Kidney patient’s crowning glory

[okarol]

Kidney patient’s crowning glory

Aug 25 2008 by Barbara Argument, Evening Gazette

LOSING clumps of her lovely dark hair seemed the least of Elaine Quest’s worries.

The 53-year-old had battled through three failed kidney transplants - one each from her husband, brother and a stranger.

Then last summer, in a touch-and-go fight for survival, her life was saved by 33 hours of surgery.

But back home and getting dolled-up for a celebration night out, lucky-to-be-alive Elaine had only one thing on her mind - her see-through hair.

“I can’t go out like this,” she told husband Brian whose donated kidney was wasted as operation complications threatened Elaine’s life.

She was so embarrassed about her wisps that, on dialysis visits to hospital, she did everything not to be noticed.

“I shrunk down into my old tracksuit and hid my face from people as I slunk along the sides of corridors,” said Elaine who lives in Fishburn near Sedgefield.

“It’s the worst thing for a woman to lose her hair. My confidence just vanished.

“I bought a wig, but it was hot like wearing a hat and you could see the mesh when the wind blew.

“I thought nothing could be done to make it better and I know lots of women think that too.”

Then a friend told Elaine about a new hair replacement system offered exclusively in the North-east by Dawn Moran, boss of Yarm hair stylists Nouveau Regard.

“I couldn’t believe the difference. It is fantastic,” said glamourous Elaine. “It really is like having my own hair.”

She looks so good, 12-year-old grandaughter Bethany hugged her and said: “You look so cool!”

Elaine has no doubt her hair condition was sparked by years of illness and medication for kidney failure since she was 12.

But at 29, married with daughter Amanda, things started going wrong. “I lost a lot of weight and hardly ate for two years.

“Then my young brother Billy was adamant he wanted to give me one of his kidneys and it lasted well for six years before I was back on dialysis again.

“After that I had a kidney from a stranger who had died and was fine for more than 12 years.”

Elaine said it was “very depressing” to be back on dialysis yet again. “And then my husband said he wanted to donate a kidney.

“I was against it and terrified for him, but he was determined. He said his life was suffering as much as mine and the transplant would give us both a new one.”

But complications during the operation at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle last June left Elaine without a vital kidney.

“Fortunately Brian sailed through and was back at work fast, but things went wrong for me and I had three operations in three days of 11 hours each and nearly died,” she said.

Now waiting to discover if she can have another transplant and travelling to Newcastle three times a week for three and a half hours of dialysis, Elaine says she is happy with her hair.

“I couldn’t believe the difference. It is fantastic. Once you get back on your feet, having nice hair means so much to you,” she said.

Hair therapy expert Dawn said: “Clients do need to have some hair - but even little wisps after chemotherapy is enough. This system gives fantastic volume.”

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2008/08/25/kidney-patient-s-crowning-glory-84229-21592373/