Monday, June 18, 2007
Cancer Patient Forced to Remove Cap on Amusement Park "Kiddie" Ride
This did not happen to me.
This happened to a woman who went to SeaWorld, San Antonio with her family. After riding other rides (including a large waterslide) with her cap on, she boarded a slow-moving children's ride with her two-year old. The ride involved spinning paint buckets; it was not vigorous enough to require seatbelts.
Way to go, SeaWorld. You made a woman with cancer uncover her head and cry in front of not only her two-year old child but god knows how many strangers.
She says she decided to complain to the attendant's supervisor, who sympathized but told her it is the "policy" to have no loose objects as they may fly off and interfere with the machinery. She watched as many people rode with sunglasses and eyeglasses, which have the same potential for flying off as a cap. The sign on the ride actually says that "loose objects must be secured," not that "loose objects must be taken off the heads of patients undergoing chemotherapy." (I can guarantee you that people undergoing chemotherapy are quite used to securing the hats on their heads.)
SeaWorld is run by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, best known for making Budweiser.
Anheuser-Busch and Busch Entertainment Corporation clearly need to provide more guidance to their front-line employees and low-level supervisors regarding when it is appropriate to think and act compassionately rather than mindlessly (and rather inaccurately) enforcing some "rule" which results in the humiliation of paying customers.
In fact, this is something everyone at the company could stand to improve upon...
This did not happen to me, but I would certainly be writing to the company's board of directors regarding the horrible experience if it had.
Busch Entertainment Corporation:
Keith M. Kasen, Chairman of the Board and President (he also served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Florida [2000-2003] and in San Antonio, Texas [1997-2000])
David J. Grabe, Vice President of Finance
David L. Hammer, Vice President of Human Resources
Also, the "Key Executives" listed for Anheuser-Busch, the parent company are:
Patrick T. Stokes - Chairman, Subsidiary Officer
August A. Busch IV - Chief Executive Officer, President, Subsidiary Officer
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
United States
Phone: 314 577-2000
Fax: 314 577-2900
This happened to a woman who went to SeaWorld, San Antonio with her family. After riding other rides (including a large waterslide) with her cap on, she boarded a slow-moving children's ride with her two-year old. The ride involved spinning paint buckets; it was not vigorous enough to require seatbelts.
"I'm sitting there with my two-year old and the attendant tells me that I have to remove my cap. I explain that I have no hair and had ridden other rides with no problem. She insists. I get really angry and fling it to the side off the ride and sit there with my bald head. My husband comes to my rescue and offers to ride the ride. I leave in tears while he takes my place."
Way to go, SeaWorld. You made a woman with cancer uncover her head and cry in front of not only her two-year old child but god knows how many strangers.
She says she decided to complain to the attendant's supervisor, who sympathized but told her it is the "policy" to have no loose objects as they may fly off and interfere with the machinery. She watched as many people rode with sunglasses and eyeglasses, which have the same potential for flying off as a cap. The sign on the ride actually says that "loose objects must be secured," not that "loose objects must be taken off the heads of patients undergoing chemotherapy." (I can guarantee you that people undergoing chemotherapy are quite used to securing the hats on their heads.)
SeaWorld is run by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, best known for making Budweiser.
Anheuser-Busch and Busch Entertainment Corporation clearly need to provide more guidance to their front-line employees and low-level supervisors regarding when it is appropriate to think and act compassionately rather than mindlessly (and rather inaccurately) enforcing some "rule" which results in the humiliation of paying customers.
In fact, this is something everyone at the company could stand to improve upon...
This did not happen to me, but I would certainly be writing to the company's board of directors regarding the horrible experience if it had.
Busch Entertainment Corporation:
Keith M. Kasen, Chairman of the Board and President (he also served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Florida [2000-2003] and in San Antonio, Texas [1997-2000])
David J. Grabe, Vice President of Finance
David L. Hammer, Vice President of Human Resources
Also, the "Key Executives" listed for Anheuser-Busch, the parent company are:
Patrick T. Stokes - Chairman, Subsidiary Officer
August A. Busch IV - Chief Executive Officer, President, Subsidiary Officer
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
United States
Phone: 314 577-2000
Fax: 314 577-2900
Labels: baldness, chemo, hair, hat, SeaWorld
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Cold Weather and my Winter Coat
I was unpleasantly surprised when I stepped outside yesterday by a temperature somewhere in the thirties. Before letting the door slam shut, I stuck my foot in the doorway and grabbed a pair of mittens (hand-knit angora and wool, very pretty but not, alas, very windproof) from the front closet. It was equally cold today, and made me wish for a hat.
