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Come on and join author Melissa Bradley as she sets off on her latest adventure...

WARNING

If you are not 18, please exit stage left. While there is normally nothing naughty here, I do write and review erotica so there are links to spicy stuff and the occasional heated excerpt.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

The Big C Blog Hop and Anthology

My hugest thanks to Michael Di Gesu, who organized this. You are an amazing friend and I wouldn't know what to do without you.

As many of you know, I am currently locked in battle with the Big C...Cancer. Today I am celebrating the fight with my wonderful fellow bloggers on this Big C Cancer Blog hop. We are telling stories of the humor found in dealing with this disease. Humor helps a lot in this battle, it is a very effective weapon in keeping one's spirits up and at the ready.

Money is also an important part of the fight, so these entries you read are all going to be published in an anthology to help me in my fight. Whatever I do not use of the proceeds will be donated to Gilda's Club Chicago, a very important place for women fighting this terrible disease.

Thanks for reading. You can find all the incredible, wonderful participants here.

So without further ado, here is my entry....

An Unexpected Show

Chemo. Losing my hair. Vomiting. Losing my freakin' hair. I was upset and nervous and angry as we walked into UIC's Out Patient Cancer Center for my first chemo treatment. I had little enough hair as it was thanks to genetics now I was going to lose the rest. Perfect. I was going to be short, fat and now bald. Unless I got a wig. And my experience with wigs was almost non existent, except I knew they could be expensive unless one was talking Halloween costume types. Another expense. Great.

"You're scowling," my sister whispered.

"No."

"Yes you are. Stop it or you'll scare the nurses."

"Okay, fine."

She was right. It wouldn't due to frighten the people who were going to people who were going to take care of me.

After what seemed like hours we were called back to the infusion rooms.  The chairs were exactly like I'd seen in the movies, these uncomfortable looking recliners caught somewhere between spa comfort and dental office chic. I sat and my nurse introduced herself, a really nice, down-to-earth woman she was. She gave me the rundown of everything to expect. There was so much to process I felt like I was about to take a physics test without having learned the chapters.

First came the Benedryl, anti-nausea cocktail that put me to sleep. Just as I was beginning to enjoy a nap, the big chemo drug bag was administered. As I settled in and watched the drip, a little woman came in with a huge cart.

"Hi. I'm here from the American Cancer Society with some wigs for you. As a cancer patient, our program entitles you to one free wig."

Color me stunned.

My sister and I looked at each other, then at the wigs in the cart. The ACS rep left us with the wigs and we started pouring over them. An idea formed in my mind. I had to get into a better mood. After discounting all the ones that surely would not work, we snatched up the short. blonde ones.

"Let's do a wig show," I said.

"What? You mean try all these on and walk around in them?"

I nodded. "And take crazy pictures."

"Cool! Let's do this."

One by one I tried on the wigs, strutting around as much as my dance partner aka the IV machine would let me. The nurses came in clapping as I posed and pranced. A wig did not seem so bad now and neither was my mood. I laughed as my sister showed me the pics. I was determined to rock a wig and no longer afraid of losing my hair.






27 comments:

  1. That's right - you just rock the wig!!!
    Yours is the best entry, but I imagine because it's true.
    Hope this makes a huge difference. I will be the first to buy and promote your anthology.

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    1. Very very nice article I am happy to visit this website Obat Bius

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  2. Your spirit never ceases to amaze me. I wish you'd share the pictures. We'll have to use our imaginariums. Smiles.
    Love you lots. Keep laughter easily accessible.
    xoRobyn

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  3. Wig or no wig - you rock every day and twice on Sunday. Some badass bitches we are both very familiar with go with little or no hair - their ranks have added one premium member as far as I'm concerned.

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  4. I wish you, and all other sufferers, nothing but the very best.

