Tennesseeans With Alopecia
A group where alopecians from the Volunteer State can meet, greet, chat, and discuss alopecia and how we deal with it in our everyday lives.
Alopecia World
It's Hair Loss Support At Its Best™
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kastababy
- 33, Female
- Nashville, TN
- United States
- Blog Posts (46)
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- Groups (36)
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Using Enbrel, Humira, and other immunosuppressants
Started this discussion. Last reply by Phyllis Tankel Feb 6, 2011. 26 Replies 0 Favorites
What Changed Your Mind?
Started this discussion. Last reply by Mark S. Hansen Aug 15, 2009. 23 Replies 0 Favorites
Calling all Football Fans!!!!
Started this discussion. Last reply by Zoey Aug 7, 2008. 15 Replies 0 Favorites
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my personal blogGifts Received (4)
Confessions of a MAD Alopecian!!!
Profile Information
- Relationship Status:
- Single
- About Me:
- I'm a walking contradiction -- I'm peacefully violent, a popular nerd, wickedly innocent, and loudly quiet...in other words, I know how to make myself stand out in a crowd. I have an opinion about everything, and have an endless thirst for knowledge. One of these days I'm going to take over the world, but I have yet to come up with what I want to do when I get that small task completed. (That, and I haven't found a good sidekick yet to drive the getaway car!) I have decided that this year is the year that I start writing more in the hopes that I finally get a story published!!! Now that Barack Obama has been elected President, I'm content to stay in the good old USA for a little while longer, although I still have my escape plan to Canada in a secure location in case things change. I'm political, controversial, well-read, stubborn, opinionated, and determined to make an impact on the world, and maybe leave it a little bit better than it was when I entered it. I'm always updating and changing things, so keep checking out my page often!
About my alopecia: I was bald as a baby, and my hair didn't really grow in until I was about 2 years old, so it's impossible to say if I had alopecia then or not. However, after my hair did grow in, my mother noticed two bald spots when I was 4 years old. One was the size of a dime, the other was the size of a quarter. When she realized that I wasn't cutting plugs out of my hair and it wasn't coming out on my pillow or in the hairbrush, that was when we started going to the doctors. I wasn't officially diagnosed with alopecia areata until I was 6 years old; by that time, I was in the 3rd grade and totally bald. I stayed that way, albeit with brief periods of partial regrowth, until I reached high school. My hair started falling out again when I was a freshman in undergrad, and it has been persistent AA with brief periods of AT and AU. It's been that way ever since.
As a child, I was very comfortable with being bald, because I had two parents and a grandmother that went above and beyond to make me comfortable with myself and stress to me continually that I was beautiful inside and that being beautiful inside would translate to being beautiful outside; perhaps it is because of this that I have become somewhat of an overachiever -- not only do I have to be successful at whatever I do, but I have to excel in it. However, as an adult, the blind confidence bordering on arrogance that was so much a part of me has gradually disintegrated. I have become less sure of myself and depressed at times because I have felt the hurt and rejection that comes with not being appealing to most men. I have lashed out at the people who have supported me the most, because I feel sometimes that I was misled into believing that at some point I would outgrow alopecia, but like Krazy Glue alopecia is stuck to me and won't let go, and that fact has been more crushing than anything I have felt in a long time.
After nearly 3 years living and working in Atlanta, GA and Memphis, TN, I returned to my hometown of Nashville, TN in September 2008. Living away from home completely on my own really forced me to become more independent than I ever would be had I remained in Nashville. It has also enabled me to view alopecia with new eyes that haven't been colored by the opinions of my friends and family closest to me. Since discovering Alopecia World, I have found more healing and acceptance in the nearly 4 years of the site's existence than I did in 27 years of searching, for which I am eternally grateful!
My purpose on AW is to motivate and inspire others -- it is my hope that in leading by example and living my life to its fullest potential in spite of societal views on alopecia, bald women, and women of color specifically, others will come to their own acceptace of alopecia in their lives and let their beautiful, vibrant selves shine through!
- Do you have alopecia?
- Alopecia totalis
- Are you age 18 or older?
- Yes - I am 18 or older
- Your Website (Leave blank if you don't have one):
- http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/kastababy
Chill to some music and meditate to my lava lamp!
Repeat after me while meditating to the shapes....WOOOSAH....WOOOSAH... :) MySpace Lava Lamp
View my page on CobraPride.com
Latest Activity
has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy regarding censorship. If you must censor me, go ahead and ban me!
