I LOST MY HAIR!!!!

July 1999

Actually, I just got mine cut… very short. It's my mother-in-law, Dot, who lost her hair. Of course, there is a good reason... because she is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. And that's why I cut my hair. When she started worrying about losing her hair, my son (who is 7) and I volunteered to shave ours so she wouldn't be the only one in the family with a shiny head.

So, I'm sure, many of you are wondering why I'm creating this web page? I cut my hair for another reason - to promote Breast Cancer awareness. It's ironic, but Dot was lucky. Even though she hates checkups and hates seeing her doctor, she went in for her yearly mammogram and the technician discovered a very tiny lump. It was impossible to detect without modern technology. If she waited longer than usual, the disease could have spread significantly worse.

Jim Bristol -- a great hairsylist in Brentwood

I am lucky. I've got a great mother-in-law. She isn't the typical mother-in-law you see on TV sitcoms, or the kind people moan about. She isn't pushy. She doesn't impose. She is supportive and kind. I couldn't imagine a world where my grandchildren couldn't enjoy either of their grandmothers. And yet, we've come very close.

Dot's not out of the woods yet. It's very important that she knows how much she means to me, and my family. You see, it's going to be very difficult for Dot because I am transferring to Yahoo from GeoCities, and my family is moving the 400 miles from Santa Monica to San Jose. She will still be able to see her grandkids and her daughter from time to time, but we won't be able to just swing by her home on the weekends. It's very painful knowing that this is the time that she needs the most support. I wanted her to know that she is not alone. It's important that as she goes through this difficult time, that if she has any doubts, or if she is feeling down, just think about the family who loves her and needs her, and the crazy son-in-law who was willing to cut his hair to show his love for her.

Hair today... gone tomorrow

Please, if you have a wife, a mother, an aunt, a grandmother, a good friend… please urge them to get their yearly checkup. And if it makes it easier for you, send them this URL. Or if you prefer, tell them about somebody you know who shaved his head to honor his mother-in-law who was lucky to catch the cancer early, but still needs support and love. You won't even have to urge them to go in for a checkup. Hopefully, the story will be reminder enough.

And please, if you ever run into me... don't hesitate to rub my head! I'll consider it good luck for Dot.

Thanks,

Tynan Schmidt