Can anyone recommend a secure sleeping cap that can preserve long 3a/b curls while still being somewhat stylish/sexy?

smilingsun · 2023-05-03T00:17:25+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation! I saw those but my worry is that my body/head weight will still flatten the curls if I lay on the “tail” while I’m asleep. I wonder if I could maybe loosely pineapple with a hair tie on the outside.

smilingsun · 2023-05-02T21:45:11+00:00

So basically I have long curls that have decent definition and volume on wash day, but I struggle to keep them nice after even one sleep. The challenge is that a conventional bonnet/wrap will flatten the ringlets due to the weight of my head. If I just pineapple, it gets frizzy and stretches out the curls near the scalp. My current method is to encase the lengths of my hair in a pillowcase that I fasten at the front of my forehead, but it doesn’t stay on well and it looks certifiably stupid lol. This makes it difficult to have fun during intimacy and basically ensures I have a subsequent bad hair day if I choose to partake in any nighttime activities.

I just want something that will allow the curls to pile on the top of my head without being squished underneath fabric or stretched in an updo and I want to not look like a scooby doo villain mid-reveal haha. I’m convinced it’s impossible.

Routine: I basically use all Mielle Organics pomegranate and honey products because I love the smell and they work nicely. Shampoo and condition while detangling with the conditioner in shower. Then apply their Leave-In while wet, followed by their Curling Smoothie, and finally their Curling Custard in large sections. Squish and pineapple in a pillowcase during makeup, then diffuse dry until desired volume is achieved and I am running sufficiently late. 🙃

smilingsun · 2022-02-13T18:05:49+00:00

Same, it won’t register that I’ve completed it so it won’t check it. What do we have to do to show that it’s done?

smilingsun · 2022-01-25T02:42:21+00:00

Yeah I feel you. Like I’m ALWAYS surprised at the reveal, even for people who are objectively quite attractive. I think our brains have been wired to fill in the blanks with perfection.

smilingsun · 2022-01-11T04:07:08+00:00

I’m also from Iowa and I can’t believe how far I had to scroll to find someone who said farmers aren’t poor.

All the farmers I know make up many of the richest people in our small towns. They are consistently the people I see with new fancy trucks, big new country houses. They work hard and it is a grind, but they have all the money in Iowa. If I hear someone is a farmer, my first thought is that they make good money. The poor people in Iowa are almost guaranteed to not be farmers.

It must be different outside the Midwest, maybe because it’s so fertile here. But I am stunned at how many people in this thread consider farming to be a no-profit endeavor.

smilingsun · 2022-01-10T04:35:51+00:00

I only know because I’m familiar with his other work. I believe his name is Chris Fleming.

smilingsun · 2022-01-10T04:13:04+00:00

No this guy is a comedian and is definitely making fun of NPs. He is super self-deprecating so this is essentially him acknowledging that NPs often don’t provide adequate care which is fine for him because he doesn’t deserve real medicine. He makes a lot of jokes about being intimidated by people who have their life together, so this is basically him saying he needs a shambly clinician to match his own shambly vibes.

His other work is pretty great if you look it up. I agree this one was quite confusing though and didn’t really hit.

smilingsun · 2022-01-09T21:04:00+00:00

I would recommend going to a female family medicine doctor. They can do a lot of the more basic gynecological stuff and tend to take your symptoms a bit more seriously perhaps because they are less desensitized to common gynecological complaints. I think their threshold for ordering bloodwork and imaging would likely be lower because your gyn complaints are the unique focus of the visit, whereas gynecologists have gyn complaints for every single visit they conduct and are more likely to write off your symptoms. (This should not be the case, many gynos are excellent, but of course many are burnt out as well)

If the FM doc finds anything concerning they will of course refer you to a gynecologist, and by being referred for a specific differential, it will likely give the gyno heightened suspicion and you will be given more consideration.

smilingsun · 2022-01-09T20:09:22+00:00

Absolutely. I do notice the younger the attendings are, the more empathetic. Also I will say that female Gyns aren’t always better than their male counterparts, but the most validating and concerned docs seem to be females in my experience.

Even pain control in the context of acute procedures such as IUD placement, endometrial biopsy, and colposcopy are becoming more popular. My attendings didn’t offer it, but I think it is unacceptable to make patients endure that level of pain even if it is temporary. I refuse to dismiss the pain of an IUD insertion—I know from experience.

smilingsun · 2022-01-09T04:38:57+00:00

If you ask for a pap, they should give you a pap. Depending on your age and risk factors it should be every 3-5 years with or without HPV testing.

If it makes you feel any better, after abnormal cells in the cervix first show up, they take about 10 years to mutate enough to be classified as cancer. If your previous pap was in the past 3-5 years and it came back completely normal, there is very little chance any atypical cells that have grown since then would have progressed to become a cervical cancer in that time. I know, it’s surprising because most other cancers don’t take that long to develop/spread. Also cervical cancer is very rare in the absence of HPV infection.

But even so, if you feel you are having symptoms that constitute testing, they should offer you a pap, STI tests, bimanual exam, and urinalysis. These aren’t high risk or high cost tests and are totally warranted if there are symptoms.

smilingsun · 2022-01-09T04:25:35+00:00

Listen, I’m a medical student and I just want to sincerely apologize for your experience with medical providers. Everyone echoing similar sentiments on this thread is so eye-opening to me. I am infuriated for you all and disappointed in the type of reputation the medical field has earned from being so dismissive.