Status posted by kastababy
kastababy favorited Cheryl, Co-founder's blog post 'Bless you alopecia, bless you for being in my life?'
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Advocacy vs. Acceptance: Why the Two ARE NOT Mutually Exclusive
Posted on July 24, 2011 at 1:09pm 3 Comments 1 Favorite
If you know me, then you knew it was just a matter of time before I put my $0.02 cents in on this subject.
I have been on various alopecia support websites and communities from the beginning. I have blogged, discussed, emailed, phoned, written about, given speeches to, and chatted with thousands of people over the 29 years that alopecia has been in my life. Not once during that time have I sugar-coated what I thought of alopecia, how I felt about my looks, or my level of acceptance… Continue
I have been on various alopecia support websites and communities from the beginning. I have blogged, discussed, emailed, phoned, written about, given speeches to, and chatted with thousands of people over the 29 years that alopecia has been in my life. Not once during that time have I sugar-coated what I thought of alopecia, how I felt about my looks, or my level of acceptance… Continue
On bullying
Posted on July 19, 2011 at 10:00am 12 Comments 3 Favorites
Recently, I was accused by another member of our community, who shall remain nameless, that I was a condescending, know it all bully. When I read her message that contained those words, I laughed it off because to be honest, if my tendency to say what I mean and mean what I say means that feelings get hurt and you choose to live life like an ostrich with its head in the sand, then guess what? Your loss.
I laughed it off because I've been the victim of bullying - and the last time I… Continue
I laughed it off because I've been the victim of bullying - and the last time I… Continue
Victim or survivor?
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 6:15pm 18 Comments 0 Favorites
I have to admit it. I am a victim.
Now, just think about that statement for a moment. What was the FIRST thing that went through your mind when you read that opening statement? Did you think that I had befallen some unknown tragedy, calamity, or disaster? Did you immediately want to wrap me in arms of sympathy, words of comfort, and prayers for survival?
At any point, did you associate my self-label as a victim to my alopecia?
If you did, then you see the same… Continue
Now, just think about that statement for a moment. What was the FIRST thing that went through your mind when you read that opening statement? Did you think that I had befallen some unknown tragedy, calamity, or disaster? Did you immediately want to wrap me in arms of sympathy, words of comfort, and prayers for survival?
At any point, did you associate my self-label as a victim to my alopecia?
If you did, then you see the same… Continue
Alopecia veteran - and proud of it!
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:30pm 11 Comments 6 Favorites
I use the word veteran literally and mean it. I have been fighting a war against alopecia from the moment I was diagnosed at age 4, and have waged brutal battles against countless doctors, classmates, friends, family members, and significant others. I have hated myself and my looks for more years than I care to count, and I distrust anybody who dares to think that I am beautiful in spite of alopecia. I have prayed daily for 10,592 days (as of this morning) for a treatment that won't reverse… Continue
Losing my sense of security
Posted on October 26, 2010 at 2:40am 6 Comments 0 Favorites
If you have never been the victim of a robbery or burglary, I pray you never have to experience it. I on the other hand, have to re-live the fear I experienced when I was robbed on my job 11 years ago. This time, it's a lot closer to home, literally -- on Friday morning between 9:30am and 12:30pm my house was robbed. They took all of my electronics, but were very neat about how they did it, indicating that someone who knew my routines and had access to my house committed the crime. The robbers… Continue
Latest Activity
NAAF 27th Annual Conference at Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
July 19, 2012 at 8am to July 22, 2012 at 6pm
btflbaldgrrl replied to btflbaldgrrl's discussion 'useful links for those new to an alopecia support group' in the group Vancouver Alopecia Support Group
btflbaldgrrl added 2 discussions to the group Vancouver Alopecia Support Group
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Comment Wall (403 comments)
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Thank you for accepting my friend request. Whenever I get to reading a few comments around AW, I sometimes come across some of what you wrote; I always enjoy reading what's on your mind. I'll look for you at the July conference.
Mais uma vez obrigado por ter aceito o convite.
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Hello, thank you for words and oubrigado for having accepted the invitation of friendship, it really is a great community. I live in Brazil, and I am developing a website about Alopecia, with one of the main groups related to Alopecia here, will soon be working then send you the address to access.
Thanks again for having accepted the invitation.
Thought I'd pop in and see how you are. Whatcha been up to since Naaf??
Hugs
Rosy
See you there. :)
Rosy
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