Christmas hairstyles.....

It's Christmas morning - not insanely early because unlike many children across the world getting their parents up at 5am, Murphy is completely unaware that Santa has left her a squeaky toy under the tree and she's sound asleep on the deck. I've been awake a little while but quietly lying still thinking about my mates who won't be in quiet households. It's one of those events that parents moan about every year (being woken at some ungodly hour) and then long for when all their kids have matured enough to know the presents will still be there at 9am. Having never had kids, it's only an experience I have dipped into when at my sisters house. With 5 kids and a sister that takes shopping to a whole new level, I have had the occasional pleasure of a sea of brightly coloured wrapping paper over the overstuffed lounge room of toys and games and tinsel. And then of course there is chocolate for breakfast.

I got my Christmas present the minute I woke up and touched my head. A few days ago my hair started falling out. It's a strange and (not wanting to be overly dramatic about it) but in fact quite traumatic experience. It's one I thought I was prepared for and then realised I wasn't. In preparation for the Great Shedding, I had started having shorter and shorter hair cuts. My final style plan was to have Anthony my hairdresser dye my hair platinum blonde and cut it in a Pink the Rockchick haircut. It was my "guess what im still a rockstar and I don't need you" swan song to my cancer. Mature? Probably not but it was going to be fun and an opportunity to do something outrageous before chemo got the final say. And it was all going to plan and I was in fact enjoying my Posh bob, when last Wednesday I taught a spin class and ran my hand through my hair. I had poured water on my head to cool myself down and was simply brushing the droplets from my face back through my hair. However when I pulled my hand back to the bike, I realised it was matted with a fist full of my own hair. It's hard to be horrified AND get 20 people up a hill climb simultaneously. But that's what I did. And it seemed like from that moment on, my hair decided to just give up holding onto my scalp.

So, I canceled the platinum blonde as I figured my hair now needed loads of TLC not peroxide and just got a short pixie style cut. Fortunately for me and again, thanks to the genetic material of Granny Gimbert, I have exceptionally thick hair and so even with the cut, Anthony had to thin out my hair. But boy, in the days since the cut, chemo is working hard to assist in the thinning process! I see a head shave in my very near future.

But I was determined to get to Chistmas with hair and it's exactly what I did. I won't shave my head today as I wouldn't want to associate Christmas from this point on with cancer and that event, but I can almost guarantee it will be very very soon. Murphy on the other hand has been happy with my new hair experience because for the first time in 12 years, I've been completely distracted by my own hair on the floor, in the car, in my food....rather than hers. Its all over soon pal.

So, on Christmas morning I thought it only apt to dedicate this blog to the gift of health and to your hair! To all the beautiful people I have in my life and for those people I now understand read my blog but I've never met, please take a second today to celebrate the gift of your health. It's not something you unwrap on Christmas morning and in fact is not a gift you even spare a moments thought about. Well, not until it has been taken away from you. Our bodies are amazing machines that tell us when things are wrong and work with us to heal when required. They stick by us even when we aren't that good to them. So if you have time today, raise a glass (yes i see the irony) to your body, commit to looking after it in 2012, be grateful for your beautiful hair and celebrate your good health and the health of those you love. Happy Christmas. K xxx