I'm not sure I want to risk wearing a hat over my "cranial prosthesis." What if, when I go to take the hat off, the hair comes with it? I've often thought about whipping my hair off--especially when in the midst of a hot flash--for shock value, but doubt I'll actually do it.
I may soon be able to forgo wearing the detatchable hair. Not just because I and my medical team have talked about taking a break from the chemotherapy, but because my hair and eyebrows actually seem to be growing back.
I did not lose all of my hair initially, but shaved my head to eliminate the depressingness of having a pillowcase coated with what should have remained on my noggin. I would guess that about a third of my hair remained actively growing, and it dutifully grew in, sparse and icky, whereas my eyebrow hairs drifted away one by one until they were totally gone.
I'm not sure when I noticed that there seemed to be new growth. First I noticed that sometimes it looked like there was more hair on my head depending on where the light came from. The new hairs were evident when backlit, but otherwise invisible. The peach fuzz was also shorter than the sparse dark hairs and wiry greys poking straight up. The invisible fuzz was actually propping up the rest of the hair, rendering it utterly uncontrollable. I've got an undercoat, I realized.
One night I couldn't stand it anymore and took a pair of scissors to the whole mess and cut it all to the same length. My scalp is totally visible and it looks stupid, but the hair feels really neat and I can't stop touching it.
I've actually been worried about this. Does the new growth mean that I'm becoming resistant to the chemotherapy? Has it stopped working? I asked Lita, and she assured me it was not a stupid question. Her explanation was that initiating chemotherapy can "irritate" the folicles, but it's not uncommon for people to have their hair continue growing while on taxol. Abraxane appears to be similar.
My winter coat is not terribly luxurious as of yet, but give it time. It will be done just in time for spring.
I'm not sure I want to risk wearing a hat over my "cranial prosthesis." What if, when I go to take the hat off, the hair comes with it? I've often thought about whipping my hair off--especially when in the midst of a hot flash--for shock value, but doubt I'll actually do it.
I may soon be able to forgo wearing the detatchable hair. Not just because I and my medical team have talked about taking a break from the chemotherapy, but because my hair and eyebrows actually seem to be growing back.
I did not lose all of my hair initially, but shaved my head to eliminate the depressingness of having a pillowcase coated with what should have remained on my noggin. I would guess that about a third of my hair remained actively growing, and it dutifully grew in, sparse and icky, whereas my eyebrow hairs drifted away one by one until they were totally gone.
I'm not sure when I noticed that there seemed to be new growth. First I noticed that sometimes it looked like there was more hair on my head depending on where the light came from. The new hairs were evident when backlit, but otherwise invisible. The peach fuzz was also shorter than the sparse dark hairs and wiry greys poking straight up. The invisible fuzz was actually propping up the rest of the hair, rendering it utterly uncontrollable. I've got an undercoat, I realized.
One night I couldn't stand it anymore and took a pair of scissors to the whole mess and cut it all to the same length. My scalp is totally visible and it looks stupid, but the hair feels really neat and I can't stop touching it.
I've actually been worried about this. Does the new growth mean that I'm becoming resistant to the chemotherapy? Has it stopped working? I asked Lita, and she assured me it was not a stupid question. Her explanation was that initiating chemotherapy can "irritate" the folicles, but it's not uncommon for people to have their hair continue growing while on taxol. Abraxane appears to be similar.
My winter coat is not terribly luxurious as of yet, but give it time. It will be done just in time for spring.
Labels: baldness, chemo, cold, eyebrows, hair, hat, hot flash, wigs
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Hey, Let's Go See the Freakshow Downstairs
This evening after we had gotten home from a hot evening of fishing and a side trip to Subway for some sandwiches, I noticed that there were two kids looking into our apartment through the front window. I thought it was a little strange before realizing that I had taken my hat and scarf off (it was too hot to wear a wig to go fishing), and when the kids saw me looking at them, they took off running and ran upstairs to the apartment on the second floor.
A little while later, they were back, again trying to peek inside.
I don't really know what to do about this. It's not really appropriate under any circumstances for people to be purposefully peeking in somebody's front window (Brian says they have done this before), and I wanted to perhaps try to talk to the mother about their behavior.
