Hair Again

Last weekend I traveled to Boston for a librarian conference. It was my first trip since my surgery in October (we didn't travel anywhere for the holidays because of a multi-week bout of bronchitis). My energy levels were surprisingly high, although on my return home, I basically collapsed and spent several days recovering from exhaustion. The conference was a wonderful opportunity to see close friends and professional colleagues from around the country, and to be in a large city.

Since Brandon and I didn't travel for the holidays, for the past couple of months, basically the only people we've seen are coworkers and my team of medical professionals. Since I hadn't seen many people in a long time (rural Ohio is shockingly not high on many people's destination lists), the conference was the big debut of my new curly hair. My hair is curly. Every day it gets curlier and curlier.

Now I don't want to sound rude or unpleasant, but it really difficult for me to accept compliments on my hair. I hear that it looks good, but it really hard for me to politely respond to compliments on a hair style that I didn't want. For those who don't know, curls are a side effect of chemo. How would you like a daily reminder of a horrible time period of your life? And then for people to compliment you on it?

I know that most people don't know curly hair is a side effect of chemo. I can say thank you to your compliments, but don't push me to explain why. My anger and sadness at the cancer diagnosis are still simmering just below the surface, and if you pester me to tell you why my hair is curly, I may just go ape shit on you. Don't say I didn't warn you. I see your face when you pester me for a further explanation, and I say that it is a side effect of chemo. You didn't want to hear that did you?

As my hair continues to curl, I've mulled over an appropriate response to queries, seeking an answer which says says I didn't ask for this style and stop asking me about it. While in Boston, an answer came to me, "I call it my $100,000 perm." Ha!