The Upsetting News Thread

[Aquarius]

Aikiweezie I'm no doctor, but hair is something I know. Any chance you can get a couple of wefts sewn in to cover it up? That wouldn't be nearly as expensive as having a whole head of extensions done, and may even end up being cheaper than the meds. I know I'm talking kind of out of left field here because I can't see the size/shape/placement of the spots, but it may be worth going to an extension artist and asking.

I hope it goes into remission soon.

[Aikiweezie]

Aquarius - I don't think wefts or extensions that are sewn in would be practical because my hairloss is so unpredictable. I have spots in various stages of growing in and falling out all over my head.

I have to use the meds and get the shots or there's a chance that the hair won't grow back in at all. Then I'd have no choice than to shave off what's left and get a wig. I DON'T want to do that.

I have a bunch of different clip in extensions (the Jessica Simpson/Ken Paves ones) but right now my hair is too short and thin to use them. I have a fall that is attached to a headband that looks really natural, but it is about 4 inches longer than my natural hair and about 100 times thicker. I only wear it if I have to because it draws a lot of comments. I also bought a topper for $450 a few months ago that is SO HIDEOUS i won't wear it, and just today I bought a Paris Hilton short piece connected to a headband that my husband says is the wrong color (too light). Oh well, I got it at Sally Beauty Supply for $20.

For the time being I am stuck using a product called "Dermmatch" that you use to fill in spots. It's really good if you have a little fuzz for it to stick to. If the spot is totally smooth it doesn't work so well. I'm thinking about trying Joan River's "Great Hair day." I've heard good things about it from other Alopecians. Have you heard of either of these?

Several people told me today that my hair looked great and that they'd never know I had so many bald spots. I dunno. I look in the mirror and see very, very thin hair with camoflauged bald patches.

Thank you for your good thoughts and suggestions. I really appreciate it!

[honeybee]

An elderly neighbor of mine died last night - heat related. There's been several of heat related deaths here in Philly - and they are looking at heat being a contributing factor in the Duck Boat accident that left two young people missing yesterday. Their engine caught fire, and the boat was adrift and hit by a barge. Terrible accident. And, I volunteer at the PSPCA - and the number of dead animals coming in is very sad.

Plus, everyone in the city is on edge. People are just not acclimatized to this kind of weather. I grew up in Houston - where this kind of weather is far more common. But the air conditioners are much better and people are better adjusted. Here, it's a shock to people's system and many people don't have A/C.

It's cooler today - but will still be in the 90s. Boy, do we need rain.

[Silverbullet]

Honeybee, it is possible since this is so unusual the elderly people do not understand the need to stay Hydrated. A bottle of water is a must to be carried here in Arizona during the Summer. My wife drinks about eight or more bottles of water a day and she is inside more often than outside. That may have contributed to their deaths. Small thing but if iit is not something that is normally needed it can fall by the wayside.

SB

[Alelou]

I've always thought those duck boats look less than sea-worthy. We have one in Albany, too. What a way to go. Happened to a bunch of elderly tourists from the midwest on Lake George a few years ago, including some in wheel chairs -- nothing like drowning on a tour boat cruise on your vacation. (That was a traditional boat, arguably overloaded.)

I can't believe people in Philly try to live without air conditioning, though I know a lot of those old places aren't set up for it. If you ask me the mid-Atlantic is as steamy as any place come summer. Sometimes it's actually cooler in Florida. Here in the Albany area we alternate between being mid-Atlantic and getting a nice few breaks from Canadian highs that push down -- that's when it feels like heaven. And at the moment, we are very far from heaven. But at least I'm getting primed for the trip to Florida next week.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, whoever invented central air conditioning -- assuming the power stays on, anyway.

[honeybee]

The duck tours are wildly popular here - although just the sound of their duck calls is enough for me to nearly lose my mind - so I never even considered taking one.
What I didn't realize is the first duck boats were re-purposed amphibious military vehicles. The company has expanded so much, I don't know if the boat that sank was.

