I have never colored my hair. I started going gray in college, and over time I developed a number of nice silver streaks in my medium brown hair. It worked well for me in my 20s and 30s, as I worked with much older men — it seemed to give me a bit of gravitas and credibility in a very male-dominated workplace.

But when I moved south last year, I decided to change things up a bit. So on my 59th birthday, I had my stylist add some temporary color to my hair. It only lasted three weeks, but for those 21 days, I was the cool middle-aged lady with the aqua streaks in her hair.

Once I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, and it seemed certain that I’d need to undergo chemo, I had to come to terms with the fact that I’d be losing my hair. Yes, it’s a big deal for men and women, but I am honest enough to say that I’m pretty vain about my hair. So in a final act of defiance, I made an appointment with my stylist last week and told her to “go crazy.”

That’s right: I now have purple, cobalt and teal streaks in my hair. And I have to say, I really, really like it.

So for as long as I have hair, I’m going to be ROCKING this look!