Mark,
You made the right decision when you opted out of the surgery. A friend of mine had several transplants done 15 years ago and now it looks terrible. Recently, he told me he regretted having the transplants done and how the scarring has limited his ability to shave his head now.
Shave it clean for 30 days and see how you like it. My prediction is that you'll be a sly-guy, long-term.
Andrew