Colleen Bokan

In my daughters senior year of high school, on her 17th birthday I was diagnosed with stage 2b Invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast with lymphoascular invasion of the lymph nodes under my left arm. Talk about terrified and devastated. This was supposed to be my daughter, Kates, big year, and instead the spotlight shifted to me, and my illness. I just saw your Today Show update and it seems that you and I had similar attitude about our treatment. I too decided to have a very public experience via Facebook, and I had even linked an adjoining page. "One Tuff Chic" was my sounding board for all I was going through. It was my humor page. when I was having one of those DOWN DAYS and crying at the toilet bowl for the tenth time that week, One Tuff Chic was where I got my support. I had followers and friends post silly pics and jokes. All just to keep me laughing at the ridiculous changes that my body was going through. My daughter was pretty public about everything too, and she got her friends to come over one day and in in the glory that was my bald shiny head, we hosted an impromptu head decorating party. We had a ton of temporary tattoos and even did a henna crown. I was the guest of honor at a couple of parties, and had got an improv serenade by Chris Keys of Dive Bomber Ode To Our Bald Heads. I laughed at the absurdity of having no eyebrows or eyelashes, and went all out with wigs. I decided I was going to try every shade and style of hair there is. The only way to get through something so horrible is to laugh. So my Sister, I am so very proud of you. You are a fighter and you are emerging through this with grace and strength. Heres to the bald and boobless. We are all beautiful.