Nigel shaved my head

the day before my first infusion. My hair immediately started to grow back. And then it stopped, as if stunned by an early winter's frost. It had only grown for one week.

The morning after my second infusion, my hair began to fall out. I discovered this in the shower, but my head wasn't the first to notify me of the change. I was washing myself down there when my hand came up covered in my body's hair. Even though I knew this was going to happen, I wasn't prepared. Fascinated and unsettled, I slowly pulled clumps from all parts of my body: my womanhood, armpits, legs and head. I vigorously toweled off and saw bits of loose hair stuck everywhere to the towel.

I've always been okay with the prospect of going bald. I've worn super short Caesar haircuts and faux-hawks in the 90's and I'd always wanted to shave my head but never got around to doing it until my advanced age made the idea seem too young, that I would look less hip and more like, truthfully, a chemo patient. So here I am.

It took a week to lose the majority of my hair, but not all. The third infusion should do the trick. The roller brush was very helpful in collecting the bits of loose hair on my head. I just simply rolled it all over and it would come away coated in hair.

On another note, Nigel's double ear infection has almost completely healed. His left eardrum had ruptured and--whoa!--who needs a Yellowstone vacation when we had Nigel's bubbling, brothy ear? It was Old Faithful all over his bedding, pillowcase, t-shirt and neck. For days. At his doctors suggestion we put a cotton ball inside his ear and it would come out completely soaked by the yellowish brine. But he's turned a corner and is allowed to swim again. Hooray!

Let summer begin!