PART TWO the day i lost my hair

so there i sit in the dermatologist's office waiting on the doctor to see me. after all, i had shed half of my hair in about a week's time so something had to be wrong. although, i was not too worried about it because my doctor, who also happened to be a good friend, had reassured me that this was probably a hormonal event and could be "headed off at the pass" with some good old fashioned sterroid injections. whatever it takes, i thought, and then i can get back to preparing for this baby's arrival!

i was relieved to see my friend come in with the attending doctor to assess the situation. examination hands in the hair, discussion in medical terms about "the patient" (me), some writing in my chart... i begin to pick up a negative vibe. i interupt the attending doc, "excuse me? did i just hear you say that there is nothing that you can do? am i going to be....bald?" she turned to me and answered, "i am not telling you that you are NOT going to be bald". it was then explained to me that i have an autoimmune disease called Alopecia Areata. Repita por favor? in regular people terms please, "you are going to lose hair. we don't really know how much or if you will ever get it back. for no real reason at all. you just have hair loss, now, pay your copay as you leave." this was not exactly what was said but it is what i heard. "Wait" my friend doc said to the attending doc "do you think we should give some injections a try anyway? At this, the attending doc all but tossed the chart to my BRILLIANT SENT FROM GOD friend doc and let her go for it. so, for the next 20 minutes or so i held a towel while she, with a long thin needle, injected a total of about 50 squirts of sterroids into the outer layer of my scalp. she would periodically hit a vessel, it would bleed, and i would cry, just a little, from the shock of the whole experience.

Bert was waiting for me in the car. he had taken Peanut to eat at "mickydee's" and was back to pick me up. i waddled my pregnant self over to the car, fighting back tears and holding my breath as i got in the car preparing to tell my husband that he was about to have a bald wife. this was no easy task because as i opened my mouth all that i could do was sob. so i simply said, "you need to know that i might be going bald, so i am probably going to go ahead and shave my head". with this he said, "well, OK i will shave mine too!" the laughter that followed CERTAINLY broke the tension. "Bert, no, you keep your hair...one of us needs to stay cute!"

two weeks later, i delivered my second child. A baby boy. as i geared up to take care of little "Butter" my hair loss and the start of an adventure had only just begun.