LOCKS OF LOVE Son Makes a Wig for His Mother
Melanie Shaha is currently fighting her third brain cancer battle. For 15 years, she’s been suffering from a benign tumor on her pituitary gland. Although she doesn’t mind being sick, going to her appointments, focusing on her treatment, and talking to loved ones about her cancer, she doesn't like looking sick. If you didn’t know Shaha, you wouldn’t realize she was battling cancer. But this suddenly changed once she lost all of her hair. She had two surgeries, in 2003 and 2006, in hopes of removing the tumor on her pituitary gland, but they weren’t successful. Then, when she began radiation therapy in 2017, the treatment caused her hair to fall out. “Not having hair [makes] you stick out like a sore thumb, and well-meaning people can say things that break your heart,”
Shaha told TODAY. She didn’t like all the attention and the looks people gave her in public. So, her 27-year-old son Matt had an idea. At first, Matt joked about cutting all of his hair off to make his mother a wig. But the joke soon became a plan, and Matt followed through in 2018.
it off and sent his locks to Compassionate Creations, a hair company in Newport Beach, California, that created a wig for his mother. Now, Shaha has a piece of her son to take everywhere with her beautiful new tresses. “The color is spectacular, and we had it cut and styled with a hairdresser. Matt said it looked great on me. It sure fills your emotional cup,”Shaha says. If you — or someone you know — would like to donate your hair to cancer patients, you can donate to Locks of Love, Wigs For Kids,
After graduating from college, Matt began growing his hair out. In no time, he had long and luscious hair. His mother tried to
dissuade him from cutting it, but Matt wanted to help her feel confident and comfortable in her skin. So, he chopped
Chai Lifeline, and Children With Hair Loss. Research donation centers in your area if you would like to give back locally.
A Word From Cheyenne & Ashlee
Under the Weather Oral Care
Flu season peaks from December–February and can bring nasty symptoms. When you're sick, caring for your body while it recovers is your top priority, and that includes your dental health, too. So, when you’re under the weather, here are some ways to take care of your mouth, even when you aren’t quite feeling up to it. Practicing Good Hygiene As a general rule of thumb, it’s good to cover your mouth each time you sneeze or cough. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu virus survives and thrives on moist surfaces for 72 hours — so wash your hands often and be sure never to share your toothbrush with others. Staying Hydrated To avoid dry mouth, which puts your teeth at greater risk of cavities, drink lots of water and fluids. Many cold and flu medications (such as decongestants, antihistamines, and pain relievers) are known to dry out your mouth. Opting for the Right Fluids While water is the absolute best thing for you to drink when you are sick, juices and sports drinks are helpful in moderation due to their vitamin and electrolyte content. However, it’s important to avoid
sugary drinks like soda that don’t provide nutritional benefits because they can be damaging to your teeth. Choosing Sugar-Free Cough Drops Before grabbing a bag of cough drops off the shelves, take a quick peek at the ingredients. If they contain sugar, it’s recommended to reconsider to be sure that cavity- causing and sugar-loving bacteria don’t accumulate in your mouth while you’re nursing a cough.
Rinsing With Water After Vomiting Understandably, the last thing you want to do after getting sick to your stomach is to add anything back into your mouth. However, the stomach acid present in vomit can be harsh on your teeth. Swish and spit with water to help wash the acid away!
–Cheyenne & Ashlee Registered Dental Hygienists
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