Embracing the Bald

Cloud, I think that is a great statement: "what can be more beautiful than a woman at ease with herself".  I would think that would set a very important example for your students.  I think its wonderful that you are setting such a great example and talking to them about it. 

i play at a big church.. and one day i was wearing a beautiful scarf but was playing something super difficult and the soprano was messing up big time.  i started having the worse hot flash.. so i just flung off my scarf without thinking and looked at her like "come sister - we HAVE to get thru this it's all YOU" - i thinked i kind of shocked her into non nervousness because we got thru it.

so when the song was finished here i am in the middle of this big church totally bald - i was astonished.   i put my scarf back on.  i should have left it off.

it's not that big of a deal really.  people all know we are bald.. at least everyone that i know, knows.

Staci you should definately get a mowhawk! I did a short girl hawk and had my hair dyed blue (non teoxic) before it started really clumping out. This is your liscence to try something new go for it. Ohh I just noticed the date of your post ..I am a little late. Fair the well. 

My son Eric and I had fun with sharpies yesterday! Happy Easter!

How fun, you're an Easter egg See, bald is fun

Friday I took a walk around the neightborhood with DH headgearless and then we went to the nursury and I again did not cover my head.  I barely thought about my bare head all the while.  I was back to headgear over the weekend because I was cold.  The next step is going bald amoung people I know well and interact with.  The ones who will feel the need to comment in some manner. 

Hi all-- I went out Saturday night to the club without hat--my first time hatless (wigless/scrafless too). I was really nervous going in, but after about ten minutes I forgot about it, unless one of my frends commented on it as they arrived. I did get some compliments, and no negative looks or comments. So--on Sunday I didn't wear a hat either (I'm a minister).  Again, people were great with it.

So I think I'm done with hats, unless I need one to keep warm!

Today was all about me:  I wore a hat to school because it was cold.  I started to teach with my hat on because I was cold.  By 8:10AM my head was hot.  As I took my hat off, I told the kids that I will wear my hat when my head is cold or when I am out in the sun; otherwise, I will be bald.  The kids were great about it.  What I realized is that if my head is warm, I have no idea that I do not have hair on my head, so I act just the same as usual.  What freedom! 

This afternoon during afterschool tutoring, the boys were really checking out my head--the difference in the color of my face versus my scalp; my hairline; and they were intrigued by the different lumps and bumps on my head.  I shared that I had been surprised by those discoveries myself.  We laughed and had a very lighthearted time. 

Thank you ladies for sharing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.  I am sure I would have taken this path on my own, but you all have lead me to a shorter, more confident, fun loving path.

Cheers!

Cloud

I had my first tx on the 1st. My daughter was going out of town for a few weeks and was worried about not being here when the hair started to fall out. We got together and shaved it all off. I had purchased quite a few scarves and hats, but I also, have found I prefer not to have anything on my head. I was worried about how my husband would handle it on the train to work, how the people at work would take it....but you know what...everyone has been great....I did scare a couple of kids at the grocery store the other day.....and I may feel different once it is ALL gone.....but I just dont like stuff on my head.......

I also have a caring bridge page......my son made a video of us shaving our heads......being 20 yrs old...he had the long hair thing going....so I was touched that he sat with me and shaved his head as well......there is a link to the video on my caring bridge page.

I tend to think it is part generational thing....it seems the younger women dont seem to mind the bald as much.......??? I think growing up with punk rock in the 80's it is not as much of a omg thing to us...you think?

Just popping in to update my photo.

The weather is warming up nicely here so any time I can run around campus without going out into the direct sunlight, I do not wear a hat.  I am still surprised when children and adults look at me in a strange way, but I just do what I have always done: smile and say hello.

I love this topic, it is just plain fun to experience personal growth with you ladies.  The tears and fears of losing our hair is behind us and now we are stepping out into uncharted territories--not about our health, but our own sense of self.  And isn't it fantastic to know that our sense of self is resilient to cancer.  I am so proud of us all.

Cheers!

Cloud

I went commando.  It looks funny the first 6-8 weeks, then gets better

Cheryl, congrats on finishing chemo I was wondering the same thing, isn't funny how we go bald, but when it starts growing we want to cover it? My hair were slowly growing during chemo and quite fast. I kept shaving, getting rid of the white fuzz and making it look more uniform, so when I did my last shave, a week later, it was about 1/8" tall, dark and pretty uniform. Now for some odd reason, on day 18 after my last chemo, it ALL fell again So I'm back to square one where the white fuzz will grow first. My reason for going bald was discomfort, the more I went bald, the least I could handle wearing something, even a plain scarf. There's no way I could wear scarf throught the growing process, especially that Summer is around the corner. What I plan on doing is letting it grow, than when it goes out of hand, giving it a shave, but longer shave everything. We'll see...

I am at #5 of 6 # tx-taxotere.  On day 8 since my last tx, I have  5 oclock shadow on my crown!  The weather is finally warm and I don't want to wear my hat.  For now, at this moment, I feel good!

I'll recommend what I personally wouldn't have the guts to do: paint f--k cancer across your head.  That would cheer me up to see if I was there