Hellooooo everybody!

Wow it's been a long time since I've been on the site.  I have missed seeing all the smiles and reading all the stories,  but my prayers and positive vibes have been sent continually.  

I lost my hair in a quick fashion 17 years ago.  It was a 3 week whirlwind of hairloss and wow, it was scary.  Doctors didn't know very much about Alopecia then (well, at least my doctors didn't) and they kept telling me it was just stress.  Sigh.  Have you heard that too? 

Anyway, about 8 years in to my bald journey I decided to stop wearing wigs.  It was a really tough thing to do, and yet very liberating as well.  I have absolute respect for anyone that wears a wig every day.  Wigs are beautiful and can be a lot of fun.... they simply weren't "me".  I hope that makes sense.   

These days I sometimes forget that I'm bald. LOL.  A reporter came to do an interview of me and my faith journey and she said she wanted to ask me questions about my health, and I thought "My health? I'm perfectly healthy, what do you mean?"  and then remembered... Ohhhh,  Alopecia. Got it.  ha ha.  

About a month ago, my youngest daughter (who is 10 years old) was eating breakfast and I noticed a small bald spot on her head.  I panicked.  You see we have been through a lot of heartbreak over the past 2 years.  My husband (her daddy and best friend) died very suddenly and unexpectedly.  We couldn't afford the house he and I shared on my salary, so we had to move to a new place.  We have been through a lot of change, and a lot of sorrow and grief.  When I saw that spot my heart dropped.  I begged God to please, please - don't take her hair.  She has been through so much already.

A month later, and the little spot on her head is pretty big.  She also has lost the hair on the back of her head, but is able to cover it with her long hair.  When the dermatologist diagnosed it as Alopecia, my daughter seemed relieved.   Now we are planning a presentation to share at her school about alopecia and against bullying, and she is excited about that.   

I share all of this because now I'm in a new place - a parent of a child with Alopecia.  And wow - this is hard.   Any advice would be welcomed!!   It's yet another new chapter.... yikes.  Thank you for letting me vent.  I am grateful for Alopecia world.