"The Wig!"

From the first time the word "chemo" came out of my doctor's mouth, I have tried envisioning myself being "bald". No matter how hard I try, I cannot. Some of the comments I've heard from family members is "don't get a wig" just wear scarves and hats. My husband and son were two of the most voiced about my predicament. I remember when I was a little girl, my mother had a catalog with all kinds of women wearing different hairstyles from updos to hair falls to sets. In this catalog was a picture of a girl wearing three different styles of hair in blonde, brunette and auburn. With mother's permission and saving my money, I ordered these wigs. Everyday, I would rush home from school, hoping to see my wigs. One day, they had arrived. I anxiously opened the box and there they were, three "plastic" wigs. The plastic did not deter me from wearing them, with looks of "are you crazy" to "stupid" I prevailed. On another instance, I remember taking voice lessons in my formative years when a girl who I looked up to, wore a "fall." She was a little on the wealthy side as her parents owned "the furniture store" that everyone like to shop at in a neighboring town, so naturally I wanted to be like her and own a "fall" of my own. My mother and I spent all day shopping in the big city of Spartanburg, SC one Saturday and finally found one at Belks Department store. I also remember buying one of those long ponytails that you could find at your local dime store and pinning it to the back of my head with "Bobbi pins" as if people would think it was my real hair. Looking online at scarves, turbans, and head covers for "cancer patients" I suppose some wig company attached a cookie to me and while viewing facebook one day, I see a wig advertisement saying 100% real human hair, on sale for $89.00, which had been $310.00, with a statement of "looks so much like the real thing, they'll never know! I secretly place an order and await the arrival, unbeknownst to my husband. Several days later I receive a phone call from the delivery person asking if I would happen to be in the vicinity of the town I work in so he wouldn't have to make the long trek of coming to my house for delivery. I told him yes, and my "wig" was delivered to my workplace. I carefully removed it from the package and hid it in the workroom cabinet. While in town the other day, I had to stop by the office and leave the mail, after hours. My husband was with me and came into use the facilities. Taking him longer than I thought, I decided to get my wig out and put it on, trick him and ask if he could remove something from my eye as soon as he comes out of the restroom. He walks over to me and tells me to hold my head back under the light. With giggles and nose snorts, I finally bust out laughing. He steps back and gives me a look and says "what did you do to your hair?" I finally "fess up" and spill the beans. I'm not sure if I'll ever wear this wig, but it has already given me a story to tell for years to come!