“I woke up early this morning because I couldn’t sleep.” Why, what’s wrong?

“I kept thinking about your hair. I think you should shave it.”

I sobbed and hugged my mum, because 12 hours before, I had cried. I cried because Mum had noticed my scalp at the back of my head. I cried because a few days earlier, I had told her that my hair was shedding so much, and I didn’t know what to do. I cried because Mum hadn’t expected my hair to thin as quickly as it had. Neither of us had expected it to thin as quickly as it had. I cried because despite using the cold cap, I could see through my hair to areas I’d never seen in my life.

My head was sore. It was itchy. And no amount of patting with the bottom of my palm would do me any good. It was worse than the first time, and it was just unbearable.

I’m going to shave my head Mum.