Only the beginning... This past month and a half I have been faced with moments of anxiety and of surrender- holding on and falling to pieces. The stress of this recent journey has come and gone in waves with only my faith and family keeping my head above water. But, now, there's nothing left to cover up or hide from. What has played out in my life this past month has been nothing but beautifully transforming. If you would allow me to be honest, I would like to share with you my story. There is no easy way to say any of this, because, this will probably be as shocking to you as it was for me when it first happened. On August 12th, I came home from work and was surprised by what I saw in the bathroom mirror. Apparently, sometime during the day, a nickel-sized section of hair had fallen out on the top of my head. It startled me, it perplexed me, it worried me- and, little did I know, that I had just taken my first unknowing steps into the craziest month of my life! The bald spot that now sat so boldly on the top of my head was soon diagnosed as Alopecia Areata. "Alopecia is an autoimmune skin disease that results in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere." (NAAF) Though one of my symptoms was the losing of my hair, it was not the root of the problem that I was now facing. Blood was drawn, tests were run, and we waited for answers. In the mean time, two days after I had gotten the diagnosis of Alopecia from my dermatologist, I lead my last service as the worship leader of Lakeshore Church. Amidst the congregation's "thank yous", my tears, and the explaining of my departure- I was hiding my bald spot underneath a headband that had become my constant companion. I had successfully concealed whatever was going on with my health from everyone except a few close friends and family. Part of me was hoping beyond hope that my body would soon operate properly and that my hair loss would remain only a small section of my scalp. Life doesn't always work out like we expect it to, though. By the time I was ready to leave on my two week tour with Redemption Family, I had started to lose hair more rapidly. The night before we left for Nashville, I sat in my bathroom weeping as I held clumps of hair in my hands and sobbed to my parents that another bald spot had started to form on the side of my scalp. I almost didn't go. For about 5 seconds, I contemplated staying back and battling my hair loss while in the safety of my home. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to travel and deal with my new health diagnosis. But, the moment passed, I realized I would very much regret not taking the risk of going on the road with my fellow bandmates. This was the dream I had been working towards for the past 6 months... I had to go.
26 Comments
|
About the Author: Nina Schultz is a 34 year old redhead from South Louisiana now living in Dallas, Texas. Her passion for people, creativity, and her faith has sparked many of the adventures she has found herself on. Whether it is through photography, art, music, or writing- she is always ready to capture the profoundly beautiful moments of life- common or extraordinary. Archives
June 2023
|