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To Whom It May Concern:
It is heart wrenching to hear you have cancer. After being diagnosed, all I could think about were my six and eight year old sons. My concerns surrounded my children and who would raise them, and my only prayer being that Jesus would give me more time with them. After watching my mother lose her battle with breast cancer after nine years, my only hope was that I had that kind of time with my family. Because of this, I consider myself extremely blessed.
I had an idea of just what I was in for. The treatment has improved very little since my mother's illnesses twenty nine years ago. Many of the drugs used to treat my mother are still in use today, and all of the same side effects; pain, nausea, weakness, and total hair loss still plague cancer patients.
I decided to do all I could to boost my immune system and keep my body strong. All that I do has helped me to endure fourteen years of chemotherapy. My cancer spread to tissue throughout my body, including my liver, lungs, and bones. Needless to say, with fourteen years of chemotherapy, I have been bald for longer than I can remember. While I have adapted to wearing a hat, without hair I still look sick. I am reminded of that every time I make eye contact with someone. There are days I do feel good and would like to forget that I have cancer, but every reflection reminds me of my health.
I needed to find a place to help me look like the woman I once was. I went to the "House of Ivie", a hair replacement salon. After putting one of the hair replacement caps on my hear, I saw something in the mirror I hadn't seen in years. I can't explain how happy I was to see myself with a full head of hair. My new look garnered surprise and confusion from people who had only known me without hair.
I still get chemotherapy once a week, and my appearance makes it easier for me to walk out the door in the morning. Hopefully, insurance companies will realize that this is not simply a "cosmetic issue", but something much more. Like a prosthetic of any other kind, hair replacement helps me more than words can say. We have the hardship of cancer, treatment, expenses, and emotional turmoil in coping with out new plight. Hair replacement eliminates the everyday anguish and frustration of battling your appearance. Your thoughtful consideration would be greatly appreciated and would be a blessing to all.
Sincerely
Donna Klestinske
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