I read recently that 39% of adults are saying their stress levels have increased over the past year, and 44% feel their personal stress has increased significantly over the past 5 years.  

Stress is hard on all of us.  For a cancer survivor, stress begins with diagnosis and the whirlwind of tests and appointments.  As treatment ends, a common feeling of depression sets in. You've been taken care of for months by a team of professionals, followed what seemed like an endless regimen of care instructions, appointments, procedures, and tests.  Then, suddenly, nothing.  You have no evidence of disease and you're on your own again.  You get that first twinge of discomfort, or have to go through that first series of follow up scans.  Stress rises again..'am I still okay, or is it back?'  

When I lived on the West Coast and I needed to take some time to reflect, relax, and de-stress, I would drive to the Pacific Ocean.  A walk on the beach, the wind in my hair, the feel of the sand in my toes, the waves lapping at my feet, the sound of the waves.  Calm soon followed.  Here in the Midwest, finding solace on a stretch of sand is a bit more challenging.  It takes a little longer to get to Lake Michigan. But it's there if I need it.  A few years ago, I was in Florida when we got word that a family member had passed.  I was 3,000 miles away and could do nothing.  A beach walk along the Atlantic Ocean eased my grief.

Without fail, that wind, surf and sand eases anxiety, lowers the heart rate, and can lull us to have a restful night.  How many times have we honored a good night's sleep with the words, 'it was the ocean air?'  For awhile now, I've envisioned a hat for cancer patients that would capture the feeling of serenity and calm one would have while walking the beach.  Ocean waves rolling into cresting surf, spilling gently onto the sand.  Soft and snug enough to be used to lull someone through a gentle night's sleep.  Bald heads get cold at night, another source of cancer stress.  Sleep caps are often overlooked.

As I was working on another project using a feather and fan technique, I was reminded of waves.  So, I shared the idea for this hat with my dear friend, Susan Glenfield, of Bellsisters Design. Susan, and her sister, Debbie, have designed so many amazing hats that our charity believes embrace our belief that chemo caps should have style.  So I was honored when she said she would make this vision a reality.

I am peacefully pleased to announce the latest Halos of Hope pattern, Beaches. Susan used four colors of Cascade Fixation to create the ocean, the surf, the waves and the sand.  The hat can easily be made in a single color as well.  Warm thanks go out to Susan and her test knitters for helping Beaches to become our newest original design.  Cancer can be a stressful journey of courage, this cap can offer a little sleep comfort along the way.

 

 

Editor's note:  The Beaches pattern is currently available in the Halos of Hope online store for a $2 donation.  A sample hat will be viewable in the Halos of Hope, booth 617, at Stitches Midwest, August 9-12.  A limited number of patterns will also be available in the booth, also for a $2 donation. While the Beaches hat was designed with a sleep cap in mind, this cap can also be a great day hat for those in warmer climates.