Hat Tree

My necklace tree has become my hat tree.

And You Will Know Me by the Trail of Hair

I try not to dwell on this beautiful mane of hair that I had last month.  Instead, I'm focusing on killing microscopic cancer cells and the new, cute curly hair I'll have in a couple of months.  There's a point a couple of weeks after your first chemotherapy treatment when you think, "Maybe I won't lose my hair after all.  Maybe I will be one of those chosen few who gets to keep their hair."  Alas, as soon as you let this thought enter your mind, you begin shedding.  At first, it's mild and not too bad.  Then, a trail of dead hair follows you wherever you go.  I wanted to keep my hair for a meeting that I had coming up at work.  So, I carefully tended to it and managed the trail as best I could.  I was really worried there for a moment when gusty winds moved into Austin just days before my meeting.  Thankfully, it didn't do much damage.  I held on to my hair for as long as I could, and when I returned to Austin from my meeting in Fort Davis, Matt took the clippers and did what good husbands do -- made me bald.  Well, I'm not technically bald. I have a fine layer of soft fuzz that one co-worker likened to her baby's head.  So, now I'm sporting hats. I'm not much of a wig person.  

In other news, I had my second chemotherapy treatment a week ago.  I'm finally starting to feel somewhat normal again.  I look forward to another week and half of this feeling until I have to go in again.  I will be finished with this chemo cocktail nicknamed "AC" on March 11th.  It will be a good day!  AC is the worst chemo that I will do and the next round called Taxol is not bad at all.  I've heard from several people that people on this particular regimen (12 weekly infusions) start growing their hair back!  This is an exciting prospect indeed!