Hair Update

Apparently at my first post-hospital doctor appointment they snapped my picture and attached it to my file. It was April 16, just three days after my release from the hospital, and I looked both sick and tired. However, on the upside, I did notice there was a lot more hair all over my skull and it made me a bit wistful. So I decided to go through some pictures of myself and take a look at the recent evolution of my mop.

We’ll start with this family portrait from 1996. As you can tell from my annotations, I hold an extreme dislike for the way I look here. I don’t like the hair on my head or the lack of it along my jaw. I’m wearing these dopey-looking glasses and sporting a goofy smile. It’s just bad all over. I’m sure most people look back wistfully at photos of themselves when they were younger. Ugh. Not me.

I couldn’t live like this forever. I knew I had to do something about it. So I grew some facial hair, got smaller glasses, and learned how to solve Rubik’s Cubes. Here’s my first solve of a 5x5x5:

Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how long you grow the beard. It doesn’t change at all what’s going on up top. Even if you live in denial.

And even if people can’t see the top of your head, they can still see that large, Chevy bumper right in front:

Sometimes when things get busy at work, I’ll go a wee bit too long between shaves. This is about as bushy as I let it get:

Here’s what it looks like halfway through trimming:

And this is the full trim. Say, that looks pretty nice. This is a much better look that goofy 1996 Charlie. I could live with this:

It looked like this at my first (and only) book talk / signing:

It looked like this as I struggled with camera self-portraits:

And it looked like this just as I was tragically struck in my prime by Bob Hoskins Linoleum:

It began falling out within two weeks but it took a while for it to become outwardly noticeable. I figured it’d be gone in no time but, no, it just sort of hung on like it still had unfinished business or something. Even as recently as five weeks ago you could still see an aura of fluff about my cranium:

I kind of figured that’s where it would stop. But July took its toll. Not only did the head thin out even more, but most of my eyelashes and eyebrows went AWOL as well. If things get any worse, I’m going to look like this:

Oh wait. I already do:



19 Responses to “Hair Update”

TexasDeb said
on
August 8, 2012 at 7:14 am

Um, I have a question for you: How in the world did you end up in a photo with Marcia Brady!? Was she helping you pick out new glasses? Giving you tips on how to keep your forehead from showing up shiny in photos??

OK OK so I see the BookPeople logo in the background and can actually put together you attended her book signing at some point. It is more fun to think she came to town to give you forehead fashion tips though. Face it – that gal is rocking her forehead, always has, always will.

So…a day past the Done! mark for chemo, yeah? Here’s to feeling better every day. You go ahead and live, your hair will catch back up with you when it is ready.

PS – you really think your readers can’t add 5+13 in our heads? I can’t tell whether to be grateful for that help or offended.

    Charlie said
    on
    August 8, 2012 at 11:53 am

    Actually almost two weeks past the last chemo, but a day or two now past the “feeling nearly normal again” point. August 16 would have been my next cycle, but has now been replaced with capturing a baseline CT scan.

    As for the obvious math hint: I’ve worked in software design long enough to know it’s better to offend the smart than create something difficult for people like me. (I actually decided to add that when I realized something like 17 + 18 might take just one second too many to calculate and I’d lose a comment.)

Biz said
on
August 8, 2012 at 7:32 am

OMG, the girls look so little in that first picture – hard to remember them so small!

I have to admit, seeing you without eyebrows and eyelashes was a bit creepy, but after I got used to it, it was just funny, make me pee my pants Charlie.

I LOVE YOU!

How many calories was lunch? 437 calories? Then I can’t eat dinner. « My Bizzy Kitchen said
on
August 8, 2012 at 7:34 am

[…] saw this video on Marion’s blog and thought instantly that my brother would love it, (check out his latest blog post about his hair after chemo!) but I really love it too!  Does […]

Helen said
on
August 8, 2012 at 8:14 am

Listen up. You should be glad you have a head shape that can support the hairless look. Be very glad. (And you’re looking good Charlie!)

Julie said
on
August 8, 2012 at 8:17 am

But without the hair we can see just how handsome Charlie is. As long as the chemo sends the cancer running lossing your hair is just a tiny problem. My friend said she didn’t mind the bald head but the bald ….well down below, really bothered her worse. Anyways Charile, praying that all is moving along and you are healing.
Take care and God Bless!!

Suzie said
on
August 8, 2012 at 10:31 am

That halfway trimmed pic is too funny. Looks like two different people. I think your rockin’ the bald look Charlie!

Stephanie said
on
August 8, 2012 at 2:17 pm

Okay that last picture made me immediately think of Jared Loughner’s mug shot. Yikes! ( I hope you put your photo and his side by side….. and I hope you laugh )

Odd where the mind goes.

    Charlie said
    on
    August 8, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    Ugh

Brett Blumenthal said
on
August 9, 2012 at 9:40 am

Lookng good. Looking good my friend.

Julie (Shepard) McCarty said
on
August 9, 2012 at 9:46 am

There’s a singles website for people over 50 (or 60) and they report that the hottest guys are the bald ones. So there.

Or their. Or they’re.

I tried pasting a picture I found of Patrick whatever his name is from Star Trek saying, “This is not a bald head. This is a solar power plant for a British sex machine!”

K Flint said
on
August 9, 2012 at 10:55 am

As always – LOL!!

Bril said
on
August 9, 2012 at 10:57 am

The glasses from the first photo are coming back into style next year, around May. Hope you still have them.

Anna said
on
August 9, 2012 at 1:22 pm

I think you look goofy in all of them!!!

hahahaha!!

J/k! πŸ˜‰

Get your wife to introduce you to eyebrow pencil. And then there is the spray on hair!!! hehe!

You look great Charlie. You’re alive and well and hair is sooooo 1990’s anyway! πŸ˜€

Lynn (Tingle) DeLean Weber said
on
August 10, 2012 at 6:48 am

Bald is beautiful, bold, and…may I go as far as saying even bodacious? Yes, it is!

p.s. I’m glad the sum wasn’t over 20 – i would have run out of fingers and toes.

JohnGL said
on
August 10, 2012 at 8:53 am

To me, it looks like you went from a cherubic Harry Potter to a demented Jean-Luc Picard (with some eyebrow-less Guinan thrown into the mix).

Brian Hinson said
on
August 13, 2012 at 10:40 am

You rock man. Thanks for the pictures!

Sophie said
on
September 24, 2012 at 5:10 am

Cheering you on from the sidelines πŸ™‚ I reckon no hair is the new mohawk anyway!!!

Crazydocklady said
on
October 1, 2012 at 9:56 am

Miss your posts!!! Hope all is well and you are just too busy . Looking forward to your next hysterical group of thoughts. πŸ™‚

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