A Mom and a Grammy First

After mom told us about her cancer diagnosis, we were concerned with how to tell Addison. She is only three and obviously the word cancer does not mean anything to her. We waited until mom had her port in to talk to her about it as we knew it would be important that Addison could not climb on mom. The only thing that Addison was able to take from the conversation was that she did not want her Grammy to have "baby hair." We talked about it a few times and her response was "mommy, cancer is disgusting" said in a three year-old accent of course.

When we got to Tulsa, Addison told mom several times she did not want her to have baby hair. My mom got out her hats and wigs to try to show Addison, get her interested, and make the entire situation less scary. Addison wanted nothing to do with it. Nothing. My mom even told Addison that she could cut her hair. Still, nothing. So almost two weeks ago she tells me "I want to cut Grammy's hair." I told my mom. So a few days after her last chemotherapy treatment (#2), she drives to Oklahoma City with the intention of letting my daughter cut her hair.

It was actually a really great day. My aunt Jeannie drove mom here and we made a day of it. We all went to the park. We drove by Addison's new preschool so she could show her grammy where she would be going to school. When it was lunch time I told mom that she needed to pick where to eat since she just had treatment and I was concerned about her stomach being upset. She picked Red Robin (Addison's favorite restaurant). They took Addison to get ice cream. Mom's hair was starting to fall out - she had a little time left. Her first priority was getting to Oklahoma City so that Addison would be able to cut her hair. She was most concerned with making sure she could alleviate any of Addison's distress. I had also told her that I needed to see her hair come out. She has been doing so fantastic with her treatments. We are so so happy about that. It is hard to believe though, that the chemotherapy is working when she is doing so well. I told her that I needed to see some hair come out to be convinced it was working. She never said it, but I know she also came so that I could see some coming out. But for those that know my mom well, you are not at all surprised that her priority was to make sure that her family was handling her cancer well.

Addison was so excited to cut mom's hair. Addison was laughing at points. She had no problems with it at all (except that she was not allowed to handle the scissors by herself). My mom kept telling her that she was doing such a good job cutting her hair. We have not heard a single word about not wanting grammy to have baby hair since. We finished mom's hair after Addison went to sleep, so we will see what she thinks when she sees all the hair gone. Leave it to my mom to make an undesirable symptom of chemotherapy into a great day for her family. Enjoy the pictures while they last, the "powers that be" will probably make me take them off when she sees that I have posted them on here.