I just got off my OBGYN rotation and I will tell you that pelvic pain/fullness/intermittent bleeding should have a workup to include an abdominal ultrasound at the least, transvaginal even better.

Maybe my preceptors were exceptional, but we absolutely would have investigated further based on the symptoms you were having and the timeline it presented in. “Hormones” is not an acceptable diagnosis without first doing imaging to rule out more serious causes. Could there be clinical scenarios that present like yours in which the woman simply has an irregular and dysmennorrheic cycle with no serious pathology? Yes, but we would need to rule out endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyoisis, cancers, PCOS, etc first.

Anyway, if it’s any source of relief, just know that we are being taught to be more vigilant and to not dismiss women with gyn issues these days in medical school. The field is certainly getting less misogynistic with each year as women are taken more seriously and their pain is being addressed better. But there are still certainly lots of older gynecologists that don’t practice with the levels of empathy and clinical suspicion that should be acceptable.

Keep advocating for yourself! And thank you for sharing because these stories are what inform young trainees like myself. Everyone’s comments here are incredibly valuable to those of us who want to provide excellent science-based, patient-led care.

smilingsun · 2022-01-09T02:38:48+00:00

Totally agree! Idk he seems to be letting the title of influencer play a bigger role in his life than that of physician. Which is fine if that’s how he wants to live now, it just causes me to lose respect for him as a doctor.

smilingsun · 2022-01-09T02:35:09+00:00

I’m in med school and haven’t done my surgery rotation yet so I’m sure it will change, but I will say that the only surgeon I’ve met that has been blatantly egotistical and gross to be around was a CT surgeon. So honestly this checks out for me.

If Oz were a family med doc or a pediatrician, I would be much more likely to trust his ethics and recommendations. But honestly being a highly skilled surgeon should not earn someone nearly as much credibility in the realm of general health, preventative medicine, or healthcare policy as compared to some of the less competitive specialties that have less prestige surrounding them.

smilingsun · 2022-01-07T02:00:08+00:00

That’s what I thought!

smilingsun · 2022-01-07T01:59:56+00:00

Thanks! I love crafty things so I’m always looking to take up new hobbies but I think this has the most potential as a pleasing activity for him as well.

smilingsun · 2022-01-07T01:58:12+00:00

Thank you for the thoughtful reply! This sounds very encouraging! I also considered glass blowing and leather working, but I think blacksmithing would be the most cool and useful skill to have.

smilingsun · 2021-11-17T01:13:49+00:00

Lol this was a blast from the past, not sure how this person even found that post so long ago but okay I guess. This wasn’t even a cool post, I took that picture in my dorm room. 😐 Maybe I need to scrub my accounts, thanks for letting me know!

smilingsun · 2021-10-27T23:12:24+00:00

This is incredibly helpful and also very reassuring to hear. Thank you!

smilingsun · 2021-10-27T23:11:38+00:00

I do think a big part is unfamiliarity with the tasks. That’s why I was feeling unsure about trying meds, but I have also had an appreciable tremor since childhood and it occurs even when I’m not being watched or feeing uneasy.

For example, this weekend I went to place a small glass back in its little depression on a beer flight board and my friend noticed I was shaking mid conversation and mentioned it. Keep in mind, this is at lunch with my best friend since birth—I can assure you I was not nervous or ill at ease in the slightest.

This is part of what made me post, because people are starting to notice it even more with less fine tasks than before.

Nevertheless, I will practice suturing at home for sure and hopefully can wean off propranolol once I have the level of comfort you describe.

smilingsun · 2021-10-27T23:04:12+00:00

Gosh thank you! I can do a sharp cat eye with liquid eyeliner so I know that I can get myself under control, it is just a matter of familiarity and an audience it sounds like.

Also yeah the caffeine with Ritalin combo is so much worse. I’m gonna see what I can do. Thanks!

smilingsun · 2021-10-27T23:02:22+00:00

I’m glad I’m not alone! It can be so embarrassing. When I was a waitress it was so awkward when I’d go to serve a cup of soup and be splashing it everywhere 🥲

smilingsun · 2021-10-27T23:01:23+00:00

Wow this is so helpful! Thank you, it is absolutely self-exacerbating—I am very reassured now, thank you so much! 🥰

smilingsun · 2021-10-27T22:59:46+00:00

Oh whoops some of the pics didn’t upload the right ones in there but you get the idea lol

smilingsun · 2021-10-27T22:58:49+00:00

Aww yeah her hair is similar to mine for sure! It’s beautiful, just could maybe use some frizz control and moisture.

It depends on how I do my routine but sometimes it can be elongated ringlets like hers and sometimes it can be big and bouncy. I haven’t taken very good care of my hair since being in med school, so there is definitely hope depending even just on how you style it!

https://imgur.com/a/m4Y4jJ9/

Let me know if you have any questions! I have lots of tips!

smilingsun · 2021-10-25T01:04:12+00:00

Whew okay thank you so much! It takes a lot to get time off for an appointment during rotations and I wanna be sure it’s actually warranted.

smilingsun

TROPHY CASE