The Ups and Downs of Being Bald

Based on a recent (American) study done by Stanford University's Cancer institute, more than 196,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a new brain tumor every year.  Seventy-five percent of those tumors are benign (not cancerous), the other twenty-five percent are malignant...I am EXTREMELY fortunate to be a part of the seventy-five percent that is not battling a cancerous tumor.  

Although I probably won't have to endure radiation, I am still having an operation to have the beast removed (or at least as much of it as possible).  Based on the size of the tumor, the operation will consist of the surgeon making a fairly large incision in my head, (and if you haven't already put it together from the title of this blog) this will result in me having an awkward shaped bald spot on the top of my head.  Because of the location of the tumor, this isn't something I will be able to cover with ease...so, as much as I would love to channel my inner pop star, it's just not going to work that way.  

Ellie Goulding

Ke$ha

Rihanna

After coming to the conclusion that my new 'haircut' isn't exactly going to be a stylish one, I've decided to say goodbye to my luscious locks completely (this will come after the operation).  When shaving my head comes up in conversation, there's no doubt that it freaks people out; I've always been one to have long hair and the change will be drastic, bar none.  It has even seemed that some people are more concerned about how I'm going to cope with having no hair than with the actual tumor.  With this being said, I realize that now is no time to be vain, and I can't stress enough how lucky I am that my hair will be all I lose through this journey; my health is leaps and bounds above my aesthetics on the priority list!! 

After many a conversation, I've put together a list of 'pros & cons' based solely on things my friends and family have said. Here it goes...

 CONS

-This is going to take a long time to get used to, so I may have a hard time looking in the mirror for a while. (I'm not sure how I'll spend my free time now...)

-It's going to seem A LOT colder than usual. (This is disconcerting considering my body temperatures are already that of a cold blooded reptile)

-I'm going to realize that the shape of my head, which I've always thought to be pretty normal, probably resembles the topography of Sri Lanka (or some other place that has a lot of hills and valleys).

-I'll probably resemble my brothers more than I would ever actually want to (no offense, guys..you really are great looking people)

PROS

-"If she can do it, so can you"

This was sent to me by a friend; although this picture is clearly photo shopped, and I've seen Jennifer Aniston look better, his heart was in the right place.

-There are all sorts of new hairstyles I can try once it starts to grow back
(below are some of the ideas suggested by friends)

-I'll look like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta (wishful thinking, but we have the same beauty mark on our left cheek, and she ROCKS the shaved head).

-It will take me significantly less time to get ready and it'll be super low maintenance. (At first, at least)

AND

-I can finally be friends with Mother Nature without worrying how her shenanigans will affect the well-being of my hair. 

Overall, the optimist in me says that the pros definitely outweigh the cons, but like any situation, the cons are still going to exist; So, in the wise words of Jay-Z, "take the good with the bad, don't throw the baby out with the bath water".