One hundred and fourty two and I quit counting

As many of you are either past WLS patients or have found my blog because you are considering it, you know that one of the "complications" of the surgery is that you will, at some point, begin to lose your hair.  I was never worried about this part of the processes, because if you ask anyone that knows me, I had plenty to go 'round.

I really started noticing the hair loss right around week 17 but didn't think a whole lot of it given my propensity to actually rejoice in a little natural culling of the locks.  However, this process has become a real pain the the arse. Please don't get me wrong.  I am incredibly lucky that I had as much hair as I did to begin with.  I am so incredibly thankful for that because I have heard of people losing so much that they need to get a wig temporarily.  That could be incredibly devastating and I can't imagine having to deal with that even on a short term basis.

The hair does grow back eventually and all will be well once again.  It is simply a matter of your body making a choice to support your vital functions rather than our ego's and vanity. Frankly, I would rather have red blood cells than an ounce of hair...  I am just sayin'.  But I digress..

I asked my husband the other day if he thought my hair would look good if I grew it down to my mid back.  I haven't had it that long for a while and I thoroughly enjoy ponytails, french braids and feeling incredibly feminine with long luscious locks.  Well, to my surprise he said that he thought that was an interesting choice because he thought that I would go with short hair.  As I pondered the prospect, I realized that

1. I really do like short hair
2. It looked super cute in the past even with my rounded chubby cheeks and puffy face
3. It has a more professional look
4. Allows for more versatility (if you are brave enough to try it)

....and finally, I realized that perhaps I wouldn't be so danged bothered with all this hair that is continually coming out of my head.  This morning, I counted 142 different strands of hair that came out just after I had washed it. When you have long hair, losing strands during the day is just a normal part of the cyclical process when hair regenerates itself, BUT, I am getting sick of always having hair everywhere.*incensed tone inserted here* 

The 142 strands that I counted don't include the 7 I pulled off of my clothes at work today, the 3 I removed from the chair nor does it include the countless others that I inevitably missed in the data collection process due to their tendency to simply be more attached to anything other than my head. As I was yet again saving my chair from being strangled by stray coiffure bits, I realized that the #5 reason for having short hair would be to eliminate nearly all of my exasperation with the current follicle fountain. 

So, do I or don't I? Beckham or Shields? It's such a toss up.  All I know, is that I am never counting the strands again.  That my friends, is one stat that I am afraid you are just going to have to live without.