Second opinions

*Backblip*
Not being a great lover of the selfie, this photo was taken to send to a friend who couldn't get away from work in time to help me choose a wig. I've developed autoimmune alopecia and have been given a prescription for a wig by the dermatologist, and had ordered some options in to the wig shop at the Churchill Hospital. Phoebe came with me, but Liz couldn't, (they had both helped me pick options from the catalogue) so we tried to send her photos. Sadly the Churchill is a bit of dead zone, so it didn't really work! As this is a backblip I can say that I've only worn it three times, partly due to the heat but mostly as it creeps up at the back (and it was by far the best fit of all the wigs I tried on, I seem to have an odd shaped head). Being someone who enjoys talking to people, I'd rather do it with a bald head than worry about the wig coming off and not be able to concentrate on the person and the conversation properly.

For those of you who don't know much about Alopecia Areata, the beginning and end of it is hair loss caused by an automimmune reaction. Otherwise I am completely healthy. Until I got the formal diagnosis the uncertainty was quite stressful, but now I'm fine with it. I have  cream which may help the hair grow back quicker, but there's no guarantee. The hair may completely grow back, may not, may grow back partly, there's not much that medicine can do as most of the treatments for autoimmune disorders make you feel so horrible you need to have a really bad on to be prepared for it. Given the others which have affected my family, I am frankly relieved to get this one.