Let’s do lunch
Wednesday October 14th 2009, 4:00 pm
Filed under: Friends,Life

When they first put me on a chemo drug for my Crohn’s in ’03, I thought I would lose all my hair. And then I started to wonder about what hair I would have if I could buy anything I wanted–hey, this could be cool!

And thought of my friend Mona Jo, who moved away several years ago in retirement.

Mona Jo once told me, with great delight, the story of when her husband turned (was it 4o or 50? Been awhile.)  She decided it was time for him to have a midlife crisis.

So. She had short black hair; she went out and bought a blonde wig, long, too, if I remember right. Then she called her husband at work and invited to meet him for lunch.

She showed up early at the restaurant and sat down to wait for him to come in.  He came in, glanced around–no Mona Jo. The clock ticked.  Where WAS she? This was her idea, and he had to get back to work!

She watched him get antsier and antsier.  Finally she said his name softly and he jumped!  They got their table, sat down to lunch, and Mona Jo was all sweet and lovey-dovey as they ate, while, as she tells it, he was absolutely petrified. Mona JO! What are you *doing*! What if someone SEES us! They’ll think I’m stepping out on you!

Not that he was planning on it anyway, but, he never did.

In the end, I actually didn’t lose my hair on that chemo drug the six years I was on it, although I did lose a great deal of it after my flare earlier this year.  I look in the mirror and think, wow, it’ll take three years to get it back to where I want it.  Patience, patience; it’s growing.

But there’s a wig store near Purlescence, and every now and then the thought offers just a touch of temptation.


15 Comments so far
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What a greaet story and isn’t ever fun to fantasize!!!! hmmm….what color, change every day, etc.

Comment by Joansie 10.14.09 @ 4:32 pm

Don’t do it! Mother started wearing a wig in the 1960’s–still does and it still looks awful!

Comment by sherry in idaho 10.14.09 @ 5:19 pm

I always wanted to have long, curly BRIGHT titian hair… Now I want my hair to turn silver, so the colors I like best will show up really well. I’m thinking striped of pink, turquoise and maybe cobalt blue and purple, in turn

Comment by Diana Troldahl 10.14.09 @ 5:47 pm

When our DD started chemo for Lupus, she went through this discussion – what color, what style did she want? Dolly Parton, even? Then her doctor came in and told her she wouldn’t loose her hair. “Darn!” she said. He looked at her like “crazy woman!”

What has happened to her, though, is that the long-term, high-dose prednisone has made her curly like an Irish lass. Just cut it short and ruffle it – there’s no point in trying to style it now. I wish MY hair were that thick!

Comment by Barbara-Kay 10.14.09 @ 6:12 pm

Mona Jo’s story sounds like something out of a tv sitcom. I thought it was hilarious. As for you, young lady, there are wigs and there are wigs. Apparently you get what you pay for. I know you are now gray, but I didn’t think it looked bad when you were here. If you do decide to go the wig route, please do get a color that goes with your own natural coloring.

Humor –

Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who 
insisted he didn’t need my help to leave the hospital. 
After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. 
On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him. 
’I don’t know,’ he said. ‘She’s still upstairs in the bathroom changing out 
of her hospital gown.’

Comment by Don Meyer 10.14.09 @ 6:14 pm

Don’t worry, I wasn’t serious about getting one now!

Comment by AlisonH 10.14.09 @ 6:18 pm

Go for a Cher look!

Comment by LynnM 10.15.09 @ 12:55 am

You still need to learn patience? Of all people? Wow…

I have been loosing my hair more and more each year (psoriasis) and already have an idea of what my head will look like when I am in my 50-60’s, if my genes from my mother’s side are as strong as they seem to be: you’ll be able to see my scalp through the hair.

Of course, maybe the doctor will find some shampoo to help reverse the problem. And I would help too if I didn’t worry as much as I do.

Lessons to be learned. 😉

Comment by Suzanne in Mtl 10.15.09 @ 6:09 am

What a great story! I bought a blond wig once for Halloween, and discovered I’m not a cute blond.

Comment by Channon 10.15.09 @ 7:51 am

I have never gone through chemo, though I have a dear friend in San Jose that is an ovarian cancer survivor that did. She lost her hair and when it grew back it was curlier — interesting.

A couple of years ago I donated my hair — part of the St Baldwick campaign, and in a way it was like being “reborn” — when it gets long enough I may do it again

Comment by Bev 10.15.09 @ 8:54 am

An acquaintance of my mother’s told her at one point that she’d seen my dad at the mall with ‘another woman’, a young blonde. My mother smiled and said, “I know.” I was the young blonde- my dad had taken me Christmas shopping. I was twelve.

Still got my fingers crossed, but did you see the news? They think they’re going to get most of the Sidekick data back!

Comment by RobinH 10.15.09 @ 2:04 pm

I can see why! What a fun way to find the silver lining in losing one’s hair… I wonder what Rick would think of a red-headed me? 🙂

Comment by Jocelyn 10.15.09 @ 2:47 pm

The story is something like what happened to my parents. My dad had a distinctive-looking beard for YEARS. I mean, DECADES. And one day, he decided to shave it off. So there is his brother’s face, but with our dad’s voice coming out. We adjusted.

One day, Mom had business near Dad’s office, and they met for lunch. After lunch, they went out to the sidewalk, had a long, loving farewell, and went their separate ways. As Mom neared the corner, she saw an old friend of theirs and waved at him – whereupon he gave her a dirty look, crossed the street, and went another way.

Mom got back to her office and called Dad. They had approximately this conversation:
MOM: Have you seend So-and-so lately?
DAD: We had Thus-and-Such Committee meeting the other day.
MOM: Was it in person, or did you actually SEE him?
DAD: No, we usually do that one by phone. Why?

Turns out my Dad looked so different without the beard, the friend thought that Mom was stepping out! She made Dad call the friend and explain the whole thing. Dad made sure to see the friend in person so that the friend was reassured.

Comment by Margo Lynn 10.15.09 @ 6:41 pm

Been there, done that, got that T-shirt! I was raised in a religious tradition where women never cut their hair. So I am 44 and have never once had a haircut… when I had thyroid cancer it sure did enter my mind to wonder about the possibilities, should I lose it. Unfortunately (?! Fortunately!) radioactive idodine pills don’t cause hairloss.
Ironically enough, now that my hair is white like yours I get more compliments on it than I ever did while it was brown.
(I wear it in a french braid, with the tail tucked under the tunnel formed by the braid.)

Loving Don’s story. The hospitals are always yammering about checking ID’s before giving meds, performing procedures, etc. Guess we better check before discharging somebody, too!

Comment by slimsdotter 10.16.09 @ 10:59 am

When I was younger I promised myself I’d never dye my gray hair when it came in. Then they came out with blue and green and magenta hair dye. Now I am seriously tempted (and I don’t even wear any makeup).

Comment by twinsetellen 10.16.09 @ 7:51 pm



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