Final count for the 'Bald for Brain Tumours' Gig -
*Drum Roll* £1340!!!!!!!!!! (with more to come!)
Not bad for having a bald head for a month :D
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Shock! Horror! Relief....
Of course it had to happen sooner or later. Bad stuff, an MRI scan showing the tumour had increased in size at a couple of key areas 'slightly bigger' than the one taken back in September 2010. Then a letter from a neurosurgeon stating that there had been no change at all and it is best to leave all alone for now.
So lemmie see in the last 2 years I have experienced
Vertigo
Nausia
Unsteady gait
Petit mal seizures
Problems with balance perception
Severe fatigue
Increasing falls
Depression
Loss of job
Loss of career in nursing
Increased lack of concentration
Increased loss of co-ordination i.e. dropping things!
Total disorientation in busy environments, stressful situations or when ill or tired
Increased loss of sensation down the right side of my face
Just how much worse do I have to get before someone zaps the bloody thing dead! On the good side, I did mange to finally raise £1300 for the head shave. Letters of thanks to the two businesses, the lady in the Co Op and to 'The Cornishman' will be sent by the beginning of next week.
Oh, and bloody Google scared the life out of me just now because this blog had disappeared! They say it was due to 'unusual activity' with my account. No it wasn't! Its because they want yer bleedin' phone number for 'verification'! I've had to comply because there's too much here to tell 'em to go fly.
So lemmie see in the last 2 years I have experienced
Vertigo
Nausia
Unsteady gait
Petit mal seizures
Problems with balance perception
Severe fatigue
Increasing falls
Depression
Loss of job
Loss of career in nursing
Increased lack of concentration
Increased loss of co-ordination i.e. dropping things!
Total disorientation in busy environments, stressful situations or when ill or tired
Increased loss of sensation down the right side of my face
Just how much worse do I have to get before someone zaps the bloody thing dead! On the good side, I did mange to finally raise £1300 for the head shave. Letters of thanks to the two businesses, the lady in the Co Op and to 'The Cornishman' will be sent by the beginning of next week.
Oh, and bloody Google scared the life out of me just now because this blog had disappeared! They say it was due to 'unusual activity' with my account. No it wasn't! Its because they want yer bleedin' phone number for 'verification'! I've had to comply because there's too much here to tell 'em to go fly.
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Ok, so a month has passed....
Ok, so I was meant to update more often about the fund raising activities with me bald pate through March! Essentially what I would have recorded was the reactions of people on seeing a bald headed female. I was expecting to encounter negativity, but basically there wasn't any! Apart from a couple of friends who are assuming I am loosing my marbles because of my bt - when I had probably lost them years ago! ;-) - everyone I have encountered have been so supporting, curious and wanting to know more with so much wider community support as well, which has left me feeling very humble indeed! The only funny thing is that occasionally, I would be mistaken for a 'bloke' as from the back I do look a bit like a 'Phil Mitchell from'Eastenders' mini-me. I have promised my husband faithfully that I will grow my hair back, as the poor man is stuck with a wife that looks more butch than he does for the moment!
I was expecting about maybe £500 or so in the way of donations, but as of today *drum roll* the amount raised so far is £1131.51!!! Just over half of that was donated online via www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson for Brain Tumour UK and the other by cash donation/sponsorship for Meningioma UK. I'm going to wait another week for the other cash donations to come in before sending off the dosh to Meningioma, and will hope this will reach about £1200 or so. If the difference between the two isn't too horrendous, then I will even up the totals between the two so both charities will get more or less an equal amount.
As from April 1st, I have stopped shaving but currently am encountering something called 'velcro head' as the stubble tends to stick on things like pillows etc!
To be honest, having a bald head is quite liberating in the sense, there's been no dandruff, no hair being caught up in various bits and bobs, no shampoo or hairdressing expenses etc to worry about. However, it does mean close shaving your head every other day (not daily as that can make the scalp too sore) and making sure that when you do, your scalp is properly prepared otherwise you end up giving yourself self imposed plastic surgery!
