Thursday, March 29, 2012

Before, During and After

A few days ago I was hunting through a resale shop and bumped into a lady who had the same hairdresser I do.  That hairdresser being chemotherphy.  Lil and I hugged each other, commiserated a bit and then began comparing notes on our individual health situations.  

Turns out Lil was much braver than I was when it came to being seen in public without any hair.  Lil said she never resorted to scarves and caps to cover her bald head, even in the dead of winter.  

So, I decided it was time to share a few photos of me taken 

Two Months before my Cancer treatments began

One of the many scarves used during my treatments 

Me, finally hatless, a few days ago at a birthday party 

Sorry, but I would not let anyone photograph me with my bald head.  Don't ask me why, whatever vanity I use to have wore off decades ago, I just didn't want pictures that would be a permanent record of my baldness.  

While we are on the subject of bald heads, I learned a good bit about my accident prone life from mine.  Once I was hairless, I discovered my old pate was covered with scars, most going back to my school days.  In fact, my doctor looked at  my bald skull and said "Has someone been trying to kill you?"  Apparently, I have a half dozen or more scars of various sizes and one that ran across an impressive crater which had old fracture lines radiating out from it.  I new instantly where it came from.  When I was in third grade one of my brothers pushed me off a cliff and I landed on a railroad track.  My parents took me to a country doctor who stitched me up and failed to notice I had a pretty severe skull fracture.  I was lucky I healed without complications.  Next time I'm told that I need something "like a whole in my head" I can honestly said "Been there, done that."  

I have heard horror stories about cancer patients whose hair came back a different color, different texture, much thinner or worst yet did not come back at all.  I fall somewhere in the middle I guess.  My hair is coming back pretty much the same as it use to be with one exception.  I have a palm size place at the back of my head where the radiation killed all the follicles and it is unlikely that patch will ever grow more hair.  Folks have suggested I get hair transplants, start using Rogaine or just resort to a wig.  For now I am doing nothing and ignoring the looks and comments it causes. 

It has been a rough, bumpy winter but if a little bald patch is all I am left with, I will count myself one lucky girl.   

5 comments:

  1. Oh but Rita - - you look simply STUNNING in that hat! The color is soooooo complimentary to you.

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  2. Oh hair ... schmair!
    What eclipses it everything is that priceless SMILE!

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  3. You new hair do is very complementary!
    At least the bald patch is behind you and you don't have to see it.

    Thank you for your comment - so sorry that Blogger is treating its users so unkindly (I have read a few complaints!!)

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  4. Look at you back at your creative writing (so good that I could never do it even though I haven't been through what you just have)....you look beautiful in each of the pictures. (I bet my head would look a little like that, I was kind of an awkward kid.. and I had a brother too ;>)! Yay. I'm so happy you're back in both places.

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  5. Wow! I have really been out of touch! This is all hitting me at one time. I'm so sorry, I didn't know! I'm glad to hear that your treatment is over and to see that you are looking well.
    Good vibes coming your way...

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