Monday, January 30, 2012

Lymph Journal # 23


1/30/2012

Well it has been a bit of a blah day.  Must be the unpredictable side effects of the chemo coming on a bit later than last time.  Nothing too terrible but I wasn’t a bundle of energy and heartiness.  My blood work came back OK – pleasing.

I’m 54 now.  Until today, since about grade 6 (age 11 or so) I’ve basically kept to the same general hair-style.  Sure, in the 70’s and 80’s it might have averaged an inch or so longer but the part, the proportions, the pesky cowlick – all pretty steady elements of my basic coiffure.  You know I’ve always believed that when you find something that works you just stick with it.  Hence my stable of short-sleeved plaid shirts and my khaki trousers.  Plaids have come and gone and come back again and mine have plowed through all the vagaries of fashion.  Well, same way with he hair.  I mean, once you’ve gotten it basically trained (and many a man my age remembers the gluey training stick of hardish gunk used to train the forepeak of the follicular mass – or at least some Kraines kids do) you might as well go with it.  I just could never get into the idea of re-styling of spending precious time altering the natural flow of things to make your hair look artificially distressed or swept at unlikely angles.  But, to each his own, I will not judge.

But after some 43 years it’s come to this.  I underwent the major chemo re-coiffure.  After a few days of hairy pillows and clogged drains, I’d had it.  Out came the shears and razors and we did the deed.  Strange how the random hairs of middle age (you know those ones that grow out of some swoop or whorl of you ears) stand hard and fast in their roots but the scalp and beard just sort of give up when faced with chemo.  Maybe they’re just more tired after all these years.  Well, here’s the result. 


From certain angles and expressions I remind myself of one of those dollar store drawing toys – you know the ones with the facial outline and spherical noggin that you can move the iron filings around on with your Magic Pencil.  Hey, there are worse looks than that.

9 comments:

Ida-Mae said...

Kojak has nothing on you! Looks Good. Glad you are still feeling, relatively, decent. Prayers continue.

Ida-Mae said...

By the way, I told Andrew that I commented on your hair by mentioning Kojak, and he promptly asked, "Who's Kojak?" : )

Russ and Diane Kraines said...

hahaha-well, now there will be lots of folks looking up Kojak on the internet

Russ and Diane Kraines said...

and Russ reminded me about the lolipop

favorite sista said...

Hey, not bad at all....you actually look younger....Diane must feel like she has a younger version of you...how very scandalous.

wolfie said...

Russ, you carry it well! Good bone structure...that's key and you've got it! But, don't worry, our cousin Denise Nolan, who has been on chemo for sometime, now is "adjusting" to her new afro. Of all the hair styles over the years....you just might end up with curls!

with love and prayer,
sister-in-law Nancy

Don K said...

Becca asked the same question: "Who's Kojak?" So we also googled him. I have some vague (but not very fond) memories of the gluey training gel. As always, I appreciate your sense of humor. Our prayers continue.

M.E. said...

You look GREAT! Jesus is smiling through you, Russ. He has given you the greatest sense of humor!!!

Loomis Blog said...

Russ ...LOVE IT! You should have considered this "style" long ago ... puts Lennon and Marcus to shame. You look great! Hang in! I could always give you some of my hair ...theres enough of it ...haha!!!!