Braid My Hair

We finally did it!  Erika and I both got our hair cut and we donated it to Locks of Love.  I have wanted to do this for years and I finally had the length to do it.  I was never able to make the length before because my hair would get too scraggly and I would have to cut it.  I was so mad that my hair starting falling out like it did.  Had that not happened my hair would have been thicker and there would have been more to donate.  Hopefully they can use what I was able to give.  Erika was able to donate a lot.  And she was the one nervous that she wouldn’t have enough!

 Before I talk about our hair cuts, I want to mention about my hair falling out.  After I wrote my last blog I talked to my coordinator about my hair loss.  She said some people do take a supplement called Biotin to help with fragile hair and nails.  She didn’t reassure me much so I went on my lung transplant group on Facebook and asked them.  Some people were not affected by hair loss at all while others have said that they too lost a lot of hair right after transplant.  A lot of them mentioned anesthesia.  It seems like for most people that lost some hair it started falling out around three months and stopped around six months.  The time line fits for me.  My hair started falling out in October.  I just brushed it off as normal until I noticed it was happening all the time.  Hopefully mine will stop like the others.  There are some people that have lost a lot and it didn’t grow back.  Now their hair is so thin they need wigs or extensions.  The only people who have mentioned that though are on Prograf and I am on Cyclosporine.

When searching online I wanted to see if any of my medications were the cause of my hair falling out.  It seems like that is a possible side effect of Prograf, but that is all.  I actually found that Cyclosprine is the complete opposite.  An increase growth of body hair is one of the common side effects.  I always thought that Prednisone was the cause for that.  A lot of sites say Prednisone does not do that while others don’t agree.  Not sure who is correct, but I think I am going to blame the body hair on Cyclosporine because my Prednisone amount is low.  Between what I found on the internet and the comments from other transplant patients, I am hopeful that my hair will stop falling out and it will thicken up again.  Like I said before, it doesn’t make sense that hair is growing fine everywhere else.  Even though we are all lung transplant patients our experiences vary.  Some of us are on different medications and not all of us needed a transplant for the same reason.  Although we are all different I still feel a lot better about it now that I have talked to them.  I was really freaking out about losing my hair.  Having some answers and knowledge about what is going on is helping with the anxiety a little.  I don't like being completely in the dark.

Back to Locks of Love.  Like I said we had been planning this for awhile.  Erika had planned to be in town for an interview so we decided it was a good time to get together for the hair cuts as well.  She was still a little nervous about not having enough.  I knew she had enough and I did not have time to wait.  I had to do this while I had hair and I did not want to miss out on my chance to do this.  

Jason and Bobby picked her up from the airport Monday while I was at PT.  We hung out all day and then she stayed the night.  The next morning we got up and went to the salon together.  We went in and told our hairdresser exactly what we wanted to do.  She said no problem.  We both had the same hairdresser.  She had someone helping her and together they both took care of us.  They made a good team and it was almost like an assembly line. haha  While the one hairdresser was cutting the other one was washing.  My hair was measured and cut first.  Then I would go to the other hairdresser to get my hair washed while Erika was having her hair measured and cut.

While the hairdresser was cutting my hair we were talking about a few things.  She knew who I was and a little about my transplant because she is Courtney’s hairdresser.  She recommended her to me.  I talked to her about my hair falling out too.  When she pulled part of my hair back I noticed a section that was very thin.  Thankfully it is not noticeable when my hair is covering it because it was pretty close to a bald spot!  She said the same thing to me as the people in my transplant group.  She said it was common for her to see people lose some of their hair after a long surgery.  A big surgery puts a lot of stress on a body and the anesthesia seems to do something to the hair.  That was even more reassurance.  On rare occasions she has even seen hair grow back that was completely different than before.  Example being someone with straight hair and it comes back curly.  She told me to be patient and give it some time.  It will come back.  With getting it cut short it will look thicker.  As thin as it is, it won't even be noticeable.  

After our hair cuts they blow dried and styled it for us. We both love our new hair.  Between my body constantly changing and my hair cut I look like a whole new person.  This new look goes along with my new lungs and my new life!  On top of all that the feeling of being able to give back was pretty awesome.  I can’t donate blood so being able to do something feels really good.  Hair is not something a lot of people think about.  It is one of those things you tend to take for granted.  I understand that for people who are sick it is the simple things they miss the most.  For children who don't have hair this is one of those things.