My First Ponytail!!

 

HELLO PONYTAIL!!! Oh, how I've missed you. The truth is that underneath the hat I have a bunch of short hair on top of my head and it looks pretty weird, but with the hat and the new pony I no longer have a mullet. PS Sorry for the sweaty picture, it was taken after a run.

 I had been wondering if I would ever be able to have long hair again. Obviously I can grow hair, but the scar on my head from the front to the back is pretty thick and causes problems for a hair part. I should take a photo of that soon. 

It's not the end of the world if I don't have long hair, but it's a desire that will not subside. I'm pretty stubborn, and I'm convinced I can find a way to eventually have the long feminine locks I dream about. Just another little hurdle to jump; I'll find my way around this little scar dilemma. It's nice to have hair as my biggest concern!

 

 Post Soccer Meeting

This is yesterday's photo of the day. It was a bumper sticker on a mini van. I laughed hysterically because it made me think of my friend Jenny (seen in the group photo above). She's the only girl I know that couldn't wait to have children because she could legitimately drive a mini van.

1st Presentation

It turns out that my gift of gab translates perfectly into a love for public speaking. My mom likes to tease that I started talking seconds from the womb. Sharing my story with the Rotary was thrilling. My legs were shaking, and my lips got really dry, and I did mostly note card reading, but I think I can smooth it out with experience. The best part of the whole deal was all of the hugs afterward. It was incredibly moving to have people connect with what I was saying.

I think I can work the kinks out. I have two weeks before my next presentation, this time at an even larger Rotary in Wenatchee.

It's really nice having these presentations distract me. I have less than a month before the next MRI, and reliving my experience continues to make me grateful for my growth, my life, my friends, my family, everything.

After the Rotary presentation a gentleman came up and shared the story of his wife who had a double mastectomy six years ago, then underwent chemo. I keep hearing stories about people going through radiation and chemo and people are knocking it back like it's no big deal. I love it! It's encouraging. I think that when my time comes for radiation, I'll be able to conquer it.

It has taken me 11 months to come to terms with radiation. I'm finally no longer scared of it. That's huge! I've jumped a lot of physical hurdles, definitely a ton of cognitive hurdles, and lately, a lot of emotional hurdles. It's a great feeling!