Roxy

When Roxy was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer and stage four B endometrial cancer, she felt nothing. “I wasn’t afraid, I wasn’t sad. I didn’t feel anything.,” said Roxy. “I was just numb.” Not knowing how to react or what to do as a next step, Roxy entrusted her care to the oncologists. “I knew nothing about the disease and yet I was afraid of getting cancer all my life. I ran away from people with cancer. But, when it came to me, I just said, I need help with this. So, I’m going to do what the oncology specialist recommends.”

Roxy went through months of chemotherapy and suffered severe side effects, including neuropathic symptoms. She was in tremendous pain, but the most jarring of cancer side effects was her hair loss. “I didn’t realize how integral my hair was to my identity and my sense of self-worth,” said Roxy. “It was hair that my husband loved, that I helped me identify who I was, and it was just falling out.” Roxy was referred to Wellness House and was relieved to learn about our Unique Boutique services, where she sampled various wigs before finding the right fit. “I went through the different wig styles and tried them on until I found one, I liked,” recalled Roxy. “And, when I turned around in the chair to look at myself in the mirror, I cried.” Roxy began attending several programs including Tai-Chi, yoga, and nutrition classes in addition to getting individual counseling with a support group counselor. “I met with Allison, and she was amazing,” said Roxy. “She was asking all the right questions; she made me feel safe and welcome, and I just spilled my guts out and cried to her.”

Once at Wellness House Roxy began to feel a difference in her body, her moods, and in her overall mental and physical health. She maintained a full schedule continued to participate in several programs throughout chemo treatment.