In October I received this email from one of my favorite women…
Hello, Amy! It’s been a while. I haven’t talked to you since taking your photography mini-course, and in part that’s because some things have happened since then that have kept me very busy. Ok, out with it: I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May (to my surprise, no history in my family), started chemotherapy in June and am 5/6 of the way through that (I have one more chemo session on October 8)… then surgery in November, followed by radiation. So! When I first went bald from chemo I thought I might like to get in touch with you to do some photos of my baldness, to “commemorate” it or whatever. Then, the reality–i.e., side-effects and fatigue–of chemo set in and I kind of dropped the idea. I don’t love my baldness, I feel like I just look sick but occasionally I can kinda rock the look when I’m feeling a bit on the upside. I was just musing to myself “what the hell am I going to do for Christmas cards this year?” given the circumstances, and I had what I hope might be a brilliant idea. Last year I pinned the B&W photo of a man and woman entwined in a string of Christmas lights. I remembered it and thought that this could be beautifully rendered with myself and family all dressed up, only I have a bald head! I figure playing with angles and shadows could mean the bald head wouldn’t be the centerpiece of the picture but would be there, to notice, elegantly. I would probably caption it “Merry & Bright” on the holiday card; because after all, I still do (and will) have a lot to be merry for this year, especially after I WILL find out I’ve been cured. -Beth
You are strong. You are an inspiration. You are a survivor. You DO rock your baldness. You WILL be cured. xo