So the guide to the bald head is -
1. Get your hair as cut and clipped as close to the scalp as possible on first go. Depending on whether you want fuzz or a smooth head, be perpared to use a razor to finish off the process.
2. The best way for me to maintain the shave, was to do this while showering, so the head and fuzz can be well mosistened, and the bristles softened. Use a good quality shaving gel too and evenly coat your head with this, leaving for a minute or so to soak in before applying the razor.
3. Also ensure you use a good quality razor, I prefer the 2-3 blade type and buy in packs of 5 or 10. When you do start to shave, do so starting around the edge of the hairline and gradually aiming towards the middle of the head. Small strokes are better. Keep doing this until you feel the scalp is smooth.
4. At the end, run your hand over the scalp again to feel if there are any patches left, as this can feel quite rough, trying to note which direction the hair is growing when shaving. At the risk of getting ire from grooming specialists etc, I shaved against the grain as I found this gave me a closer cut.
5. Some areas that can be problematical are the back of the neck, the hairline behind the ears and over any sensitive spots as well. Be gentle and as said before, don't hurry the process so to avoid nicks etc, or ingrowing hair. Make sure the razor you use is fresh and sharp.
6. Pat dry your head after rinsing, then moisturise afterwards, as the scalp can be quite dry, especially if you have to wear a hat which I did for most days, as it can be bleedin' cold in Penzance in March! Also, on sunny days, make sure at least Factor 60 sunscreen gets slapped on liberally and be perpared to wear a hat if necessary to protect the skin even further.
The only downside to this past week is that I had to go to my GP for my scan results as I had not heard anything at all after a month. The report came back as 'the tumour is moderately bigger than in October 2010'. Now I have no idea what that means in terms of actual size, rate of increase etc, but certainly it is pushing its way up into the temporal lobe, hence the small petit mal seizures I am getting plus impacting the right trigeminal nerve, which is why I am starting to get numb patches on the right side of my face. Sometimes, I cannot feel the right side of my top lip and there is tingling etc. The loss of sensation is becoming more noticable as time goes on and is extending to the gums underneath and now down on to the right side of my chin. I also find I am more tired and activities will knock the stuffing out of me if I overdo it or not plan carefully how much I do.
Ah well, as they say, C'est la vie.
Brain Tumour Awareness runs throughout March of each year in the UK. The internationational colour is gey.
www.braintumouruk.org.uk
www.meningiomauk.org.
www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson.
In memory of Veronica Head.
As from April 1st, I have stopped shaving but currently am encountering something called 'velcro head' as the stubble tends to stick on things like pillows etc!
To be honest, having a bald head is quite liberating in the sense, there's been no dandruff, no hair being caught up in various bits and bobs, no shampoo or hairdressing expenses etc to worry about. However, it does mean close shaving your head every other day (not daily as that can make the scalp too sore) and making sure that when you do, your scalp is properly prepared otherwise you end up giving yourself self imposed plastic surgery!
So the guide to the bald head is -
1. Get your hair as cut and clipped as close to the scalp as possible on first go. Depending on whether you want fuzz or a smooth head, be perpared to use a razor to finish off the process.
2. The best way for me to maintain the shave, was to do this while showering, so the head and fuzz can be well mosistened, and the bristles softened. Use a good quality shaving gel too and evenly coat your head with this, leaving for a minute or so to soak in before applying the razor.
3. Also ensure you use a good quality razor, I prefer the 2-3 blade type and buy in packs of 5 or 10. When you do start to shave, do so starting around the edge of the hairline and gradually aiming towards the middle of the head. Small strokes are better. Keep doing this until you feel the scalp is smooth.
4. At the end, run your hand over the scalp again to feel if there are any patches left, as this can feel quite rough, trying to note which direction the hair is growing when shaving. At the risk of getting ire from grooming specialists etc, I shaved against the grain as I found this gave me a closer cut.