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  5. Melissa you are a star my friend ... with or without a wig ... or hair for that matter. Hair is just a sort of small crest, but if you're a beautiful creature anyway - who the hell needs a crest?
    I'll be up for the anthology when it appears. You are an inspiration. Tom x

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  6. I wish I could have seen you modeling those wigs while attached to the infusion machine. I'm sure you raised the spirits of everyone in the room that day.
    I never did the whole wig thing when I was going through treatment. They seemed like another thing I would have to 'deal with.' I did rock some crazy scarves that year though.
    Wishing you many good days and powerful medicines. Know that you are in the minds of people all over the world today.
    Elizabeth Hein - Scribbling in the Storage Room

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  7. You painted a hilarious picture. I think it's important to find humour wherever we can, but especially when dealing with something like this. I hope you raise a ton with the anthology, I was honoured to participate.

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  8. "dental office chic"
    Gosh I love you! This is hysterical, Melissa. I love that you're finding the humor, cuz really, you just gotta. How fun trying on all those wigs! One day you should post your pic with an array of wigs ... just for fun.

    You rock! and I know you'll beat this. ((hugs)) Party on, Wayne. :D

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  9. Hi, Melissa...

    FUN!!!! You know what I say...."It's all about the attitude!" Playing RU PAUL'S single in my mind... "WORK...WORK IT GIRL... LICK YOU LIPS AND MAKE LOVE TO THE CAMERA .... WORK!..."

    Okay,,,, Now I'll be playing that in my head all day long!

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  10. It sucks that you have the "Big C" but it's great that you have your sister with you for support. She sounds perfect.

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  11. I support you, Melissa. You will get through this.

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  12. I like how your character turned her situation around. I wish you the best!

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  13. *clap* *clap* *clap* and some really loud whistles! I'm sure you rocked every one of those wigs & that you're now the proud wearer of the very best one. :)

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  14. Sounds like you are being positive. Good for you.

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  15. I hope you use one of your "wig show" photos for the cover! You are truly an inspiration, Melissa! Wishing you all the best!

    Julie

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  16. I can just picture everything perfectly ... I'm glad that you turned the day around in spite of what you were there for. I'd sure love to see a slideshow of all that wig modelling!

    Hugs, and keep up the fight and all of your hard work, Mel.

    Kathy M.

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  17. If I had access to wigs, I would totally have a wig fashion show. Good times.

    Love,
    Janie

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  18. Woot! Way to rock the blondeness! I think I'd o for blond or redhead since I'm the mousy brown type myself. Sending good mojo your way!!

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  19. Howdy, MELISSA ~
    We don't know each other, but we have a mutual friend: FarAwayEyes.

    On her blog, FarAwayEyes wrote...

    >>... Unfortunately, in this day and age there isn’t a one of us who hasn’t been touched by this dread disease [cancer]. Surely you have a story you could share.

    I got to thinking about it and to my utter surprise it dawned on me that, actually, I don't think a single one of my friends or family members ever even had cancer, let alone died from it. And I'm 55, so it's not like I'm too young to have had a lot of friends and family members pass on from various ailments and tragedies.

    I find that astounding that what my friend wrote doesn't seem to apply to me. So, I have said a prayer for you (and will pray again) and I am now "officially" counting you as a "friend" of mine. I think that pretty well guarantees you will fully recover from "the little c" (I refuse to call it "big") because I have a pristine track record and by no means do you have any permission to screw up my record!

    So get better, quickly and completely, and kick that little c into the dustbin of forgettable history.

    Yak Later...

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  20. A gesture so simple can turn everything around. Still sending prayers your way.

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  21. Hi Melissa .. I know in the past my entry to your blog has been blocked here in the UK - thankfully this time I've been able to come across from Michael's blog ....

    I am belated posting my post later on today .. almost there. I do hope they can sort the treatments out ... the medics are amazing and so I hope despite your setbacks ... the wig in the future will be a symbol of your survival ... and Michael will form a major part of your story ...

    It's great that so many have joined in .. and so carry on with taking life with that pinch of salt - that brings out laughter in us all ... big hugs - Hilary

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  22. Love the idea of a wig show! Kinda neat to be able to change your hair at will with a wig or two :-)
    Sending you a big {{hug}}!

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  23. You're hilarious, girl. :-) And I can so totally see you as a blonde! ❤

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  24. The Walking DEAD is SOOO GOOD this season. We need to chit chat soon about it.

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