OMC: How have your kids responded to you losing your hair?

LS: When I first told them, Ned was concerned that others might look at me funny or laugh. So we talked about how people should act if they see someone different -- just act normal -- and how that if someone does laugh, all we need to do is ignore them. Then we talked about all the benefits of being bald like not having to wash or comb your hair, which Ned isn't too fond of, and I don't have to worry about how my hair looks, and I get to wear cool hats.

I asked Ned if he wanted me to talk to his K5 class at school, and he was interested in that. His teacher was all for it so, one day, after my head was shaved, I went in and talked to his classmates about cancer, chemo, losing hair and how to treat others who might look different. It was really fun and I could tell that Ned really felt good about it.

OMC: Why did you shave your head before receiving chemo?

LS: I didn't want to live through the experience of brushing my hair and having a big clump fall out. That doesn't not seem like fun! Plus, I wanted to impress upon my kids that it wasn't scary or weird, that it was just a part of the whole chemo package and we had to make it work.

OMC: So, what's it like being bald?

LS: Being bald is actually not so bad. The only real down side is the cold part – which has been an issue this spring! But otherwise, it's kind of liberating. I don't have to style my hair in the morning or think about it at all during the day – it's just one less thing I have to concern myself with. At first I wore hats all the time, but then I got over my self-consciousness quite fast and now I rarely wear hats and have learned to totally ignore any stares. That in and of itself is empowering, because I get to walk around thinking that if I can walk to the grocery store as a bald woman, I can do anything!

OMC: How is your husband handling this?

LS: Jim has been great. He's given me space, support, taken over the kids when I needed to lie down, etc. Jim can compartmentalize quite well, which probably comes in handy in times like these, and he's always been able to maintain a stability about him, which has been a great help to me and helped me keep an even keel.

OMC: Are you feeling optimistic? How do you handle the tough days?

LS: I am feeling very optimistic. My fear of recurrence, which was so strong and intense last fall, has faded significantly over time, as everyone said it would. But I do still get scared. I do have days, like today when I feel like I've been bulldozed, where it's hard to keep things in perspective.

My cancer experience could have been a million times worse than it has been and I fully appreciate that! I tend to be pessimistic, but in this experience, I'm really learning how destructive that tendency can be. I've really learned to look at the bright side of things and that no matter how crappy things can get, there is always something to be thankful for, and that's what you need to focus on.

OMC: Did you seek mental health assistance?

LS: Last August, after I had recovered from my mastectomy and gotten a clean bill of health, the whole having-cancer-thing really sunk in and I was having a really hard time dealing with everything that had happened. It was almost like PTSD, I think. I ended up seeing a clinical health psychologist who only works with cancer patients and families of cancer patients. I met with him for a couple of months and he was amazing. He really helped me put things in perspective, work through my emotions, process all the issues I had with being a cancer survivor, living with my "new normal" and just learning to live with fear of recurrence, which is a huge stressor.

I also got a mentor through ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis), a program that hooks up breast cancer survivors with those newly diagnosed.

OMC: You just graduated from nursing school, right?

LS: I did just graduate in mid-May from Cardinal Stritch and I passed my boards last week. I am officially an RN! My next step is to look for a job and I plan on starting in fall, after chemo is finished. I want to go into oncology nursing. I'd love to become a cancer navigator and help people negotiate cancer treatments.

I was kind of unclear as to what type of nursing I was interested in before my diagnosis, so again, here's a good thing that has come out of my cancer. I've tried to approach my whole experience like a classroom. If I have to have cancer, I may as well learn all I can from the health care providers who are working on me.