Hair today, gone tomorrow

New hair cut, hat, and lasagna on the way.

        Well, we knew this day would come.  For the last couple of days, Amy's hair has been thinning out.  Not bad, but definitely starting to shed a little.  We discussed the option of just cutting it off and moving on with a wig or wrap before all of her hair fell out.  With her hair being so thick, she just wasn't ready to let it go.

     This morning when I got up, I did my new ritual of rubbing my hands through her hair to comfort her and to see how much hair she's losing.  This morning yielded more than a few strands.  More than a handful.  She was already awake and staring at my face to see my expression.  I'm not a card player but I had my best poker face on this morning.  I told her I was going to get my shower and I thought she should do the same.  When she asked why I quietly said, "It's time."  She stroked her hair a couple of times to show me that it wasn't, but what she saw in her hands told her different.

     We tried a place around the corner from the house that sells wigs and wraps.  I started to walk up to the door and she was already walking backwards.  Not this one?  OK, next.

     I took off to League City where I saw a few shops online that catered to our types - cancer, chemo, hair loss, you know...The first one we went to was beautiful on the outside.  Nice and new; apparently, too new.  They were still building on the inside and wouldn't be ready for about 3 months!  We were good for about another 3 hours.  Next on the list was Becky's on E. Galveston Rd.  Thankfully, the place was empty so we could shop for wigs and let her try a few (hundred) on.  With her matted remains of a pony tail getting in the way, that was promptly removed.  Amy was ready to go ahead and cut the rest off, but we pushed forward a little more with the wig shopping. 

     After a few more puffy hair styles, she was ready for the hair to go.  So she was turned away from the mirror and the clippers did their deed.  A wig was placed back on her head and the shopping continued with her not having to see herself, not yet.  After she was unable to nail down which one she thought was her, we moved over to the head wraps and caps to take her mind off that part for a little while.  I had taken pictures and video of the whole process so she could see it later, but I wasn't prepared to show it to her right now. 

     Standing in front of the mirror with a hat on, she pulled it up and saw herself for the first time.  She was fine until she looked at me.  I didn't realize I had teared up, then she started to.  With so many days in this state, you don't really notice it any more.  She took a deep breath and continued on with her shopping.  I've seen grown men in the military not take their first crew cut so well.  She really does have a beautiful face and her hazel-green eyes glow now without the hair to distract from them.  She settled on a few hats and decided to come back with her mom in tow and try it again. 

     After we left Becky's, we headed straight back to our part of town to get a barber to clean up her cut.  An uneven hair cut is more noticeable with short hair and the wig shop was just trying to shorten it up for a wig.  Ten minutes after sitting in the barbers chair and she was GI Jane ready.  Clean and even and the prettiest wet-eyed smile you ever saw.  So we did what anyone would do after a good hair cut, we went to eat Italian!  We showed our boys the new style when we got home but I'm going to save that entry for her to tell you...

 Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.  Jawaharal Nehru

With glasses to hold her hair back!