Hair, Hair, Everywhere

Day 18 and I find myself, once again, in excellent spirits. Its not that I don’t have my moments, trust me I do, but they seem to pass rather quickly… it is one place that I have been truly aware of God’s mercy. I know that it could be very easy to slip down a slope into depression, so I am taking every step I can think of to avoid that trap. To that end, I am wearing the brightest colors I can find, paying more attention to makeup than I have in years, resting when I need it, visiting with friends, and family when the opportunity arises, and making sure I watch at least one very funny video a day. Currently, I am keeping Chris awake at night laughing out loud at Arrested Development, but I am quickly closing in on the end of the available episodes, and am taking suggestions for humor that I can pull up on Hulu or Netflix.

With my hair on a fast track to the floor, I have been wrestling with what to do with my cranium. The options are incredible, really. You can choose from cranial prosthesis, (also known as wigs). Though they not covered by my insurance, after a few days of research, I have found hairpieces ranging from free (thank you American Cancer Society), to thousands of dollars (think I’ll pass on that one). In the wig category you can choose from everything under the sun; synthetic wigs, human hair wigs, full wigs, partial wigs, including Velcro bangs to add under hat brims, stick on side burns, and hair to Velcro to the back of a hat that can even be added as a pony tail.

You can choose scarves for an unending choice of colors, patterns, fabrics, lengths, and styles. If a scarf doesn’t work for you, there are turbans and cute little caps to keep the heat in your head. So, I have decided that if I have to loose my hair, I will cover my head with the brightest, softest, covers I can find. Being a hair twirler, I am leaning toward long scarves with tails…. think gypsy. Every time I tie a scarf onto my head, I see myself as a 12 year old dressed for Halloween, and hope that I am pulling it off better than I imagine. I am sure that it will get easier as time goes by, but for the moment it seems funny to see myself with anything other than hair on my head.

Loosing my hair is a strange, almost surreal process. It is everywhere I go, bits and pieces, little reminders that I am intentionally ingesting poison. A quick run through fills my hairbrush. Running my fingers through my hair removes it by the clump.  Bright white scalp is beginning to show as my part widens and hairline recedes, and there is not one thing I can do to stop it now.  So, bring on the scarves…. Good-bye hair, hope to see you again soon!