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Cancer wigs, Niceley done
The South Mississippi Sun Herald --
Dec 6, 2006 --
JoAn Niceley has an appetite for living. Those who know her story of cancer survival aren't surprised that each morning she wakes up and shouts to the world, 'I am fine!'
Her multi-faceted appetite is, as might be expected, for life and for food. But add to that wigs.
All three elements are now twirled together into a cookbook, appropriately called 'Appetite for Living: Pink Ribbon Recipes.'
The Long Beach hair stylist includes a short story on how she started fitting cancer patients with wigs, along with vignettes on her cancer friends and recipes that come from them, their families and her own inventiveness.
Book profits go to the Pink Heart Fund, established to help women undergoing chemotherapy and radiation if they cannot afford wigs. Even if insurance does pay for replacement hair as part of recovery, finding one that fits is no easy task.
That's where JoAn's Hair Studio steps into the void. Shelves in the salon are lined with wigs, hair of varied lengths and colors and for all sizes of heads. It is a rare shopping opportunity for women going through the trauma of losing their hair and fighting for their lives.
'A wig has to fit, and most of the time, that means custom-fitting,' Niceley said. 'You don't know how many times women have bought wigs elsewhere that slip off their heads or are too tight.'
Nicely tells the story of a customer who was frantic for a wig because she was getting married and had lost her hair. She also had an extremely large head.
'I became really interested in the fit of a wig,' said the 47-year-old Long Beach native. 'I'd been fitting wigs for years but realized there often needs to be alterations. One size fits all just does not work.'
She learned of Don Seals in Texas, a master fitter, and went to him for alteration lessons.
'I'd never picked up a needle in my life but I learned,' she said. 'It is so rewarding because a proper fit makes all the difference in the world in how a person feels.'
Niceley's personalty lives up to her name: Outgoing, friendly and a willingness to comfort.
She became a hair stylist in 1978 and eventually owned two salons that required a dozen stylists. She also opened a tea room, called Cupp's Tea Cafe, a play on her maiden name, tea cup collecting and a natural ability at food presentation.
This busy and demanding life became more so when, after a decade working with cancer wigs , she learned about the American Cancer Society's 'Look Good, Feel Good' program. She called Memorial Hospital at Gulfport to volunteer to help cancer patients find appropriate wigs and learned about the volunteer program that teaches how to counteract the appearance affects of cancer treatments.
Niceley is now the state volunteer director of 'Look Good, Feel Good,' but a lot has happened in between, including her own breast cancer.
Thirty-six radiation treatments later and lingering adverse effects from a cancer drug put her in the same understanding league as the women she'd helped with wigs.
'I tell people that God was preparing me for cancer by bringing me all those wonderful people, so strong in their own faith and determination with their own cancers,' she said. 'It helped me with my own diagnosis.
'Cancer doesn't care what color, age or religion you are or how healthy you are. It hits everyone.'
The tea room is gone and JoAn's Hair Studio is much smaller than her original shops, but that leaves more room for shelves of wigs.
Five tips for surviving cancer
Cancer survivor JoAn Niceley offers these tips from her own experiences:
Diet: It's important to eat healthy. Get a lot of vegetables and fruit in your diet.
Relaxation: Take time out for yourself.
Exercise: Get some type of exercise, not fanatical but do something every day.
Faith: You must have faith in God.
Positive attitude: Say 'I am fine!' every morning and mean it.
Copyright © 2006 The South Mississippi Sun Herald, All Rights Reserved.
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