My Hair Loss Story

Hello

I thought I would do a blog post about my hair loss story. 

In July 2019, I noticed that whenever I brushed my hair, more hair than usual would fall out and the same thing happened whenever I washed it. Sometimes when I lightly dragged my fingers through the end of my hair, my hair would fall out in clumps. More and more of my hair fell out and a bald patch on the top of my head appeared. 

I was so embarrassed by it that I bought a cheap wig online and started wearing it whenever I went outside. 

I didn't think so much of my hair falling out was "normal" so I rang my GP surgery and got an appointment with my doctor. He suggested I get a blood test done to find out why my hair was falling out so I booked the blood test appointment and had it 2 weeks later then got the results. The results came back and my doctor didn't know why my hair was falling out so he said he would refer me to a dermatologist through the NHS but suggested I go private if I could afford it because the waiting list can be long. I discussed it with my mum and arranged an appointment with a local dermatologist a couple of months later. The dermatologist was really nice and asked me about my medical background then looked at my hair and said my hair loss was caused by the trauma of the operation I had in June 2019 and diagnosed me with Diffuse Alopecia Areata/Telogen Effluvium. She handed me a prescription for a steroid lotion that I was to put on my hair at night every day for 3 months and a shampoo to use when I wash my hair and gave me a list of 11 different blood tests to get done to rule out the hair loss being caused by anything else. A few days later I rang up my doctors surgery again and asked if I could book a blood test appointment then I brought the list of 11 tests with me to my appointment and they took a sample of my blood. I got the results back a few days later and there was no clear sign that the hair loss was caused by anything else.

I used the lotion and the shampoo for the recommended length of time and it helped my hair grow back but it was still quite thin and uneven in length. This is a photo of my hair at the end of October 2019.

On 28th November I got my hair cut to try and grow it back to an even length

Since then it has grown to below my shoulders. 

On 10th December 2020 I received an appointment letter in the post to see a dermatologist through the NHS on 22nd January but unfortunately this got cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. On 15th February I received an appointment letter through the post for the rescheduled dermatologist appointment on 25th February. I went to the appointment and discussed different treatment options with the doctor and she asked me if I was interested in getting a wig through the NHS and I said yes so she submitted a referral for me then on 4th March the company who supplies wigs for the NHS contacted me and after discussing what type of wig I wanted and sending her photos for colour reference, 2 weeks later, she offered me a wig fitting appointment for 30th March. 

My Daily Routine

Hello

Today I thought I would do a post on my daily routine. My daily routine hasn't changed much since the Covid-19 lockdown began so this could be pre lockdown or during lockdown. Everyday isn't the exact same for me but I hope this gives you a rough idea of what I do most days.

I get up when my alarm goes off at 10:30am then put my dressing gown on if it isn't too warm then I go downstairs and into the kitchen and start making myself breakfast. I usually have mashed bananas on toast (which might sound odd but it's actually really nice!) or porridge or a bowl of cereal and I'll sometimes put music on in the background while I'm making it. Then I usually go on my phone and scroll through social media a bit and check my emails. After that I go into the bathroom and brush my teeth then wash my face, I 

usually use Soap & Glory's Face Soap & Clarity Vitamin C Facial Wash (this isn't an ad, I just thought I would mention it in case anybody wants to know and I really like the product). If I plan to go outside for a walk or go to the shops with my dad I will get dressed at this point otherwise I tend to have a pj day! 

I am unemployed so I don't really have anything I NEED to do each day unless I have any appointments that I need to go to so I tend to spend most of my day playing on my phone or watching Netflix or Disney plus or doing wordsearches or colouring in but I'm working on finding other things to do during the day and hopefully find a new hobby to do. At about 1pm or slightly later I make my lunch, I've been having a jambon and crisps or a beef burger/Iamb grill/crispy chicken with mushy peas recently but I want to start adding more variation into my diet and my lunch meals so hopefully I won't be having the same boring foods each day for much longer. During the afternoon I usually just chill or go out to the shops with my dad or go for a walk or of I'm feeling tired I usually go for a nap. 

