Of Head Wraps and Breast Cancer
To Kelly, it meant more than Ben Affleck and Jennifer Gardner’s newly purchased property for $16 million dollars. In fact, when Craig gave her a head wrap, she cried uncontrollably for quite some time. What was so special about this pink head wrap, which cost only $10. 80? Kelly was diagnosed with breast cancer and soon after starting chemotherapy treatments, her hair started to fall out. Losing her hair was really no big deal at first; she knew she could handle being compared to Britney Spears for a while, but in the back of her mind, she silently acknowledged the fact that it was only a brave front she was putting up before family and friends. Each night, when the solitude of her room engulfed her, she crumbled like an ordinary child, scared and in panic. Cancer. The Big C. She started to ask the common question “why me?”Life- changing Effects of CancerCancer strikes like a thief, often without warning. It carries with it not just the uncertainty of the future, but the difficulty of how to continue living a life as you’ve known it. To discover that you have cancer and your life hangs on the balance can only have devastating effects on you – if you CHOOSE it to be so. A doctor’s pronouncement echoes past the patient to affect all those who love and depend on her. Cancer is not a personal disease; seldom can you find a person stricken with cancer who suffers all by herself. Instead, she rubs it on her spouse, kids, extended family members, friends and practically everyone she comes in contact with. Who can blame her?For a mother, the prospect of not having the same vigor to chase her kids around the yard can be painful. For a young woman who has barely enjoyed parties and met new friends, it would seem as if she’s like a torch with its flame snuffed out before its oil runs dry. To sum it up, cancer is the ugly reminder of how unpredictable life is, how uncertain are our tomorrows, but it does not totally conclude life for a person. Partly, she decides it for herself. What a Head Wrap Can DoThe ravages of chemotherapy strips a cancer patient not just of her hair but shards of her self-esteem as well. When left unattended, this can lead to severe depression, which may worsen the patient’s condition. Nothing can be more devastating to a woman’s self-confidence than to see herself in the mirror, just a faint reminder of who she was, not necessarily because of cancer, but because she lost her hair. Women dread cancer partly because it could mean losing their hair, a part of themselves, with it. A head wrap conceals hair loss – in style. Unlike wigs that are expensive and may cause irritation on the scalp, head wraps can color-coordinate with a shirt and few accessories giving anyone who wears them a total look of confidence. When you feel good about yourself, any burden seems light. Feeling good about yourself has a lasting impact on your mood, which also affects your ability to cope with stress, relating to illness. The “Can Do” AttitudeKelly was devastated when she learned she had cancer. She felt weak in the knees and was thankful to have Craig by her side on that fateful afternoon and throughout her bumpy road to recovery. She was particularly thankful for all the head wraps she had gathered through the long days while enduring her treatment and now growing her hair back. She vowed to help chemo patients discover the therapeutic effects of looking good and feeling better with a colorful head wrap on their heads and coordinating shirts and earrings to complete their ensemble. As a Breast Cancer Survivor, Kelly believes that she triumphed over cancer, partly because of her “can do” attitude – her refusal to just surrender to defeat too easily. She was declared “survivor” by medical terms, when chemotherapy and other treatments halted her breast cancer. She now knows to be more vigilant towards her health more than ever before. Kelly CHOSE to commit to wellness and is optimistic she will remain healthy and cancer-free. She will choose to eat the right foods, get enough sleep, cultivate a healthy mental attitude and always remember to give thanks and praise. She will renew this vow every day as soon as she wakes up in the morning and before she sleeps at night. One day soon, cancer research will deliver a cure, and Kelly is confident she will still be around to witness that day.
