Three good friends of mine are doing something most girls can't even imagine.
They're shaving their hair for the leukemia foundation.
They're all budding doctors like me.
They're all budding doctors like me.
And yes, you read right.
They ARE ALL GIRLS!
These girls are sacrificing a lot. You may think that as a guy, I can't relate. But I do know first hand how hard losing your looks can affect someone, especially their self confidence.
After multiple rounds of chemotherapy, and 2 bone marrow transplants I started hating how I looked, how I felt and the fact I wasn't normal anymore.
But I managed to get past that. I saw another way of looking at things, and have become the happiest person I can because of it.
I no longer have to rely on my looks, my clothes or my achievements to be happy in life.
And I thought, what better way to help, and thank them than to make them become the most confident happy version of themselves. And I hope this message, that I sent to all three of them, helps you too.
You can help them along in their cause by sending them messages of support and helping them reach their goals by clicking their links below. Their stories, and the reasons why they're doing this are all very touching and makes me proud to call them my friends.
Losing your hair is an opportunity.
My message to these girls:
"When I found out I had cancer, I was down in the dumps. After a while of that though, I took a step back, looked at what I was doing and resolved to see everything that had happened and was going to happen in the most positive way possible - to make sure I'd stay as happy, and healthy, going forward with my treatment.
When I got told I had chemotherapy in the next few days, it was hard for me to see anything but pain and angst in my future - not only for fear of physical pain, but in the damage to my emotions and looks too.
But after a while, I again took a step back and decided to look at it another way.
Instead of seeing my chemo as something that'd bring pain, bad looks and possible death, I decided to look at it as what it was.
THE MEDICINE THAT WOULD MAKE ME BETTER.
There's a huge difference between the two. The difference between resigning yourself to death and going in fighting, with a smile on your face.
Well, you guys don't have to face the whole death thing like I did haha.
But you will lose your looks, and, though I was more beautiful than all of you put together and thus had more to lose (obvious exaggeration there), you guys may find it harder to deal with than me.
I turned that self doubt into something that's made me so supremely self confident. And I'm gonna show you how you can do that too.
When I came out of hospital I was losing hair, on medications which made me look fat, changed my skin and deformed me to looking like someone else, I started doubting myself, more than any teenage shyness/social anxiety ever could.
I now see, looking back, that I was stopping myself from doing what I wanted, from being happy. And I was even endangering my health because of that. I stopped going out, stopped exercising, went out of my way to stay inside all because of what people may have been thinking about my looks.
I didn't even do that consciously. I wasn't always depressed about how I looked, I was using my health and bad looks as an excuse to not want to do anything.
But after a while of this, again I took a step back and looked at what I was doing. And I resolved to look at life another, most constructive way. What I resolved to do was simple. I told myself not to worry about what people MAY have been thinking about me and instead worry about how I could make myself, and those I cared about happy.
Today when I walk down the street, even with my skin the way it is, hair all weird, fat deposited in weird places all around my body due to Cushing's disease - Even though I don't look even a tenth of how good I had before all of this all - I can smile and laugh at everyone and everything on the way.
Now for you guys, the shave coming may seem hard and scary. But I know you guys can do what I did.
Instead of dreading the day you cut your hair, look at it as an opportunity.
Not only will you gain first hand experience of what it's like to be a patient, which will help you relate and help more people in your careers as awesome doctors, you will also become the most confident, happy version of yourself in the process.
There's a huge difference between going into it scared and coming out afraid to look in the mirror, and looking at it as something that will make you the strongest, most happy person you can be.
And be sure that by the time you guys do the shave, making thousands in donations along the way, I'll make sure each and every one of you will be sitting on that chair with a smile on your face."
My message to them on FaceBook
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I hope this message inspires everyone reading this to look at their challenges in life as an opportunity - because that's how you can be the happiest, most successful version of yourselves.
For me - I looked at my chemotherapy as what it was, a medicine, rather than a death sentence.
For these girls - I've inspired them to see the World's Greatest Shave as something that will inspire and build their self-confidence, rather than something that'll make them sweat at night.
For others going through a similar experience --> I hope this helps you to be as happy and positive going forward in your journey. If you're a cancer survivor who's also about to lose your hair, or go through pain, really take this message to heart. Because going into it all, looking at it as an opportunity, rather than something you can't lose will not only make it bearable - it'll make you STRONGER!
For everyone else reading this:
--> Next time you have a job interview, look at it as a chance to showcase your prowess and skills, something to gain rather than something you can't blow.
--> Next time you're taking that final shot in a game, look at it as a chance to help your team win, or a chance to show off your hard work rather than a way to fail yet again.
--> Next time you're sitting an exam you aren't confident about, walk in with a smile on your face, looking to pick up every mark possible rather than panicking, fretting and forgetting half the things in the exam room.
If you can take a step back, and see the positive way of looking at things, you'll be the happiest person you can be.
Because everything in life is an opportunity.
And once you see that, only YOU can stop yourself from grabbing them.
These girls doing the shave have all messaged me back, and I've been surprised by their bravery, their determination, and mostly, by the fact that they all are sincerely doing their best to raise money for a better tomorrow for millions suffering with blood cancers everyday.
They're still scared of what's to come, but this message has seriously helped them to see another way of looking at things and hopefully, when it comes time to shave, they'll be happy for what they've done.
They're still scared of what's to come, but this message has seriously helped them to see another way of looking at things and hopefully, when it comes time to shave, they'll be happy for what they've done.
But they do need support. Please, do send them a message by clicking the links below. It only takes a second of your time, but it'll help these girls on their quest to help others.
And if you can spare some change - you can donate to them too on that page.
And if you can spare some change - you can donate to them too on that page.