At about 6pm I make my dinner then I eat it while watching TV. A couple of hours later I go upstairs and run myself a nice relaxing bath then change into some fresh clean pyjamas. After that I try to wind down then I go off my phone half an hour before I go to bed. I usually go to bed at 10:30pm so just before this I wash my face and brush my teeth. 

I don't think the evening part of my daily routineis that good so I would like to incorporate some meditation/gratitude journaling or reading into it. 

Life in Lockdown - An Update

Hello

It's been a month since I did the post on how I was finding life in lockdown but a lot has changed now so I thought I would give you an update and how I'm coping etc.

Shops, some cafes and restaurants have recently opened for takeaway service only which I think is good because it means I can finally get my McDonald's and Starbucks fix!! Oh how I've missed them. And it's also good for the economy. This has enabled me to have a bit more freedom on where I can shop or go to when I go out. I'm still trying to get out everyday or every other day for a walk or to go out to the shops.

From 24th June, the Northern Ireland executive agreed that groups of up to six people not from the same household could meet together indoors. This meant that I could finally get to go to my mum's house and spend time with her there and I hadn't been allowed to do this since lockdown started so this made me very happy. During lockdown, I had only been able to see my mum in person on my birthday when she came to outside my house and we had a socially distanced chat and a few weeks later when we met at a local cafe and sat outside and had a socially distanced lunch.

How have I been coping since my last post? I could brush my feelings under the carpet and say yeh I've been doing ok but the truth is, I haven't. Not really, anyway. I feel like I've just been existing. I've forgotten to plan my days in advance so I've ended up taking everyday as it comes which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it means I've ended up playing on my phone or lying in my bed watching YouTube videos or Netflix series or movies on my TV from my Google chromecast for most of the day which isn't the best for my mental health. I like colouring in and doing wordsearches but I've forgotten to break up my day by doing these things even though I know they help me. I like reading as well and I have read My Confessional by Janet Devlin but it is her autobiography and is about the issues she had with mental health, self harm and alcoholism so I don't think reading this was the best idea for my mental health either. I recently bought the new Hunger Games book, "The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes" but I haven't got round to reading it yet but it has good reviews so I'm looking forward to reading it, especially if it's anywhere near as good as the other Hunger Games books are.

If anyone reading this is struggling during lockdown which I know a lot of people are so you're not alone, lockdown restrictions are being eased so things are getting better so please remember this. If you feel like you do need help, there are helplines and organisations and websites out there that you can contact/use for help and support.

I hope everyone reading this is safe and well. 

I ranked the tracks on Confessional by Janet Devlin in order from best to worst

Hello
I decided to a different type of blog post today and rank the tracks on Janet Devlin's new album "Confessional" from best to worst, instead of the story posts I've been doing.

Confessional was released today and if you haven't already bought your copy I suggest you do so! Links to stream the album on iTunes and Spotify etc can be found on https://slinky.to/JanetDevlin-Confessional

Here is my ranking of the tracks on the album!

1. Away with the Fairies 
2. Holy Water
3. Big Wide World
4. Better Now 
5. Confessional 
6. Saint of the Sinners
7. Cinema Screen
8. Love Song
9. Honest Men
10. Sweet Sacred Friend
11. Speak
12. So Cold

