[DarleneM]

(Trulan here) Thanks so much for all your caring responses. I thought I would update you a little on how Darlene is doing. She still has enough hair to look fine but we doubt it will stay that way for long. She washed and combed it this morning, getting ready for church, and thought about taking the wad along to show one of her friends "just to make her freak out" - She's got a pretty spunky attitude about it. But the idea of shaving it hasn't quite sunk in just yet.

I think the idea of her losing her hair is actually harder on our family and friends than it is on us. For one thing, Darlene's 'little' sister is getting married in July and everybody wants her to have her hair for the wedding. People have told us that they are praying she will not loose her hair, and of course there are the ever-present third-hand stories of someone who had chemo "the whole works" (whatever is meant by that, they don't know) and kept their hair throughout, either by drinking something, doing something, or just having faith. I'm thinking, "Forget the hair, let's smash this cancer! Pray that the cancer will be completely obliterated!" But somehow it seems hard for those around us to see it that way.

I know we are going to let down some loving, well-meaning people and I hate that. (It's not really fair to have to try to keep the hair to avoid letting people down, but that's the way it is.) I know that it would be easier and more manageable to shave off Darlene's hair and be done with it. I guess we're just not quite okay with that just yet.