prepared while you feel good.  So I decided to make a party out of wig shopping!

Wig Shopping

Since I start work on Monday and chemo on Tuesday, I figure I have a few good days left in me.  Ha, I laugh because these are the good days! I feel like shit! But everyone tells me that once I get the chemo things will get worse.  Sunday is Easter so I planned my wig escapade for the Saturday before Easter.

I could not think of a better person to go wig shopping with than my best friend since fourth grade, Kelly.  Kelly is who I went out with the weekend after I had my biopsy.  We never really hang out anymore because we both have kids, and careers, and houses, and other things that demand all our time.  But when I had my biopsy, I had such a strong feeling that I reached out to her to come over and hang out.  I also reached out to some other people who I felt deserved my attention... thank you's that were overdue, "Hey, how you been's" that should have come years ago. When I was waiting for my biopsy results, I told everyone it was nothing, it was an overcautious doctor, but I knew. I didn't know for sure that I had breast cancer.  I did know for sure, though, that nothing would be the same again.  And I knew enough to call Kelly. 

So when it came time to have some fun, I called my adventurous best friend, and she brought her Mom. It was great, it felt like we were kids again and Diane (her Mom) was driving us to the McKinley Mall.  It made me feel like what it probably would have felt like if I went wig shopping with my own Mom. 

We started our day going for lunch at Red Lobster.  Over the past 3 weeks I have watched a lot of HGTV. I didn't want to, but this is what Rory does for fun. Every commercial break featured Red Lobster's Lobsterfest.  Their food isn't that great. It never looks for real like it does in the pictures or on the commercials. But I tell you, marketers are in business because of me. I am visually motivated.  I buy things because I see them on TV.  After 3 weeks of watching this commercial, there was no way I was returning to work on Monday without Red Lobster.  Much to my liking, my food actually did look like the pictures! I got the Lobster Lovers Feast... a Maine Lobster tail, a rock lobster tail, and seafood alfredo with fresh broccoli.  I shouldn't have eaten the alfredo, but I was happy.

Jain Lee Wigs

I called ahead to get their Saturday hours and learned that Jain Lee Wigs requests an appoinment. So I made our appointment for 2pm, right after Red Lobster. The lady working that day was about 65 years old and clearly sporting one of their wigs. She used a walker to get around, so I felt guilty when she insisted on personally holding on to every wig I wanted to try on... because I wanted to try on a lot.

Some people look for a wig that looks exactly like their own hair so that nobody will know that their hair fell out.  I am not one of those people. I write this blog and post it for everyone to see. Everyone will know that my hair is gone.  I am not trying to fool anyone.  So I am going to look for a wig that personifies someone that I always wanted to be.  I want a hairdo that I could never get my real hair to do. I want a wig that will easily give me a risque hairdo that I would be too scared to give myself.  And so I did not count out anything.

I say this, but then most of what I tried on was brown hair (my natural color) with a length between my ears and shoulder (my normal hair length).  They looked incredibly real. Too real. I could do this to my hair any time. Although it didn't look as natural, I was going for something else... it just took me a little longer to get comfortable with it.  I decided on one really short wig for the summer. It is short and sassy and reminded me of an old friend of mine, Brandi, who was the spunkiest person I know. So I named my wig after her. What makes 'Brandi' even better is that she was a gift from my best friend, Kelly, and her Mom, Diane. :o)




My 'Brandi' Wig - Short and sassy and RED!

 

 Then I bought a second wig for the cooler days and named her Jennifer. You can clearly see why. It looks just like Jennifer Anniston. I have no love for Jennifer Anniston, but I have ALWAYS wanted longer hair, and my hair just won't grow this long. Once it reaches my shoulders it gets frizzy and flat on top.  I have highlighted my hair this color before and it looked great on me, but the length would never happen. Now I can have my long hair whenever I want! Jennifer was my new favorite.

Jennifer Anniston Wig

It took an hour and a half to decide on Jennifer and Brandi. Jennifer is my favorite although I feel very self conscious in her. Probably because it is so different from my natural cut and color I feel like everyone will know I am wearing a wig... but then again, who cares!

I tried on many other wigs while I was there and some of them almost came home with me!





Loved this Human Hair wig...nobody else did

Had to try at least one blonde. Yep, I am not a blonde

Loved this long hair synthetic but decided on Jennifer instead... pretty close

 

The Mullet - Tried on as a joke, but it actually looked ok

My Jenn Sherman hair - Looked great on her, Bad on me

This is my natural hairstyle before I leave the house. Almost too perfect

 

Everyone loved this red hair - except me

 

My Natural Hair's Last Hoorah

While I was out running errands last Thursday I decided that I had to do something cool to my hair. It is scheduled to fall out in 3 weeks. If you had to deal with your own hair for 3 weeks and then it was gone, what would you do?  Me too. I dyed it pink!

I would have done blonde and more pink, but I went to Bangs and they wanted to charge me $175.  I am adventurous, but I am not stupid. I wouldn't pay $175 for the best haircut of my entire life let alone a unique haircut that was going to last 3 weeks.  Honestly, this hairdo wasn't worth more than $50 but I happened to get my tax return that morning so I was feeling a litttle loose in the wallet. I told the girl not to go over $100 and do something cool. This is what I got! I only have to deal with it for 3 weeks but wouldn't you know it - I love it!

My Natural Hair's Last Big Party!