Day +42: More Than a Hairdresser #100DaysDIEP

My hairdresser, Haylee, was one of the first people I whispered the words “I have breast cancer” to. Saying it outwardly made it really real; proper, WTAF real. It was 2 days AD (After Diagnosis) and I needed a Hair Plan for chemotherapy: “are you cold-capping?” she asked. Cold-capping is when the scalp is cooled during chemo to help reduce hair loss. It’s often described as being excruciatingly painful, so I thought I’d give it a miss as it seemed unfair on my body to add a hard-core ice-cream headache into the chemo mix. But after chatting to Haylee (who’d worked with clients who’d cold-capped) and one of my chemo nurses, I thought I’d give it a go. I managed to keep just enough hair to pass as a cancer muggle (TM @thecancerpatient 😂) with the help of hats and bandanas. This was important to me as I’d decided to keep my diagnosis and treatment private. There’s a huge assemblage of people who’ve helped me make informed decisions about how I act in The Shitshow, some of whom are in the most unlikely of places. So let’s give thanks for caring, wonderful people who rise above to make a difference, whether they be hairdressers or chemo nurses. And thanks to Haylee & the @millerandgreen crew for being especially fab: you rock.