My scoliosis correction surgery story

Hello

I was born with kyphoscoliosis which is curvature of the spine side to side and front to back. It is a combination of kyphosis and scoliosis. From when I was young until I was 14 I had to wear a back brace to stop the curve getting worse. Sometimes I had to wear the brace all the time or just during the day or just during the night. When I was 14 I stopped growing and a doctor told me that the curve of my spine couldn't get any worse and asked me if I wanted to have the scoliosis correction surgery. I said no at the time because I didn't want it but I was asked again if I wanted it in 2018 and I said yes so I was given an information leaflet and was told I would be put on the waiting list.
Fast forward to March 2019 and I received a phone call to say that I was next on the list so a short while later I got a letter in the post with information about a pre operation assessment. At the pre operation assessment I got to talk to a nurse and the surgeon about any questions I had and they tried to give me a blood test but they couldn't get enough blood out because my veins aren't that good. I was then told to go  to a different department in the hospital and was taken into a room for a breathing test which involved me closing my lips tightly around a mouthpiece then inhaling fully, so my lungs were completely filled with air then exhaling as quickly and forcefully as I could to make sure I emptied my lungs fully.

Fast forward to 10th June 2019 and I was admitted to hospital to have the operation. My mum picked me up from my house and took me to the hospital and we went up to the ward the nurse told us to go to and waited, and waited, until my name was called. We were directed to a ward with lots of beds in it but were told we would only be in this room until they got my room ready. We sat on chairs in the room for hours until in the evening someone offered me a cup of soup for dinner but I didn't want it, another while passed and a nurse came and wanted to go over some paperwork with me. She noticed that I hadn't passed the breathing test so just so she could be 100 percent sure of what my lungs were like, she took me to the stairs and said for me to walk up them so the nurse, my mum and I walked up five flights of stairs!
Later a doctor came and offered me some toast and it was music to my ears. I was so hungry. Around 7pm I was finally taken to a room which was just for me and I got settled in and changed into my pyjamas and watched TV on my phone then my mum left to go back home. She had stayed with me for about 5 hours sitting in the hospital not doing anything.

I went to bed then in the morning my mum came back and then the surgeon came and talked to us more about the operation then I got prepped for the operation and was pushed on a stretcher into theater. I woke up that evening in the high dependancy ward and I remember seeing my mum then a while later, my dad but I was drifting in and out of sleep so much the memory is a bit hazey. I had really bad pins and needles in my leg when I woke up and a doctor came and made sure I was comfortable then later someone came with dinner for me and I had some but I threw up afterwards. The next day I was taken to a different ward and was there for a few days. On 15th June I had a video call with my sister on WhatsApp and I talked to her for a while but then after I hung up I threw up again. I was so sore and uncomfortable so they put me on higher pain medication. The next day I had to get a tube put up my nose and down into my stomach to try and get rid of an air packet then I was sent for an x-ray because they couldn't see down my throat but it went well and the doctor came back afterwards and confirmed that they were able to get rid of the air packet. I had a nap that afternoon then the next thing I know I woke up and was so sleepy and unenergetic then my stomach got so sore that I couldn't move it all of a sudden and I ended up screaming in pain. I was put on a nebuliser which is a piece of equipment used to change liquid medicine into a mist inhaled into the lungs to help me breathe easier. Every day I had blood pressure and heart rate checks. On 17th June my oxygen levels were low so they ran a few tests and x-rays but the results came back and it turned out I had pneumonia so I was moved to the high dependancy ward so I could get more oxygen. That evening a nurse came and washed my hair with shampoo and put conditioner in it and they had to trim some of my hair to get rid of some of the pieces of glue that were stuck in my  hair from the wires that were connected to my head to monitor me while doing the operation then the nurse plaited my hair! The next day I was given a Nasal cannula to help me to breathe. On 20th June I started having really bad diarrhoea. A nurse told me it was because they had put me on so many different antibiotics to help me pass stools because I hadn't done so since the operation. During my time in high dependency I didn't do much physio with the physiotherapists because I was on oxygen, I only moved from the bed to a chair a few times. On 21st June I was moved back to the other ward in the hospital where I was before. I started feeling a lot better and was doing more. I had physio each day to help me get my strength back. For the first few days I had to hold on to a physiotherapists arm on both my right and left side to walk then gradually I only needed to hold on to one arm on one side then I progressed onto walking on my own with a zimmer frame which I had for about a month after I was discharged from hospital. I was discharged from hospital on 26th June and I was so glad because I was getting a bit fed up with being in hospital. I was only meant to be in hospital for about a week but because I got pneumonia I had to stay in for longer.

