Reaching out

I recently joined an Alopecia-Areata support group online at mdjunction.com I posted that I was here to help and was happily surprised to receive my first question from a young 14 year old with Alopecia. Her first question to me asked if my hair ever grew back

my response:
"when i still had the majority of my hair the bald patches would grow back a little but unfortunately never all of it. my mom seems to think that we might have over done it going from one treatment to another too quickly. i honestly wasn't super diligent about applying the medication every night which i regret. i was either too lazy or the medicine would really iritate my scalp (which i guess it was supposed to do) but i remember i would dread it sometimes. my parents literally tried everything from rubbing raw garlic on my bald spots, to the lastest and greatest medicines out there from the top dermatologists, to sending me to witch doctors/faith healers - geez the stories i could tell - it would crack you up."

it really would crack you up - especially if you have Alopecia too. my earliest memory of a "treatment" was my wonderful mother literally crushing a fresh garlic clove and rubbing it onto my bald spots. how silly does that sound? to her credit, she really was about trying anything and garlic is supposed to be super healthy i guess. i remember once she was applying it on my scalp when my grandfather was over watching and he made a joke about how he just needed some vinegar and we'd have a dipping sauce for lumpia (a pilipino egg roll). see how random my childhood memories are?

plans...

They tell you to write about what you know and this is what I know.

I am 33 and have lived with alopecia since I was 2. So I have been through it all, teased in elementary school, middle school, high school, dating with alopecia, marriage and now kids. I am happy to share stories and advice on how I coped with it at every stage of my life.

I hope that through this blog I can share the insight and knowledge I have gained over the years. I am in a very happy place in life now - I am in a wonderful 5 yr long marriage and have 2 beautiful daughters. I know I have come a long way.

I'll be sharing information:

1. for parents of kids with Alopecia or if someone you love has alopecia - insight into what I felt at each age - kid, teenager, young adult.
2. for teens/young adults living with Alopecia - tips on make up & hairpieces (like most i hate the word "wig")
3. for single adults living with Alopecia - dating tips - highs and lows
4. my continued fears as a parent - how can I not be fearful that someday my daughters will get alopecia and how I cope with the idea

I know that there is a large community of families effected by Alopecia and I want to help.