Sunday, March 28, 2010

To Clip or Not To Clip

I was given a time frame to expect the Cytoxan to have it's effects.  Unfortunately, nobody thought to alert me to the fact that other side effects may take longer to rear their ugly head.  I know, you've all heard this complaint before but utilizing my poetic license I'm setting the mood for the primary plot of today's story.  So, after I lost my hair, I asked the doctor how long this would last.  The response, "well if you had done the transplant, it could take as long as three months for the hair to grow back."  So I only had the harvest, and therefore the level of effect should not be as much as a transplant.  Appropriately, I've set my internal clock at sub-three months for my hair to be back to normal.

This begs the question as to when to just let it grow.  I've grown hair in the only place that I can currently do so - my chin (with a little soul patch under the lip as well).  So aside from the fact that I look like I should be a bouncer at a biker bar, it's led to much confusion.  People actually think I shaved my head on purpose (lost a bet, coming out with my more "edgier" self, etc.)  You then tell them you have cancer and we're back to that awkward moment discussion.  Nevertheless, my wife misses my hair.  Hell, I miss my hair (no matter how many people tell me, "you have the head for it.")  So for about two weeks I've been letting it grow in.  If you picture a ChiaPet that's been lovingly cared for by a 3 year old (picture more water going on the table than the ChiaPet) and you've got a good idea of how my hair has grown in.  It's a really bad crop of corn there on my head.  individual hairs getting as long as 4-5cm but spaced out approximately 4-5cm from each other.

So the question comes up, To Clip, Or Not To Clip.  I'd rather the awkward moment, explaining I didn't do this by choice, that I have cancer, and that I'm OK but thank you for asking.  The alternative is someone figuring out I have cancer by the sickly appearance of my cranium and then being afraid to ask as they're not sure how I'm going to react.  So I posed the question to a few friends and we all came up with, "CLIP IT!"  Of course my wife is still in the "half-full" court, saying, "it's starting to grow back."  I apologized profusely, waited for her to go off to church and then speedily broke out the clippers and cleaned up my skull.  So I'm back to biker bouncer and will explain to my wife that it was done in a complete fit of vanity (and that I have Cancer so I can do whatever I want! :)

2 comments:

Lorna A. said...

I only have one thing to say, where are the pics? How can we, the outside world comment upon your decision when we have no frame of reference?

(I'm thinking Jamie Hyneman aka MythBuster, am I close?);-)

rugbyhubby said...

In hindsight I realized a before and after shot would have been a good idea. Not quite Jamie as I only have the chin and soul patch, not the full goatee (or glasses)!