“Right or wrong, we women tend to define ourselves by certain physical attributes. Our hair is a big one – how long it is, how it’s styled, what color it is. So for a woman to receive a cancer diagnosis, she’s not only thinking about how she is going to fight the cancer and how she is going to feel, but what will she look like?

“My own journey with cancer was, in part, a journey of hats. When I received my diagnosis of Stage 1 breast cancer and my treatment plan, my oncologist was very kind, but honest to a fault: ‘You’re going to lose your hair.’ I thought I might be one of those rare and lucky ladies who didn’t lose their hair, but sure enough, less than two weeks after my first treatment, my hair was falling out by the handfuls.

“Rather than not knowing when I would be completely hairless, I decided to have my head shaved. Now I looked like my husband! It wasn’t so bad, but I didn’t want to parade my cue ball head in public. The next big decision was: Wear a wig or a hat?

“I opted for baseball caps and turbans. They were the perfect pick for me as I could select a different hat each day depending upon my mood, my clothing colors, etc. I have a collection of over 10 baseball caps, four turbans, two cowboy hats, and three scarves (don’t forget about scarves – they are quite versatile). My “arsenal” of head gear made me feel better when I was tired from the treatments and definitely helped me through a very rough time in my life. I will never get rid of them, and I will always be grateful for the simple power of a hat!”