5. Some areas that can be problematical are the back of the neck, the hairline behind the ears and over any sensitive spots as well. Be gentle and as said before, don't hurry the process so to avoid nicks etc, or ingrowing hair. Make sure the razor you use is fresh and sharp.
6. Pat dry your head after rinsing, then moisturise afterwards, as the scalp can be quite dry, especially if you have to wear a hat which I did for most days, as it can be bleedin' cold in Penzance in March! Also, on sunny days, make sure at least Factor 60 sunscreen gets slapped on liberally and be perpared to wear a hat if necessary to protect the skin even further.
The only downside to this past week is that I had to go to my GP for my scan results as I had not heard anything at all after a month. The report came back as 'the tumour is moderately bigger than in October 2010'. Now I have no idea what that means in terms of actual size, rate of increase etc, but certainly it is pushing its way up into the temporal lobe, hence the small petit mal seizures I am getting plus impacting the right trigeminal nerve, which is why I am starting to get numb patches on the right side of my face. Sometimes, I cannot feel the right side of my top lip and there is tingling etc. The loss of sensation is becoming more noticable as time goes on and is extending to the gums underneath and now down on to the right side of my chin. I also find I am more tired and activities will knock the stuffing out of me if I overdo it or not plan carefully how much I do.
Ah well, as they say, C'est la vie.
Brain Tumour Awareness runs throughout March of each year in the UK. The internationational colour is gey.
www.braintumouruk.org.uk
www.meningiomauk.org.
www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson.
In memory of Veronica Head.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Another good day! :D
This a copy of my entry in to Facebook today, It says it all really! :)
Wow! £240 raised already via my justgiving.com page! Btw my knee is improving, I can weight bear on it although still hobbling and chewing ibuprofen! Also discovering the joys of a sore head if one overscrapes with the razor! Been slapping Aloe Vera gel on which is very soothing but even when it dries, it leaves my head feeling as it's damp! Keep spreading the word!
*Hugs* again to all of you for your lovely messages of support and of course, your donations! ♥ ♥ ♥
Facebook Friend No. 1 - Shea butter's really good. I use this one after shaving my legs, even though it's sold as hand cream. Looks expensive but a tiny bit goes a long way. https://www.lush.co.uk/product/187/Handy-Gurugu-Hand-Cream
Handy Gurugu Hand Cream
www.lush.co.uk
Facebook Friend No. 2 ouchers... especially the sore head from razor x
Me - (To Facebook Friend No. 1) Didn't think about that. I have some Bodyshop Shea butter stashed away somewhere around here. The Aloe Vera does soothe very quickly though but the Shea will be a good moisturiser. Bald head or no, dandruff will still be a problem for a bit...LOL!
Me - (To Facebook Friend No. 1) Yeah, I knida thought I had better ease off a bit when I felt my head almost catch fire...LOL!! I'm having a tough job trying to find a suitable razor that doesn't cost the same as my house! The disposable ones are ok but I find the tiny little narrow ones are useless! You have to shave in little scrapes otherwise the blade just passes over the stubble.
Anyway, I've remembered how to add piccys, so below are some of the day itself!
The gorgeous chap in the *ahem* 'aquired' blue scrubs, is my darling husband Dave. :)
Wow! £240 raised already via my justgiving.com page! Btw my knee is improving, I can weight bear on it although still hobbling and chewing ibuprofen! Also discovering the joys of a sore head if one overscrapes with the razor! Been slapping Aloe Vera gel on which is very soothing but even when it dries, it leaves my head feeling as it's damp! Keep spreading the word!
