Wigs

For fun and for reason - I went wig shopping again!  I'm so glad my sister took me wig shopping when she did. We didn't buy anything that day, but we found a shop and we found where some listed shops weren't, saving me time now that the time has come.

My hair has mostly fallen out by now, and it's been a strain to adjust, but it isn't the worst thing in the world. Scarves and hats are fine, but awkward.It is hard to feel normal in something that never has been normal to you. And I need to look normal once in a while - like a school function!  So, I took my little buddy Charlie and we went to a wig shop.  I went to one that I didn't go to before, but it has good reviews. Charlie and I found it ok, so we went in. It was kind of a classy joint, might be good!

First thing Charlie saw was a small dish of peppermint candies by the cash register. Next thing you know he had peppermint drool all over his face and neck, his hands were covered in sticky drips all the way up to his elbows!  We had to leave the store and go to the car to wash him off with baby wipes.  No more candies.

Back in we went.  He wanted his shoes off; he was actually wearing Libby's flip flops and they were hurting his toes.  I tried on a couple of wigs. They were nice, but highly priced. The lady helping me was a complainer too!  She said "oh, a chemo patient. I have to clean the wigs after you try them on because you are a chemo patient. I have to spray them and shake them off."  Well, do what you have to do. I don't mind.

Then Charlie had to go potty. He told the lady, "When I hold my weenie like dis, it means I haffta go potty right now!"  She offered to take him and I told her he can do it by himself he just needs to know where the bathroom is.  He did just fine on his own. Whew!  He's so funny! I really liked one wig that I had tried on. She had already sprayed and  shaken it and put it back and I asked her to bring it out again and she was a little annoyed, but I ignored that. I'm bothering her with my chemo head and my little grandson, but this is wig shopping and this is her job to help me.

I loved one wig!  It was $279 though.  That's a lot of money and it was synthetic hair, like a Barbie doll, so I don't think that's a good price. Maybe it is, but that's a lot of money!  I told her I love it and I'll think about it. She wasn't too happy that I left without making a purchase but she let me know that she wouldn't hold it for me unless I put down a deposit.  No thanks, no deposit. Thank you.

 Then I needed to take Charlie back and get the girls instead. Time to swap kids. The girls had a ride home from school, so I went home to make sure all was well and swap kids. Pretty sure Charlie had enough of my wig shopping anyway.

The girls and I went to the same shop where Pat took me. Easy to find and it had several wigs, that really weren't all that different in style than the expensive shop. I don't remember this shop being over $200 per wig neither. Seems they were more reasonable. And, they were. I tried on lots of wigs here! The lady was so nice and very helpful. She just said not to put the wigs back by myself because I'm a chemo patient, so she has to spray the wig before she puts it back.  Ah, ok.  At least she wasn't a jerk about it.

I tried on the wig that I liked when I went in with my sister. It looked much better on the manikin! I tried on a bunch of wigs. Gracie really wanted me to get a clown wig, but I nixed that idea pretty fast.  Libby wanted hair clips for herself, she didn't care about wigs at all. I finally narrowed it down to a natural looking one that was similar to the $279 wig in the other shop and a blondish one that looked light and summery, but was a nice length.  The brown one was a wee bit shorter than I really liked.  So, length won over color and I purchased the blondy wig for $52. Pictured in the lower right. That's a lot better than the other shop and now I have hair!

I was loving it!  The girls thought it was great too!  Lexie thought it looked really good on me.  And then Keith got home and immediately snubbed it.  He didn't like it at all! He said it looked funny and fake and really not me. Now normally, I wouldn't care too much what he thinks, but he's an honest guy and if he thinks it looks fake and funny, then I'm pretty sure others will too.  Lexie thought it looked great, but I don't know. Now I was confused and upset.

Hair loss is a lot more emotional than I anticipated.  I really didn't think it would bother me so very much!  I already purchased it so it's mine. Maybe I'll go back and get the brown wig too, not the expensive one but the one from this same shop.  It was $135.  I decided that's what I will do.  Then I could be happy wearing my blond hair to the park and the beach and wear the brown one when Keith takes me out to dinner. That will work. Two sets of hair.  Yes!

