Jan 20 Working Hard and Growing Hair

I have now come to the realization that I am not quite as strong as I thought I was. I worked from 9:00 a.m. Friday morning until about 8:30 p.m., then went back in Saturday morning at 8:30 and got home about 6:00 p.m. My doggies were barking! (feet - hurting) ; )
I still have more of the stinging, aching, whatever it is, in my thighs and calves. I thought it was almost gone, but it seems to not be gone yet! A client and survivor on Friday told me that it helps that symptom to walk. HMMMM. HMMMM!
I now have long enough hair that I can just catch a few strands between my fingers when I run them through the hair 'against the grain.' It is mostly about 1" long! And you just would not believe just how gray it is! Very! Oh. My. Goodness.
Everyone keeps commenting on how thick it looks. Much thicker than before I lost it all. I didn't know that would happen - I'd have done this sooner if I had realized! NOT! ; )
I love it short - I know I keep saying that - but it is just so fun to not have to mess with it with the gel and the lotion and the blow dryer and the paste and the hairspray and the color and the haircuts. I WILL be coloring it again, but it has been sort of freeing to not be having to check the regrowth to see if it needs color and then find time to tint. It is hard to find time, even though I work right in a salon.
I have been vacillating between being horrified at the gray, and wanting to color it, and wanting to wait until my best friend from college visits me in February, so she and her husband can see it (and never let me live it down, probably). ; )
I hit two hair milestones this week. The first one was that I forgot to smooth down the top of my head with the last forward swipe of the towel after my shower, and then later realized when I saw about 4 hairs sticking up that "I forgot to 'comb' my hair"!
The second milestone was that I saw someone who had not seen me or heard about me since this whole thing started and when she did see me this week, said, "What did you do to your hair?!" It is no longer a "Oh my gosh she is sick or has cancer" -- it has now become a 'haircut'! A VERY short haircut, but nonetheless, a style statement!
I'm feeling good, except for still having sleeping issues (it is 2:30 Sun morning), the weird achy stingy leg muscles and I seem to be more tired than I want to admit to.
My radiation tan is fading, except for the still bright pink of the last week of 'focused on the spot' spot. The skin is very slightly peeling, and I am still using the aloe vera on the 'sunburn'. I have a lifetime supply of the gel, as I bought 2 bottles so I could apply it at home and at work, if I needed to do so.
I go to the surgeon on Monday, then the Med Onc on Tuesday, and that is all I am waiting on at the moment. I do have the next MRI scheduled, but it is so far in the future I can't remember when it is. I think it is in about 3 more months. It had to be scheduled 6 months after something, but I can't remember what the something is! I remember it also had to be 3 months after the very last radiation, so the swelling will have a chance to go down and there won't be the extra blood vessel activity caused by the healing activity.
Bob's dad is not so good. Bob spent Saturday night up there, and his sister is here from San Diego. It is hard to watch. He has such a hard time breathing.
I love you all - don't you go and forget all about me, now. I'm still here, and needing moral support!
Much love and peaceful thoughts. Patty : )