Oh come on, was that called for?

1 Down: Alopecia (8)

Well to be honest I was more tickled than anything to make a start today on the Guardian Quick crossword only to see that 1 Down is “Alopecia (8)”, the answer being “baldness“.  The only other answer of any relevance to my present situation was 11 Across: “Nurse”.

Anyway, I’d like to point out that I’m not completely bald (yet).  In fact, although a great proportion of my hair has come out over the last couple of days, it seems to have gone in quite an even fashion, basically just leaving me with the same hair style as I had before, just at a greatly reduced density:

Not quite bald yet

Still the hair continues to come out, though much slower now, so it seems that I may end up fully bald in a days to come.  We shall see.

The really good news from the last couple of days is that the mucositis seems to be coming under control.  My neutrophil count on Monday morning was 0.2 (i.e. not zero!), so on its way back.  Something like 2.0 might be considered a more normal value I’m told, so a little way to go yet, but I can really tell the difference.  Was 0.5 this morning.

One of the nastiest consequences of the mucositis has been how difficult it’s been at times at night – staring at the clock wishing that sufficient time would elapse for me to be allowed at least one of the oral morphine or soluble paracetemol.  Even swallowing water at times like that has been eye-wateringly painful.  I’m glad it didn’t last long like that.