Its Nose Hair Appreciation Day!

Today's post is brought to you by one Very Large Sneeze. Thank you Very Large Sneeze. When you stopped by today I remembered a solemn vow I made to myself in late 2007.

Early that year I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. It was a very big deal and life-changing to say the least. But if I started to tell it from start to finish you would still be reading this next year. So I'll tell you bits that come to mind, as they arrive.. sometimes in violent sneezes.

Now something that the doctor doesn't cover during the pre-chemo talks are the random and less dramatic side effects. They did tell me that I would lose my hair. What I want to know is how chemo and your body decide which area will lose the hair?

No my friends, don't think you lose the hair everywhere. Its one of the great unjustices of chemo/cancer but that is a different story for a different day.

Nobody said to me "Hey Dawn, did you know that all your nose hairs will fall out and you will lose the ability to go anywhere without a tissue in you hand?"

I want you all to take a moment to appreciate your nose hairs. THANK YOU NOSE HAIRS! I vowed to always appreciate you and I have been negligent in doing so. Forgive me.

Those of you shaking your head have clearly always had your nose hairs. Those of you nodding emphatically must have lost them a time or two. Mine were gone for months. That meant months of a runny nose. Not your typical, I-have-a-cold type of runny. We are talking about the type of runny that occurs when even the normal amount of moisture required to have a working nostril just falls onto your upper lip. The type of runny that forced me to stick pieces of tampon up my nose. (This was done in the privacy of my own home, of course) Lets not even think about the fact those nose hairs also act as filters. Does this mean that smell is really particles of ________ heading straight down my throat?

I atually gave up on wearing lipstick for a while. There just wasn't any point in reapplying every time I wiped my nose.

And now, in memory of a time gone by and in hopes of a future filled with nose hairs, I stand before you. My lipstick is on and my head bowed in silent appreciation.