the big shave

Shaved off all my hair this morning. It was becoming truly ummanageable, falling out uncontrollably but strand by strand. Think it would have taken at least two more days to fall out, if not more, and by then I would have been swimming in hair. By the time I left home this morning, I had hair on my neck, hair on my back and....
Had scheduled an appointment with Carlos for 4pm but really thought I would probably postpone it for Monday or possibly even Tuesday. Then decided it was getting outta control so phoned him and made it earlier. Then fetched my friend Craig and we dashed off to the Standard Bank Gallery to see Johannes Phokela's exhibition before dashing back up to Athol Square and my beloved Carlos.
I grimaced as he shaved it off. But did not look too much. "Are you going to shave stripes?" asked the hairdresser next to him. "I wish," I said, "but I can't; it's all going to fall out anyway". Then Carlos washed it (my scalp really) to get the loose bits of hair off. Then he just touched it with a towel and I put my cap back on.
I think it looks revolting but I am kinda dealing with it. Bumped into David Tlale at Gallery Momo and the first thing he said to me is: "Did you cut your hair?" So ja, it is very noticeable. Monna from the gallery asked me if I was being serious when I told him I had cancer - he is not the first person to say this; I think people don't expect someone to be sick if they seem so well and are animated and so so. Dunno, cos why would someone lie/joke about having cancer?
Anyway, think it might be hard going around with without hair - even with a hat on it's obvious - but gonna find out different ways to tie scarves (wearing one now and it is super comfortable especially if it is silk, and keep echoing what Edwin Cameron said (see Thursday February 19's posting, even if it was in a different context): "Get over it!" So those of you who cannot handle it, and those who are semi or utterly avoiding me because I have cancer, or find it more difficult to deal with me than I do (the subject for another blog): "Fakking get over it!"