*Hugs* again to all of you for your lovely messages of support and of course, your donations! ♥ ♥ ♥
Facebook Friend No. 1 - Shea butter's really good. I use this one after shaving my legs, even though it's sold as hand cream. Looks expensive but a tiny bit goes a long way. https://www.lush.co.uk/product/187/Handy-Gurugu-Hand-Cream
Handy Gurugu Hand Cream
www.lush.co.uk
Facebook Friend No. 2 ouchers... especially the sore head from razor x
Me - (To Facebook Friend No. 1) Didn't think about that. I have some Bodyshop Shea butter stashed away somewhere around here. The Aloe Vera does soothe very quickly though but the Shea will be a good moisturiser. Bald head or no, dandruff will still be a problem for a bit...LOL!
Me - (To Facebook Friend No. 1) Yeah, I knida thought I had better ease off a bit when I felt my head almost catch fire...LOL!! I'm having a tough job trying to find a suitable razor that doesn't cost the same as my house! The disposable ones are ok but I find the tiny little narrow ones are useless! You have to shave in little scrapes otherwise the blade just passes over the stubble.
Anyway, I've remembered how to add piccys, so below are some of the day itself!
The gorgeous chap in the *ahem* 'aquired' blue scrubs, is my darling husband Dave. :)
Friday, 2 March 2012
Day after the Storm!
Hi all,
Have awoken with all aches and pains this morning. Unfortunately, I had a tumble last night at home injuring my left knee. I've twisted it which means I've pulled some ligaments and am now hobbling for the moment. So quiet day today and staying off that leg as much as possible! Another £10 was donated online last night, bringing the total so far for Brain Tumour UK to £220. I've got £77 in cash at home with hopefully more coming in sponsorship over the next month. The cash donations will be going to Meningioma UK.
A newly shaved head feels weird, as if I have a wet cap on my head! I did the last bit of the shave last night, getting rid of the remaining stubble and must remember to do this every couple of days or so, after a shower preferably, so the scalp won't be too irritated. I have some Aloe Vera gel from the local 'Holland and Barratts' and put some on last night. I have Nivea moisturiser as well as a 'Dalek' woolly hat made by a friend in the USA to keep my head warm.
So not much to say at the moment. I'll find somewhere to upload the piccys of the shave as I can't seem to include them into the body of this entry. Or I might try to copy and paste from my Facebook page. We'll see how that goes.
www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson for my Just Giving page where donations will go to Brain Tumour UK.
Brain Tumour UK at www.braintumouruk.org.uk
Meningioma UK at www.meningiomauk.org
Have awoken with all aches and pains this morning. Unfortunately, I had a tumble last night at home injuring my left knee. I've twisted it which means I've pulled some ligaments and am now hobbling for the moment. So quiet day today and staying off that leg as much as possible! Another £10 was donated online last night, bringing the total so far for Brain Tumour UK to £220. I've got £77 in cash at home with hopefully more coming in sponsorship over the next month. The cash donations will be going to Meningioma UK.
A newly shaved head feels weird, as if I have a wet cap on my head! I did the last bit of the shave last night, getting rid of the remaining stubble and must remember to do this every couple of days or so, after a shower preferably, so the scalp won't be too irritated. I have some Aloe Vera gel from the local 'Holland and Barratts' and put some on last night. I have Nivea moisturiser as well as a 'Dalek' woolly hat made by a friend in the USA to keep my head warm.
So not much to say at the moment. I'll find somewhere to upload the piccys of the shave as I can't seem to include them into the body of this entry. Or I might try to copy and paste from my Facebook page. We'll see how that goes.
www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson for my Just Giving page where donations will go to Brain Tumour UK.
Brain Tumour UK at www.braintumouruk.org.uk
Meningioma UK at www.meningiomauk.org
Thursday, 1 March 2012
I've been scalped!
Well we finally got it done! My dear husband Dave showed his courage colours today by cutting and then clipping my hair as far as he could down to the scalp. He did try to finish off the shave but the razors I bought were really next to useless! It did attract a fair amount of attention but sadly those who were supposed to show and give support did not arrive. I guess they were all busy.