Brian suggested that 10 p.m. on a Saturday night might not be the best time to address this issue. I think he may be right.
Even under normal circumstances I wouldn't want to have somebody looking through my front window into my home. It's worse now, though, because home is the only place I really felt like I didn't have to conceal my loss of hair. But now apparently I do, and I shouldn't have to. I can understand kids having curiosity about the person who looks different or funny with no hair, but I shouldn't have to feel like I'm a freakshow.
We may try talking to the mother tomorrow morning; I don't know for sure. I don't know whether to bring up my circumstances or whether that would just make everyone feel worse than is necessary.
At this point, however, I'm less inclined to care about somebody else feeling bad than I am about myself. I have enough to worry about, and if somebody has to get embarrassed for me to feel better about being in my own home, then fine. Maybe they deserve it.
A little while later, they were back, again trying to peek inside.
I don't really know what to do about this. It's not really appropriate under any circumstances for people to be purposefully peeking in somebody's front window (Brian says they have done this before), and I wanted to perhaps try to talk to the mother about their behavior.
Brian suggested that 10 p.m. on a Saturday night might not be the best time to address this issue. I think he may be right.
Even under normal circumstances I wouldn't want to have somebody looking through my front window into my home. It's worse now, though, because home is the only place I really felt like I didn't have to conceal my loss of hair. But now apparently I do, and I shouldn't have to. I can understand kids having curiosity about the person who looks different or funny with no hair, but I shouldn't have to feel like I'm a freakshow.
We may try talking to the mother tomorrow morning; I don't know for sure. I don't know whether to bring up my circumstances or whether that would just make everyone feel worse than is necessary.
At this point, however, I'm less inclined to care about somebody else feeling bad than I am about myself. I have enough to worry about, and if somebody has to get embarrassed for me to feel better about being in my own home, then fine. Maybe they deserve it.
Labels: baldness, Brian, hair, hat, kids, scarf, wigs
Friday, June 16, 2006
What's the Buzz, Tell Me What's a-Happening
Since I tired of the perpetual rain of short hairs, and I tired of having the coat of hair removed from my pillow after each use, I asked Brian to buzz the rest of my hair the other night. Instead of looking like Smeagol, I now resemble a slightly pasty sea urchin.
Last week I went to a swanky wig store in Birmingham, Michigan and was fitted for two "cranial prosthetics." They gave me a sheet with step-by-step details on getting your insurance company to pay for your wigs. The first advice is to not call it a wig, but a "cranial prosthesis." My insurance company has informed me that wigs are not covered under my policy. The guide sheet points out that a wig is something worn for cosmetic purposes, whereas a cranial prosthesis is worn to cover hair lost due to medical reasons, and is no different from a prosthetic worn to replicate a breast lost due to medical reasons.
The first wig was supposed to be done in a week, but I have yet to hear from the wig lady. In the meantime I am wearing scarf/hat combos. Today I look rather like a gypsy. The stubbly hairs that are left are helping hold my green-blue silk scarf in place which my dad brought back from his trip to Thailand. I'm worried it will slip and fall off, revealing my new prison-inmate 'do.
I feel very conspicuous and weird, in any case. I seriously doubt a wig will fix that, since almost everyone around me will know it's a wig.
Oh well. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
Last week I went to a swanky wig store in Birmingham, Michigan and was fitted for two "cranial prosthetics." They gave me a sheet with step-by-step details on getting your insurance company to pay for your wigs. The first advice is to not call it a wig, but a "cranial prosthesis." My insurance company has informed me that wigs are not covered under my policy. The guide sheet points out that a wig is something worn for cosmetic purposes, whereas a cranial prosthesis is worn to cover hair lost due to medical reasons, and is no different from a prosthetic worn to replicate a breast lost due to medical reasons.
The first wig was supposed to be done in a week, but I have yet to hear from the wig lady. In the meantime I am wearing scarf/hat combos. Today I look rather like a gypsy. The stubbly hairs that are left are helping hold my green-blue silk scarf in place which my dad brought back from his trip to Thailand. I'm worried it will slip and fall off, revealing my new prison-inmate 'do.
I feel very conspicuous and weird, in any case. I seriously doubt a wig will fix that, since almost everyone around me will know it's a wig.
Oh well. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
Labels: baldness, Brian, hair, hat, insurance, scarf, wigs
