Hi all,
Some of you may remember seeing me about this time every year....I'm a horrible regular post-er....but I do check out the forum fairly often, and my moral support is always there ;-)
So, it was 8 years ago TODAY that I went from shoulder length to a buzz, and then "slick"...and I go back and forth between about a "1" and slick ever since.
Normally, I make this post for all the new folks who haven't yet taken the plunge or JUST took the plunge, and I go through my whole explanation of how I did it....buying the clippers, standing in front of the mirror for like 5 minutes, not moving....debating whether to go through with it....
Well, obviously, I did....so you don't need to hear that story.
This year, I want to put things in a bit of perspective.....I see all kinds of posts from folks essentially saying that balding/losing their hair is the most terrible, horrible, stressful thing that anyone should ever go through and how could this happen to them? And should I shave my head? What if it looks funny? What if my head isn't shaped right? What if my girlfriend breaks up with me? What if....what if.....what if.....
I'm not making fun of any of you.....I get that it sucks....
But.....here's the real deal......it's a haircut, people (albeit an extreme haircut ;-) ). Nothing more, nothing less.
Honestly, if THAT is the most horrible, stressful, scary thing that you have ever had to deal with......then you've led a pretty sheltered life up to this point.
This year, in late February, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Now, THAT was horrible....and scary....and stressful....and it caused me to re-evaluate a lot of things.
Suddenly getting all worked up about a haircut seemed pretty silly...downright laughable....as did a lot of other things I always thought were stressful......
Between February and May I had more painful tests and scans and whatnot than I'd ever gone through. In the beginning of May, I had major surgery where they removed (roughly) a third of my right lung.
They had found it early, and by accident......and the tumor was of an apparently slow growing variety. It had not spread at that point, and so they did not feel I required other treatments (chemo/radiation) at that time. And I just had my first post surgery follow up (more CT scans, tests, etc) and so far so good! I have a number of "things" in my lungs.....but, at least as of now, they are being considered benign.
I'll be having similar follow-ups every 6 months for a few years, and then I guess if all is still well, once a year for some years, and then.....I guess we see how it goes.
So, I'm hoping for the best.....but I now have a constant stress in the back of my mind....and will, from here on out, I imagine.
And there are others on this site who also, I'm sure, have similar tales to tell.
So....if losing your hair is bothering you.....just shave it....clip it...whatever.....it's not scary, it's not stressful.....it's a haircut...if you don't like it....grow it back......but don't look at it as the worst thing that could ever possibly be happening to you.......because....it's not. There's plenty worse that could be happening.
I say that not belittling peoples concerns and/or fears...but rather to try and put some reality back into the equation.
And if you decide to go for it....I can't recommend a better place or better people than the SBG forum to get the moral support you may need in the beginning.
Again, I hope this post doesn't come off as "grumpy" or "unfeeling".....it's quite the opposite...so please take it in the spirit that it's meant to be taken in.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year in 2020, and hope that the most stressful thing any of you need to deal with, is an (extreme) haircut ;-)
Ozz
#ozz2012, you have had a hard year bro, heres to a positive 2020, Thanks for sharing your story
I know what you are going through,I had cancer on 2005.I went through cat scans,doctor appointments,treatments every six months for six years.now I am cancer free.every time I went to doc. appts.I was scared about what the results was going to be,but it worked out good.my cancer was in the early stage so they were able to do surgery and told me that it did not spread.because yours was in the early stage you should be good.because its in the early stage you already know that the end results are going to be good.take care my friend.
A great inspirational way to kick off 2020.
Could not have said it better.
Us humans have a tendency to distort what things are most important.
What better way to kick off the new year than to put things in perspective.
As I age, my focus is on health and family.
Shaving my head and looking good is important but the hair factor is further down the road.
Glad to hear that you are doing better.
So glad to hear you're doing better, a great post too.