was i really bald?

apple

apple

yep..

this was taken by my friend who attended one of my choir rehearsals.

AmyIsStrong

you look so beautiful

lexislove

Bald yes.....but pretty!

BTW....Your avitar always makes me smile...lol

karen1956

pretty picture....I have a picture of me bald with DH about a month after finishing chemo...I think it is sitting on our piano (not played, piece of furniture!!)....I also have some pics of my 50th b'day, but I still had some straw on my head...didn't have the nerve to shave it off yet, even though I had been "bald" for over a month.....but it is not as good....how long is your hair now?  thanks for sharing with us.  Karen

BooBee

Hey Apple.....

After a life time of long hair, my hair is now three inches long.  (Keep in mind that I was a proud baldy) 

I loved being bald.  It was my way of showing to the world that it happens. Our bodies are complex and have the capability of killing us if we don't pay attention. 

Anyway, I just had my hair colored and I'm having a blast with new hair styles.  I've refused to let my stylist cut the ends off, just yet, and she complains about the 1/4 inch of unmanageable baby hair.  

I'm still grappling with the fact that I have an Oncologist.

Great topic Apple. 

KerryMac

Apple - that is a wonderful photo....not many around of me bald, but I made my husband take some, as I thought I should have some reminder.

I still don't like looking at photos of me in my wig though.....man, I hated that wig. 

Leah_S

What a great picture!

I now have about 1 1/2" of hair. NO ONE saw me bald - not even my dh. The idea of it didn't bother him, but I just didn't want him to ever have the picture in his head of me bald. I was not a beautiful baldy. OTOH, I very much wanted him to see my scar after my mast - but that wasn't going to grow back and I had to know he was OK with it. It bothers him a lot less than it bothers me.

The interesting thing about me and being bald - I am an Orthodox Jew so I have been covering my hair since I got married (and that's now 33 years) so you would think losing my hair wouldn't bother me. You would be wrong. Since I had been covering my hair and only my dh (and occasionally one of my daughters or my wig lady) saw it, I was very aware of my hair and  its connection to my  identity, my femininity, and my sexuality. 

So the next time someone tells a cancer patient "but it's only hair", well, smile nicely at them and say, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Leah

GramE

http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/women/before_after/looks.htm

The third down on the left is me.  I went "national" and can you believe I put this out for all the world to see?   It was an awesome experience to be there with the other baldies.    

apple

my hair is longer than this now.. more 'real' strong hairs - but still this is a good example

Husband11

Apple - Great photo. Tim even commented on your photo to me this am.  Did you see Apple's hair?  She looks so good. 

Apple - I think my hair may want to be styled like yours in a couple of months.  Would like to try to pull the Halle Berry style off but probably dreaming.  Or, maybe a headband...

Renee - I wanted to have your amazing attitude but it was not me.

I was not a graceful bald chick.  Wanted to be the cool one who gave myself a mohawk but passed out on the bathroom floor from all the drama of it all.  Good thing Tim was there.  I know there is more to me than my hair but very happy to have my hair returning.  The breasts on the other hand - they became my enemy; so it was so long to them.  Never looked back.

Beverly11

Sorry everyone - Timothy's last post was not by him.  It was by me.  He was signed on & I forgot to check.

My apologies

Bev

balsie

Apple~ How long after your chemo did it take your hair to get the length that it is in the photo you posted.  Mine is coming back.  I finished my last chemo on Oct. 23rd.  I can't wait to have a short cut.....

warmly,

Balsie~

apple

Bev and Tim..

glad to know the 2 of you are connected.. that's so neat that Tim is so supportive... I've always been so impressed by his posts.

All i've done with my hair is cut of the top.. other I would have what you call a FRO-hawk.

Beverly .. did you really pass out on the bathroom floor?  that just makes me cry to think of it.  I let my kids cut my hair.  They were 8, 10 and 13.. or maybe a year older.  they just loved it!  i was freaking, but they were having such a good time.  they cut it every day (including a mohawk) for a week then buzzed it.  We took pictures.  I wanted to include them so they wouldn't freakout.

i shudder to think of those days.

Balsie, i quit chemo in July. 09  so it took a long time, it seems to me.   Remember tho, this was my 2nd whole round of chemo.. the first time I finished in Sep. of 08.. it came back pretty quickly..  I had to shave it off again in February of 09.  

This time I had done a total of 24 chemos and had started on Femara.. I'm surprised it is as thick and seemingly healthy as it is.  Hope it stays that way.

everyminute

I too wish I was braver about the whole bald thing - but I wasnt and I am not.  I dont think I could do it again.  Really.  I hope to God I dont have to but I just cant do the hair thing again.  Stupid, I know but I think I would be cold capping it.

Jayne_in_UK

Apple those are lovely photos. I haven't really minded being bald but I'm ready for my hair to be a decent length again now. Wouldn't it be great if it came back as quickly as it went?

Nancy your photos on the Look Good Feel Better website are wonderful. That was a brave thing for you to do.

ebarnes48

my hair started to fall out 2 days after the first round, I was in the shower and just happened to look down and it was like a mat round my feet, all I could think of was I must get that before it goes down the plug hole.  I went and saw the hair dresser to have it all cut of  and when she finnished , I said OMG  she said very worried what?    I said I look just like my brothers omg. I have my brothers stareing at me when I look in the mirrors.  I ended up with every hair on my body gone and boy was that cold (live in Newfoundland ) this was right over winter.  my partner woke up one night and saw me sleeping there with a wooly hat on, she woke me up laughing I said well I was cold and this kept me warm. the hair started growing back about a month after the last chemo, and curly  had straight hair before.

apple

LOL - i looked just like my brothers when i had the final buzz.. just like them... of course, it only lasted a few days.. then i was bald.  (this is post mohawk.. i really wish i had taken a picture of that.  my kids did it.

Beverly11

Apple - my last chemo was on June 9th so your hair seems to have grown pretty fast. 

I hope you don't mind me asking why this was you 2nd round of chemo.  If so, just ignore me and I apologize.

Bev

apple

no problem - they did a scan after my treatment and they found out the my cancer had actually spread during my treatment to the axillary and middle nodes (they also thought i had a brain tumor - but thankfully that turned out to be nothing).  .. or maybe the scan just picked it up and it had been there all along.... so it was onto chemo again..  it's been a long long year or two.

mine was already pretty established and very agressive at the onset  - man, it grew so fast once i found it.  .. it's odd, because I had an excellent response or so they say, to my first chemo.. the tumor to nothing... i couldn't even feel it. 

my surgeon actually, was very adament about them doing another scan according to his interpretation of the pathology reports.. He was quite old for a working surgeon (with an excellent reputation).

i'm really grateful to be at this point of actually having hair. 

eek

jenn3

Thanks for posting the picture.  My hair is now about 1/2 - 3/4 inch and getting thicker around my head and about 1/2 on top, but thin.  I've told my co-workers that once it warms up a little later this week I will debut the head - be prepared.  I hate wearing scarves and bandana's - never wore the wig.  I've gone withou

Beverly11

Thanks Apple.  I was always curious about your story. 

Yeah, I really did pass out on the bathroom floor.  Tim thought that I was going to get sick but I was getting dizzy, the room was spinning and I got all clammy.  But that is all in the past.  

Cheers to many decades of good hair days.