Monday, January 31, 2011

Cancer patient

Yesterday at work I signed in a native american woman. Now typically Native Americans don't tip and they have the hardest hair to cut. It is always long and thick and course. Obviously from my last post I have been very tired and annoyed with work lately, so I wanted to make sure I did not get this client. I tried to slow down cutting so one of the other girls would take her, but as sad as this is I think ALL of us were trying to avoid cutting her. 

Well I finished my client and took her. I began to ask her if she just wanted a trim, because her notes in the computer were very similar to her hair. She gently said....

"Oh no, this is my wig, I just need to shave all of my hair off. I have cancer and I am done fighting the hair thing." 

OH MY GOODNESS!!! Did I fell terrible or what! I took off her wig and sure enough she had about 40 strands of hair left on her head that went all the way down to her mid back! 

Here I was thinking life was so terrible because I was working on a Sunday and got a client who I thought wouldn't tip, when this woman was fighting cancer everyday! 

I started shaving her head and realized not only did she not want to talk but when we talk to people we talk to the reflection in the mirror. As I was talking with her she would not look in the mirror, not once!!!! I was heart broken. I could not talk to her any more because I knew I would start crying. 

After shaving her whole head we put her wig back on and went to the front. I told her she didn't owe us anything for the cut and I started crying terribly!!!! She said thank you and left. I paid for her hair cut and then went to the back and just sat there and cried for a couple of minutes. I have cut so many girls hair off before to donate to cancer patients, but this was my first time shaving off a cancer patient's hair. I really don't think that words can describe how hard it was to shave her head. I just can't imagine how hard it would have been to be sitting in that chair, knowing how hard it was to be the one standing behind! 

2 comments:

Holly said...

Oh my goodness, that's so sad. I can't even imagine having to go through that. I love that you paid for her haircut, that was a great act of charity. Hang in there, you only have a few more days left!

RachelAA said...

Wow. You can write a little book I swear. You are being blessed with so many amazing experiences - ones that shape and mold who you are for the rest of your life. I am so glad she got you; a woman with a huge heart.