IN YOUR OWN WORDS GOING THROUGH CANCER BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR ACCEPTING MY BALDNESS Today, I had to come to terms with losing my hair. The first few days after chemo treatment was hard. Then, 10 days later, my hair started to fall out. I couldn’t watch it fall out slowly. It hurt my heart. I had to come to terms with losing my hair. ALL OF MY HAIR. I had grown my hair to about 10 inches long. From that to no hair was hard to take. People put a high value on hair, but cancer said, “Surprise! You will go into this New Year BALD!” I found out that Great Cuts in Lafayette would cut my hair for free. They do that for cancer patients to give them peace of mind over hair loss on their terms. When I went into Great Cuts to have them shave my head, the gentleman who took me said he had never done a head shave. This was a first for both of us, so we comforted each other through the process. When I got up to leave, we gave each other a big emotional hug. So why should I cry about this? In time, my hair will grow back. So it’s okay, I will overcome this new bump in the road. I have to keep telling myself, “Sit, wait, hope, and pray.” I have to keep my mind strong to deal with all of the pain and discomfort. PAUSING CHEMO TO DEAL WITH AN ADDITIONAL MEDICAL ISSUE I found out that I have to have surgery for another healthrelated issue. Sooner, rather than later. They tell me before I can have the surgery, I have to stop chemo. Then, after the surgery, I have to wait four to six weeks to get back on my chemo treatment, so my recovery will be longer than first thought. I was in pain (not related to my cancer) for nine months before they found out what was wrong, and now the pain has gotten worse, and it’s harder for me to use my mind to keep the pain at bay. It takes a lot of mind power to keep up with the pain I’m in. I just wish the doctors or hospital had really listened to me. Maybe I wouldn’t be in so much pain for this long. When you’re going through medical problems, you sometimes have to remind yourself it has to get worse before it gets better. It’s scary when they tell you they don’t know how bad it is and that they will probably have to do reconstructive surgery while I’m still in the operating room. You never know how strong you really are until you are in it! CARING FOR MY DOGS Last night, my friend and sister Missy said that she and her husband will keep my babies until I can walk and bend down. That is the biggest help to me while I recover from surgery. It is a big deal for someone to take care of my dogs for a long time. RAELENE JOHNSON. CREDIT: KAREN BEEMAN I just got back from Denver, where I went to give Missy my babies to keep until I heal. I know she will take good care of them. She has done it before. I feel blessed to have real friends who will be with me through the hell yet to come to my body. GOING FORWARD When this is finally behind me, my life will get back to the way it was before all of this stopped me. I know I will feel better when this is over. Then, I have to start the chemo treatment again. Not looking forward to doing that again, but it is what it is. I thank God today that I’m strong enough to get through all of these medical issues. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you will consider keeping me in yours. ■ COLORING PAGE BY GIGI GALEN 12 DENVER VOICE March 2024
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