Life in Lockdown: My Story

Hello

Where I live, Northern Ireland is currently in lockdown as per government instruction to prevent the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic spreading. Northern Ireland have been in lockdown since Monday 23rd March.
I have decided to make this blog post about what life in lockdown has been like for me to share my story and mainly to get my feelings out there.

Life in lockdown hasn't been easy.
I have been unemployed for 6 months now and during that time, before lockdown started, I spent most of my time watching Netflix (which I still do so you would think lockdown would be easy for me but it hasn't) or going to church or hanging out friends. I can no longer do any of these things because of the lockdown and I don't know when I will be able to do these things again. This has made a big impact on my mental health.

Before lockdown my weekly routine looked like this:
Thursday evening: get dressed, have dinner, be picked up or taken to church for bible study, do the bible study with my church family then come home.
Saturday: get dressed, have breakfast, be picked up by my mum and taken to my grans for lunch then go out shopping and to a cafe with them. Some Saturday nights I would go to church for a youth group too.
Sunday evening: get dressed, be picked up or taken to church, take part in the Sunday evening praise service, come home then have dinner.
Some Wednesdays I would go to church for a women's fellowship group too.
This has all been taken away from me due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

Now my weekly routine consists of watching Netflix or Disney plus, reading my book, doing wordsearches, listening to music and going on a walk most days.

I haven't seen my mum and grandparents since 22nd March and I miss them loads. The only people I have seen are my dad who I live with, my housing support worker and my friend who lives nearby who I sometimes go outside her house on my 1 government permitted walk per day and we would stay 2 metres apart following the government's social distancing guidelines.

Before lockdown, when I felt low or bored or to prevent me from feeling these things, I could go to my local shopping centre or cafe for some retail therapy but now I can only go to shops that are open (mainly just supermarkets) once a week for essentials only. I don't know when the shops and cafes will reopen so that I can go shopping more freely but for now I am grateful that I can go out once a week to do this even though it doesn't help my mood much.

When lockdown started I found several helpful posts on Instagram about how to cope with lockdown, most of them said to stay connected with friends and family, exercise, listen to music, take up a new hobby, limit social media usage.. I decided to follow these tips as much as possible and would tell my family and friends online to do the same. A couple of weeks passed and I realised I was so busy trying to follow these tips and keep busy and do different things each day that I realised that I wasn't simply just living. I decided to take action and take things easy but then I realised that I had gone back to what I was doing before, trying so hard to cope that I was actually putting so much pressure on myself just to cope.

This lockdown has made me feel so alone because I have had very limited social interaction. I've had depression and anxiety for 8 years now and they have both gotten worse due to this pandemic, most days I will feel so low and on edge. I started to struggle more than I did last week and started to lean on unhelpful coping behaviours. I am working closely with my counsellor to try and cope with these thoughts. I used to be able to see my counsellor in person but now my appointments are over the phone.

The bible study I went to at church is now done on zoom which has really helped because it means I get to see my church family even though it is by video call. The Sunday service is now streamed live on Youtube from the church with the pastor and worship team in the church when it's being streamed.

Lockdown restrictions are being eased gradually bur in the NI government's plan there are no dates so the dates are announced about a week in advance of the restriction being announced. There is still a lot of uncertainty around. I know it's going to be a while until the shops and cafes open so I am hoping for the NI government to ease the restrictions and let people visit their immediate family in different households. That's all I want right now. To be able to see my mum in her own home.

For now, I am trying to be hopeful and positive and cope the best I can and I hope whoever is reading this does too. I hope things return to some sort of normal soon.

If you are experiencing any of the issues I have mentioned in the post, there are helplines and websites out there that can help you.