Hi LeslieAnn,

Thank you for your comment! Yes I manage fog|Fairhaven Originals Gallery, in the historic fairhaven district of Bellingham. I took a look at your the images of your paintings and really like your abstracts in the "Awakening" series, particularly 'Celebration', 'Imagine', 'Transcending', and 'Journeying'. Right now I am trying to only take on artists who are local to bellingham, however, I am interested in perhaps doing a show in September 2012 for Alopecia Awareness month and it might be wonderful to feature an artist who with the condition, especially someone who has been such a fighter for this cause, If this idea actually comes into fruition, I will let you know! Thank's again for welcoming me to the site!

Thank you! That is our new website. I'm glad that it looks good! There is still a bit of work to be done. I have so much fun managing the gallery. I love being surrounded by art. It must be wonderful to create it! Do you consider painting to be your way of coping with stress or is it just what you love to do and irrelevant to the AU? I'm a classical guitarist, I've been playing since I was a little girl, and for me, whenever AA was getting me down, or really anything, I could always play my guitar. Art in all forms is wonderful. I'll be sure to let you know if anything happens next september! Take care!

Hi LeslieAnn,
Thank you for the message. I'm good today thanks. And yourself? I hope you are well:-) I'm just about to order a new wig. I will get the same one I have now, which I got from Freedom Wigs in Dunedin, New Zealand. It's been really great and so nice that sometimes I feel guilty for having nicer hair than some people without alopecia!!
I just looked at your photos. Your wig is really beautiful. Did you get that made in the States?
I see you have written a book too. I'd like to get it as it would be great to read about the experiences of others. It really is a battle sometimes, but you can still live a great life!
Katrina:-)

Hello LeslieAnn!

Maryssa & I are doing very well, thank you! I have stumbled onto this site as I was doing some internet research about the use of Enbrel to help some Alopecia patients.

My daughter is definitely a one of a kind! She is VERY active, playing every sport imaginable. Right now she has been moved up to her school's Varsity basketball team as the only Freshman. A true tomboy, she wants nothing to do with wigs, but of course she wants very much to have a head of hair 1 day.

I am very excited to read about your book, and I plan on picking it up.

Thanks!

Hello there, thank you for your note. I'm alive, depressed, searching for hope and tired of spending so much money on trying to fix my scalp. That was probably to darn honest :-) Friends all say they don't see a problem and I'm in my own personal hell every day as dealing gets harder and harder. Anyway, I hope you're well, thank you for your kindness and creating your book! I will get a copy some day soon! -Sarah K.

Once I get your book and read, I'll let you know! It will probably take awhile to come to New Zealand, but I'm really looking forward to it!

Katrina:-)

Hi Leslie Ann! Thanks for the message my 8 yr old daughter has alopecia totalis and has been handling her new look very well. As I am sure you know children are very resilient and I am finding my strength through my daughter. It has been about a year and we are finding our comfort zone through taking baby steps as my daughter leads the way. As a parent I think the best thing you can do for your child is to let them call all the shots and be there to support them with every step they take. I will try to grab a copy of your book and share it with my daughter. thanks jinna and Danielle

Hi, thanks for your welcome. I'm doing fine. Looking forward to reading your book!

Hello Leslie Ann,
Thank you :)
I'm so glad I found this site.

I'm pretty good thank you how are you?

I'm off to see my hair specialist tomorrow so little nervous to hear what his going to say but anxious to go.

I noticed you have a book out :)) it will be great to get my hands on it. I will need to order it- look in to it, that's awesome :)

Talk soon :)

Artemis

Hi Leslie,
Thanks for your welcome.
Hope to read your book.
RLR

Hello, Leslie! Thanks for your welcome. You´re so kind to make me feel as a part of this family! It´s not so easy to me, because I´m foreigner, and sometimes my english is not so good (perhaps my feelings are easier to be expressed in my own language, but I keep on trying) I could read some pages from your book (a couple of chapters were published by internet),and I loved it. I felt that it was written for me.I was searching it in my country, but I couldn´t get it. I want to tell you that I feel you are a very sensitive person, and that you help us very much (not only with your book, but also with your warm welcome) I appreciate it so much! Thanks !

Hello LeslieAnn,

I have already seen you photos and I have found you are a nice woman and a very intersting person.
Sometimes it was not easy for me when my hair falis down, I had a depression, and I have found that your are stronger then I am.
I have visited your country last year, I was in California.
One of my photos in Lombard Street in San Franzisko, I had my short hair
in August 2010, then I have lost nearly all my hair in January 2011.
I have a good wig now , and I am trying not to depend on my hair. I think , I must be happy and not depending of my hair. ( If I have my hair back I must be happy , and if I do not have my hair back , I must be also happy like you ! ).
But I must learnt it !
Nice wishes from Duesseldorf (Germany),

from a russian woman ,

Natalia

Thank you for the welcome, and for being so inspiring to so many. I look forward to reading your book!

Thanks Leslie. I am trying, but am pretty discouraged today. Just found your book on Amazon.com and ordered it for her. Very good reviews. Can't wait to get it. Thanks again.

Hi, im doing fine :) thanks!! i'm reading your book, my mom is julie kurth, and she bought it fr me. its very nice :)

Hi Leslie! Thanks for the welcome... first month with AT. is not easy..just order your book...hope it will inspire me...

Thanks LeslieAnn .. Hmm I have to buy book as well ..

Hello, LeslieAnn

Thank you for the warm welcome and Happy New Year to you! I'm doing fine. I'm glad I joined this site. I need a sense of community in regard to having AU and I think I've found it. I've had AU as well for 20 years. It's not as devastating as it first was for me; I guess with age comes wisdom and contentment.

