OverratedObsess

My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s B-cell Lymphoma back in December 2010. I decided to stop college to go ahead and take care of her. My mom was so into making sure she didn't look like she was sick, like she was in denial of the cancer, so I would draw on her eyebrows, and help her with her wigs. After that I got into helping others by volunteering with the American Cancer Society in a program called "Look good, feel better" by teaching patients how to pick out wigs (we donate them to patients along with hats and scarves) and help them put on makeup to feel like the way they used to be.

Once remission happened in my mom, I thought about going back to college and my boyfriend asked me if I was happy at what I was doing in college (social work) and I wasn't. When I was working in the field, I would come home in tears. I felt like I was being used and manipulated. I loved helping others but I felt like I was more enabling them, if that makes sense.

I knew my heart was into cosmetology, but in Seattle, schools are $18,000 and even with grants it would still be 12,000. I just couldn't afford it. So I just kept working in social work. Then my boyfriend got orders to work at the Naval Weapons Station in Virginia, and I was stuck in a choice of taking care of my mom or leaving to go to Virginia with the boyfriend. I chose to leave with my boyfriend, and I still believe I made the right decision.

I have a very supportive boyfriend who took his reenlistment money from the military and set it aside for my cosmetology school. Once we get settled in to our house here in Virginia, I will be starting cosmetology school.