Anyway, the London Inn is a pub that is situated at the bottom end of Causeway Head and holds a lot of history for Dave and I. It's where he proposed to me for a start 25 years ago! The landlady very kindly offered the pub as a venue and put on sandwiches and some quiche for snacks. As I am on a Slimming World plan I kept to 4 ham sandwiches, cherry tomatoes and lettuce! The regulars in there joined in with one called Major asking Dave for a crop as well! Dave duly obliged him after my shave.
An interesting point to the afternoon were two young women who had no idea what was happening and looked horrified at what was unfolding in front of them. The looks of horror and disbelief soon gave way to facination as my grey hair came off my head in piles. Dave did a fantastic job but the final shave with a razor and shaving gel didn't go quite according to plan, as the single use razors didn't seem to be making a dent on the left over bristle. One of the other customers who had worked as a hair dresser helped out a little later, showing her prowess with electric clippers and managed to get a closer cut. I will try to get a closer shave later as maybe the head needs to be wetter, so the stubble can be shaved off more easily. This I'll have to try and do as I can feel how close the razor is for starters. Dave was a bit worried that he might hurt me. But God Bless that man because there wasn't even so much as a microscopic nick to the skin! Not bad at all for someone before today, hadn't shaved anything but the skin around his 'tache!
I decided to have a bit of fun as well, so dressed up to look like the comedian Al Murray's character 'The Pub Landlord' which added to my very 'East'enner's' appearance. It is a bit unsettling though to see how masculine I actually do look!
So far, I have raised over £210 online and hope to match that in cash donations but even if I don't manage to raise another penny, it will have been worth it. But this is only the beginning as I have the whole month of March to keep me pate bald!
Brain Tumour Awareness month, March 2012 in the UK. Please continue to show your support *Hugs*.
Anyway, the London Inn is a pub that is situated at the bottom end of Causeway Head and holds a lot of history for Dave and I. It's where he proposed to me for a start 25 years ago! The landlady very kindly offered the pub as a venue and put on sandwiches and some quiche for snacks. As I am on a Slimming World plan I kept to 4 ham sandwiches, cherry tomatoes and lettuce! The regulars in there joined in with one called Major asking Dave for a crop as well! Dave duly obliged him after my shave.
An interesting point to the afternoon were two young women who had no idea what was happening and looked horrified at what was unfolding in front of them. The looks of horror and disbelief soon gave way to facination as my grey hair came off my head in piles. Dave did a fantastic job but the final shave with a razor and shaving gel didn't go quite according to plan, as the single use razors didn't seem to be making a dent on the left over bristle. One of the other customers who had worked as a hair dresser helped out a little later, showing her prowess with electric clippers and managed to get a closer cut. I will try to get a closer shave later as maybe the head needs to be wetter, so the stubble can be shaved off more easily. This I'll have to try and do as I can feel how close the razor is for starters. Dave was a bit worried that he might hurt me. But God Bless that man because there wasn't even so much as a microscopic nick to the skin! Not bad at all for someone before today, hadn't shaved anything but the skin around his 'tache!
I decided to have a bit of fun as well, so dressed up to look like the comedian Al Murray's character 'The Pub Landlord' which added to my very 'East'enner's' appearance. It is a bit unsettling though to see how masculine I actually do look!
So far, I have raised over £210 online and hope to match that in cash donations but even if I don't manage to raise another penny, it will have been worth it. But this is only the beginning as I have the whole month of March to keep me pate bald!
Brain Tumour Awareness month, March 2012 in the UK. Please continue to show your support *Hugs*.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Newsworthy...
Made the local newspaper recently about my proposed head shave due to take place this Thursday (1st March 2012)
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Heather-s-going-bald-headed-charity-venture/story-15244294-detail/story.html
Heather's going bald-headed at charity venture
Trusted article source icon
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Profile image for The Cornishman
The Cornishman
A FORMER nurse diagnosed with a brain tumour is taking part in a hair-raising event to raise awareness of the condition and its effect on sufferers.
Heather Taylor-Nicholson had to give up a 32-year nursing career after the benign growth was discovered 15 months ago.
