Salon Chrysalis

Post-Op Update: I had my first post-op appointment today & wanted to share that everything with my x-rays looked great (it was wild to see how much of a difference there is between the before & afters 😳), the incisions looked great, the stitches were removed, & I upgraded from a bulky splint to a hard cast today. I’m officially off of strict bedrest, & only have to elevate my foot as needed. Joe & I even did a little grocery shopping after my appointment - it was nice to get out of the house on such a beautiful day after 2 weeks of laying in bed! I’m getting used to scooting around on a knee scooter…but I’ll admit, I’m not the best driver yet...especially in reverse. 😅

I’m also excited to say that I’ve signed up for about 20 virtual classes while I’m out of the salon - haircutting, coloring & blonding techniques, science-based color formulation, styling - whatever I could find that looked interesting! I look forward to sharing what I learn with you when I come back! 🤩

Thank you so much for your continued support! 🙏

Today is one week post-op & I wanted to send out an update! My surgery went well & they were able to do everything they planned on doing. 😊

I’ve had the best care at home from Joe, the kids, & my mom, & lots of cuddles with our dogs, Jack & Darla. We’ve had a few people drop off meals, & gotten a lot of sweet messages checking in - which has all been SO wonderful. I’ve felt MUCH better than I expected to feel, & I’m so thankful for that 🙏.

I have another week of bed rest, & my first post-op appointment is a week from tomorrow. I’ve been able to keep busy with visiting with my family, watching some shows & movies that were recommended, coloring, reading, & doing some puzzles. I’m so grateful for all of the recovery gifts I was given, it’s been a treat to have so many things to choose from to keep myself occupied. 🥰

Thank you for the encouragement, & for the well wishes - it means a whole lot. I hope you’re able to enjoy some sunshine this week! ☀️

With love,
Courtney 💙

UPDATE: Surgery went well & I’m home resting! I’m not in pain yet because they gave me a nerve block. I was told more than once today to be prepared for it to wake up & be in serious pain, so I’m thankful that hasn’t happened yet! And to anyone who talked to me about that & knows how terrified I was about taking pain meds: yes, I will be taking them as suggested by the doctor for the next few days - thank you for talking to me about it & making me feel heard & validated while also trying to educate me & ease my fear 🙏. Joe has been the best chauffeur, server, & nurse (of course!). Khloe & Alden have been so sweet & super helpful (of course!). I’ve restarted Schitt’s Creek (best show ever) & the pups (photo featuring Mr, Jack & a piece of Darla’s ear 😅) are making sure I get lots of snuggles & kisses. I am so blessed to have a solution to this problem - I’m so grateful & excited to be heading toward the light at the end of the tunnel & getting my life back! Thank you all for the love!!! 🙏💙

I wanted to give some updates, & I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my upcoming medical leave, so I wanted to take an opportunity to answer some of those questions. 😊

What I’ve been asked the most is, “what happened to your ankle?” I was born with a deformity that caused my ankle to “cave in” (for lack of a better term), & the arch of my foot to collapse. The surgery will be to reconstruct my ankle & arch. Recovery to get back to work is about 3 months, & once fully recovered I’ll be pain-free & have more mobility than ever!

“Are you in pain now?” Yes. I’ve been dealing with pain for about 6 years. It’s been constant & significant for about a year. I didn’t realize that my world had been slowly shrinking, until it started impacting work. The level of pain & lack of mobility has gotten to the point that I cannot continue to work as a hair stylist like this.

“When can I make an appointment for when you’re back?” I’ll reach out to you closer to the end of my recovery to start scheduling. I’ll greatly appreciate your patience during that process. I have a lot of clients, & I’m so grateful, & that means it will be a little while before I get everyone in.

“Will you let us know how you’re doing?” This question makes me smile every time it’s asked. I will send out email updates, & make posts on the instagram & pages for the salon.

“What if I need products while you’re out?” You can reach out to me via text or email, & we’ll make arrangements for you to pick up products.

“When is your surgery?” Monday! So as of Friday evening, Salon Chrysalis will be on a temporary break until about mid July.

The last thing I want to say is that the outpouring of love that I’ve received since announcing this medical leave has been SO incredible. Every single prayer, get well wish, card, gift, text, email, voicemail, & hug I’ve gotten has made such a difference in my life that I could never explain. Stepping away for a few months to take care of myself is not a decision that was easy for me to make - but every one of you has made this so much better, & I can’t thank you enough for that. 🙏💙

This lovely guest came in with several months of grown out hair color & wanted to go back blonde. We had several inches of natural, several inches of brassy previous color (red & brown layered), & some faded/lightened ends. To get her to the photo on the right took: a chelating shampoo & deep conditioner, A LOT of foils with several formulas, teasy-lights in between the foils, 2 different toner formulas, lots of deep conditioning products, & about 3 hours (& that timing was without a haircut). Does it exactly match the inspiration photo she brought in? Nope! It’s a little warmer, still has a touch of banding that will take at least one more session to break through & fully correct, & isn’t quite as bright. But is it healthy, more even, blended, & lighter? It sure is! And why is this all important to know? Because going from dark to light is usually not a quick journey, & you don’t always get to leave looking like your inspo photo - but there is usually a way to get you part of the way there & still look beautiful while preserving the health of your hair. 🥰🦋🪄✨

Oh, she’s R I C H 🤎

Copper + gold = ✨😍🤗😍✨

“Thank you” just doesn’t feel sufficient for the amount of love & support I’ve received since announcing my upcoming medical leave. All of the kind texts, emails, cards, well wishes, hugs, gifts, & prayers are overwhelming in the best kind of way. You all have made this feel so much less scary, & have truly made me feel loved, cared for, & appreciated. I’ve always said I’m so blessed to have the clients I have - & the kindness I’ve received is just more confirmation of that. So even though it doesn’t feel sufficient…thank you so, so, so very much. It’s helping me more than you’ll ever know. 🙏♥️