IT'S GOOD TO LET YOUR HAIR DOWN SOMETIMES!

In case you are wondering, I do have permission from my friend, G, to use this collage.

G has been having chemotherapy following surgery in December and despite wearing a cooling cap each time to try to prevent hair loss, has lost quite a lot of her hair.  Today she invited me out for coffee and cake at Three Trees Café and as she told me it was her treat, it would have been rude to refuse, wouldn’t it?  

We haven’t seen each other for a while because as you know, I have had a cold and cough, and didn’t want to pass any of my germs on to G, so it was great to see her for a catch-up today.

She has two more sessions of chemotherapy to go and although we haven’t met for a few weeks, we have kept in touch by text throughout her treatment.  I have been trying to persuade her to go blonde, but she was concerned that she might be mistaken for Dolly Parton, so decided to play safe and go for a wig in a darkish brown, more like her natural colour.  

After our coffee and cake, we drove to Cameo, a Hair Care and Trichology Clinic in Chiseldon, a little village just outside Swindon and just down the road from The Three Trees Café.  There we met a lovely lady named Lynda, who is not only a hairdresser, but also a trichologist.  For those who are not aware, trichology is a highly specialised science dealing with the treatment of hair loss and scalp disorders.  This particular clinic/hairdressing salon deals with Oncology units at Swindon and Bath and also Dermatology units at several nearby hospitals.  Lynda has obviously been doing this job for some time;  she was very knowledgeable and made us very welcome and even joined in with the repartee between G and me.  

The wig that G had ordered had been delivered to the clinic and this was duly brought out and fitted by Lynda - it wasn’t quite the right colour, so she was able to find one more to G’s liking.  G did say that I could take a photograph, as long as I didn’t use it as my Blip.  As we had been joking about a blonde wig, Lynda then got out a long blonde one and G tried this on - at this point, G said that she would be happy for me to take photographs and to make a collage and use it for my Blip today, as no-one would recognise her anyway!

Then Lynda said it was my turn.  I said that I had never been allowed to have long hair when I was younger, so she brought out several longer wigs in different colours for me to try on.  She did say, in passing, that she felt that short hair suited me much better so I think I will stick with what I've got!

Having taken lots of photographs, had a good laugh and G being told how to look after her wig, we left with her wearing her new one, hoping against hope that the high winds wouldn’t suddenly whip it off so that we had to run after it!  It was only when I got home that I realised I hadn’t taken a shot of her wearing her actual wig.  

As we were leaving, I asked Lynda if I could come back sometime and interview her because there are many people who listen to local radio who would be interested in what she is doing.  She said she would be happy for me to do that and mentioned that they also have meetings for those suffering from alopecia or hair loss.  

What a great afternoon with a good friend - and lots of laughter.  Thanks G.  

“You don't stop laughing 
     because you grow old. 
You grow old 
     because you stop laughing.”
Michael Pritchard