1/14/12 - Hair Like Snow

Unfortunately, I am not referring to the color of snow when I compare Adam's hair to snow. When he was a baby, that would be an accurate analogy to the color of Adam's hair.  Now, it is a better analogy to the way hair descends from the roots on his head.  Like snow, hair has a gentle, swaying flight downward.  Some strands kind of flutter while some twist like graceful corkscrew pasta twirls.  We find Adam's "snow" on clothes and jackets, pillows and car seats.  I guess we are lucky there is not enough to build a snowman.

So, it was time for a buzz cut.  There was not much thinking involved on my part - it was really an impulse decision.  Aunt Karina had seen Adam distressed about some hair on his collar on Tuesday.  Adam has always been squeamish about hair, especially my long, straw-like stuff touching him all the time.  His hair happens to be exactly the same thickness and texture and probably pretty itchy on his skin.  Plus, I knew it would be easier for all of us if we took it off at in one swoop instead of watching it get thinner.  I asked grandpa to do it because I was worried about taking Adam to a barber shop with his counts so low.  He is still neutropenic, and we don't want to take any risks exposing him to people or places outside of the immediate family.  So, out came the razor, and gone was the hair.  Adam was amazingly patient.  There were a couple times the razor got stuck and pulled his hair, but Adam continued to sit still.  The razor was also running out of batteries, which delayed the process, and Adam was not a fan of using a towel like an apron (because a towel's a towel, you know).  Adam could tell we were cutting all the hair off and knew this was not the type of haircut he wanted, but he still did not fight it.  Afterwards he expressed himself, saying, "mommy, I don't really like my hair cut." or "mommy, you cut my hair too short." or ""I really want to go to the barber shop next time."  At least it is my fault about the hair cut and not he woke up one day and the hair was suddenly missing.  We didn't exactly explain that the medicine was going to make his hair fall out.  I would think that would cause unnecessary anxiety.  And, although there was a moment of tears welling on my part, I am happy the time has come and we have some type of proof the chemo is working. 

So, we found out our Qwest is opened on MLK day afterall, which means we'll be able to get Adam's labs Monday morning as planned.  We should know on Tuesday sometime what the plan is for his overnight treatment scheduled for Wednesday.  Woohoo!