When I first tell people I have lymphoma and need chemptherapy, one of the first questions is, "Are you gonna lose your hair?"
Well, yes, I'm going to lose my hair; all of it, quite likely. arm hair, leg hair, nose hair, couple of back hairs, ear hair and.. let's just stop right there. The hair on my head started falling out in clumps last week, so I shaved it off and made my "bald debut" on the news Monday night. (The early reviews are good)
My wife read online many male cancer patients struggle more than they thought they would with hair loss; that they felt like plucked chickens. I'm choosing, instead, to focus on the positive. In fact, if there were a "best" thing about chemotherapy, for me it would have to be hair loss.
I'm a TV news anchor. That means on any given weekday, I spend 30 minutes to an hour fixing or refixing my hair. Vanity is a necessary, if sometimes unfortunate, part of the business. I wanted to go to a crew cut years ago, because I don't want to worry about my hair. What real man does!!! But if I had gone to my bosses and said, "Ya know, I'm thinking about trying the Richard Gere look from 'Officer and a Gentleman'." They would have replied, "Get out of my office!" And I would have said, with appropriate emphasis, "I got no place else to go!!!" (If you got that joke, you're likely on the verge of being middle-aged. But I'm proud of you, if you did)
And even better, I don't have to shave! I have shaved most every weekday since graduating college. But I plan to give my face a break over the next two months. It's earned it! In fact, I may start calling my chemoterapy "Operation Facial Freedom". I like the way it sounds, and maybe I can get federal funding for it.
Besides my personal comfort, did you see the news Monday night. I have a pretty nice-looking melon. Nice and round. No points or lumps; no strange fat-head wrinkles. In fact, I think my wife, Amy, may want me to keep it. Of course, that's way too much maintenance once the hairs start growing agaian. I mean, it'll be horrible enough when "Operation Facial Freedom" comes to an end.
But maybe the best part of losing my hair is it gives me added chances to be a smart BLEEP. The following are smart-BLEEP answers I came up with for when people ask why I shaved my head:
- Just got back from the Kojak convention in Vegas
- Decided to take up competitive swimming at age 35
- My four-year-old dared me.
- My four-year-old Double Dog dared me
- It's my homage to the 80's cult classic(not really) film, "Powder"
- Shaved it for audition for "The King and I". Still didn't get the part.
- Misunderstood requirements of "Sheer Beard" photo shoot; thought it was "Shear Beard"
If you have better smart-BLEEP responses I can use, feel free to share them with me.
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Hi John, I found your blog after googling why you chose to go bald. After reading this page, I read through some of your other posts. You seem to have a pretty positive perspective on your condition and treatment, despite the mental and physical anguish that you must be feeling. I'm sure that you've read Armstrong's book "It's not about the Bike", but in the remote chance that you haven't you should. Lance seems to give a good perspective on fighting and surviving Cancer. Good luck with your fight!
ReplyDelete- MarkA, a viewer in Columbus
This is the first blog I have ever read, let alone replied to. I was curious about your new bald look so I googled it. I was hoping it was just a bold fashion statement or even a response to a double dog dare. Sorry to hear that the reason was far more serious. I admire your courage and your ability to maintain a sense of humor during a very difficult time. Best wishes for a complete recovery.
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