Hair Growth Update - March

Since I took the last bits of my hair off at the end of September, I have been religiously using Lee Stafford's Hair Growth products - Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment Pot (which you can read about *here*) and I have to say I think that my hair is doing well! I am beginning to accept the fact that it won't grow back to waist length overnight, however, it is doing the best it can with the help of Lee's products.

As you can see from the photos, it is growing back thicker and with a bit of a curl. Pre-cancer my hair was a light shade of brown (also known as mousey brown) and completely straight, if I wanted the slightest bit of volume in it I had to back comb it like crazy and hairspray the life out of it.. now it's not only started growing back darker, it is also thicker and slightly curly/ wavy. It's completely out of control! Ha! If I want to tame it I have to wash it every night to keep it more or less flattened down. In my 'March' photos I'd washed my hair a couple of days before and as you can see, I've got a nice little quiff going on and it's also gone curlier at the back. The longer you don't wash it for, the crazier it gets!
My Dad was the first one to say, "You never know, you might have a massive afro!" Which my younger sister found extremely funny and then spent a couple of minutes drawing a picture of me with a mass of curly hair on my head... brilliant!

I'm not entirely sure as my hair gets longer if it will continue to be as wavy as it is now, or if the weight of the hair as it grows will eventually straighten it out a bit... I'll have to wait and see!

For anyone who has lost their hair, whether it has been due to chemo or not, I would definitely recommend that when it starts to grow back you get some of these products in stock, as not only do they smell nice, they work wonders for your hair in helping it to grow back. Obviously, like I said in my previous hair post, I don't know how quickly hair should grow from scratch, but I personally think that these products are definitely making a difference to my hair growth and I would 100% recommend them to anybody trying to grow their hair longer. You can either buy it online at Boots or in store.

One Crazy Week - In The News!

So this week has been absolutely crazy! At the end of February a couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by the lovely Harriet from SWNS news. They're the UK's largest press agency and Harriet had happened to come across my blog and contacted me on twitter saying she wanted to do a piece on it as she thought it might get interest from others who might be in the same situation. So after several phone calls with Harriet, she'd got all the information she needed and I sent her some photos from my blog, as well as photos of me before and after treatment.

Harriet then pitched my story to the papers and it was picked up and published online at the beginning of last week. I was getting emails and telephone calls from lots of different people wanting to know about my blog and my cancer diagnosis, having interviews on the radio and a reporter and cameraman for BBC South East came round late Wednesday afternoon to interview me... Friday lunchtime and Friday evening I was shown on the local news. It's been completely bizarre! However I am extremely thankful for the exposure my blog and 'My Cancer Story' has had over the past week and all the emails I've received, from people who have also been diagnosed with cancer, to those who have been touched by my story. Thank you for your kind messages and I hope that my blog posts on 'Dealing With Cancer' have made a difference to those reading, even if it's just one person.

Below are the links that will take you to my story featured in different newspaper articles online:
The Mail Online
The Argus
The Huffington Post
Kent & Sussex Courier
The Sun
BBC News Sussex

I did a pre-recorded radio interview with Bright FM and spoke to a journalist from the Sussex Express just the other day. I'll also be featured in a Women's magazine later in the month, but I'm not sure when these will pop up, so I'll let you know when I know!

Thank you again for all the support and lovely messages I have received, I am very grateful that my story has had such a positive reaction, so thank you.

To Wig or Not To Wig?

A couple of weeks ago, my Dad and I made the long 5 hour car journey back up to Aberystwyth where I was at uni (and will be returning to in September for my final year) so that I could spend several days seeing my lovely friends, some of whom I hadn't seen since before I was diagnosed last year in June 2013! Which was mainly down to me not wanting to see anybody when I wasn't well. It wasn't that they weren't my friends and couldn't be bothered to come and see me, it was simply because I didn't feel like seeing or talking to anyone. I shut myself off from my friends for a while. I didn't tell them when I was first diagnosed  in June, only a few people knew as my Mum had passed on a message I wasn't well, the majority of my friends found out a month later in July when I dropped it into conversation. This may sound strange. Why wouldn't I tell my friends straight away? Some of whom I've known for years and years. Honestly? I don't think I accepted the whole situation for a while. I was there in hospital, having blood and platelets being pumped into me quite intensively during the first several weeks and it was almost like I was looking down on myself watching all of this going on around me. It took me a while to actually register what was going on.

So when I went up to Aberystwyth, I took my trusty wig along which I got from Trendco in Hove, (you can read all about my lovely wig *here*) as I was very aware of the fact that when I last saw the majority of my friends, I had had lovely long hair that reached almost half way down my back.

I arrived at my friends house (where I should also have been living this year) in my wig and it was really lovely to see everybody again! I braved it the next couple of days and didn't wear my wig, as we mainly stayed in catching up, or wandered around town for a bit. Nothing major. Then came Friday night. Two of my friends were celebrating their birthday in town (which I did know about, as that was one of the reasons I had gone up to Aberystwyth in the first place.) The theme was to dress as something beginning with either a G or a T, so my friend and I went as two tigers. After I'd done makeup on a couple of my friends, I started getting ready, the panic had already set in, what was I so worried about? Should I wear my wig? Shouldn't I wear my wig? Some people won't be aware of what I've been through, what will they say? Will they shout abuse at me? Will they make a passing comment about the girl with really short hair? Why is it so short, did she do a Miley and shave it off and it's only just growing back? She had such nice hair before, what has she done to herself? The questions and the nasty comments that could potentially be said kept popping up in my head. I was panicking, it was the first time I was going out since June and I couldn't stop this chain of negative thoughts that I thought other people would be thinking too when they saw me.

