Hair-Obsessed Disabled Woman Faces Tough Choice Between $5k Hair Appointment And Essential Medical Supplies For Her Illness

“I’ve lost everything else to my illness, I can’t bear the pain of loosing my hair too.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• November 19, 2023

Life can be unpredictable in the worst ways, and our narrator (Original Poster) experienced this first-hand. An uninvited guest barged into her life and seized control of her body—an autoimmune disorder called Guillan-Barré. 

This condition led her immune system to launch an unwarranted assault on her nerves, and the resulting consequences were dire . Picture a scenario where your face, arms, and legs feel like they've taken a nap—that was OP’s life now.

OP was confined to the hospital bed for three weeks. As a result, her wife dutifully cared for her the entire time. Yet, in the midst of this medical ordeal, an essential part of OP’s identity faced the brunt of this battle—her gorgeous long hair.

This was more than just hair to OP; it was a lifeline to her, especially now that everything else had slipped away. Sadly, hospital beds weren’t kind to the meticulous care of such locks, and the neglect began to manifest. 

Requests to her wife and pleas to the hospital staff to brush her hair went unanswered, and over time, her once-lustrous mane transformed into a hardened, matted mass on her head.

Local salons were helpless against the tangled mess; most even suggested shaving it off—OP couldn’t do that! 

A lifeline finally emerged, but it came with a $4000 price tag. They were already spread too thin with OP’s medical expenses and her partner giving up work to be OP’s full-time caregiver.

OP turned to the online community, asking the burning question: was dropping the big bucks to reclaim a piece of herself worth it?

The story in detail

A little background

OP is in a dilemma whether to spend $4000 in detangling their hair or use the money for something more important, which would mean a shaved head for her.

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

“Ask yourself this: Is your hair more important than your wife eating?“

“It boggles me how anyone would spend money on hair over rehab”

“The reality is that you can’t afford the expense.”

“Even IF you spend $5K and your hair turns out perfect, what happens NEXT month, the month after that?“

“I know you love your hair, but with no income coming in, $5k is an awful lot to spend.”

“I'm really sorry for everything you have to go through, sadly the right choice would be to cut your hair.“

“Well sorry but that’s fiscally irresponsible regardless of the circumstances that lead there.”

“Spending $5,000, when you’re already struggling, will only make things worse in the long run.”

Redditors agree that tough times call for tough choices. Forking out nearly $5000 in the midst of financial struggle, isn't the wisest move.

Hair will always grow back but for now, opting for a practical style that suits OP and her wife is the way to go. 

Amidst it all, the community showers OP with love and support. They emphasize that her well-being is what matters most now, not her hair.

What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments

Jesse