Editor's Note: 7NEWS Meteorologist Pam Daale is grateful to all of the viewers who have expressed their best wishes as she wages her fight against breast cancer.

Daale has chosen to use TheDenverChannel.com as her way of keeping the public updated on her health. New journal entries will be posted weekly.

Someone in my church came up to me and gave me the most wonderful compliment. She was sitting across the room and noticed how beautiful I looked, and came all the way across the room to tell me.

Now, I don't mean to brag, but this isn't the first compliment I've received like this since losing my hair. And if you've been reading my journal or following our stories on 7NEWS, you know that I only wear a wig when I'm talking to you about the weather through your TV screen. That means these compliments are coming to a woman with a bald head and a baseball cap! I've gotten SO many compliments on how beautiful I look that it almost makes me think I should keep my hair shaved ... ALMOST!

Now some people think hair is our "crowning glory." I say "Ha!" to that. Its true function is simply a winter blanket. And I gotta tell ya, I don't miss that so-called crowning glory one bit. I get up in the morning, bathe, dry off and GO! No blow drying. No curling. No hair spray!!!!! I get into my morning so much quicker these days it's like getting 25 hours in a 24 hour day without having to give up my sleep!

BREAST CANCER See Pam's Story Her Struggle From Her Husband's Perspective Pam's Last Chemo Treatment E-Mail Pam Spread Word Survival Stories Myths and Facts Cancer Quiz Risk Factors SELF-EXAM How To Do It Diagrams How Do You Check? How Often? ARTICLES: Fitness Center For Patients WEB RESOURCES: Susan. G. Komen Foundation National Alliance Of Breast Cancer Organizations Breast Cancer Info National Breast Cancer Organization National Breast Cancer Coalition

And think about all the money I'm saving. No haircuts every 5 weeks (sorry Rand!). No shampoo. No hair spray. No added electricity for blow drying and curling. Hey, this is good for the environment! Okay, so maybe that was stretching it a little. The whole point of this is to see the good of losing the hair, which isn't too tough once you start looking.

Okay, the downside. My husband misses it. (What is it about men and their women's hair?!) That in itself keeps me from being too giddy about my newfound freedoms. And I guess I have to admit that I do miss my blankie. But the upside to that is that it will grow back.

Okay, now for the news you can use ... Did you happen to see the report from Colorado that more and more women are beating breast cancer? Between 1990 and 2000 the death rate from breast cancer dropped by 23 percent. Yee Haw!!!!

Better treatment is credited as well as early detection. Yes, EARLY DETECTION. I expect to be a survivor thanks to my own early detection. Who knows where my aggressive cancer would be by now had I not found my own lump! And don't forget those mammograms. (If you've been told that you have dense breast tissue, you may even want to ask for an ultrasound.) If you're due for one, why not call today?!

So ladies, get to know your breasts! When you know how they feel normally, you'll know right away when something out-of-the-ordinary pops up. Let's keep that death rate dropping, shall we?!

Be blessed!

Until next time....
Pam Daale
The Happy Cancer Patient

P.S. Since breast cancer isn't just for women, guys, be aware of any abnormal bumps on your chest as well.

You can e-mail Pam Daale at Pam_Daale@TheDenverChannel.com