I found this on Pinterest. 

What breast cancer can look like.  This is a picture of a breast cancer survivor showing where her cancer was found.  

A note from a survivor:

I cannot tell you all how excited I will be to hit my 5th year for my Breast Cancer Survivor anniversary on November 13th! My sweet mommy only lived 4 years after her diagnosis and this has been haunting me since I was 23. I believe I can truly feel free from this wretched disease once I reach 5 years. I feel so blessed.
Paige Y

Wow! Where has the summer gone? We had a very hot summer here in Texas. Although not a lot of 'cappers' wanted to wear knit caps during the 100° plus temperatures, we continue making them. The weather will, or should be, cooling down and we know that we will be getting calls from the infusion centers with requests for more caps. I wish the reason we didn't get calls was because the need wasn't there but, unfortunately, it's the temperature that slowed us down. Someday, we'll be able to say "This is the last cap we'll need because the terrible disease of cancer has been eliminated." But, until that day comes, we'll still knit. So now it's catchup time for the blog. Summer is over, kids are back in school and it's time to get busy again. If you have any articles about survivors, thoughts to help others or stories you need told, just drop us a line.

A Happy Capper

Hello, Thank you for the cap … I am not starting to get my own hair back. Last year I was diagnosed with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma. I went to UTSouthwestern. Dr. Robert Collins was my doctor. We did the chemo and a bone marrow transplant in Sept. 2011. After 2 petscans, one in December 2011 and one April 2012, I have no residual or concurrent signs of lymphoma. They are not showing any cancer. I am so grateful. God has been so good to me. I started back to work November 2011. My coworkers were very kind and so was my employer. They donated 17 weeks of their paid vacation to me. It is amazing how God truly works. I am so sorry that Joyce is not here but God must have needed her more. The caps make such a difference when you are bald, broken and not certain of any future. Thank you for your work. God bless you and your project. It made a huge difference for me. Sincerely Linda Walters Executive Administrative Assistant Feizy Import & Export 1949 N. Stemmons Freeway Dallas, TX 75207 214-747-6000, ext. 255 214-760-0521- fax lwalters@feizy.com

We're at double tables now!

Wow! Our table at the center where we meet to knit can't grow but by putting two tables together, it can get bigger. We had to put two tables together because we've added more people. Yesterday I looked at the table and it tickled me to see everyone talking but steadily working away at their knitting. Hands were moving and needles were clicking. One lady was helping another with her stitches, a couple of the ladies were in deep conversation and it seemed as if everyone was talking but also listening! There was a lot of laughter and teasing. With each stitch, love and care was knitted into their work. I think of what each of these special people would be doing if they were not making caps. They were not only helping someone else, they were helping themselves. Some seniors stop living when they reach their retirement ages. Not having anything to do can make a person age faster. But these ladies have something to do, something to look forward to and someone to help. God Bless each and every one of them and God Bless each cap that will go to one of our 'cappers' as we call the benefactors of our chemocaps.

We Have a New Knitter

Dorothy was originally from California. She moved to Allen, Texas seven years ago. She has been only been knitting for about three weeks. She started out making a scarf so she could be sure she knew the stitches but now she is making chemo caps.
Dorothy came to the group because she saw how much fun we were having. Pat and Mary, who are also knitters are her friends and she wanted to sit with them to see why they were laughing, talking and everyone looked so friendly at the table. (We having to put tables together because our group keeps growing.)
Dorothy loves her new knitting project and each day she joins us and shows us her progress on her work. Although she had some 'beginner' problems at first, as everyone does when first starting to knit, she's doing very well now and should be proud of what she's accomplished in such a short time. Three weeks!
Dorothy also loves to garden so we're getting gardening help and hints while we knit. And she loves to play BINGO!

We are blessed to have Dorothy join our group and another 'capper' will be blessed to be able to wear the cap she made with love.

A note from Bill

We received a note from Bill, the son of Joyce who started the Chemo Cap Project and to whom we continue the project in her memory.

Just got off the phone with Vivian about a note she just received from the husband who's wife wears a Joyce's Chemo Cap, brought tears to my eyes. I just wanted to let you know again how much I appreciate how hard you, Vivian and all of the knitters do for this project.
Thank You, Thank You!
Bill

Letter received from a Happy Capper

We received this letter that brought tears to our eyes. It's so good to know that a cap could bring happiness to someone who is in Stage IV cancer.

Dear Ladies:
In January my wife was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer that has metastasized to her brain. She has been give from six months to three years life expectancy.

We are grateful for the caps you provide as they have given her a sense of joy since she has lost her hair due to the radiation treatments she is undergoing.

While there are dark clouds that are there if we look at them,there are also silver ones as well.

My wife cried when she put on her first cap and when I asked her what was wrong, she said "nothing is wrong. I jut know that this cap was made with love".

Please accept this donation to continue this project and I am just sorry that it cannot be more.

Sincerely
Gerald W C

We thank George for the very generous donation he and his
wife sent to us. Our prayers and thoughts for healing and
comfort go out for them. Although he did not include her name, God
will know who we are praying for.

Memorial for our knitter, Jean

February 16, 2012 was the memorial service for the oldest member of our knitting group. Jean was so special. At the service her son talked about how curious she was. We knitters nodded our heads in agreement. It was her curiousity that brought her to our group. She was 91 at the time and had never knitted. She was curious and asked what we were doing. She wanted to learn. It didn't take her long to learn. Soon she was knitting chemocaps for us. She was the sweetest person I've ever met. She never complained. She wanted to contribute to anything we ventured into. And she made great brownies. The service was great. She left behind a great and loving family. They've known her all of their lives and we only got to know her for the last three years but in those three years, we came to love her as though we've known her our whole lives. Rest in Peace, Jean.

Cancer isn't a Fairy Tale

Cancer is real. Even fairy tale characters can fall to cancer. Let's not hide it from our children! They need to grow up knowing how to fight this horrible disease. Maybe if it wasn't such a hidden disease for years, there would be less patients and more survivors.

We will Survive

Happy Male Capper

Women aren't the only cappers that have received our caps and enjoyed the comfort and warmth they provide! Here is a note we received today:

Hi Joyce's Chemo Cap Project,

My sincere appreciation to the memory Joyce Schmitt volunteers Jan and
Vivian that have given me a hat to warm my head. On Tuesday January 31, 2012, I finally had the barber cut it all off down to the skin.

Last night I mentioned to my wife Jean that I needed a hat to warm my head.
Chemo finally took enough of my hair and the bald look is now mine.
But my head is a bit cold and I want to avoid the headaches from being too cold these past two nights.

And this Morning while at the Texas Oncology Radiation Center in Plano I
found this wonderful hat. Soft, correct size and a nice color for a guy!!
What a surprise. So thoughtful.

Very nice indeed!!!!

Joyce Schmitt must have been a someone very special.

Thanks. And may God Bless you.

DONALD H

We lost a dear knitter

A couple of years ago we posted an article about Jean who joined our group of knitters. She didn't know how to knit so Vivian taught her how. She started to make caps for us and loved it. She was good at it and even made herself a sweater vest. Unusual for someone to learn to knit so easily? It wouldn't be unusual unless the sweet lady was over 90 years old! She recently became ill and was hospitalized. Jean passed away February 2, 2012 with her family around her. Our hearts go out to the family that she left behind and her family of knitters. We truly were blessed by meeting her and having her beautiful knitted caps for cancer patients. Heaven has a new knitter!