I had to put on my wig.

I wanted a night of normality, I wanted a night where I could go out with my friends like I used to, like any 21 year old would want to and just have fun. The line 'I feel more comfortable with my wig on' came out of me as I was getting ready and they were fine with that. They didn't ask me any questions, or why, (which I was glad about because honestly, I think I would have started crying.) They simple said if that's what makes you comfortable then that's fine with us. I have the best bunch of friends.

Me, Courtney and Frankie, ready for our night out. ❤

So I went out and I had a lovely final night in Aber. Going back to Aberystwyth made me realise a few things. It made me realise that when you've been through so much and you've been told you're in remission and in the all clear you want life to snap back to normal, how it used to be. But you know what? It won't and it doesn't. Looking at myself each day in the mirror is a constant reminder, I see my short, boyish hair and remember how it all fell it. I can picture it very clearly. Clumps falling from my head to the floor. Masses of hair getting stuck in my hair brush... even my Dad scooping handfuls worth of hair up off the bathroom floor and telling me it'll grow back. He's right, it does grow back. But that doesn't mean it makes it any easier.

My life won't snap back to normal, physically yes, I'm doing so much better than I was and I am in remission and so far in the all clear. But mentally, it takes its toll. There will always be the memories, the little things you see or do on a daily basis that will trigger flashbacks to lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines. I'm sure one day in several years time, it will be back to it's lovely length, but for now I have my trusty wig for those days when I don't want to think about what's happened, or thinking about it becomes all too much. I'm incredibly thankful for the doctors and nurses who have helped me this far and will continue to help me and I am also thankful for my amazing bunch of wonderfully supportive friends.

March Must Haves - Skincare

When I was having treatment, one thing that happened to my skin was that it became very dry, I still have patches of dry skin where I didn't really bother to moisturise as much, such as on my back and my shoulders, but other than those few places, my skin has recovered pretty well from this dryness thanks to daily moisturising.

My skin has always been sensitive and my face is no exception. Because of this I only use products that are kind to my skin and that aren't going to dry it out too much, so let me introduce you to my 'March Must Haves!' First up, my beloved Simple products which I use on a daily basis, morning and evening.

Cleansing/ Facial Wipes
At the moment I have two different packs of Simple's wipes. The 'Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes' and the 'Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes.' Both of these packs of wipes will take off all your makeup, including waterproof mascara, (you might have to wipe over it several times) but it will bring it off! They're quick and easy to use if you're in a hurry and you can even carry them round in your handbag if you need to freshen up a bare face during the day.

Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise!

Simple Kind to Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion
This is a perfect cleansing lotion for dry skin, it's soft and creamy and you can see it taking away dirt from your skin and you can feel it softening the skin at the same time. All you need to do is apply to cotton wool or a cotton pad and gently cleanse your face with it by wiping over your skin!

Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner
With a similar application to the Cleansing Lotion, apply the toner onto cotton wool or a cotton pad and wipe over your face. It instantly refreshes and if you've missed any makeup or bits of skin with your Cleansing Lotion this will cover them. You can feel it working on your face and it does leave it looking slightly brighter and feeling refreshed!

Simple King to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser
Finally, once I've cleansed and toned, I follow it up with a moisturiser, because my skin (especially my T-Zone) does tend to got quite dry if I don't moisturise every day.
You can apply this using cotton wool or a cotton pad, but I prefer to use my fingers and then you can really massage the moisturiser into your skin. It moisturises your skin and it smells lovely too!

I use these three products together twice a day - morning and evening and they definitely help in keeping my skin clear, refreshed and moisturised!

Finally, you'll see in my picture that Garnier has wriggled its way into my Simple dominated photo! Sneaky, but in this case, it's definitely allowed!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
I only got this product the other day, but it has already worked itself into my skincare routine. At the moment, I'm using it before I start with my Simple products routine, just as a quick freshen up and also during the day if I have no makeup on and fancy refreshing my skin quickly.

I have seen rave reviews about this new miracle cleansing water and at the moment I can't fault it! Garnier claim this product 'removes makeup + cleanses + soothes' with no need for rinsing your face off afterwards... and you know what? They're right! There is no need to rinse after and it definitely does all of the above. I religiously wear waterproof mascara and it does a very good job of getting all of that off, it also leaves your skin feeling fresh and smooth. You apply it to cotton wool or a cotton pad and then wipe over the skin. It's as easy as that!

I love my Simple products and the new Garnier Micellar Water has definitely slotted its way quickly into my skincare routine. I'd recommend all these products, especially if you have dry skin and are looking to keep it refreshed, clearer and moisturised.

You can find all the above products mentioned in Superdrug, which you can also shop at online *here!*