Alopecia World
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Trying To Be Thankful
Hi everyone...I first found this site 7 years ago shortly after I found my first bald spot. I was beyond horrified and extremely confused. I never in my 24 years have ever heard of Alopecia Areata until it happened to me. I was upset, the doctor I went to see made me feel worse.
I am a fairly optimistic person and I try to find the bright side of things. When I came across this site, it really helped me emotionally. I found a lot of strength in the people who shared there stories and pictures. I decided that I should be thankful. Thankful that it happened to me as an adult. School was hard for as it was without the loss of my hair. I was thankful that it was only areata. Thankful that my hair loss is because of areata and not something much scarier.
Then there are the kids who have lost all their hair. They really made me stop feeling sorry for myself. I especially remember a picture of a girl I saw on here who dressed up as Mr. Clean, it was mint! She took something that none of us enjoy and made it fun.
These are the things that helped me when I lost the hair off the top of my head. When people I worked with had to point it out if my comb over was showing my scalp. I am thankful for this site and the people who are on it, sharing their struggles and supporting each other.
Today I am back. I had a good 4 year run with all my hair right where I want it to be. When I was done drying my hair I decided to give my scalp a rub down to make sure I couldn't feel any bald spots. I was pretty much done when my middle finger found that smooth spot hiding behind my right ear. You don't forget that feeling and my heart skipped a beat. I angled my mirrors and separated my hair where my middle finger was and sure enough, the end of my 4 years of no bald spots. I won't lie, I got pretty upset. I didn't cry but I felt the tears well up in my eyes and I started shaking I was so mad! It took me about an hour to calm myself down and tell myself that I should be thankful for the time I had and I should be thankful its starting away from the top of my head. I am also thankful that out of the 3 kids my parents had that it was me who got it instead of my sisters.
I know there are going to be days ahead where I won't be so thankful, days I will be angry or sad and on those days I will try to remember to be thankful that it will grow back again.
Hello again Alopecia World <3
Christine
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Camryn on
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I very much admire your attitude and want to find that space within myself. I'm new to alopecia, just discovered the hair loss less than three months ago and am still in the horrified, confused and trying to muddle through stage. It's so upsetting. But I think it's extremely important, when facing any obstacle, to have a positive attitude and I thank you for sharing your yours and being an inspiration.
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Permalink Reply by MissChrissy85 on
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Thank you, it didn't happen overnight. It took time and a lot of changing my thoughts to something positive. I believe you can find that in yourself as well. There will always be bad days mixed in with the good. The important thing is that there are and will be good days.
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Thank you for the encouragement, Christine. I'm really going to try to work on that. It's a process, it seems. I'm glad to hear from someone a little further down this road that there can be a coming to terms which is a positive rather than a negative. None of us want a feeling of general well being to depend on hair. Having said that, I hope your newest entanglement with alopecia will be short-lived and mild.
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Permalink Reply by Return_life on
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you don't forget that feeling... dammmn so true
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Permalink Reply by gldean1988 on
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I love this.
Thank you for your story!
The wonderful thing about gratitude is that it feels good to receive gratitude from others, but it also feels to give it. Since you have realized this, I consider you an enlightened person :)
Once again, thanks for the story.
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Thank you :) I haven't been on for a while and I was surprised to see so many replies. I just hope people can find a way to have more good days then bad
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Thank you for writing this. It helped me today. I am on year one. It went away last year and now is back with a vengeance. I too trying to stay upbeat in hopes that it will grow back. I am in the crazy phase of trying to figure out what I did to make this come back. Did I eat the wrong food, use the wrong soap, is it allergies...just dropped over $100 on shampoo in a desperate google search...Uggg. Keep the faith!
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I am so much glad by reading your writing and attitude here. I am totally newbie into this community. Hope I will get useful info from the board. :)
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Thank uou, it's a crappy thing to live with but it could be worse :) I hope you find the info you need.
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I am you found a bit of peace reading my story. Accepting isn't easy especially when it comes back. Sadly we don't know he exact cause but it's most likely nothing you did. Some say stress is the cause but I find my spots appear as the seasons change. They always start in the spring or fall it seems. Maybe try and track when they occur and what is happening at that time. You may find a pattern
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