Hair today...gone tomorrow

Today I had to admit to myself that I am actually aging. My hair is getting thinner - shock, horror, distress. I have always been proud of my dark, thick head of hair. Last month I noticed that my hair felt different.  The texture had changed. It was straighter than usual. Then I went to my hairdresser and he commented about the change and the fact that it seemed different.  A few days later I realised that I was losing more hair than usual when I washed it. This seems to have carried on and I have to finally say, my hair is much thinner.

Yesterday I read in the Times that the second most popular thing to google on the internet is the topic of health. I can see that since the first most popular thing is pornography and I have never looked that up, but I have spoent many a happy hour pandering to my 'health anxiety' (the new politically correct name for hypochondria). So, I looked up hair loss and found out that yes, it can be caused by anxiety, but for a woman of my age and at my time of life it is more likely to be the change in hormones.  Oh my god!

I thought of a good friend of mine who has decided not to dye her hair anymore since that may have an effect on the hair loss. I also almost immediately decided that I am not ready to be grey yet. Thin hair - yes, thin grey hair - no.  So the answer - just live with this. I will look at diet and stuff and see what I can do, but watch this space. If my photos and Ralph's suddenly look similar it will be because I am bald and he has shaved off his beard. I know that dogs and their owners begin to look the same, but husbands and wives??

Other signs of aging - not too many. Ralph asked me if I could squat down as easily now. I remember not being able to squat happily in 1978 in India when squat toilets were the only thing available, so no change there. My skin is still ok - teenage acne occasionally surfacing!
I now wear multi-focal glasses but I'm really happy with them since I can see and this is a decided advantage to me. Carrying more weight round the midriff, sure, but I eat more and like it.  Slightly forgetful, of course, but no different to last month, last year or any other year.

All in all I feel OK - aging, yes, but wearing it pretty well. I like getting older. I'm not sure about friends phoning me at 9 pm and asking me if they woke me, or getting to the top of the stairs and wondering why I went up the stairs to begin with but all in all, it's a welcome time.  I had breast cancer in 1992 and every year since I've been happy that I'm still here. As my mother used to say "Just think of the alternative".