Allyson is also reminding me why I love Allyson! Go you girl, with your ass kicking self!

Allyson, you should be able to make a living as an advocate. Personal issues, national politics, whatever!

Wondermark on the issue of haircuts.

I should! I'm way better at advocating for other people than I am for me.

After watching a few episodes of Tabitha Takes Over I am no longer surprised by incompetent, poorly trained hair stylists who somehow managed to pass their licensing exam.

The curly hair blogs I've read mention this a lot. A lot of folks all suggested that if you're going to make an appointment somewhere, ask for a stylist that has similar hair. My neighbor hairdresser once had to explain to another neighbor that she has no idea how to cut black hair unless it's a buzz cut. She can't cut dry, wouldn't know what to do with a hot comb or use a relaxer. I don't think she was ever taught to do that, and it doesn't seem to be part of the licensing exam.

I never see black women in the salons I go to. The hairdressers are pretty much all white, and even the ones who aren't have straight hair. They practice on straight hair. I think there's an assumption that if the hair is on a white person's head, it's all the same. The term Jewfro does in fact exist.

I did explain to my friend that curly hair is coarser. Because it's curly, you can't really tell what the length of the cut is going to be if you cut it wet, you can't see where the curls will fall. You have to hold the scissors at a slight angle to the curls so that it doesn't fray and frizz.

Hairdressers at lower end salons don't want to deal with this, because they can get two cuts done in the time it takes to do one curly head. Still, they charge a lot less for a quick buzz or flat top than they do for a longer cut. If it's going to take 45 minutes to deal with my hair, I guess you should charge more for it.

But, I mean, what happened to all those hairdressers who dealt with people getting spiral perms in the 80s and early 90s? They had to cut curls. Where'd they all go?

Thanks, Allyson. When I think of all the things I can't work out how to do, and the smugness on that doctor's face as she said I looked "too comfortable". Comfortable? Seriously? That's your barometer for a complete stranger whose records you apparently didn't read in any detail?

The social worker they promised me has never called, BTW. I must make a note to remind them about that next time. I mean, if they want someone keeping track of quality of life, why not?

Compazine and some of the chemo drugs are all made by one manufacturer, which shut down to retool its plant after little bits of metal were found in some of its drugs. Most of these shortages come from either the war on drugs or the fact that a large number of drugs and drug ingredients are made by one, count 'em, one manufacturer.

little bits of metal were found in some of its drugs

In their IV drugs? Or was this a plantwide thing? I mean, either way is horrifying, but the idea of that...yikes.

I see that the Zofran manufacturer is GlaxoSmithKline. Who makes compazine? For some reason that's harder to google.

Have you tried a black salon, Allyson? Just a thought.

When i went to the TAM conference, there was a neurologist named Steven Novella who spoke about migraines, and how sufferers are treated like shit and such.

[link]

I wanted to cry, thinking about you. At the end I just waited in the crowd and shook his hand and thanked him for talking about it.

Thanks, Allyson. When I think of all the things I can't work out how to do, and the smugness on that doctor's face as she said I looked "too comfortable". Comfortable? Seriously? That's your barometer for a complete stranger whose records you apparently didn't read in any detail?

Oh yeah, also: wouldn't you look a lot twitchier if you were, in fact, a junkie? Everything I know about drugs and medicine I learned from TV, but still.