Now she is allowing husband David to shave off her shoulder-length hair to raise money for the charities Brain Tumour UK and Meningioma UK.
"The diagnosis had a devastating effect on my life," said Mrs Taylor-Nicholson, 51, from Penzance.
She now has to battle mobility problems and seizures, walks with a stick and endures bouts of fatigue.
"Going out can be terrifying, especially with crowds, with people rushing around you or who don't seem to know you're there," she said.
"My biggest fear is that I'll fall on someone – children especially – or be knocked down, as I can't move out of the way quickly. I have to think about every step, every action and be constantly aware of my surroundings, which is both exhausting and depressing."
One of the main reasons for the head-shave is to highlight the fallout a tumour can have on a person's whole life.
Mrs Taylor-Nicholson has vowed to keep her head shaved throughout March, Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
"As anyone with a chronic, long-term or critical illness will tell you, often the impact an illness can have on day-to-day living and expenses can be every bit as devastating as the illness itself," she said.
"Some will be treated successfully fairly quickly but most will have a long-drawn- out experience of anxiety, frustration, impact on family life and employment, having to battle for financial support in the form of benefits, as well as the travel involved if they're not near a neuro-oncology centre."
She is due to undergo another MRI scan at the end of February to see if there are any changes to the meningioma and whether treatment needs to be started.
The head-shave is set to take place on Thursday, March 1, at 3pm at the London Inn, Causewayhead, Penzance, where her husband is a regular.
For more information and to support Mrs Taylor-Nicholson, visit the website www.braintumouruk.org.uk or her Just Giving fundraising page which can be found at www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson
Sponsor forms are also available at the Market Plaice Fish Bar, the Farmer's Arms and the London Inn, all in Causewayhead.
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Heather-s-going-bald-headed-charity-venture/story-15244294-detail/story.html
Heather's going bald-headed at charity venture
Trusted article source icon
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Profile image for The Cornishman
The Cornishman
A FORMER nurse diagnosed with a brain tumour is taking part in a hair-raising event to raise awareness of the condition and its effect on sufferers.
Heather Taylor-Nicholson had to give up a 32-year nursing career after the benign growth was discovered 15 months ago.
Now she is allowing husband David to shave off her shoulder-length hair to raise money for the charities Brain Tumour UK and Meningioma UK.
"The diagnosis had a devastating effect on my life," said Mrs Taylor-Nicholson, 51, from Penzance.
She now has to battle mobility problems and seizures, walks with a stick and endures bouts of fatigue.
"Going out can be terrifying, especially with crowds, with people rushing around you or who don't seem to know you're there," she said.
"My biggest fear is that I'll fall on someone – children especially – or be knocked down, as I can't move out of the way quickly. I have to think about every step, every action and be constantly aware of my surroundings, which is both exhausting and depressing."
One of the main reasons for the head-shave is to highlight the fallout a tumour can have on a person's whole life.
Mrs Taylor-Nicholson has vowed to keep her head shaved throughout March, Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
"As anyone with a chronic, long-term or critical illness will tell you, often the impact an illness can have on day-to-day living and expenses can be every bit as devastating as the illness itself," she said.
"Some will be treated successfully fairly quickly but most will have a long-drawn- out experience of anxiety, frustration, impact on family life and employment, having to battle for financial support in the form of benefits, as well as the travel involved if they're not near a neuro-oncology centre."
She is due to undergo another MRI scan at the end of February to see if there are any changes to the meningioma and whether treatment needs to be started.
The head-shave is set to take place on Thursday, March 1, at 3pm at the London Inn, Causewayhead, Penzance, where her husband is a regular.
For more information and to support Mrs Taylor-Nicholson, visit the website www.braintumouruk.org.uk or her Just Giving fundraising page which can be found at www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson
Sponsor forms are also available at the Market Plaice Fish Bar, the Farmer's Arms and the London Inn, all in Causewayhead.
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