By Tom Vartabedian
ANDOVER, Mass. — Susan Kulungian smiles coyly when people call her “the mad hatter.”
One day, she comes dressed as a pirate with a patch over her eye and the next day a chef with an armful of groceries. The hats are worn to match the outfit. A baseball cap comes on when she cheers for her favorite team — and there are days when there’s a bandana. Or no hat at all.
That’s when the real Susan Kulungian steps forward — a stay-at-home mom with two children fighting breast cancer. One look at Kulungian with her hats and you’d never know the 45-year-old was fighting the dreaded disease. According to the American Cancer Society, one out of eight women is afflicted with this disease in America.
“By bringing a smile to others, I find it’s the best medicine for me,” she said. “A good sense of humor often works wonders. There are others out there who might have the same thing and could use a quick pickup. I want to show people that you can overcome obstacles with a positive attitude.”
Susan’s blog (kulungian.blogspot.com) becomes instant therapy. She’s got a section titled “The many hats you wear when you’re bald” and another updating readers on her radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
A piece called “Hair today, gone tomorrow,” details her reaction to the treatments.