I'm looking forward to checking out your book!

best regards,
Maryanne

Hi LeslieAnn,

I'm doing ok...today was a good day. How are you?
I just read your profile. I'm going to pick up your book as a late Christmas gift to myself!

I see you're also an animal lover as well as an artist...Love your photos!

Hi, LeslieAnn! :)

Thank you for your kind welcome. I'm doing great today...my kids and I had a fun day out with friends. Now it's time for mommy downtime!! I can't wait to read your book...I'm going to run over to Amazon and see if it's on there! Take care and have a great weekend, hon. :)

Hi Leslie, Thank you for the welcome. Just ordered the book. You are beautiful and it makes it easier to see someone else with AU!
Blessings, Angela

Hey LeslieAnn,

I'm new in this forum so i'm still a little bit disoriented and responding late...,
but thank you for welcoming me and thank's a lot for writing this book. I read it because I am very much interested in more positive media about alopecia. And there is not much to find.

Hi LeslieAnn,
Thank you for helping people out the way you do. I have started reading, "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep On Dancing", and just love it. The pictures and writing are wonderful. Took a peek in the back and liked the tips too. My father had alopecia when I was 12 and I remember being scared. Now I'm a parent with a child with the condition and see it from that perspective. I want to understand what the person feels, since I'm not experiencing it myself and reading about it helps. I even asked a women I'm working with in the suppot group if my long hair bothers her. I sometimes feel bad about having it when I'm around people dealing with the disease. I think we all just need honesty and openess to help each other out.
My son is doing great and I have come up with ways to help him along. I started a facebook page that gives updated news and information on alopecia, Alopecia Connection and Education. I'm working with the school district to include books about alopecia in the library. Talking to the school Librarian about reading,"Princess Alopecia," to the younger kids and including a worksheet with it. Came up with cards to help my son explain alopecia to people and spread awareness. We have many other things going on and my goal is to have alopecia as well known as autism. Remember it was only a little over a decade that we really heard about autism.
Thank you for the support,
Susan and Jake

LeslieAnn,
Thank you for your warm welcome. After looking over your profile, I'm definitly gonna have to get a copy of your book. You should have your publisher make it available in Kindle! I am suffering from hair loss due to medical problems (not cancer related), but at this point we don't know if it's going to come back or not. It's nice finding others that understand how hard this is.

Hi Leslie Ann! Thanks for your welcome. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I just saw your comment; learning how this site works day by day. Congrats on your success with your book!! I'm very interested in reading it. Will have to look for it when I get a chance : ) Best Wishes - Nicole.

Hi LeslieAnn. Thank you for reaching out. I will have to look for your book. I'm encouraging my daughter to log on. I believe that she may be able to find much comfort here. Everyone is so beautiful. She's still very new to the hair loss. Had some regrowth this past summer but got disappointed when it all fell out again. I hope she'll log on and become inspired knowing there are people like you who have dealt with Alopecia for their entire life. I'm guessing she may never get her hair back. :/

Hi Leslie Ann, thank you for the welcome. This is the first time i've ever been on a site like this and it"s encouraging. I have had AU for almost 18 years and it's a little hard sometime but i am learing to embrace it. I will have to look for your book. thank you

Hi LeslieAnn,
I hope you can help me a bit? I have fake hair wigs but I don't know what to do about swimming, might you have any suggestions, please?

You look great in all your photos, can you tell me about your book?

Thanks and all the Best, Marianne mthmakeupmedia@aol.com

Hi, doing well, studying for my License Teacher's exam this Saturday. My graduation will be in May or June 2012. I hope to pass the exam before my graduation. Then continue with my Masters. Congradulations on your book.

Wow...thanks SOOOO much. This helps. Does Brenda have a web site at all? Noone in my area even handle European human hair. I have easier spent that on my past extentions. Great idea for the gym too. I didn't even think of that. Can you tell I am new!!!! LOL. God Bless and thanks again

Hi, LeslieAnn!

Thanks for the post. I have loved to find that you are both an artist and an author. I, too, am an artist, and I love to read! :) I will be checking out this award-winning book of yours. Congratulations, by the way.

Bald love,
Leigh Ann

I'm sure I will love the book -- anything that I can relate to and apply to myself, and/or life, and/or environment; I hold dear and learn from, therefore, appreciate.
As for my artwork, I draw... with anything, really, but my favorite is charcoal.
I shall post a few pieces.

:) Leigh Ann

Hi LeslieAnn,
Thank you so much for asking!
Today was a good day, actually. I thought about all the goods things I have in my life, especially my son. Got dressed up for lunch out with the family, and decided to work the cap to my advantage in my wardrobe. I'm not the handiest with makeup (before all this, I was the lowest maintenance of low maintenance people!) but I managed to do a fair job of filling in the eyebrows and lining the lashes, and I added a pair of big bold earrings (earrings are my new obsession now) and decided that I looked just fine and to simply enjoy my day. The mind over matter approach doesn't always work, but it did today. :)
Sorry for going on so long, but I tend not to talk about this much around my family, mostly because they (and I) are trying to learn our way about how to talk about this without getting all worked up.
I'm trying to work up the courage to post a picture--logically, I know I look fine, but it's sort of hard to not feel as if I'm not me anymore.
And right after I post this I am checking out your site and your book!

Thanks again,
Jayran

Hi LeslieAnn,
I can't wait to read your book; I'm going to order today off amazon. I've have AA for about 20 years and Alopecia universalis for 8, one things for sure it never gets easier. Thanks for writing me; it's so nice to know there are others out there with this disease.