Remember the days of the TV detective series, Kojak? When 'bald was beautiful'? Well, I am losing my hair now and seeing my own scalp for the first time. The last time I had a naked scalp, circa about a hundred years ago when I was toothless and in diapers, I cannot remember. I have photos, and I think the baldness sat better back then.

In fact, I am amused by my baldness. My latest party trick is to reach into my remaining mop and casually pull out a hunk of hair saying: 'Look, no roots!". But I know it makes people feel uncomfortable, and even as they laugh, they look away. Why don't you try putting on a scarf, they say. What about your wig? When are you going to start using it? My brother goes on about bald patches. As if vanity were an issue for me right now.

Quite frankly, this is not my problem. It is theirs. I am still me, underneath the skin. I still grin the same way - the teeth look a little bigger than usual because I have lost some weight, that's all. But I am still me, baldness, sarkiness, sour disposition, loud opinions, and all.

Why disguise it? Everyone I meet these days knows I have cancer, knows what I am going through. I am not embarassed by it - in fact, this whole journey is becoming rather fascinating. I am getting to know myself, my body and different people in many different ways. It is a learning journey.

So, baldness is not my problem, it is everyone else's. It makes people uncomfortable. And that's normal. But here is what I want to say about it - we are still the same people, even if we do have cancer. We are still the same friends, lovers, siblings, daugthers, sons, mothers etc, you have always known - all right, maybe a little changed because of our journey, but still, we are US.

Look beyond the bald skin, please, and see us again, as we once were, still are, and will continue to be - and deal with us, relate to us, as the people we are today and indeed, have always been.