Sunday, September 19, 2010

I knew this day would come.

I had been told over and over by the nurses that the Melphalan, the high-dose chemo, would definitely cause my hair to fall out. Yet what little hair Mother Nature had allowed me to keep continued to hang tough for two weeks. Even the nurses were a bit puzzled.

By this past Thursday, however, it suddenly became obvious that my greying mop would not be spared. Each combing brought forth a wad of my once firmly-planted locks. We decided to see how far this would go before chosing what course of action to take. Perhaps if the hair shedding was brief in duration, drastic action would not be necessary.

Unfortunately, Friday and Saturday proved to be just as follically destructive, if not worse. And so, Sunday morning, the decision was made to shave my head. The hair loss had been creating a terrible mess in bathrooms, and on towels and clothing. What's more, my entire mane seemed to go grey within the last few days. I sure got old fast.

We were visiting family at Indian Lake. A stool was carried to the back lawn there, and Donna began to use a pair of shears to cut what hair was left. Then my newly-purchased Norelco electric razor was put to work. First the spring-release trimmer was employed to pare the shortened hair down to the nub. Then the triple-head razor was applied to shave the hair to the skin. It didn't take long. It was over.

For most men, this step might usually be little cause for chagrin. The bald head becomes a banner of pride, proof of the heroic struggle against the big "C". It might even add a bit of sex appeal to some males. But for women, I think it must come at a terrible price. A woman's hair is her pride, which often may be lost along with her locks. It's even possible that the public may look upon her with a sense of pity or shock, the bald head or the head scarf broadcasting her affliction for all to see.

Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I am. Attitudes need to change. All cancer patients deserve the wonderful support I've enjoyed these past few months. The bare head should not be allowed to become a metaphorical Scarlet Letter.