B for Bald

“SHE GOT A HEAD AH' HAIR!”

Well, today I thought I would add this bit of information about hair - I will still post the Albert Goldman article about his first visit to Charleston - (its rather long and I still need to complete the typing of the article), but I wanted to mention that I got the port-a-cath out of my chest at 8:00 am, March 29th 2006. What is a port-o-cath? You can read about it by clicking on the highlighted words and see a photo of a sister-cancer-mate with a port-o-cath in her chest. It comes from her site http://www.circusofcancer.org/index.html

Hair loss, baldness, call it what you like. I was thinking about hair and its purpose. Yes, on a biological level it is a part of attracting a mate. I did not shave it off myself - had it been shaved off it might have been done to intimidate as in this film V for Vendetta starring Natalie Portman: http://vforvendetta.warnerbros.com/ . I had to lose my hair for a while as the chemo drugs needed to work their magic by killing rapidly dividing cells in my body.


I cant help but think about short hair in the military also done to intimidate but more importantly to be a part of a group, to fit in, look the same and focus on a particular duty or mission.




Others choose to rebel and that is why they shave their heads.


Some also shave their heads for religious reasons


So, it seems as if I have lost all of my EYELASHES! Bald people usually have their eyelashes! Harumph. Now, after chemo, is when they started falling out! Somehow, that bugs me more than losing all of my hair! Eyelashes really define ones eyes more than some might realize.

I felt like the sales girl in the organic food shop was looking verrrry carefully at my face, and was slightly uncomfortable as well. On the other hand, I am older and wiser now and it did not bug me as much as it owuld have had I been younger. In fact, I found her reaction however slight, to be interesting. I guess because in the end I know my eyelashes will grow back.

Here is a photo of me before I lost all of my eyelashes, but still bald nonetheless.