Rapunzel by Amy F.

Amy F. is back with her latest entry of her struggle with chronic illness.  Sometimes it’s the little things you don’t even think about that are truly challenging when you are dealing with illness.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your – holy cow, you’ve got a whole lotta hair!  Most of us have heard the fairy tale about Rapunzel, the beautiful girl locked away in a tower by an enchantress, with her long hair the only means of access to the outside world.  Well, I might not have been locked in a tower, but I did spend enough time with long hospital stays and home recovery that my ability to get a good trim was also few and far between.

Unfortunately, Rapunzel didn’t have the means in her day to benefit others when she was finally able to cut her hair.  These days, we are much luckier to have organizations like “Locks of Love” or Pantene’s “Beautiful Lengths” that are able to take human hair and make it into wigs to help women and children dealing with illnesses that result in hair loss.

Before

The process is quite simple and at the same time, can be quite meaningful when you consider the others that you’re helping with something as simple as getting a haircut.  Both websites contain the requirements for their programs and your stylist should also be able to help you with any other questions.  It takes only ten ponytails to make one wig – imagine how many people Rapunzel could have decked out with her long locks!  And just think, with the warm weather coming up, it’s the perfect time to make a change that can also help others at the same time.

Buh bye 9 inches

In addition to these websites aiding those dealing with hair loss, another wonderful website for cancer patients to look into is www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org.  Their mission is to improve the self-esteem and quality of life of people undergoing treatment for cancer.  They do this through complimentary group, individual, and self-help beauty sessions that create a sense of support, confidence, courage and community.  And cancer or non-cancer patients alike, who couldn’t use a little help in making you look and feel better about yourself? 

Buh bye 9 inches

Now who knows what Rapunzel had to work with to wash those long locks up there in the tower.  She probably ended up with dreadlocks by the time she was released, but I don’t think that the Grimm Brothers had much in the way of Rastafarian culture to refer to back then so I’m sure that her hair was as clean and glossy as the day she entered the tower.

As for those of us stuck in the hospital on IV, trying to clean your hair becomes a bit of an adventure.  I feel like I’ve tried most of the different methods so hopefully my experimentation can help those of you who are going through or may have to go through the same situation.  Or for those friends and/or family members called in to assist.

Typically, if you’re pretty mobile and can be detached from your IV, your nurse will offer to help you wrap your arm and provide you with a glove.  First, the glove looks like it was made for Barney or Big Bird hands so it’s not that easy to work with.  Second, your arm is wrapped with plastic bags or something of the sort and then taped round and round enough to almost cut off the circulation in your arm in the hopes of keeping the water out.  But the trade off is while you might have clean hair, you end up losing your arm hair and skin in the process of removing all of the tape.  Also, while your arm is wrapped, you still need to be pretty careful not to get it near the water so that nothing seeps in by accident.  So basically you end up showering one handed which if you’re bored someday, try it out and see how tricky it becomes. Good times.

I unfortunately, while mobile, was required to be hooked up to my IV 24 hours a day so I didn’t have the luxury of being detached to shower in the stall as described above.  I tried sticking my arm out of the shower door once with the IV pole there in the bathroom, but was close to having to call Noah to build me an ark to get through the flood I made in the bathroom.

So, what’s a patient to do?  After trying it on my own, I sat on a seat in the shower while my nurse’s aide washed my hair with the shower head extension.  This is okay if you have helpful aides with time to spare.  But for the majority who are either too busy with their 20 other patients, changing beds, etc. or off gossiping, this is not really an option.

The next option provided to me was “the shower cap” which at first sounds like a really good resolution.  For those of you who aren’t aware of what this is, I will describe the concept.  However, I am still looking for someone, anyone, who can explain how this thing actually works.  You start with a regular shower cap that is lined with a towel of some sort.  It is heated in the microwave and then you cover your head and hair with it.  Now here’s where it starts to get strange.  While on your head, you scrub around like you’re washing your hair (note – there is no water added at any point, just whatever is in the liner).  Then about half way through, presto chango, it’s now rinsing your hair that when you take off the cap, your hair is supposed to be clean.  HUH?????? Don’t know, don’t get it, used it once and between the odd chemical smell and the greasy hair feel, never again.

I was lucky though, as my Mom stayed with me and helped to wash my hair in the sink salon style.  Great in theory, but hilarious in practice.  Picture this – two women in a bathroom the size of a linen closet.  Then add the shower stall, toilet and sink, my IV pole with two boxes attached on either side of the pole and a chair for me to sit on.  Sitting to be translated into delicately balancing my head in the sink with the chair tilted back and my feet resting on the toilet rim.  Of course this took several efforts to avoid falling flat on my back, cracking my head on the sink or falling into the toilet (or all of the above).  Now imagine my Mom practically playing Twister trying to wash my hair without pulling out any IV lines, tipping me over or ending up drenched while being pinned between the shower stall and sink. 

To aid in the process, the water pitcher included in your complimentary hospital toiletry kit works great for rinsing out your hair.  The black comb however never stood a chance in making a dent in my long wavy hair, but it was a nice reminder of my Grandfather who always used one with his Brill Cream.

In addition to Look Good Feel Better that I mentioned above, there are other options as well that some patients don’t know of or realize are possible.  Some hospitals offer volunteers who will help with grooming and even make-up application to help patients feel a bit more human.  Another option is to speak with your stylist.  I’ve heard of several who make hospital house calls for their clients.  Lastly, companies continue to come out with better dry shampoo options.  These are basically a powder that you rub into your hair and then brush through.  With the dry shampoos, I would recommend that you do a little research first to find one that best suits your individual needs.

Now as for Rapunzel, as all good fairy tales go she escaped the tower and she and her prince lived happily ever after.   As for the rest of us mere mortals, let’s keep on working to help each other as we face our “New Usual” (and find a prince or princess of our own).