The next day I took the girls to school wearing my blond wig and it all went well.  They had a school function in the afternoon that I needed to attend, so I wore the wig to that. I think it went well. A couple of people noticed my new cut and color. I don't know if they really knew it was a wig or not, but that's ok. I felt normal enough. Although, I felt very self conscious about it too. At least I could walk around and visit with people without feeling like a banner for chemo.  It's this or a slippery scarf or a hat, very obvious!

After the school party, I took the girls and we went to Michelle's Place for a wig.  I didn't think I would be able to do that this week since I was told to only go on Thursday afternoons for a wig and I wasn't going to have time. Luckily, we had time and so we went.

Wouldn't  you know it, I could go anytime to get a wig there!  And the lady was very helpful! She didn't shake and spray off the wigs, just had me wear a wig cap before putting any on and I kept the little cap. It's just a nylon, like a ankle sock that I squeezed onto my head instead of wearing on my foot. No biggie. I'm not contagious. Then I tried on wigs!

The girls went to the kids' room to play with toys and I went into the salon room to try on wigs. They have scads of them, all folded up in drawers though, so it's hard to see what's what. You just have to pull them out and look at them.  They are sorted by color and I had already decided no blond wigs, but I wanted to try on a white one just to send Keith a photo and scare him a bit.  I did.  It was hilarious! And I looked a lot like my mother. Whoa!

I did try on one blonde one because it was a nice longer length and I wanted to feel how that would be. While I tried that one on, the lady helping me tried to find a brown one like it.  I didn't like it and she didn't find one except in jet black, so that was out.

She had me try on a cute short one with a couple of red streaks down the side. It was really cute and  young looking but I really felt like I'd have to learn to play guitar in a rock band if I wore it much longer. It's the one pictured on the lower left.  The middle left, that was supposed to look pretty good according to the tag on it, but I just look like a drunk!  I could wear it out and about, but I'd look like I'd been out and about a lot!

And then we found the one pictured in the lower right.  Perfect! The color is great, the length is perfect and I loved it! Even better than the $279 wig at the other shop!  I went to show the girls and Gracie said, "Mom, you look like you!"  Done.  That's the wig for me!  I walked out  wearing it and feeling great!

Since the girls were so good, I took them to the park to run off some energy and I could sit and feel my new wig on my head.  The park was crazy crowded though, and by chance, my friend sent me a text and said she was at a different park. I grabbed up the girls and met her there. I wanted to show her my new hair.  We got to the park and I immediately felt weird about it. Mostly because my friend knows me very well and she'll surely see that it's a wig, but that's good because I trust her and she'll be wonderfully honest, but she was hanging out with someone I didn't really know and so we wouldn't be able to talk about it openly. I told Gracie and Libby not to say anything, because wearing a wig is a secret. Of course, they did! Little stinkers! I don't think the other lady noticed that it was a wig, but I'm sure my good friend did. I was holding it down like a hat and adjusting it like a tight cap, of course she noticed!  It felt like it might pop off if I made facial expressions that wrinkled up my forehead. Eeek!  Guess I should tape it down like the lady in the wig shop offered to do yesterday. The park was a good first try out in the new hair. I'll get better at this, I'm sure.

When I walked in the house, Lexie didn't look twice at me. And then it dawned on her, and she said "Wow. I forgot when you first walked in."  That's the best!

When Keith got home, he didn't even notice. After a few minutes, he looked at me and said, "What are you wearing on your head?"  And I said "A wig" and he said, "I just noticed. And not because of how it looks, I just remembered that you don't have hair. You look exactly like you."  Highest compliment!  He forgot and had to remember that I shouldn't have hair! This thing looks good!  He didn't even mind when he thought it was the $279 wig, but he loved that it was a free one! Awesome!

I think I'm gonna be just fine with the hair loss now that I have two wigs and several scarves and hats for those times when I just want to be more comfortable. I can be inconspicuous, or fashionable. This might be fun!  Or anonymous, my choice now.  But I'm comfortable and that's really all that matters.