I talked to the clinic about my blood test results and I was basically told that everything is normal, no need to follow up. Hmm- the blood tests were supposed to only rule out particular potential causes of my hair loss, not just dismiss my case altogether! I was very annoyed, because he didn't have any suggestions for follow-up care. Finally he suggested I see a dermatologist, because he obviously couldn't come up with anything else. I made the appointment, but I'm not seeing how this will help me, since the doctor already determined there is no infection.


Even though the tests show things as normal, I made an appointment with the nutritionist - only to find out she is a dietician, which is not the same thing at all. A dietician is actually a better option because they are clinically trained, while anyone can call him/herself a nutritionist. That means that this person should be able to take a closer look at my labs and talk to me about the connection between my diet and those results. I don't know how she feels about the raw diet, but my test results would seem to support my being able to continue eating mostly raw.

So now I have to consider more seriously the other possible reasons for my hair loss. Is it stress? I've certainly been very stressed out since moving to a new state and starting a doctoral program. It's been a very challenging experience and I struggled mightily in some areas as I got through my first year. Trying to lose weight at the same time adds stress. Also, losing a lot of weight that first month might have been the culprit, or a contributing factor. It could also be genetic. Regardless of what the source of the problem is, the hardest part is the thought that it might continue falling out and/or might not ever grow back.

I've been a bit depressed and stressed out about things (not just the hair, although it only makes things worse) so I stopped caring so much about the scale- if I gain, I gain. Who cares? This week I noticed the scale creeping down again. Sometimes that attitude works, sometimes it doesn't. Hope it works for me until I get down to my goal!