Comment by Mary on July 15, 2009 at 1:12am

You are not alone, even if there are no women with alopecia in the immediate physical vicinity. (Isolation is hard - I do hope you can find some via AW.) There are lots of us here on AW who feel or have felt the same way you do.

Last year - my first year without hair, I gained weight, cried a lot, raged against my appearance and the unfairness of this damn disease, tried to wear wigs and hated the heat, avoided socializing....and finally came through it. I was in the pits of depression over this, and now I walk around proudly bald (I know...it's not for everyone), and have accepted this "new me". I really don't give a flying you-know-what what people think about my head. I'm focusing on my health, staying active, and moving forward with life.

Check out my photos to get an idea of my journey. Hang in there, take it a day at a time, and you WILL get through this. It does get better. Let us know how you're doing.

Mary

Comment by Monica Beasley-Martin on July 15, 2009 at 1:32am

For many of us acceptance is a process. It may not happen overnight. When I was first diagnosed over 20 years ago I was devastated. I grieved the loss of my hair. I went to the doctor for injections but for me this was ineffective. My hair was long enough and thick enough then to cover up the spots. And so I adjusted and went on my way through life. Years later I could nolonger hide using my own hair. And so I began to wear wigs and I started the grieving process again. I participated in the great cover up until 07 when my godson was diagnosed with cancer. He had shoulder length dred locks and soon lost them due to cancer treatments. I made the decision, at that point, to shave my head in support, and to stop wearing the wigs. I felt so free. And although I had Alopecia I did NOT have cancer. Most of my hair grew back. For the past year I have been wearing a medium sized afro and wouldn't you know it, recently, the spots became bigger. My hair was falling out again and so I had to grieve again. Sunday July 12, 2009 one of my oldest friends took the clippers to my head, and I am free once more. The Serenity Prayer says, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." Alopecia is something we can not change. My prayer is that God will provide us both with the serenity we need to accept our current condition.

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