Hair today, Wig tomorrow

About three weeks after the first chemo my scalp began to hurt. Even the wind blowing my hair hurt. I had gone back to work after about 5 days and since every person I know or every have known was aware of my breast cancer I did not have to keep up an act.

One day at work I touched my hair and a great clump came out. Like the tongue continues to seek the hole in the tooth, I kept reaching up and finding more and more hair come away. I rushed into the bathroom and ran my hand along my hair and a great freaking slath of hair was in my hand. Suddenly I could see myself seated at the lunch table, lean over to slurp soup, and a hunk falling on my plate. EEEEEK!

I called F. and told she needed to do the shave. I went to see her and she gently, gently shaved my head, from the back to the front to reduce the shock. I was sad but at least I had a wig I liked.

My friend Judy gave me two wigs and when I showed them to J. and F. their faces were absolute pictures. Ha!

'No fucking way!' was the mildest comment. They were set to make me buy a wig when we tried out the FREE wig shop at the Cancer Institute.

J. and visited the wig shop. I must have tried on about 50 - 60 wigs until J. was satisfied. Of course I had to wait for F.'s verdict before I know I could keep it.

The wig is a ear length, long-banged, red wig. Initially people noticed but after a while, like new glasses, no one really noticed.

So from June 2007 until December I wore the wig. My head was cold continuously. There is a surprising amount of warmth generated by our hair. My hair never started to grow until the end of November, a full 2 months after the end of chemo.

My husband Pepsi has a charming way of dealing with the changes to my appearance. For the breast with the slice out of it, he says it is like a giant winking eye. But he reserves his greatest enthusiasm for my bald head. He slavered over the shape and feel of my bald head. When my hair finally started to grow in he moaned over the new growth and maintains if he had my hair he could win in politics. So lucky to have a husband like him.

Head shaving was a contraversy with my family. J. and Pepsi both decided to do this out of sympathy. I just stared at them. Get serious. It is bad enough I am bald. The idea died.