The Mayor of Philadelphia is a very smart, competent guy and I'm sure he'll see to it that there's an investigation. But I do wonder how old the boat and its motor was.

It does get hot enough here that you should have air conditioning, most certainly, even though the last few days have been unusually hot. But most of the houses in this neighborhood were built in the 30s and 40s when it was not put in houses. I'm not sure if the man who died was an original owner or not, but some of the elderly around here seem to be conditioned that its an unnecessary luxury. Wrong, of course. PECO does outreach to try and convince people to get window units - but it doesn't always happen.

[Aikiweezie]

In 1995 we had a TERRIBLE heat wave here in Chicago and over a hundred mostly elderly people died. So sad.

Not that summer, but one a few years ago, my 82 year old aunt was found by my parents near death from heat stroke in her home. She has several air conditioners but they weren't on and she said she didn't feel hot. Her Dr. said that is common for some elderly people. Maybe something to do with poor circulation.

Ever since '95 the Chicago media has reminders to check on our elderly neighbors and relatives and there are cooling shelters available for those who need them.

[Alelou]

You don't even have to have a window unit -- there are stand-alone air conditioners now. Even if it's just something you can have in a room with you...

It's a little different if you're in a house that was built for heat -- in Florida they used to call them shotgun shacks, because they are designed so that the prevailing wind blows in one door and out the other (thus you can fire a gun straight through them). Deep roof overhangs, porches, high ceilings, high windows or cupolas you can open for ventilation, etc. -- these are all the old design tricks to cope with the heat. For newer buildings we tend to forget that old wisdom. Our house is great at passively collecting and conserving heat in the winter, but in the summer the only thing it has going for it is a house fan, and even that only really works on a cool night.

[honeybee]

Well, I got upsetting news this morning.

An older colleague, who was forced into retirement at the end of last term for some inappropriate behaviors at school, shot his wife to death and then shot himself dead yesterday afternoon. The sad thing is that he had a stroke about four years ago, and all of the bad behavior at work happened after that stroke. People with brain injuries tend to lose impulse control as well as have anger issues.

I hardly knew him, though his office was next to mine, but it is a horrible and awful situation all around.

[Alelou]

Yes, horrible.

Also all too common. Impulse control seems to be a problem for a significant minority of the population. Is it getting worse, or does it just seem that way because we hear about it more?

[EntAllat]

That's terrible in kinds of ways.

Edited after the fact: "in kinds of ways"? o_O I meant in ALL kinds of ways.

[honeybee]

Honestly, while domestic violence has always been a problem - people are surviving head trauma more and more, and the medical profession has not caught up with the aftercare and treatment many of these patients need.

So, at least some of these cases, my guess is there was a concussion or other brain trauma that went untreated. Modern medicine helped the person survive, but it didn't help them function or understand the after affects of their injury. Many of the suicide, domestic violence cases involving war veterans don't just involve PTSD - but head injuries, even minor ones.

Of course, this doesn't apply to everyone who commits a heinous crime, but it is worth pointing out.

[justTripn]

!!!!! Wow. So sorry.

[honeybee]

Horrible details of the murder/suicide have emerged. Apparently, she left him over the weekend. She fled with the kids somewhere and agreed to meet her husband at her sister's house. He showed up with a gun, apparently intending to kill her and himself.

Ironically, she was a volunteer at the local domestic violence shelter.

[Silverbullet]

Wasn't there some kind of sudy that showed with growing population there would be more violence?

Lord knows we have to much news of children being killed or kidnapped. People walking in to somehwhere and start shooting. the violence is so random and needless. I was seeing on the news of Gang wars in chicago between gangs of Teens. Savage fights.

Oddly, I read somewher that between 1920 and 1950 it was the safest the world had ever been and certainly the safest in the U.S. people could go walking at night in safety. I can remember being in St. Louis in 1955. People were walking in town window shopping and strolling at two in the monring. No more.

This isn't the world I was born in and gew up in.

SB