Fallout!

Sometimes, things happen here that create a bit of backlash or fallout and sometimes, they are somewhat expected but with the kids, one never know what might cause a bit of turmoil.

Take Kurtis this morning. He seemed fine and dandy when he first woke up and came downstairs. Sweet, smiling, pleasant and in a good humor.

But in record time, his demeanor changed and he was whining and crying about something to us but unfortunately, when he gets in that mood, that frame of mind, he frequently shoves his hand into his mouth -or over his mouth -so even if he is saying things that under other circumstances would be easy to understand, we often then can't get a freaking clue as to what has him in tears.

At one point, it was because Mandy went down to the basement because she was doing some laundry and for some reason or other, he didn't want her to leave his sight. Then, when it came time for him to get dressed for school, he must not have liked his mother's initial choice of outfits but eventually, she did come up with pair of jeans and a shirt that suited his fancy or his mood -whatever!

Who'd have thought that for a 4-year-old as well as his almost 7-year-old sister, that wardrobe was as important as it is to them! Miss Maya is quite the diva at times when it comes to what clothes she wants to wear. And, if an outfit is chosen that doesn't meet her fancy, she gets really agitated and very loud about what she does or does not want to wear! Enough so that there are times when thoughts of running away from home can easily enter into the mind of the adult trying to cajole her into getting dressed!

Sometimes, there is fallout here too that affects mainly the adults in the household and right now, I'm the one mainly feeling that stuff in my life.

I've been, I think, quite fortunate in that with my first chemo treatment a little over two weeks ago, that I haven't had any major issues with it -no nausea and not even feeling tired or run down. Not as yet, anyway. I am hoping the remaining treatments deal with me as kindly as the first one did.

However, I am now beginning to see fallout from that treatment. True fallout, as a matter of fact it is!

Tuesday, when I combed my hair that morning, I called Mandy back to the bathroom to show her the fallout there!

In my hand I held a great big fistful of hair that just seconds before had been where it was supposed to be -firmly attached to my scalp! I had her check to see if she saw any bald spots in the back starting to show up. She said no, not yet, just thinning!

Yesterday and again today, there's been more and more hair ending up in the brush -or so it seems -than is left on my head. Well, not quite that much I suppose but sure does seem like a whole lot that's coming out!

My son is going to be leaving the area with his job and will be going to the panhandle of Texas to work for about a month. He's not yet sure which day he and his work unit will be leaving -either tomorrow or Saturday -and they will be on a bus for a long trip from here to Texas. (I think he said it is about a 35 hour trip which, as long as he and his co-workers take the bus being provided to the new worksite, they will get paid for those hours spent on the bus! I think that's a pretty neat way to add a whole lot of hours to one's time card in a pay period, don't you?

But anyway, when he was down last night for supper, I mentioned to him that when he gets back home from this work stint in Texas, there probably will be a very big change in my appearance as the expected hair loss from the chemo was now in full swing.

He said then that I shouldn't be surprised too then when he comes down here tonight for supper by his appearance because he probably will be bald then too!

Seven years ago, when I was first diagnosed with the colo-rectal cancer and was to receive radiation and chemo, plus surgery, then more chemo, he came home that first weekend after my initial diagnosis and he was bald. Yes, he had shaved his head in what he called and empathy move for me and my treatments. However, the chemo I received back then did not cause any hair loss and so, when I had told my doctor what my son had done, he laughed like crazy because he said that in three months, I would still have a full head of hair but Sonny Boy, well he would still be bald then!

This time though, the type of chemo I am getting WILL cause the hair to fall out and if my son does follow through with the idea or game plan of shaving his head, we can then later go out in public -if we so desire -as the bald-headed mother/son duo, can't we?

I think I'm gonna loan him one of the turbans I have here -in anticipation of the hair loss -cause winter's gonna be setting in here shortly and I'd hate to think of him (or myself for that matter) getting a frostbitten scalp, ya know!

I am wondering though how Kurtis will react or respond to me once I become the "Hairless Grammy!"

Hope that doesn't create a lot of other fallout with him as sometimes he gets frightened by the strangest and the littlest of things, ya know!