even MORE hair loss :(

This happened to me a few months after surgery also. I'd say I noticed the hair loss ramp up about 3 months after surgery, and it really bothered me, eventhough anyone I mentioned it to said they didn't notice a difference. Now it's been about 8 and half months since my surgery, and I can tell the hair has started growing back. It looks silly because I have a ton of new short hairs sticking up all over my head, but oh well....at least they are coming back!

I am right there with you, girl. I used to have very long hair, not to be vain but it was like shampoo commercial hair :) OK, it was totally vain of me, but I freaking loved my hair and even when I was sick and looking terrible I still had that long beautiful hair and it made me feel awesome. Anyway, needless to say after the first surgery it started falling out, just like you said, every time I ran my hands through my hair a ton of hair came out.

After takedown I had to face facts that my hair was thinning out so much that I had to cut it. I went to a salon in my neighborhood and explained that I knew my hair was looking too thin, so I wanted to cut off as much as necessary to make it look healthy again. The woman looked at me and said "I understand... but you're OK now!" I was really confused and it must have shown on my face because she said, "I can tell you must have been sick because I can see that you have some hair loss... but you must be better now because you have tons of new growth coming in!" Just like UCW I have those short hairs poking up all over my head, as well as two big patches on either side of my head that are only a few inches long (super annoying because they are constantly curling up and sticking out and falling out of ponytails).

In any case... as a result I now have bobbed hair that is sort of patchy and unruly with cowlicks and all manner of whatever. Everyone I know insists my hair looks "normal" to them but I know the truth. After all I've been through it shouldn't bother me as much as it does... it drives me crazy that I'm going to be waiting literally years to get my hair back (if it ever even grows back the way it used to be).

Oh and -- yes I'm sure this is a sign that you are moving away from your trauma. I'm sure you are getting healthier and stronger every day!

I can relate to you. I had long beautiful hair. I don't mean to sound superficial but men would always tell me what drew them to me was my hair.
I had my colectomy in March 2007, when I was 56 years old, and shortly after my hair started to fall out in bunches. I felt like a shaggy dog. I went to the doctor and they said it was normal to lose hair. I tried to explain that it wasn't normal how much hair I was loosing. Then approximately in 2008 I started to notice bald spots. I cried. I went back to another doctor and she diagnosed me as having Alopecia. Not sure if the surgery brought this on. I cut my hair off to about 1 inch in length. Kept it short until about late 2009. I decided to let it grow out again. I notice that I am missing about 1/2 of my hair. Some has grown back but not every where. Still have two small bald spots and thinning over all. I think the Alopecia is dormant because my hair has normal fallout but it will never be the same again. I also try not to do anything that will make it fall out.

Just what all of us need to deal with! An additional emotional shot plus the problems that lead us to having surgery anyway.