With the upcoming Christmas holidays fastly approaching comes the added stress of shopping, Christmas parties, cards to send out, and schedules to coordinate so we can all spend some time together. In addition to the upcoming holiday, I have been at odds with one of my sisters. Despite our family's efforts to help her, she was homeless for 2 months. Now she is mad at me, over doing the right thing...without going into too many details, for telling the truth, and we have parted ways.

My step mom, and (another) sister, & her 3 kids are soon likely to loose the roof over their head also now. Everyone is hurting from this recession, not to mention we have two kids in college, and have had many house repairs this year, so we cant help them, nor can any of the local organizations that would normally issue help. It's hard to see those you love suffer too.

I've been having headaches every day for some time now..probably the stress?

Also, with my Alopecia, I have been having these dry skin patches, sorta like scabs/bumps, that come up on my head, and with it itching all the time, I scratch. (One of the things I do when my nerves are bothering me also) My head is so sore to touch, brush, wash, anything. It hurts.

Again...lot's of stress.

One of my friends from church passed away Sunday, so I will have her funeral to attend on Thursday. It was very hard to loose such a wonderful lady. My husband would always help the ladies in and out of their car on Sunday mornings. He is going to be a pall-bearer at the funeral.

I am very lucky to have such a wonderful husband who is always willing to help out anytime needed. I stay so tired all the time, and he picks up the slack, without me even asking!

ON A LIGHTER NOTE:

I was watching this young girl on Saturday when we were out Christmas shopping. We had stopped long enough to eat lunch at a local restaurant, and it was a very, very windy day. I watched her as she twirled around in the wind, arms outstretched, enjoying her long hair blowing in her face, and all over. She looked so peaceful, like she didn't have a care in the world. I was jealous. For the first time since my Alopecia, I found myself holding my hand over my head out in that wind, in order to hold my hair down, to try and keep my bald spots hidden.

Overall, I have been doing much better. I have had some regrowth that has now gotten some color back to it. I even spoke with my mom's next door neighbor the other day. She was outside doing some yard work..she told me she has circular bald patches also. I explained to her that I have Alopecia Areata. She had never heard of it before. She shared with me she wears wigs most days, but had just a hat on that day. Though she was embarassed to show me her head, I did show her mine, and shared with her a bit about Alopecia. I DO hope she will go to a doctor soon to get it checked out.

Amazing to me, people living with Alopecia, and they don't even know it! I am more than happy to help raise awareness, and I hope that I was even able to help out a fellow Alopecian :)